Chapter 474: A Single Mistake (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 474: A Single Mistake (3)
Cha Dong-cheol's statement was completely unexpected.
The moment the word "Dmitry" left his mouth, Roman Dmitry's thoughts tangled into a complicated knot.
‘According to that explanation, the Inheritance Ability is a link to another dimension. A Dmitry from another dimension... Could the Dmitry Empire I founded be the exact same Dmitry they are talking about?’
It wasn't something he could easily accept.
If that were true, he needed to verify it himself.
As Cha Dong-cheol lunged forward with an explosion of mana, Roman Dmitry dialed back his strength and received the attack.
Clang!
Clash, clash, clash!
The strikes exploded with force.
Cha Dong-cheol struck down hard, then pressed the assault rapidly, refusing to give Roman a single moment to breathe. He was determined to maintain his momentum. His sharp eyes gleamed with murderous intent. He had overcome countless life-or-death crises to climb from the absolute bottom to his status as a B-Rank Hunter, and he was proving with his sword alone that Red Moon's reputation was no exaggeration.
Flash.
Rumble!
The surroundings were torn apart.
Unleashing a powerful strike that cleaved through the air, Cha Dong-cheol was certain that even Roman Dmitry wouldn't be able to block it this time.
However...
Clang—
It was blocked.
Effortlessly.
Even Cha Dong-cheol, who believed he held the upper hand, couldn't help but flinch when his ultimate attack was parried so casually. Unaware of his inner turmoil, the onlookers gasped in admiration. To their eyes, it looked like an incredibly close battle. The breathless, rapid-fire exchange made it seem like a match that could go either way.
But the truth was entirely different.
Roman Dmitry had perfectly read every single one of Cha Dong-cheol's attacks.
‘I'm certain. This is the exact same Asura Mind Method and Asura Sword Technique that I taught to the soldiers of the Dmitry Empire.’
Even after hearing the name "Dmitry," and even after confirming the presence of the Asura Sword Technique and Asura Mind Method, Roman didn't rule out other possibilities.
The name "Dmitry" could simply be a coincidence, and the Asura Sword Technique and Asura Mind Method could have originated directly from the Demonic Cult rather than from him. This world was, after all, the distant future of his original life. Just because the traces of the Central Plains Murim had vanished didn't mean everything he had experienced in his past life had completely disappeared.
‘But when I passed down my martial arts to the soldiers of the Dmitry Empire, I modified parts of them to suit that specific environment. The martial arts Cha Dong-cheol is using right now are perfectly identical, right down to those exact modifications. If the Dmitry Empire they speak of is truly the nation I founded, I absolutely cannot overlook this.’
Cha Dong-cheol's inheritance came from a soldier named Rodney.
As far as Roman Dmitry remembered, Rodney was a common name. There were many soldiers with that name in the Dmitry Empire. Since Roman had no special memories of him, this Rodney must have been an utterly ordinary soldier. Yet, for a mere foot soldier to exert enough influence to cross the Boundary of Dimensions was incomprehensible.
In a situation that so thoroughly defied common sense, the only plausible hypothesis was that a specific problem had occurred during the Conquest of the Demon Realm.
The Conquest of the Demon Realm.
Led by Roman Dmitry, they had crossed the Boundary of Dimensions. Although Roman himself had borne the price of that crossing, the aftershocks might have affected the others as well.
One thing was certain.
There was no longer any value in playing along with this fight.
Cha Dong-cheol had unleashed dozens of attacks while Roman Dmitry was lost in thought, but not a single one landed a clean hit. Cha knew it himself. Unlike the onlookers watching with bated breath, he realized something had gone terribly wrong from the very beginning. Yet, unable to accept reality, he lunged forward in a frenzy—only to suddenly feel a searing pain in his forearm.
Flash.
"Aaargh!"
He didn't even see the blade move.
Naturally, he couldn't react to it either.
Staring blankly at his severed arm spinning through the air, Cha Dong-cheol collapsed to the ground.
* * *
"Gah, pant, pant."
He gasped heavily for breath.
Between the burning agony in his stump and the sheer shock of reality sinking in, Cha Dong-cheol couldn't gather his senses. His opponent was a monster far beyond his imagination. Throughout their entire exchange, he had been unilaterally toyed with. The moment his opponent decided to end it, his arm was gone.
He scrambled back until he hit the wall.
