Chapter 261
Chapter 261
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 261
Chapter Title: Act 52. The Death of Kim Se-hyeon (3)
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There were others in the same situation.
But they knew nothing, either.
They tried to inform the media, but major outlets remained silent, and articles from smaller ones would disappear by the next day.
Even as they relied on each other to endure, refusing to let go of hope.
Time just kept passing without any new information, and nothing improved.
Someone even held a protest.
"This is all a conspiracy! They know what's happening and they're hiding it!"
He disappeared the next day.
His phone number was gone, and all contact was lost.
The conspiracy theories grew darker.
And so did the despair.
My family isn't coming back, and there's nothing I can do.
It was the same for Kim Se-hyeon.
The self-loathing, the sense of loss, and the powerlessness of being able to do nothing.
Kim Se-hyeon shut himself away at home.
The sun set a few times, then dozens of times.
Nothing changed.
Still.
The passing days seemed to press down on him, asking how long he would stay like this.
People were living their busy lives today, yet he felt like he was the only one standing still.
-What's going on with you? People are worried because you've been on hiatus without a word. They're asking if something happened.
Ah.
Kim Se-hyeon barely managed to open his mouth.
It was only after seeing the message from a fellow streamer he was close with that he remembered what he had forgotten.
'I should... explain.'
He dragged his heavy body to his chair.
He had only been away for a few days, yet the broadcasting software felt so unfamiliar.
-He's here!
-What amazing game have you been playing all by yourself to go silent for this long? lol
-An explanation, please. It's not right to just go dark for this long without a word.
-He could have been sick or something. Why are you so sensitive;
The chat messages flooded in.
Some were angry, some were indifferent, and some were worried.
"Hello, everyone. This is Strategy King."
Even as he started the broadcast, he had a nagging worry.
What if he couldn't speak properly?
What if he said something he shouldn't?
But his worries proved baseless as the words flowed naturally.
"I had a family."
-?
-Had?
"My parents, and a sister I bickered with but was still close to. But, as of a few days ago, I've lost them all."
Kim Se-hyeon continued his story calmly.
Then, at some point, he realized something.
If tears come, I have to hold them back.
He had resolved to do so, but no tears came at all.
He spoke as if telling someone else's story, his tone unchanging. A few chat messages accused him of making excuses, but they were a small minority.
-It's okay to cry.
-I heard that when people are in deep shock, they can't cry. This is real.
-ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Was this what it felt like to have something fill his empty heart?
Kim Se-hyeon gave a sorrowful smile.
'So there's still something left for me.'
As the many words of comfort from people who cared about him piled up, he found a little strength to move.
If this is all I have left.
Then I should at least give this my all.
With that resolve, Kim Se-hyeon forced himself to raise his voice.
"I have a few games I prepared earlier. I'm not sure if anyone else has uploaded a guide video in the meantime, but you guys still want to see my take on it, right?"
-True
-Ah lol, a Strategy King guide video? Can't miss that lol
-You don't have to force yourself. Take more time off.
-Even at a time like this, he's keeping the voice modulator on for the concept. That's our Strategy King for real lol
-The guy above can't read the room.
"The voice modulator is fun, right? If I turn on the autotune like this... The end of the human world has arrived. How's that?"
-LMAO
-Oh, are you going to play that game?
"What game?"
-It's called EOA. A few people started playing it yesterday or so. I hear it's really hard.
-I don't know if it was even made to be beaten. Most people play for a few hours and give up.
-But if Strategy King takes it on?
-We've decided to call that a triumph of the human spirit.
"Just a moment. Let me look it up."
The word "hard" had piqued his interest.
But more than that.
The moment he heard the name, Kim Se-hyeon felt a strong pull.
'End of Apocalypse...'
A world hurtling toward destruction, and the people struggling to survive in it.
It wasn't a rare theme.
But the realistic descriptions and detailed settings.
And above all, its impossibly difficult level.
If the world really were to end like this.
The thought suddenly crossed Kim Se-hyeon's mind, and he gave a weary smile.
"They say it's hard, so I can't back down. Should we just jump right into this one?"
From that day on, his quest to conquer EOA began.
A day turned into a week, and then a month.
At first, people watched with excitement, but as his progress slowed, many stopped watching. He didn't pay it much mind.
He didn't really know why himself.
If he had to name a reason, it was that he wanted to beat the game.
A determination to see it through to the end, to not bring shame to the name Strategy King, even if everyone else had given up.
None of it offered a clear explanation, but he didn't think it was that important.
"...Ah."
On the third month, Kim Se-hyeon realized.
He had started the game because of its post-apocalyptic setting.
How many times had a part of him wished the world would just end like that?
So why now.
Was he trying so desperately to prevent that destruction?
His vision blurred.
Sudden tears welled up, obscuring his sight.
Like a dam that had finally burst, once the tears started, they wouldn't stop.
Forgetting even to pause the game, Kim Se-hyeon sobbed uncontrollably.
"..."
And 'I' was watching that scene, too.
An event from the distant past.
An old memory, forgotten when reality turned into a game.
The reason I had kept playing EOA was right there.
[Item, 'Fountain of Life,' has been activated.]
[The body is being reconstructed.]
The moment I died, I confirmed that system message appeared.
The Fountain of Life was an item that, upon receiving fatal damage, would cancel death once and resurrect the user.
I knew I wasn't completely dead, but how long would I have to keep watching these old memories?
I had told Jun Bo-ra about it, but I wondered how it would turn out.
There was a basis for it.
But I couldn't guarantee it would work 100%.
Still, it was the only way, so I had to try.
"Se-hyeon oppa!!"
