Chapter 175
Chapter 175
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 175
Chapter Title: For Whom Does the Bag Open? (5)
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Urk!
The moment Yeomyeong used his retrieval ability on the nuclear missile visible through the monitor, he vomited blood.
It was because an amount of mana exceeding the regenerative power of the Juga Shibili Style had been drained from his body.
Even Yeomyeong's blood vessels, reinforced by the World Tree Crystal and tempered through fierce battles, couldn't withstand that volume of mana.
[Hahaha! You failed!!]
The Red Arm, watching it all, burst into wild laughter as if it had never despaired.
And in a tone far more empty-headed than before, it continued.
[Player! Do you get it now? Your powers aren't omnipotent, and this world isn't a game!!]
No matter what the thing blabbered, it didn't reach Yeomyeong's ears.
Was it because of his ruptured eardrums? Or the pounding of his heart? Maybe both.
But whatever the reason, his mind was serene, fixated on a single word.
'Not enough.'
His mana wasn't sufficient to retrieve the nuclear missile hurtling through the atmosphere hundreds of kilometers away.
Should he give up?
Giving up wasn't a bad choice.
Even if he abandoned the flying nuke, he could still secure the other nuclear bombs left at the base, and he'd essentially saved Seti too.
If he gave up now, millions gathered in the capital would die, but what did that have to do with him?
Of course, being human, he felt sympathy for those about to perish.
Perhaps... no, surely guilt as well.
But that wasn't reason enough to risk his own life, let alone Seti's.
As his thoughts reached that point, the Red Arm's mockery pierced his ears.
[You should've started by smashing the big monitor? Hahaha!]
His train of thought interrupted, Yeomyeong scowled and glared at it, then suddenly recalled one new fact.
The Juga Shibili Style that converted murderous intent into mana.
And right before him, a massive clump of murderous intent, drained of power and hanging limp.
Don-o(??). The instant realization flashed through his mind, Yeomyeong acted on it.
He raised his hand toward it and unleashed psychokinesis, ripping away the red murderous intent and absorbing it.
[You bastard, no way?]
The arm spasmed as it realized what he was attempting, but the severed murderous intent was already surging into Yeomyeong's body.
!!!
Yeomyeong's mana swelled full, screams rang in his ears, and its fingers continued to be torn away.
[Player!!]
Even as it was sucked into Yeomyeong's body, the Red Arm shrieked.
[You cursed puppet!! Do you think you're justice? You are...]
"No, this has nothing to do with justice."
Yeomyeong cut it off as he absorbed the murderous intent. Before it could ask more, he spoke with half sincerity and half mockery.
"I'm just... trying to fuck over the guy who called me a player."
[What? That's ridic—]
The Red Arm's retort couldn't continue. In the next moment, Yeomyeong absorbed the last of the murderous intent that formed it.
"See you later, commie."
And as he declared his victory.
The frozen reality began to move again.
***
3 minutes 11 seconds.
Time flowed once more.
But only a tiny fraction realized time had stopped, and even fewer sensed the missile soaring through the clouds.
A solitary flight, unrecognized by anyone.
The missile didn't care. It lacked the intelligence to comprehend its creator's madness or the hatred of the Cold War.
Clunk!
As designed, it jettisoned its first spent booster.
The second booster ignited, propelling the missile into skies even dragons couldn't reach, and the stars witnessing it whispered to their children.
Prepare for death.
Countless faithful didn't understand.
But a worried father fretting over his runaway daughter, an old man called the Archbishop, and a woman known as the Holy Sword—they were different.
They all looked up simultaneously, confirming the ascending death.
Regrettably, all they could do was pray.
***
2 minutes 11 seconds.
The missile silently pierced the blue sky, meeting the endless horizon. Moments later, the second booster detached.
Unlike the first, it sparkled across the sky like a comet.
A light visible enough to sharp-eyed superhumans.
In the land once called the Border White State, now the Provence Autonomous Region.
An elder with golden eyes turned away from that gleam.
***
1 minute 2 seconds.
The missile reached the black sea devoid of air or wind.
It could have continued into the twinkling stars, but the final booster halted above the curved horizon.
After a brief silence, the warhead at the missile's tip separated.
The reentry vehicle containing the nuclear warhead, decoys, and mana chaff.
That was Earth's harbinger of death, the world's destroyer...
The moment the reentry vehicle turned toward its ground target, millions of deaths were sealed.
...Or so it should have been.
It didn't fall toward the target. The instant the reentry vehicle reentered the atmosphere.
It vanished completely.
As if abruptly sucked into another dimension.
