***
***
Yoon Seah, unfazed by the sudden voice, slowly turned around.
A huge man wearing a hat and a black mask was standing with his arms crossed, looking down at her calmly.
Given the way he entered the room without any sign, it was clear he was a player.
“…Why should I die?”
In response to Yoon Seah’s retort, the man reached out to her.
In his hand was a yellow talisman.
“You’re a brave child. Blame your Gift.”
“…What? My Gift?”
“The lady says she definitely can’t go to gold rank.”
“What exactly… are you talking about?”
“Things like this exist.”
Thud.
“Jiangshi transformation.”
As soon as he attached the talisman to Yoon Seah’s forehead, her body stiffened.
Her eyes lost focus and her life functions seemed to cease as if she was turning into a jiangshi.
“Rise, my servant.”
And in such a state, Yoon Seah’s body abruptly stood up from the bed and slowly walked towards the window.
Creak!
As Yoon Seah opened the window herself and fell out,
“It’s a success.”
The masked man, who carefully erased his tracks once again, clicked his tongue.
“The lady truly can’t reach gold by being pushed this far… to think she resorts to murder…”
With that one line, the man disappeared.
And not long after,
“Seah, uh… where did Seah go?”
Seong Jihan, who finished his phone call outside, looked around the hospital room with a puzzled expression, and with that,
The illusion ended.
“Uh…”
Everyone from Seong Jihan’s party, including Christopher and Sophia, looked at Yoon Seah with a surprised expression as the illusion faded.
Especially the most astonished one was,
“What the heck? Why did I die?”
Yoon Seah, who had just died in the illusion.
“Why was I in the hospital in the first place? Uncle… Why did you take a loan?”
“…Even I, blind as I am, saw this illusion. The man who uses jiangshi magic… What’s he doing? We need to investigate and eliminate him right away.”
Yoon Sejin, deeply shocked after seeing his daughter killed—even if it was just an illusion—was shaking uncontrollably with his fist clenched.
Yoon Seah pondered for a moment and then a hint clicked about the murderer’s words.
A lady who can’t make it to gold.
Plus the Gift.
Could this be about Xin Youhwa from China that Seong Jihan eliminated before?
“Ah! Uncle, the thing that the murderer mentioned…!”
[Stop right there. It is indeed related to that late bloomer, but this isn’t the place to discuss it.]
“…What could it be?”
Seong Jihan quickly sent a telepathic message, stopping Yoon Seah from talking about late bloomers.
‘This illusion… it seems to reenact the events of my previous life…’
Seong Jihan, who was also unaware of this scene linked to the death of Yoon Seah, bit his lip.
If he had known she was murdered, not a suicide, in his last life,
He would have killed Xin Youhwa from the beginning.
He regrets giving her such an easy death this time.
‘But how does noona know this? No, is she… really my noona?’
As the illusions about his past life unfolded, Seong Jihan’s doubts only grew.
“…Still, there are more giant dungeon portals to check, let’s continue investigating. Christopher. Are you ready for the next one?”
“Yes! I can. I received the Akashic page; I must do my part!”
“Then, let’s head out immediately.”
And they arrived at the third dungeon portal.
Seong Jihan and the Sword King, whose minds were more urgent now, quickly subdued the interior of the dungeon.
“Here it is!”
As soon as Christopher found the dungeon core, the others from the investigation team became mere spectators, watching in the background.
“Wow… that was really fast.”
“Were giant dungeons always this easy?”
“With the world’s top warriors and an S-rank exploration expert mixed in, it’s like pushing a bulldozer.”
“Is the travel time taking the longest now?”
“Aren’t we kind of useless here?”
The exploration team, looking on at Seong Jihan’s dungeon domination with a mix of awe and dejection.
“But why are we moving so fast?”
“Maybe they have something to figure out about the dungeon core.”
“Perhaps the Sword King wants to finish the exploration quickly and return back.”
