Chapter 507: The 6th Great Disaster (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 507: The 6th Great Disaster (8)
At the very moment Dobong-gu fell, Roman Dmitry returned to the 1st Defense Line.
The people hurriedly threw the gates wide open. Though no orders had been given, they lined up on both sides to welcome his safe return. Their eyes were filled with awe. The sheer sight of him entering their field of vision made it clear just how fierce a battle he had fought.
Drip. Drip.
Drops of blood fell from his body.
He was completely drenched in it. He was so soaked in gore that it was impossible to tell whether the blood belonged to him or the monsters. With every step Roman Dmitry took, he left dark red footprints behind.
"You have worked hard, sir."
It was Gu Cheol-ho.
He ran over in a single breath and handed him a canteen of water. Roman Dmitry glanced at him, then poured the water over his own head.
Splash.
The blood washed away.
The bloody water, carrying the deaths of countless creatures, pooled beneath his feet. Looking at his damp, dripping hair, the onlookers felt a suffocating tension. There was not a single wound on Roman Dmitry's body. That meant the blood pooling on the ground belonged entirely to the monsters.
It was astounding.
Even after slaughtering tens of thousands of monsters and defeating an S-Rank monster, he had returned without a single scratch. It inspired a profound sense of awe.
Roman Dmitry called over a member of his directly controlled unit.
"What is the situation elsewhere?"
"Everything is proceeding according to plan. Directly Controlled Unit Leader Lee Tae-seong is clearing out the monsters roaming inside the city, and the 2nd Defense Line, led by Mayor Kim Jun-hyeok, is fending off the enemy attacks without any major issues. As for notable developments, Baek-il has joined us. Even though Seoul is also under attack by an S-Rank monster and the Central Government must have ordered their recall, they declared their intention to remain in Incheon."
"I see."
He poured the rest of the water over his sword.
After shaking off the blood-mixed droplets, Roman Dmitry addressed the soldiers.
"Guard this place. I will not tolerate any slackness just because no monsters are currently appearing. If you hold the line and refuse to let a single monster pass, I will clean up the rest of the situation in Incheon and return."
"Understood, sir!"
"We will risk our lives to defend the 1st Defense Line!"
Their roaring voices echoed across the walls.
His promise to resolve the crisis and return—they believed it wholeheartedly. Their blind trust stemmed from his clear, undeniable results.
As Roman Dmitry departed, the people watching his retreating figure could not, for the life of them, imagine a scenario where he would ever be in danger.
* * *
The situation was quickly resolved.
As the Blood Rain subsided, Lee Tae-seong joined the 2nd Defense Line. With the active contribution of Baek-il, most of the monsters were eliminated. It was a departure from the initial plan. The 2nd Defense Line had originally intended to focus solely on holding out, but with the arrival of Baek-il—who possessed a powerful advantage in siege defense—they ended up slaughtering all the attacking monsters instead.
Finally, Roman Dmitry's arrival brought the battle to a complete close.
Once all the monsters on the ground were dealt with, the 2nd Defense Line opened its gates and welcomed Roman Dmitry inside.
"You have truly worked hard, sir!"
"We heard over the radio. You defeated the S-Rank monster, the Green Dragon, and even destroyed the source of the monster wave. I wanted to express my deepest gratitude. If not for you, Lord Roman Dmitry, Incheon would not have survived."
The speaker was Kim Jun-hyeok.
The people bowed their heads in unison. They, too, had fought a fierce battle, but they knew it could not compare to what Roman Dmitry had gone through.
The people of Incheon had fully played their part.
Though Roman Dmitry had granted them power in a short period of time, producing results in actual combat was an entirely different matter. Kim Jun-hyeok had utilized formations with precision, and Kang Min-ho had actively unleashed the martial arts of the Guardian Sect to ensure the 2nd Defense Line did not collapse. Even with Baek-il's assistance, without the desperate efforts of those two, the 2nd Defense Line would not have remained so perfectly intact.
Then there was Lee Tae-seong.
He had played a pivotal role. He had taken on the most dangerous task, yet, true to his calm demeanor, he carried out his mission without suffering major casualties.