***
Neti stared at Yeomyeong in a daze.
What the hell just happened? Her brother-in-law had been by her dying sister's side just moments ago?
In the blink of an eye, he'd moved to the far side of the control room.
His body a ragged mess.
Was she hallucinating from crying too much?
Neti rubbed her eyes unconsciously, but Yeomyeong was still there.
Hand raised, fist clenched as if grasping something.
About two minutes passed? He lowered his hand with a smile, a weary grin of success.
Neti wiped her tears at the sight. Truth be told, she was a bit angry.
How could he make that face while her sister was dying?
Her brother-in-law, of all people!
But she said nothing, just watched as he approached.
Because of the inexplicable anticipation rippling in her heart.
When Yeomyeong finally reached Seti's side, her anticipation became reality.
"Saintess, you can stop now."
He sat beside Seti. The Saintess didn't ask what nonsense that was.
His voice was too earnest, and because of the small potion vial he pulled from his bosom.
"You, that can't be...?"
A potion even the Saintess had never seen in person.
Though doubtful, she just watched as Yeomyeong yanked the spear from Seti's abdomen.
Gush—blood and flesh sprayed from the wound, Seti's body convulsing. Without hesitation, Yeomyeong uncorked the vial and poured half its contents onto her stomach.
The moment the potion touched the wound, a miracle occurred.
"A real Elixir..."
Echoing the Saintess's awe, a clear, pure fragrance overpowered the stench of blood.
Shattered organs returned to place, torn muscles and skin regrew.
A miracle surpassing the Saintess's healing arts.
But it wasn't enough to fully mend the damaged blood vessels.
Yeomyeong didn't stop there. He dumped the remaining half into his mouth, wrapped his hand around Seti's nape, pulled her close, and kissed her.
Cooling lips met heated ones. Along her soft tongue, the potion flowed.
"Oh..."
Neti watched with wide eyes. The Saintess looked dazed but didn't stop their kiss.
How much time passed?
Warmth returned to Seti's cooling body, their soft tongues brushing each other's front teeth.
The Saintess spoke.
"You two... not your first kiss? Too skilled."
The most menacing tone the Saintess had ever used.
Neti, warmed by the touching scene, blinked at her.
What? Why this suddenly?
Regardless of Neti's confusion, the Saintess slyly drew her revolver from her thigh. Click-clack.
The cylinder spun, a round chambered.
Only then did their lips part.
But Seti gripped Yeomyeong's nape hard as he tried to pull away, kissing him once more briefly.
Ignoring his surprise, she whispered softly in his ear after releasing him.
"You did well. Yeomyeong."
"...No big deal."
Only after that short exchange could Yeomyeong lift his head.
Behind him, the Saintess had approached, trembling as she glared at Seti and him alternately.
"Millions just died to that nuke... and you two... you two...!"
The fact the Saintess had tried to ignore. Unable to hold back, she burst into tears.
Yeomyeong stood and extended his arm to her.
"You okay?"
She buried her face in his chest. And wept more miserably than ever.
I'm sorry, I failed, I'm sorry...
By the time her tears and snot soaked his clothes, and Neti glanced at the control room wall monitor with a hardened expression.
Yeomyeong patted the Saintess's back.
"Saintess, want me to share a secret?"
"...A secret? What secret?"
Her sniffly voice. Yeomyeong smiled.
"Truth is... I stopped it."
"Stopped? Stopped what?"
Instead of answering, he gripped her shoulders and turned her toward the wall monitor.
Expecting footage of the nuke's impact, she saw instead...
[Failure] [Failure] [Failure]
Red letters signaling bombing failure. The Saintess's face twisted oddly.
Joy? Surprise? Or both?
"H-how? How did you do it?"
"It just worked when I tried."
Yeomyeong meant it as a joke.
He'd explain players and bags later, without Neti around.
Seti, leaning beside him, giggled at that, but the Saintess didn't press.
Instead, she blushed at his snot-and-tear-stained clothes, then...
Realizing something, she raised her pistol-gripping hand high.
"You... you waited to tell me... to watch me cry? No, to stop me from getting mad?"
"...Is that how it sounds?"
As Yeomyeong shrugged, the Saintess yelled, "You little shit!" and swung the revolver butt-first.
"You bastard! Don't run!"
Fleeing Yeomyeong, chasing Saintess, and smiling Seti watching them.
Stepping back a bit to observe, Neti sidled up to her sister and asked quietly.
"Sis... this isn't a love triangle, right?"
"..."
An inappropriate question for a sister back from the brink.
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