“Oh, I see. We’ll start the league again soon. If there are achievements in the exploration, he’ll probably want to return quickly.”
“He’s aiming for Korea’s Champions League, huh.”
Unaware of the family issues, the exploration team assumed Seong Jihan’s party was speeding things up due to the national competition.
Separated from the investigation team, Seong Jihan’s party, having found the third dungeon core, began.
“Let’s begin, Seah.”
“Okay, Void Arrow.”
Whoosh!
As the Void Arrow appeared, purple energy erupted.
And the party faced another illusion.
* * *
The dungeon portal was filled with pale purple mists.
Step! Step!
Sword King Yoon Sejin, with two heads impaled on the end of his twin swords, was wandering aimlessly inside.
The owners of the heads, although decayed to the point it was hard to identify, were…
‘Shizuru and… Akari?’
Seong Jihan roughly recognized them.
‘Is this about the time when brother-in-law went missing in my previous life…?’
In the previous life, Yoon Sejin was already the strongest warrior and continued to grow.
Growing enough to wield a wooden sword after getting beaten with a punch by a high elf.
So, when he faced the World Tree’s Wooden Sword that day, he panicked and exited the game. The current illusion seemed to depict events after that day.
“You were… alive.”
The Sword King, adorned with the Aegis ring around his neck, gazed at something within the purple smoke.
Although the shape of the dark shadows rising in the smoke was unclear.
“Jiah…”
Yoon Sejin was certain it was Seong Jiah.
[Why did you come?]
“Why did I come?! Once I found out you’re alive, I have to get you out…!”
[Oh, really? Then come over here.]
Swoooooosh…
The black shadow grew larger, overflowing with ominous energy.
It seemed like a situation where one should never enter.
However,
“…Alright.”
Yoon Sejin bit his lip and stepped into the darkness.
And then, with a thud, the two necks impaled on the twin swords fell, with Akari’s disappearing in flames
While Shizuru’s head started darkening.
[I saw everything… Yoon Sejin.]
“You saw…”
[Yes. That you abandoned your daughter and went to Japan. That Seah was murdered… that my brother became a permanent servant of a monster…]
“…”
[I’m already dead… It was okay for you to meet a new woman. To fall in love again, even if you had to leave the country. But… What about your daughter? Was Seah only my daughter? Wasn’t she your daughter too?]
In the darkness, Seong Jiah’s voice quietly reached Yoon Sejin.
At her words, Yoon Sejin knelt helplessly to the ground.
“…I’m sorry. My sin is too great. That’s why I tried to free you, and then die…”
[Die? According to whose will? That’s a luxury. You need to endure more pain.]
Swoooooosh…
Like Shizuru’s head,
Yoon Sejin’s body too began to darken completely.
[The Witch of the Void commands. Become the Apostle of the End, Asura, Yoon Sejin.]
Flutter! Flutter!
Yoon Sejin’s body became lumpy, and monstrous arms emerged from within him.
In an instant, he transformed into not a human but a monster, with three heads and six arms.
Looking at his transformed self with composure, Yoon Sejin lowered his head.
[Go to China and avenge your daughter. That’s the only thing you must do.]
“…Yeah. If that’s your will.”
[I don’t even want to speak with you. Go crazy. Be consumed by madness, become a monster.]
“…Ah, ahhhahh…!”
Yoon Sejin, burning with hatred even as his sanity was taken,
Turned into a complete monster, and with that,
The illusion ended.
* * *
‘Was my brother-in-law… Asura?’
In the last days of humanity.
20 Apostles of the End were summoned from different countries. Among them, the colossal monster Asura was summoned in China.
‘While the Heavenly Demon Wang Lin was absent, China barely managed to capture Asura.’
Just like how the Succubus Queen obliterated LA in the United States, Asura also laid waste to several major cities in China. Among the 10 surviving countries out of the 20 where the Apostles arrived, China suffered the most casualties, even more than the United States, which detonated a nuclear bomb in LA.
