#43 When Will You Finally Grow Up?
Rumble! Flash! Thunder boomed across the sky, lightning cracking down in a grim spectacle.
Boom! A bolt of lightning struck, amplifying the eerie atmosphere.
"What the hell!"
Kang Tae-yong unleashed a blast of wind. A ferocious gale howled wildly.
Krreung! Furball growled, stretching his entire body taut. At the same moment, a dome-shaped barrier formed around him on all sides.
Thud! The attack was blocked.
Darkness blanketed everything. The only sources of light were the weeping sky and Furball himself. It was as if the whole world were a watercolor painting on a pitch-black canvas.
"......!"
In the instant Kang Tae-hoon widened his eyes, Choi Kang-ho had silently appeared at his side. In one hand, Kang-ho held a pocket flask of whiskey—a metal bottle. He took a swig, then offered it to him.
"Want some?"
"......"
Kang Tae-hoon stared at him. Choi Kang-ho. His father had spoken most often about this man among the Hero 5.
—That guy's our family's sworn enemy.
Sworn enemy. And to that sworn enemy, Kang Tae-hoon had begged for help.
A bitter smile played on Kang-ho's lips.
—That guy killed our family's brother... and stole our treasure too.
The others are thieves just the same. Their honors should have been ours—mine!
Kang Tae-hoon no longer knew what was what. So he took the flask Kang-ho offered.
"I don't know exactly what kind of relationship you have with my father."
"......"
He was asking silently. Are you sure about this? Kang Tae-hoon understood the implication. He would probably have to prepare to say goodbye to his father.
"But..."
Kang Tae-hoon bowed his head to Kang-ho.
"Please... help. Stop my father."
"Drink up."
Kang-ho left those words behind and stepped forward.
Vmmm! Oerblade gleamed with a chilling light. The mana blades extending from both hands were sharper than ever.
Humm—humm— Raindrops falling onto Oerblade sizzled and evaporated, resonating with the air around them.
"Choi Kang-ho...!"
Kang Tae-yong's eyes flashed. Kang-ho stared fixedly at his chest.
'Eternal Crystal.'
He knew it instinctively.
"So you've laid hands on forbidden power."
"Kuhahaha!"
At Kang-ho's words, Kang Tae-yong laughed like a madman.
Guuung—guuung— His laughter synced with the winds around them, whipping up vortexes of rain and gales everywhere.
"You're no different, are you?"
"......"
"That inexplicable youth of yours—isn't it forbidden power too?"
Kang Tae-yong sneered.
"What's wrong with coveting the youth only you possess? Oh ho—wait, is that why you've come to kill me, like you did Kang Jun-seok?"
Kang-ho said nothing, just stared at him.
"Using the excuse that Kang Jun-seok was turning into a demon?"
"Sigh......"
"I realized long ago something was off with Jun-seok. Nothing pleased me—you lot always leaving me out! Kang Jun-seok, who was closer to you than to his own brother! And all of you, thriving after killing him without a care!"
Rage boiled in Kang Tae-yong's eyes, madness flickering within.
"Yeah... but honestly, it doesn't matter anymore. I've instinctively realized it."
"......What?"
"That I've obtained the same kind of power Kang Jun-seok had! And... you probably have something like this too. How much filthy scheming have you done, fooling everyone?"
Kang Tae-yong drew mana from his entire body.
"Die, Choi Kang-ho!"
Bam!
Kang Tae-yong kicked off the ground and charged. Winds from all directions turned to blades, engulfing Kang-ho.
Kang-ho closed his eyes gently and touched the ruby ring on his left hand.
'Sensory Transfer.'
Sensory Transfer activated. When Kang-ho opened his eyes again, his whole body glowed white. It was Furball's mana rippling over him like a white fireball.
Whoosh!
'Beyond my prime.'
Kang-ho gauged it and moved.
—Kang-ho.
A past conversation with Kang Jun-seok flashed in his mind.
—Don't hate Tae-yong too much.
Whoosh!
He didn't dodge the incoming wind—he slashed it. Shing, shing. Chilling sounds rang out. The wind split long but soon reformed and rushed at him.
Krraaaah!
Furball roared and leaped in front, blocking Kang-ho.
Thud! A deafening noise, and the wind shattered.
