#39 The Price of a Life is This Much.
A desolate plain stretched out before them. It had once been a city, unmistakably—Busan, they called it back then.
Monsters lay strewn everywhere, and ironically, brilliant sunlight poured down from the sky. A fleeting peace amid the battlefield.
"Kang-ho."
"......"
He turned his gaze. There stood a long-haired man in combat gear, staring off into the distance.
Kang-ho brought the bottle to his lips without a word. Gulp, gulp—the harsh vodka burned down his throat.
The man spoke again.
"Kang-ho, you bastard, don't pretend you didn't hear me."
"Cut it out, I said."
The man chuckled at Kang-ho's reply.
"That's what I should say to you."
"......"
"When the time comes."
Words he didn't want to hear.
"Kill me with your own hands."
"......"
Kang-ho muttered as he lifted the bottle again.
"Crazy bastard, talking shit."
The long-haired man extended his hand to Kang-ho. Kang-ho glanced at him sidelong.
Kang Jun-seok. An old friend.
He could see the guy grinning.
Kang-ho handed him the bottle.
"Don't grin."
He turned away, mumbling.
"Damn weather's too clear."
He opened his eyes, and there was King teaching Theo something.
"Press here."
Click!
King snapped a photo with Theo. Looking at it, King spoke up again.
"No, hyungnim, you gotta look at the camera. Like this, you look cross-eyed. Kinda dumb."
"Yeah. That's the camera. Now, kimchi."
Click!
"Okay, now do this with it. This is called Photoshop, right?"
"It's fine, that's how it is. Let's sharpen the jaw a bit more?"
"......"
Kang-ho rubbed his eyes as he watched the two idiots. They were up to something weird.
As he briefly thought how annoying things had been piling up lately, he looked down at Seol-a wriggling in his arms.
Seol-a uncurled in his embrace and perked her head up to look at him.
Nnng! Nng—
Her expression was full of dissatisfaction. She'd fit perfectly in his arms before, but now it was getting cramped.
It couldn't be helped.
Just like King's body had been forged, Seol-a's was taking shape too. Solid muscles now filled her frame here and there. With bigger bones and added bulk, his arms felt tight.
Kang-ho smiled unwittingly.
"Our Seol-a's getting big, huh? Too cramped now."
Kiiing......
Seol-a seemed displeased, squirming before licking his cheek.
"Ah, hyungnim!"
Seeing Kang-ho up, King rushed over and bowed deeply.
"You're up?"
"......Yeah."
King, Ranking Match Victory against 'Pyro'.
The media was in a frenzy. Total chaos.
Everywhere covered the fight between King and Pyro. Dozens of amateur videos circulated, plus ones aired on TV.
The media frenzy was inevitable. The hero Choi Kang-ho, shrouded in mystery for so long, had returned.
Some criticized the Hero 5 as overhyped, but their popularity was real. Kang-ho especially, never seen or heard from publicly, had the masses buzzing.
King gave a wry smile watching the news.
"Weird, huh."
"Lebadon, one of the Four Great Gates, loses their heir's mana, yet the articles are this favorable."
It wasn't just a fair fight. King knew how quick this world was to bow to power.
This was all thanks to the man before him.
Living solo in modern society, King knew it well. Alone, he'd have died to the Wind God at the gym, or become a cripple, or at best survived to face endless hate.
Fair or not didn't matter. That's the power of Lebadon.
This man.
This man blew away all the backlash aimed at me.
Someday, I too...
King stared at Kang-ho, then bowed deeply again.
Someday, I want to be a man like this.
"......Thank you."
"Shoo."
Kang-ho waved him off and stood.
This was Seoul. The night cityscape sprawled beyond the window. Top-floor penthouse of a skyscraper.
"Heh heh."
King scratched his head sheepishly. Theo flopped onto the plush twin bed, savoring the cushions.
Kang-ho eyed Theo.
Our, he said.
He replied softly.
"This shit's expensive."
"More than that thing you're holding."
Kang-ho pointed at the smartphone; Theo's face fell.
He glanced between the phone and bed, muttering.
"Happy?"
Kang-ho suddenly asked King.