It means he has that much talent.
In this chaotic world, Lee Tae-seong had reached B-Rank without any backing.
Once Chris's techniques were passed down to him, he showed rapid growth in a short span of time. He was different from Kang Min-ho. While Kang Min-ho grew step-by-step after being granted special power, Lee Tae-seong improved by leaps and bounds with each passing day. Though he was still only an A-Rank, his current rate of growth proved he possessed more than enough talent to reach S-Rank.
In the distant future of Incheon, Lee Tae-seong would become a core figure.
In places where Roman Dmitry was absent, his presence alone would resolve future problems.
Suddenly, Roman stopped in his tracks.
His gaze locked onto a single spot.
Someone who did not belong to Incheon was bowing deeply, showing the utmost respect just like the locals.
"Who are you?"
At that question, everyone's eyes focused on the bowing man.
* * *
It was none other than Park Min-woo.
The moment Park Min-woo had spotted Roman Dmitry, he had bowed his head, causing the mages of Baek-il to look flustered.
"Guild Master!"
"Why are you bowing...?"
It was bound to be baffling for them.
No matter how much they had chosen to come to Incheon for the sake of justice, the mages in white—the members of Baek-il—were not Incheon's subordinates. Strictly speaking, they were here to help. Yet, seeing Park Min-woo execute a perfect ninety-degree bow the instant he saw Roman Dmitry, the mages of Baek-il stamped their feet in anxiety behind him.
They did not bow along with him. Considering Baek-il's prestige, that was only natural.
However, Park Min-woo was different.
From the moment Roman Dmitry appeared, Park Min-woo's body had begun to tremble like a leaf.
It really is Roman Dmitry.
He was terrified.
In his past life, Roman Dmitry had been an overwhelming monster. Even with the immense power he had possessed as Alexander, he had been no match for him. When he confirmed that Roman's true identity was the Heavenly Demon, he felt as if the heavens were collapsing. Who was the Heavenly Demon?! Back when he had lived as Kim Pan-seok, people called that invincible, matchless existence the Heavenly Demon. That was why he had looked up to him and wished to become one of his people. Yet, a cruel fate had placed him on the opposite side of the Heavenly Demon, branding him with an unforgivable mark.
Now, things were different.
Though Park Min-woo was a completely different person in this life, the terror engraved into his very soul made him unable to even look up at Roman Dmitry.
He shook uncontrollably.
It was then.
"Who are you?"
He flinched violently.
The voice was like a thunderclap. Though it was low and calm, to Park Min-woo, it struck his mind more intensely than a bolt of lightning.
How should he answer?
He had a plan of his own. He had originally intended to use his position to make a strong impression, but completely different words tumbled out of his mouth.
"I am Park Min-woo, leader of Baek-il. People call me the Mage in White, but I am not worthy of such an undeserved reputation. I am merely a weak human being who has turned a blind eye until now, even while the Central Government committed atrocities. Lord Roman Dmitry, please accept me and Baek-il. Please make good use of us in carrying out your justice. I have come to see you today to convey this intention—to convey my earnest heart."
Gasp.
"G-Guild Master?!"
The members of Baek-il were thrown into confusion.
This was not what they had discussed. It was a sudden declaration. Not just Baek-il, but the people of Incheon were left completely speechless by the shocking turn of events.
At that moment, Park Min-woo's eyes met Jang Yun-tae's.
He shot him a desperate look.
Bow your heads too. Follow my lead and pay your respects to the Heavenly Demon.
Jang Yun-tae whispered to the guild members, looking as if he had just understood something profound.
"Everyone, take a step back. The Mage in White, our respected Guild Master, is testing Roman Dmitry right now. If he is a man crazed for power, he will greedily accept the Guild Master's request. But if he perceives his true intentions, he will raise the Guild Master up and propose that they carry out justice together from now on."
Jang Yun-tae wore a proud expression.
You crazy bastard.
Anger surged within Park Min-woo. He thought to himself that he truly had atrocious luck with the people around him in this life.
The onlookers did not know the truth.