Slumped on the floor, Cha Dong-cheol looked up at Roman Dmitry with trembling eyes.
"Answer my questions from now on. Depending on your answers, I will decide your fate."
The voice was freezing cold.
Even though their guild master was cornered, the surrounding Red Moon guild members stood frozen like statues. They only exchanged nervous glances, not daring to rush forward. Faced with an overwhelming monster who had slaughtered over a dozen people in just thirty seconds and effortlessly defeated the Cha Dong-cheol they trusted so deeply, they had completely lost their will to fight.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"Tell me everything you know about Inheritors."
"What do you mea— Aaargh! Aaack!"
"I believe I told you to only answer my questions."
Roman had thrust his sword straight into Cha Dong-cheol's abdomen.
Simply because he had dared to ask a question in return, Cha Dong-cheol was left writhing and screaming in agony as the blade twisted inside him.
Only then did it truly click.
His opponent was a madman.
Cha Dong-cheol had no idea why Roman was asking these questions, but he had no choice but to answer honestly.
"A-As I mentioned earlier, Inheritors are those who have inherited the memories of someone from another dimension. The exact number of dimensions is unknown. No one knows how many lie beyond the Boundary of Dimensions, but currently, the existence of several dimensions besides the one containing the Dmitry Empire has been confirmed. For example, Richard, an S-Rank Ranker from the USA, obtained the Inheritance Ability of the Wandering Swordsman Karis, who is hailed as the strongest swordsman of his dimension. But of course, no matter how active Inheritors like Richard are, people always say that those from the Dmitry Empire are the true representatives of the Inheritance Ability."
He gasped violently for breath.
Even though the pain surging through his entire body made him choke on his words, he didn't dare stop speaking under Roman Dmitry's chilling gaze.
"The Inheritors of Dmitry... Having achieved the unprecedented feat of the Conquest of the Demon Realm, their abilities are incredibly special. Even Richard, whom I just mentioned, was once defeated by Samuel, an S-Rank Ranker from Spain who inherited the memories of the 'Flash of Dmitry.' Not only that, but several of the current top-ranking Rankers have inherited memories from Dmitry. That is why even someone with the memories of an ordinary soldier like me receives special treatment—just for being an Inheritor of Dmitry."
The Flash of Dmitry.
It was a strange feeling.
Roman had never expected to hear Chris's title in a place like this.
"Furthermore, the abilities of Inheritors cannot be taught to others. Although inheritance is described as 'receiving memories,' in reality, it feels like the skills are physically imprinted onto the body. We don't understand the exact principles of how these abilities manifest. And unlike ordinary Inheritors, I used a Memory Stone. It's a method of forcibly connecting to another dimension. There is a high risk of failure, but even so, a Memory Stone is a priceless treasure that can't be bought with all the money in the world. If someone were to receive the memories of an existence that dominated an era, like the Flash of Dmitry, even a complete nobody could instantly become a high-ranking Hunter."
There was nothing more he could say.
Having squeezed his brain dry, Cha Dong-cheol watched Roman Dmitry's reaction and spoke in a cautious, trembling voice.
"...For now, this is all I can tell you. Please, spare my life. Red Moon failed to recognize your greatness and made a huge mistake. But it was just a single mistake, wasn't it? If you could turn a blind eye just this once, and acknowledge my effort in telling you all this... Red Moon will become a reliable backer for you, Lord Roman Dmitry. We will take care of everything you could possibly need while you stay in Incheon."
It was an earnest, desperate plea.
He had thrown away every ounce of his pride.
Against an opponent he couldn't even dare to face, he had to survive somehow, even if it meant groveling on his knees.
Five years ago.
It had been the exact same back then.
When he had knelt before the Murderous Ghost, Cha Dong-cheol had been nothing more than a weak human begging for his life.
"A single mistake, you say."
Roman shifted his gaze.
Cha Dong-cheol and the remaining members of Red Moon.
A single choice had put all their lives on the line.
The moment his eyes met Kang Min-ho's, Roman Dmitry spoke in a frigid tone, as if proving a point to the guide.
"I prefer to set a precedent that does not tolerate even a single mistake. However, as a reward for your honest answers, I will end this painlessly."
At that moment—
Thud.
Cha Dong-cheol's head flew into the air.
It was a crystal-clear message.
Not just Cha Dong-cheol, but not a single member of Red Moon present would be leaving this building alive.
* * *
He walked outside.