"Pardon?"
"Glad you won?"
King blinked, replaying the fight. The showdown with Pyro, all his thoughts during.
Kang-ho crooked a finger.
"Ah."
King nodded, removing his gloves and politely handing them back. No hesitation returning the peerless artifact, Constellation's Gloves.
"Well......"
King answered slowly.
"I realized how much I'm lacking."
"Oh ho."
Kang-ho's eyes gleamed.
"Without these gloves, I'd have died there. Not to the Wind God... but to Pyro."
"Not bad."
The answer Kang-ho wanted. King continued earnestly.
"Felt ashamed. Strutting around as SS-rank......"
The kid had taken a step forward.
Recognizing your flaws opens the path to growth. The complacent never advance.
Only then did Kang-ho nod, pulling two rings from his pocket and tossing them to King.
"Th-this is...?"
"Your life's worth."
"Pardon?"
"Your life ain't worth more than those two artifacts yet."
The two artifacts from the Wind God's intrusion as compensation for threatening his life. Immense value already.
But—
"Means your life's worth less than the magic sword Pyro had."
"......!"
King finally got it.
"Butthurt?"
King silently met Kang-ho's eyes, then shook his head.
"......Guess this is all I'm worth now."
In a world that boils down to power, stay humble, right?
King felt Kang-ho's old words anew.
"This world's what it boils down to."
"The true face of the world you'll live in. Climb high, and you'll feel it inevitably. Think it's unfair?"
King shook his head.
"I'm living in it too."
He nodded firmly, vowing.
"I want to... get stronger. Next time, for my life..."
He clenched his fist.
"I'll demand something bigger."
The frog had finally leaped from the well.
Then—
Vrrr—
King's smartphone buzzed loudly.
Incoming from Ko Je-hun. BIG3 Napa Guild's raid team lead and vice-master.
King glanced at Kang-ho, who shrugged.
"Answer it."
"Got it."
King stepped to the window and picked up.
"Hello."
Ko Je-hun's voice came through, calm.
—King, heard the news. Congrats.
"......Thanks."
—Lebadon mess looks wrapped up clean too. Glad.
Without Kang-ho, who knows what excuses they'd spin. Ko Je-hun was purely business. Not bad in money matters—reliable there.
"Roger."
—Is Choi Kang-ho really your master? If you can connect, mind an intro? Contract renewal season, I could really push—
King smiled wryly.
"Secret."
—......Hmph, fine.
Thick regret in Ko Je-hun's tone.
—Anyway, problem cropped up.
"What kind?"
Huff, huff—
Furball sat on the penthouse rooftop, gazing at the night city. He kinda liked the human world.
Among the living, he loved Kang-ho most. Next was Seol-a.
Seol-a was his fluffy white-furred little sis, so as big bro, he cherished, protected, and taught her well.
Other humans? Liked 'em overall.
Suddenly.
A figure caught Furball's eye beyond the building.
Whoosh—
Leaping building to building like the wind.
Furball panted, tongue out, tilting his head.
Whoosh, whoosh—
Fast.
Furball's ruby eyes tracked it.
Step, step—the figure stopped on a rooftop.
"Shabel Tiger...?"
A clear voice rang out.
Furball eyed the person now before him.
Cheerful tone, clad head-to-toe in black. Black goggles over eyes, mask covering half the face. Tight black tights hugged every curve. Long hair tied back swayed.
Huff huff huff—
Furball cocked his massive head, eyes rolling; the stranger's eyes narrowed.
Furball sensed the smile and felt pretty good.
"So cute."
Like a cat, he thought.
"Such a good boy."
The human reached out, petting his fur, then said,
"Bye then~"
Whoosh!
Gone like a shot.
Furball turned; she'd cleared three buildings, now a dot in the distance.
—Phantom showed up.
"Phantom? Phantom hit Napa?"
King's eyes widened.
—Raided the guild master's warehouse. Driving me nuts. Need you here quick.
Kang-ho turned at King's voice.
Phantom?
Kang-ho remembered the name.
—Thief stirring lately. Leaves a black card at every hit...
Story he'd heard beating down a retired Awakener running a gang.