From what they could see, a massive stroke of good fortune had just fallen right into Incheon's lap. Considering Park Min-woo's strength and Baek-il's prestige, there was no reason to refuse his request.
And yet, Roman Dmitry did not show the slightest bit of interest.
Instead, he asked coldly,
"I will ask you one last time. Who are you?"
* * *
In that instant, Park Min-woo's heart sank.
He had clearly stated his identity, yet Roman Dmitry's gaze was excessively frosty.
Could he have seen through my identity?
That was impossible.
His past life and his current life were in completely different dimensions. There was absolutely no way to connect him to Alexander. That was exactly why he had put forward his new identity as Park Min-woo to become one of Roman Dmitry's people. He had simulated and practiced this meeting countless times for today. Of course, his sudden pledge of loyalty had been a bit rushed, but deducing his past identity from that should have been impossible.
His heart pounded wildly.
His mouth went dry.
But what if? What if he really knew his true identity? Would Roman Dmitry ever forgive him?
Lord Roman Dmitry has no mercy for those he deems enemies. He will kill me. There is no way he would ever forgive me—the man who once drove the people of Dmitry into a corner.
If so, what was he supposed to do?
If he hid his identity and got caught, he would die a miserable death. Even if he chose to oppose Roman Dmitry now, his chances of survival wouldn't even be 0.01%. Think about it. Even back when he lived as Alexander with the Demon King backing him, he was no match for Roman Dmitry. Opposing him made absolutely no sense in Park Min-woo's mind.
And above all, his heart wasn't in it.
Roman Dmitry.
The Heavenly Demon, Baek Joong-hyuk.
He had looked up to him. Setting aside all calculations of profit and loss, he wanted to live his life for the being he regarded as his heaven.
The world ruled by the Heavenly Demon. Back then, the people experienced an Era of Great Peace. The Heavenly Demon was cruel and merciless, but under his clear standards, the common people never suffered, regardless of their status. Those who committed crimes paid the price, and those who sweated and worked hard received their due rewards. The existence known as the Heavenly Demon, Baek Joong-hyuk, is my heaven. The heaven I truly wish to follow. And when he lived as Roman Dmitry, the heaven I looked up to became a ray of light shining upon Dmitry.
He was envious.
In the Abyss, he had yearned for the sight of the Heavenly Demon. Now, an opportunity had finally come to him, and he did not want to repeat the same mistake.
It's do or die now.
There was no other way.
Park Min-woo squeezed his eyes shut. Even if his head were to roll right here, he knew it was time to make a choice.
"Lord Roman Dmitry. May we move to a private place to speak?"
* * *
They moved to a private location.
The moment they were out of everyone's sight, Park Min-woo prostrated himself flat on the ground and cried out.
"Lord Roman Dmitry! I am truly sorry! Please do not take the truth I am about to tell you in a negative light. Please understand this humble servant's heart and listen to me until the end!"
Half-baked schemes.
He knew such things would never work. Park Min-woo risked his life to speak the truth.
"My true identity is Kim Pan-seok, who was once a subject of Alexander—no, of the Heavenly Demon, Lord Baek Joong-hyuk. After my defeat by you, Lord Roman Dmitry, I was abandoned by the Demon King and faced the annihilation of my soul. I thought I was going to die like that, but God summoned me. God granted me a new life, but warned that if I did not resolve the karma of my past life, I would fall under the Curse of Reincarnation. The life of Park Min-woo you see before you now was created in that way. I am truly sorry. I should have paid for my past sins with death, yet I was allowed a new life. In this life, I want to live in repentance. If you, Lord Roman Dmitry, do not forgive me, I will gladly accept death. But if you grant me just one chance, I, Kim Pan-seok, will live a meaningful life as a subject of the Heavenly Demon."
He yelled at the top of his lungs.
Pressing his face against the ground, he raised his voice.
"I will humbly accept any punishment. My life is now in your hands, Lord Roman Dmitry."
It was a gamble with his life.
The power over his life and death. Abandoning any thought of resistance, Park Min-woo placed his life entirely in Roman Dmitry's hands.