As he strolled with his sword hanging low, red drops of blood dripped steadily from the blade.
Drip, drip.
Red Moon.
They were all dead.
Every single one of them, without exception.
Roman Dmitry calmly looked up at the sky and addressed Kang Min-ho, who was trailing nervously behind him.
"Kang Min-ho. Do you know anything about the name Roman Dmitry?"
"...I don't really know. I know that the Inheritors of Dmitry are special, just as Cha Dong-cheol explained, but if you're asking about the specific name 'Roman Dmitry,' this is the first time I've ever heard it."
"Is that so?"
It was just as Cha Dong-cheol and Kang Min-ho had said.
The people of this world only knew of "Dmitry."
The Inheritance Ability didn't explain the full picture, and no one seemed to know that he was the one who had founded the Dmitry Empire. He had no intention of revealing that fact, either. Whether being known as an existence from another dimension would be a benefit or a detriment was uncertain, but for now, there was absolutely no need to advertise it.
‘What is certain is that this world is connected to the Salamander Continent. An existence known as The Absolute caused a problem with the dimensions, and it is manifesting in various ways, such as these Inheritors. If so...’
Perhaps.
Just perhaps...
There might be a way to return to the Salamander Continent.
Roman had accepted dimensional travel out of concern that his world would collapse, but if he could make good use of the link with this world, he might be able to resolve that issue entirely. Of course, these were merely hypotheses. Whether it was actually possible remained unknown, but this new goal gave him a clear direction on what he needed to do from now on.
The coexistence of two worlds.
An opportunity to continue his past life.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"Kang Min-ho. From now on, there is something you must do for me."
* * *
Ten minutes before the Red Moon incident.
An emergency had been declared within the Incheon Government.
"Is that true?"
"Yes. A Peak Hunter killed Red Moon's Go Sang-ho and is now heading straight toward Red Moon's headquarters with Kang Min-ho leading the way. At this rate, a full-scale clash between the two seems unavoidable."
"...Damn it."
An unidentified Peak-Rank individual.
Although the government hadn't approached him directly, honoring Kang Min-ho's request, they had planted people nearby just in case. Thanks to that precaution, they were able to grasp the situation quickly. Red Moon had approached the Peak Hunter, and when a conflict broke out between them, the situation had rapidly escalated.
A clash between the two.
This was terrible news.
From the Incheon Government's perspective, both Red Moon and this new Peak Hunter were absolutely necessary to prepare for the looming chaos of the Great Disaster.
"What do you plan to do?" the aide asked cautiously.
Kim Jun-hyeok fell into deep thought.
With Go Sang-ho's death, a violent conflict was unavoidable.
If the Incheon Government intervened to protect the Peak Hunter, they would inevitably be dragged into the war themselves.
‘Is a Peak Hunter worth that much risk?’
B-Ranks were rare.
The main reason Incheon had suffered such immense damage when the 5th Great Disaster struck was their inability to handle the high-rank monsters. Therefore, they absolutely had to secure even one more powerful individual. If they wanted a different outcome from the last Great Disaster, they knew all too well that half-hearted preparations wouldn't suffice.
‘Most of the skilled Hunters in South Korea are affiliated with the Central Government. Aside from the fact that the Central Government offers excellent terms, no skilled individual would willingly come down to a dangerous frontline like Incheon to offer their services. In that sense, an unidentified Peak Hunter who doesn't seem to know the inner workings of South Korea yet is an opportunity too good for the Incheon Government to pass up. Even if this leads to an irreversible rift with Red Moon, it's a gamble worth taking if we can secure a powerful ally.’
He gritted his teeth.
There was no other way.
Kim Jun-hyeok spoke. "Prepare the Directly Controlled Unit."
"...Will you be alright with that?"
"There is no other option. I tried to keep the existence of the Directly Controlled Unit hidden for as long as possible, but now is the time to reveal them."
"Understood."
The Directly Controlled Unit.
A hidden force created by pouring in absolutely everything Kim Jun-hyeok possessed.
It was finally time to reveal a power completely unknown to the public.
Ten minutes later.
Kim Jun-hyeok moved out personally.
Hoping to arrive before any harm could come to the Peak Hunter, he rushed toward Red Moon's headquarters.
And then—
"...What on earth is this?"
He froze in absolute shock.
Inside the Red Moon building, dozens of cold, lifeless corpses greeted Kim Jun-hyeok's trembling gaze.