Chapter 75
Chapter 75
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: The Guide
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The top floor of the Taeyoung Building was a massive office.
Unlike the other floors, the interior walls of the top level were all white glass. From the furniture onward, the interior exuded an air of luxurious sophistication.
As the elevator doors slid open, a refined gentleman with a towering 195cm frame greeted me.
"Welcome, Dracula. I've been waiting for you."
Zero One. The final boss of this story—and the massive wall I had to tear down.
His presence was as intimidating as his enormous height. It felt like standing at the base of a mountain trail and gazing up at the summit.
"Pleased to meet you, Zero One. But who are all these people around?"
To the naked eye, the top floor held no one but Zero One and me.
Yet I could sense them. My True Ancestor's razor-sharp senses told me that more than ten people were hiding in this place.
"It's a long explanation, but to sum it up briefly: they're minions lurking in the shadows."
"Ah."
"Or perhaps shells of those who've lost their lives."
Necromancy.
Zero One, the undisputed grand master of magic who had mastered every spell in this world, could wield it.
Among the magic at his command was necromancy, the art of raising the dead.
"They won't move until I give the order, so rest easy."
"Meaning they will if you do order them."
Zero One smiled, like the text emoticons he often used.
Only then did I grasp his intent. My True Ancestor's senses assured me.
Zero One had no intention of attacking me here, at least not in this place.
"It reminds me of the old days."
"Pardon?"
"Long ago, there was a vampire much like you, Dracula. An arrogant one who called himself emperor and True Ancestor."
The story Mimir had casually shared when I received the Jewel of Wallachia.
"The vampire who ignored your warning, meddled in human history, and ended up dead?"
"You knew?"
"Mimir told me."
"That witch has always loved spinning tales of the past."
"They're boring as hell, though."
Zero One and I exchanged sly grins. It seemed even Zero One found Mimir's dreadfully dull stories a chore.
Having formed a bit of camaraderie, we settled onto the sofas. Instead of a mug with coffee or tea, I picked up an empty wine glass.
Zero One tilted a wine bottle with an expensive-looking label. The liquid inside was a deep red, like blood. One whiff, and it was clear: not wine, but blood.
"How's the wine?"
"Thorough preparation. How'd you know I like this vintage?"
"You're a vampire."
We clinked our wine glasses. A light ching rang out.
I drank the blood. For a face-off with the final boss, the mood was far too casual.
The guy sitting beside me was the mass murderer who planned to slash the world's 7 billion population down to 70 million. I couldn't let my guard down for a second.
"Dracula."
"Yes."
"What do you think of humanity?"
Zero One wasn't asking about humans as individuals, but humanity as a collective.
It was a rare, philosophical question—one I didn't ponder often.
"Hmm. What about you, Zero One?"
I tossed the question back to him.
He was the one plotting to shrink humanity. I was the one trying to save it.
Our answers would be polar opposites, no doubt. It didn't matter who spoke first.
"I wanted to hear your thoughts first, Dracula... but very well."
He set down his wine glass.
The anomaly who had lived for thousands of years gave his answer.
"To me, humanity is nothing but a dump truck barreling along on inertia. A headache of a truck that accelerates and decelerates solely by momentum, with no destination in mind."
"I call them a dump truck because to move forward, they smash through every obstacle in their path. Whether the bumper crumples or the engine fails, they ignore it all in pursuit of progress."
"In their march toward convenience and technological advancement, humanity has spawned pollution, handing extinction to countless plants and animals. They've even birthed nuclear weapons, inventing the concept of mutually assured destruction. A foolish collective that drags even itself toward death."
Zero One stared at Seoul's nightscape with piercing eyes.
This city that appeared so beautiful to me—what did it look like to him?
"And yet, I affirm humanity."
An unexpected answer came from his lips. Affirm them?
It hardly fit a man scheming to cull the species itself.
"I'm curious about their destination. They've conquered this tiny planet—a mere speck of dust compared to the vast universe, billions of times smaller than their ambitions—bringing something so immense under their sway."
Joy flowed from Zero One's words. A frivolous laugh, unbecoming of a gentleman.
"Then why try to shrink humanity? It contradicts what you just said about affirming them."
"Because their destination is already set."
I followed his gaze.
He was looking beyond. To a distant place no ordinary eyes could see.
In my mind, it was the future. Right now, Zero One was probably seeing a city of despair overrun by countless Dimensional Beasts.
Otherwise, a man like him wouldn't wear such a hollow expression.
"The number of Rifts spewing Dimensional Beasts is proportional to the number of intelligent beings. Shrink humanity, and the Rifts shrink; grow it, and they multiply. This has been verified by erudite anomalies and countless research institutions."
I blinked.
"Humanity has evolved into Psykers, but they can never triumph over the Dimensional Beasts. Beyond the Rifts teems a number far greater than current humanity. I've been there myself, so I know."
He fixed me with eyes brimming with certainty.
Perhaps he was the cold rationalist, and I—the one opposing his plan—the naive optimist.
I didn't know how the final battle ended, but beyond the Rifts lurked demigods incomparably stronger than the current Han Cheong-ah.
"The Ark is nearly complete. It can house up to 60 million people while preserving modern infrastructure intact. Not like that pathetic Academy City—a sham academy churning out troublemaking Psykers into Hunters. This is the true Ark!"
"......"
"If we can execute the humanity reduction scenario safely, if the downsized population can board the Ark unharmed, then the dump truck gains its safety mechanism and keeps rolling forward!"
Zero One flashed a cheerful smile as he downed the contents of his wine glass.
A thick, sturdy hand extended toward me. Not for a handshake, but an invitation to join him.
"Dracula."
"Yes."
"Let's bury our past conflicts here. I want to advance into the future with you. I've reserved a top-tier spot for you—and for everyone close to you."
His truth-seeing eyes pierced me.
My crimson eyes, which could paint all in illusion, met his gaze.
Deception was impossible here. The only answers we could give were sincere.
"You are the Guide."
Like the prophet who built a ship from cypress wood, divided it into rooms, and sealed inside and out with pitch—he had crafted an Ark for humanity.
Though unlike Genesis: the god was a demigod, the flood Dimensional Beasts, and the Ark a modern city.
He was Noah incarnate. But I did not take Noah's hand.
"......"
For several minutes, Zero One's hand hung in the air, but I merely sipped my wine.
Finally, he withdrew it. He spoke softly.
"May I ask why you refuse?"
I rose, setting my wine glass on the table. Once I gave my answer, there would be no turning back.
He was humanity's messiah and guide—but above all, a formidable grand mage. Leader of the 21st Century Secret Society, a meticulous man who had nearly conquered South Korea.
I looked down at him with haughty eyes.
"Because your plan reeks of utter defeatism."
The radiant star that would dye all in its own hue aloofly mocked him.