—He's selfish, lives by his own whims... but he's still my brother.
Shing!
Kang-ho swung his right arm. Incoming wind arrows split in half.
—Poor guy. He's been compared to me since birth. Even when I try to treat him well, he twists it, so I figure he needs time.
Bam! Bam!
Two wind arrows flew at Furball. He blocked them, but as he looked up, one remained.
Crack!Kyaaang!
Furball leaped and took the arrow with his body, flying back and crashing into the ground. He tumbled far before springing up.
—Me? I kinda like the guy, even if I hate him.
Kang-ho kicked off the ground toward Kang Tae-yong. Oerblade in both hands tore the winds apart mercilessly.
"Eeeeeek!"
Kang Tae-yong screamed, spewing mana.
—So even if his actions are frustrating and annoying...
Bam!
Kang-ho's left fist smashed into Kang Tae-yong's face.
"Keurk!"
Kang Tae-yong slammed into the ground.
—Make him grow up properly.
Kang-ho landed atop him.
'When will you finally grow up?'
It was something he'd said often back then. The guy had always been quick to jealousy and envy, wanting everything for himself. He'd twist even well-meant words. Back then, those words could fix it.
But all that desire had festered black inside Kang Tae-yong. The Eternal Crystal had just pulled the trigger.
Kang-ho glared down at him with a chilling expression.
'It's beyond that now.'
He sighed.
"Why'd it have to turn out like this."
"Ugh, eeeek!"
Bam!
"Damn it."
Bam!
"Why."
Bam!
"Like this."
Bam!
"Why do I."
Bam!
"Have to do this."
Kang Tae-yong's face caved in. He spat blood.
Kang-ho's expression was ice cold.
"Where'd you get it."
"A-Antharas..."
Kang Tae-yong muttered lowly.
"Get up."
As Kang-ho stepped back, Kang Tae-yong slowly rose, staggering.
Kang-ho continued slowly.
"Give it up. You can't handle it. And pay for your sins."
"......!"
Kang Tae-yong's eyes turned to Kang-ho. Deep-seated inferiority surged.
"Kang Jun-seok, you... why do you all... why do you... treat me like this? You've always done it."
Thump—
The Eternal Crystal embedded in his heart pulsed. Thump, boom, thump, boom. It throbbed visibly.
Vmmm—
"Don't... look down on me!"
Kang Tae-yong reached out. His hand gripped Kang-ho's wrist.
Whoosh!
"......!"
At the same time, Kang-ho's mana began draining into him.
"Kuh, kuhehe, before this power... even you... can't do a thing..."
"......"
"Thing......?"
Kang-ho's mana flooded into Kang Tae-yong. But the panicked one was him.
"Mana... so much... this can't... be...?"
Kang Tae-yong's mana hole was already full—overflowing, swelling his body to bursting.
"Urk..."
His body bloated. Kang-ho shook off his hand and thrust toward his chest.
Crackle—
The Eternal Crystal, rooted in his heart, was torn out by Kang-ho's hand.
"Keurgh!"
Kang Tae-yong clutched his chest, coughing up blood.
He glared at Kang-ho with bulging eyes.
"What... the... ridiculous... monster...!"
Soon, anomalies began. Kang Tae-yong's body started shrinking.
His prime 30s physique withered rapidly. Firm skin aged. Wrinkles formed, white hair sprouted. His back began to hunch.
"My... my... youth... my... prime..."
Kang Tae-yong aged in an instant. But it wasn't over.
Kang-ho looked down at the Eternal Crystal. It glistened with black sheen, like a living thing flicking its tongue.
It had devoured Kang Tae-yong himself. Maximizing instincts, numbing reason.
"I..."
Kang Tae-yong glanced around slowly.
"How did I... end up like..."
His mad glint faded, returning to his normal self.
"Like I was... possessed... by something..."
He aged further. Wrinkles creased his eyes, lips dried. Fingers skeletal, cheeks hollowed.
"This... can't..."
Thud.
He dropped to his knees.
"...be."
Kang-ho let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. Kang Tae-yong bowed his head on his knees, his whole body turning white and hardening.
Rumble—boom!
Pour!
Rain fell everywhere. Kang Tae-yong turned to ash, melting into the ground.
"Father!"
From afar, Kang Tae-hoon's voice cried out. Tears welled in his eyes.
