Yoon-seok woke up the fainted gatekeeper who lay under debris. Then he looked into his eyes and asked a simple question.
âWhy did you lock her up?â
ââŠâ
The gatekeeper only looked up at him with utter resentment but didnât answer.
Fwhoosh!
Yoon-seok put fire attributes into Skywrath Energy and held the gatekeeper tightly by the wrist. Come to think of it, he had heard about this before. When the body burns, humans, feel the most pain. Then what if that pain was enhanced by 20 times? The answer could be roughly identified by the gatekeeperâs reaction.
âArgh! Arghhhhhh! Ugh, ugh, arghhhhhh!â
Screams poured out like a broken water pipe. At this point, it wouldnât be strange if he went into shock, but he wouldnât allow that kind of rest to happen. Yoon-seok sent Skywrath Energy into his body whenever his heart stopped beating and forced it to beat again.
âShe is our savior. But youâre ruining the ceremony. Do you think youâll be fine like this?â
The barely conscious gatekeeper lashed out. Yoon-seok tilted his head quietly.
ââŠCeremony?â
He guessed it wasnât just about locking her up. Something else was going on. Perhaps after the ceremony, Elle might experience an awakening and appear as the final boss.
âWhy were her eyes removed?â
âItâs part of the ceremony. Only then will we be able to face this unclean world with truth.â
âCrazy bastards.â
He couldnât stand it because he was angry.
âYouâre calling that child your savior?â
âDonât mock our long-cherished wishes and kill me now. Iâve already contacted the headquarters; youâll never be safe.â
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Yoon-seok laughed as if he was at a loss for words. Kill him? He would do it even if he didnât ask.
âI will until all the roots are ripped out. Everything.â
This was a recreated world. Whatever he did here, nothing changed. But Yoon-seok pledged to do so.
Yoon-seok came out of the portal holding Elle using Skywrath Energy in one hand. The moment he landed on the ground.
âThatâs him!â
âKill him!â
He now met the monsters and heathens who didnât show up after searching for them. There were about 1,000 of them. Was it because he was looking down from above? It looked like a collection of disgusting bugs. He didnât even have to do it with his own hands.
âJudgment of the Ruined Monarch.â
The sky darkened, and a flash of light descended. No one survived through the judgment of light. Yoon-seok, who looked blankly at the spot where they disappeared without a trace, soon turned his head.
âLetâs leave for now.â
Yoon-seok hugged Elle and walked for a while. He was going to leave the mountain and move to a safe place so he could listen to Elleâs story. However.
ăYou cannot leave the specified area.ă
He couldnât leave the mountain. This kind of trick wasnât something the Tower could withstand. Perhaps it was the same with the Holy Trinity Cultâs outposts.
âDo we have no choice but to wait?â
Yoon-seok, returning to the mountain entrance, used Ladyâs Commandment so no one could sense them. Then, he inserted Skywrath Energy into Elleâs unconscious body to soothe her wounds. Not long after, her skin regained its color, and her bruises from the chains tightened. But her removed eyes couldnât recover.
âMisterâŠ?â
âIâm sorry, but Iâm not that man.â
ââŠThen who are you? Where are we?â
There was a slight sense of alertness in her voice. Yoon-seok answered after thinking for a while.
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âYou⊠no, someone you know sent me here to protect you. I donât know where we are, but youâre safe for now.â
âSomeone I know? Is it the man? Did he send you? To get me out of that hell? No, then why didnât he come by himself?â
Did she feel any hope from Yoon-seokâs excuse? Elle bombarded him with questions like a storm. Somehow it felt like he gave her candy and took it away from her again. His heart felt heavy as she asked more questions.
âWho is that man youâre talking about?â
âMister is the one who saved me over and over again. If I had listened to him, all of this wouldnât have happenedâŠâ
It seemed like he was a benefactor to her. Albeit curious, Yoon-seok postponed the matter because there was something he had to confirm first.
âElle, Iâll help you even if you donât answer, but I have a few questions. Do you know Pontiff Kanna Blitz?â
âHow can I forget her when sheâs the one who worked to get me out of that hell.â
Later, Yoon-seok asked about her journey from Edenbahm Castle to Jarisman Port, and Elle said she didnât remember the name in detail since it was a long time ago, but she thought it was right.
âCan you explain what happened from then to now?â
Perhaps it was a memory she didnât want to recall as Elle began to tremble. But Yoon-seok didnât back down. The ending of the last mission was merely recreated based on the original story. Yoon-seok came here to find out what happened originally.
âAs I said before, it was too long ago.â
âBut itâs okay. Please tell me what you remember.â
ââŠOkay.â
Elle slowly recalled her memory and spoke, and Yoon-seok listened without interrupting. There was quite a gap between the recreated world and the real world. First of all, the actual mercenaries werenât as strong as the challengers. Around the 7th day of the guarding mission, the mercenaries couldnât stop the heathens and lost Elle. YetâŠ
âA few days later, that man saved my life.â
Elle, who was moved somewhere in the hands of heathens, was saved by a man. The manâs name was Rick Gerssey.