‘The Witch of the Void… Can that existence create the Apostles of the End? But to think that it’s my sister…”
The Witch of the Void had more authority than expected. And to think it was his missing sister.
Seong Jihan scowled as he pondered.
‘And the brother who became a permanent servant of the monster… It seems like it’s about me.’
Monster, could it be the Wandering Martial God?
Eternal servant reminded him of a talk about a ‘seed’ every time he met with Dongbang Sak.
‘Did I almost become a seed in my previous life?’
Even when Yoon Sejin became Asura, Seong Jihan had only received full backing from the Wandering Martial God.
There wasn’t even any mention of being a ‘seed’.
But what did Seong Jiah see to make such a conclusion?
‘Noona… do you have the ability to foresee the future?’
As Seong Jihan was delving into deductions about Seong Jiah,
“…It would be too cheap this way.”
Thud!
Yoon Sejin sat down, slumping powerlessly with his head bowed.
“If something unthinkable happened to Seah…—something I can’t even imagine—then it would be cheap to be treated this way…”
“…”
“Otherwise, thank her for giving me the power to get revenge. To Jiah…”
As he remained melancholic,
Smack!
“Hey! What are you talking about in front of the living?!”
Yoon Seah slapped him on the back.
“Ah. Se..Seah…”
“I’m alive, aren’t I? Dad! We’re not in that bad ending situation right now!”
“…That’s true.”
“Let’s get more power and quickly retrieve mom. Seriously! The Witch of the Void and uncle becoming a servant to a monster, what’s that all about?”
“Jihan, whose servant are you?”
“I am not.”
There was no need to tell them the story about the Wandering Martial God.
Seong Jihan chuckled and looked around at everyone.
“Everyone still got energy left?”
“Yes, Jihan, aren’t you tired?”
“I’m fine. Now, let’s go raid the last dungeon.”
In the next dungeon, will the reasons for me becoming a servant emerge?
With that thought, Seong Jihan led the party to the fourth dungeon.
* * *
Meanwhile,
On the star of the Wandering Martial God,.
Krrrrrr…
“Emergency, Emergency!”
As the ground shook, a person in full armor appeared.
The helmet concealed the face, and the voice’s bright tone was that of a woman’s.
“Huh? What’s this… Why did you wake up?”
“It’s strange that the fourth one woke up first, not the third. Interesting.”
Longinus and Dongbang sak, who were preparing to descend to the ground, looked at the abruptly awakened woman with curiosity.
“Jeanne… weren’t you supposed to wake up when the end of your world was near?”
“That’s an old name. Nostradamus is the latest.”
“That name is too long.”
“Then just call me Pythia. I hate hearing Jeanne. It sounds like your name, Kang Sang.”
Dongbang Sak chuckled bitterly as he stroked his beard.
The fourth Apostle with the power of prophecy.
Did she really hate the name ‘Jeanne d’Arc’ that much?
“…Alright. Pythia, why did you awaken?”
“I saw a terrible prophecy!”
“What is it?”
“The girl who was supposed to become the Witch of the Void in my stead was released!”
“Why is that terrible?”
“Because I have to take her place and oversee the end. I won’t be able to act as this star’s navigator for a while.”
“I still don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
Watching Phytia create a commotion on her own, Longinus shook his head in bewilderment.
The fourth Apostle with the ability of prophecy. It wasn’t easy to comprehend most of the things she said.
“More importantly… Ah, right. Perfect timing. You said you’d give me a prophecy last time, right? Take a look at this one.”
Swoosh!
Longinus took out his phone, displaying Seong Jihan’s image.
“What do you think his future will be like? Will he be embarrassingly crushed by his master?”
Expecting him to be brutally trampled by the Wandering Martial God, he showed Seong Jihan’s picture to Phytia but,
“…This one is immune to the prophecy? Who is he?”
Pythia, with a grave voice, stared intensely at Seong Jihan.
“A case like this… there’s only the master.”
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