Someone's shout sounded faintly.
Then, other voices began to follow.
"Se-hyeon hyung! Wake up!"
"This isn't the time to be lying around, Leader!"
"What are you doing, resting so comfortably? You need to get to work."
"Get up now! I have one more restaurant to take you to!"
The static-filled sounds grew clearer.
And the foggy, indistinct figures gradually came into view.
Jo Min-ah, Jo Min-woo, Choi Yeon-soo, Cha Eun-ha.
Followed by Jun Bo-ra, and even Hwang Chan-jin.
"I won't let you be the only one to lay down your burdens and find peace, Kim Se-hyeon!"
Hwang Chan-jin shouted.
His fiercely raised eyebrows were prominent.
The visions of the past slowly faded into the fog.
A smile crept onto my lips unknowingly.
The other 50% that the Fountain of Life alone couldn't provide.
People who cared about me, strongly perceiving and wishing for my return.
['Angel of Benevolence' lends her strength.]
[You receive the effects of 'Archangel's Prayer'!]
Suddenly, a small, winged ring appeared above my head.
Archangel's Prayer.
That shouldn't be something one can use so freely. How?
['Angel of Benevolence' says you are worthy of it.]
Archangel's Prayer not only consumes a significant amount of the user's power, but also imposes a heavy penalty if used for personal reasons.
Especially in a case like this, where the Angel of Benevolence made the decision unilaterally.
'It's a power that can only be used with the unanimous consent of the council of archangels.'
In urgent cases, it can be used first, and the council held later.
However, as long as Gabriel is keeping me in check, a unanimous vote is impossible.
In other words, the Angel of Benevolence will find it difficult to avoid disciplinary action later.
['Angel of Benevolence' smiles, saying she is fine and not to worry.]
"...Then I'll gratefully accept."
Many hands reached out.
I extended my arm toward their hands.
[Your existence becomes clearer.]
[All conditions for resurrection have been met.]
[You are revived.]
***
"I believe I told you I wouldn't let it slide if you laid a hand on my little sister, Kim Se-hyeon."
That was the first thing I heard upon opening my eyes.
"...What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
I thought I might be a little dizzy, but my mind was as clear as if I'd just woken up from a good night's sleep.
My clothes... that's a relief. Even the clothes I was wearing were restored.
"I've obtained evidence that you've been having a secret rendezvous with my sister."
"What?"
"A rendezvous?"
Jun Bo-ra covered her mouth, a highly irritating grin on her face as she snickered.
"What's a rendezvous?"
"A kid like you doesn't need to know."
"I like yukhoe, though."
Right behind them, Jo Min-woo and Cha Eun-ha were trying to distance themselves from the conversation.
Jo Min-ah's face was slightly flushed, indicating she knew what it meant.
"Whoa. Kim Se-hyeon. You've got some nerve. How do you plan to handle the consequences of hitting on his sister?"
"She's the one who set us up, saying we'd be a good match, Hwang Chan-jin."
I couldn't go down alone.
Jun Bo-ra immediately jumped.
"What kind of bullshit is this!?"
"...So you were in it together. Fine. Both of you, come at me. I'll make sure you never even think of it again."
"No, no, no! I didn't do anything! It's a lie! Hey! You're going to believe him!?"
"My sword will be the judge of whether it's a lie or not."
"Swords don't have mouths!!"
"Just because it has no mouth doesn't mean it cannot speak."
A chilling cry, like the wail of a ghost, rang out from Hwang Chan-jin's sword, 'Baekhon'.
That's just the souls absorbed by the sword screaming.
They say the sound, which rings out continuously the moment it's drawn, slowly eats away at the user's mind, but Hwang Chan-jin seemed unaffected.
I wasn't completely clueless as to why the word "rendezvous" had come up, but now wasn't the time for this.
"Shouldn't we deal with the urgent matter first? That thing, the Primordial Demon Beast or whatever, you said we can't give it time, right?"
Just then, Choi Yeon-soo, who seemed to be thinking the same thing I was, interjected.
"That's right. A tremendously powerful dragon flew in and the two are fighting, but the fragments that broke off from the Primordial Demon Beast have become demon beasts themselves. The Onyx Gryphon guild and other American guilds are probably struggling to hold them off right now."
"I-I think so, too."
With several people mediating, Hwang Chan-jin let out a short sigh and sheathed his sword.
He's the type who really sees red when it comes to his sister.
I understood why, having heard his circumstances, but still.
Jun Bo-ra seized the opportunity to change the subject.
"S-So, we're good then!? Let's get moving!"
The power of the modified teleport was as formidable as ever.
Crossing the entire United States in the blink of an eye was impossible even for an S-rank teleport.
I'm curious what would happen if she reached S-rank in that state.
*KABOOM!*
A tentacle, torn off by sheer force, flew through the air and completely demolished an already half-destroyed building.
It seemed the Dragon of the End was suppressing the Primordial Demon Beast better than I had thought.
'If the Dragon of the End had been pushed back and had its power absorbed...'
That would have been a bad ending right there.
If that leader of Salvatio had used a dimension stone to tamper with the Primordial Demon Beast, it would have been hopeless, but seeing his condition, I quickly judged that wasn't the case, and that decision paid off.
"To think I'd see both of them awake at the same time."
"If not for the method you used, this place would already be a living hell."
"You have to fight a monster with a monster. Those things are beyond disaster-class, so this was the only way."
The Primordial and the End.
Both were heavily wounded, but the important one was the Primordial.
*Shing.*
I drew my sword.
Whether by coincidence or not, Hwang Chan-jin did the same at the exact same moment.
"Ready?"
"No need to ask."