âHe was one of the mercenaries who protected Kanna and me. He said he had been tracing me at Kannaâs request.â
âRick GersseyâŠ?â
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Yoon-seok stiffened at the unexpected mention of that name. If heâd remember correctly, it was the name Yoon-seok used in his last mission.
âDid that happen during the last mission?â
Suddenly, such doubts arose, but on second thought, it was a ridiculous assumption. The story itself was completely different in the first place. Elle wasnât kidnapped by the heathens but reached the port, which was her destination with Kanna.
âDo you know him?â
ââŠNo, itâs an unusual name. If you donât mind, could you finish the story?â
âYesâŠâ
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Although he was a Rank F mercenary, Rick Gerssey was strong. It wasnât beyond human abilities like Yoon-seok, but he was capable of rescuing Elle after the long battle and returning to his original place in pursuit. But when they were returning, Kanna Blitz was not there.
Eventually, Rick Gerssey took Elle and started running away from the heathens. For as long as three years.
âBut I made a mistake. As mister said, it wouldnât have happened if I just stayed at homeâŠâ
Elle broke her promise and was brought back to the heathens, and she was stuck in that stone room earlier. Of course, Elle didnât know what happened to Rick Gerssey afterward.
âHeâs alive, right? Isnât he? He isnât hurt because of me, right?â
Elleâs breathing fastened, and her shoulders were shaking. At the same time, drops of blood flowed over the wound instead of tears.
Tuk.
Yoon-seok put Elle to sleep. The first reason was that he wanted her to rest for a while as she was exhausted, and the second wasâŠ
âSo many gathered.â
He was sure what would happen from now on wouldnât be good for the childâs emotions. Yoon-seok lifted Ladyâs Commandment and came out. There was no need to search around: bugs were swarming in.
The night passed, and morning dawned. He didnât know how many monsters and heathens died last night. He hadnât counted. However, there were only traces of destruction around the spot where Yoon-seok spent the night as if Godâs wrath had been cast on the ground.
âIs it day eight nowâŠ?â
Yoon-seok, who was watching the sunrise, turned to Elle. The effect of his skill would wear off soon, but she was still asleep.
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âShe must be exhausted.âŠ.â
Leaving Elle, Yoon-seok walked from the realm of the law.
Thud. Thud. Clack.
He didnât summon them, but guests were heading his way. The group wasnât as large as the Holy Trinity Cult, with only about 300 people. The group, which looked like some kind of special troop, also included the Red Wolf mercenaries.
âW-why are you hereâŠ?â
Did he receive a promotion in the meantime? Miller, who was at the forefront as if heâd become the chief, spoke when he discovered Yoon-seok. They werenât on friendly terms, but Yoon-seok explained the situation first. He didnât go into detail, but he went around it roughly. The main point was that he found this kid, and he chose to change the scenario because the options appeared. Miller, who heard everything silently, frowned.
âI was wondering why the scenario suddenly changed, so you were the culprit. Let her go. Then you wonât die.â
âI refuse. As I said, itâs my duty to protect this child.â
Coins disappeared from the 10th floor. That was, if he failed the mission, he would die for real. Miller shouted in frustration.
âSo why did you make that choice?!â
âThatâs not your business, is it?â
Millerâs expression hardened.
âAs long as sheâs in the sacred land, weâre being told where she is in real-time. No, not only for us but also for them. But do you think you can survive?â
Just as how the monsters and heathens appeared uninvited last night, he wondered how they knew how to get here, but they were able to track their location. He was grateful that he knew now. But there was no need for interference.
âIâll take responsibility for my choice.â
âResponsibility? Do you even know what responsibility means?â
âYes, so why donât you just go back?â
This was Yoon-seokâs consideration. The 45-day battle was what the mission was all about, so they wouldnât fail the mission if they returned. Of course, he would understand the ambition of challengers since Elle was an additional challenge.
But Miller didnât know. He didnât know that if he rejected this proposal, the only responsibility he could take for the choice was that he might lose.
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âI knew you were a weirdo from the start, but I didnât expect you to be in it so deep.â
Miller laughed. It wasnât a strange response. That was how most of them reacted before he pulled out his sword and showed his true self.
Shift.
Yoon-seok pulled out his sword and drew it through the ground. He didnât want to waste more time on meaningless arguments.
âIf you cross this line, Iâll wield my sword against you.â
Yoon-seok clearly stated his intention. If he ignored this, the consequences of the choice would be his. But Miller smirked and said.
âIt sounds like you can defeat all of us on your own?â
Yoon-seok also smiled behind his mask. It was a question he didnât even feel the need to answer.