He rushed over and knelt before the spot.
"Father... I'm sorry..."
Sizzle!
Kang Tae-yong vanished completely.
It was a winter night rain.
Kang Tae-yong was dead. Vanished without a trace, not even a corpse left.
—......Thank you.
Kang Tae-hoon had said that. Sitting on the rooftop of his Seoul penthouse, Kang-ho repeated it to himself.
"Thank you..."
For some reason, it sat wrong with him.
—Father often spoke of you.
"......"
—Someday... tell me your story. About Father, and... his brothers.
You have the right to hear it.
—......I'll be waiting.
The image lingered: Kang Tae-hoon clutching soil from where his father died, stumbling away in a daze.
The great guild Lebadon had lost its master. The vacancy fell to the young vice-master, Kang Tae-hoon.
And Kang-ho.
'With these hands... again.'
He'd killed again. Kang Jun-seok, Kang Tae-yong. Whatever the story, he'd done wrong by the Kang family.
'Forbidden power.'
A dangerous thing in the hands of a ticking time bomb—it had to end that way. But the ache in his heart came from past memories tied to that family.
New guild master Kang Tae-hoon. Could the kid handle it?
Bitter, he flopped back onto the roof.
Krreung—
Furball licked his face.
Kang-ho chuckled unwittingly.
"No injuries anywhere, right, Furball?"
Furball showed his head. A large lump had formed— from taking a wind arrow to the skull.
It'd heal on its own fine.
"Tough guy."
Raised for defense, Furball had tanky build. Though his offense was sorely lacking.
On the other hand.
Kiiing! Nnng!
Seol-a whined from his pocket, demanding to fight. Purely offensive, focused on attack power.
'About time.'
Her body's solid now—could feed her the Ability Fruit soon.
'Things'll get busy when we get back.'
Kang-ho pulled out the Eternal Crystal from his pocket. The one embedded in Kang Tae-yong's heart.
He also took out the one from Mother Crypt.
They were identical.
Infusing his mana, text appeared before his eyes.
[Eternal Crystal Fragment]
[Primeval power containing the essence of the 3rd Dimension 'Demon Realm.']
Primeval power with Demon Realm essence. This tiny shard had undone SS-rank Awakener Kang Tae-yong.
Dominating the mind, amplifying instincts.
Infusing mana revealed its power.
'Mana and vitality absorption.'
Kang-ho's guess was right.
'If the user can't handle it, it devours them.'
Click!
Suddenly, Kang-ho glanced at Theo. Theo, grooming Furball's fur, spoke lowly.
[That thing.]
"......"
[Smells like the power that Baal bastard has.]
Kang-ho nodded at Theo.
"Figured as much."
As expected. Baal had been collecting Eternal Crystals from the Demon Realm.
Kang-ho pondered, then asked Theo.
"When Baal came after you."
[Don't say 'came after'—makes me sound like a monster.]
Theo demanded correction.
[Change it to 'came for a duel.']
Prickly about weird things.
"......Anyway."
Kang-ho continued.
"Did he take anything?"
Theo blinked, then replied.
[Smashed my familiars... and took something.]
—I'm heading to a higher world. For that... I need the power of the Demon Sea specters.
Recalling Baal's words, Theo shuddered.
[And absorbed the demonic energy.]
"Hmm."
Kang-ho nodded slowly.
Absorbing mana, devouring vitality. That seemed to be the Eternal Crystal's power from the Demon Realm.
"What kind of familiars?"
[Huh?]
Theo stared at Kang-ho, then pulled a half-broken skull from his pocket.
Gazing at it nostalgically, Theo smiled bitterly.
[My dad. He was insanely strong.]
"I see...... Yeah."
Kang-ho nodded slowly.
[By the way. What's your main thing?]
"Huh?"
[Sometimes it looks like hand-to-hand, sometimes swordsmanship. Can't pin it down.]
Kang-ho grinned.
"Both."
[Your ability?]
"Nah, trained."
As various thoughts swirled in his head.
Rumble—
A strange sound echoed from the city distance. A mana explosion.
Kang-ho glanced that way.
Kiiing?
Seol-a poked her head out too.
"Where's King?"
[The kid left a bit ago.]
Theo pointed that way.
[Got a call.]
"Oh ho."