Chapter 141 Fragile Memories

[Four Months Prior]

In the abandoned streets of Gangnum-Gu, the silver-haired man marched alongside two others:

[Jeol | Level 12]

[Korain | Level 15]

Through, he himself was much above the levels of his two companions, leading them forward as he kept his wary eyes on the cityscape itself.

[Dae-Seong | Level 21]

"...Man, I wish I was as high of a level as him," Jeol sighed out quietly.

The adolescent with shaggy, light-gold hair complained as he slumped his shoulders, walking beside the burly man as the two lagged behind Dae-Seong himself.

"Ha-ha! Give it up, Jeol! The Boss is just made out of something different," Korain told him, smacking him on the back.

Jeol stumbled forward a bit after having the man's large hand slap him from behind, looking back as he winced.

"Cut it out! Last time you gave me a welt!" Jeol sharply retorted.

"Ha-ha! It'll help you toughen up!" Korain laughed boisterously.

Though the mix-colored haired man's laughter was cut short as the silver-haired, taut man looked back at the two, giving a sharp look to Korain specifically.

"Keep it down. Let's not draw in unnecessary foes. We're just here looking for survivors," Dae-Seong said calmly.

Korain nodded, quickly quieting down as he displayed his utmost respect for the man's words before holding a smile, continuing to walk through the abandoned streets.

"...You really think it's impossible for me to catch up?" Jeol asked.

Korain looked down at him for a moment, inspecting the disheartened look that cast a gloomy veil over his usual, sparkly-emerald eyes, "--Well, catching up to the Boss is a tall order. But, you can pass me up, for sure."

"Huh?" Jeol looked up at him.

"You're plenty talented. You just need something to fight for, you know?" Korain assured him with a smile.

To the hot-headed, blonde-haired adolescent, those words had a large impact coming from the strong, reliable man.

"Something to fight for?" He asked.

Korain nodded, "Yeah! Like the Boss, for example…He fights for humanity."

"For humanity? Isn't that...too much for one person?"

"The Boss is strong. I bet he's the strongest person around, honestly. I asked him about it before, and you want to know what he told me?" Korain looked at him.

Jeol nodded curiously, looking up at him as they walked through the abandoned city street, passing by trashed cars.

"He looked me straight in the eye and said–'I'm doing it because nobody else will. Everybody is lost. People are lonely and afraid. Even if I started off at level one, my objective would be the same: help as many as possible reach Heaven'."

"...Is he a superhero or something?"

Korain laughed, much to the confusion of the young man who didn't think it was a funny question.

"What's so funny?" Jeol asked.

The expression of the man with black-and-white hair softened into a more serious, almost melancholic look.

"The Boss isn't a superhero. I think like all of us he's just…sick of all of this loss. We've all lost so much. Everything. Yet, despite all of that, he's the only person I've seen fighting for something more than just himself. Something beyond just one person," Korain spoke fondly of the silver-haired man who walked far enough ahead not to hear their conversation, "But, he knows that he can't do it alone. That's why he has us, and that's why he wants to find others," Korain clarified with a soft smile.

Jeol felt a new sense of admiration for the man in front of him, looking onward at Dae-Seong's back as he smiled with a reinvigorated purpose.

"--I can help him save humanity," Jeol smiled happily.

"That's right. The future isn't so grim, is it?" Korain chuckled.

–

It was that very night, beneath the downpour from the clouds as the raindrops pattered onto the ground.

"--"

Jeol was held in the arms of the silver-haired man, looking up as he saw a look of sadness embedded in his normally stalwart eyes.

"...Dae-Seong…"

"--"

The marks of battle were engraved on that street; sides of buildings shaved away, the surrounding cars dented and burned, and the corpses of black-dressed players laid out in a puddle of blood that mixed with the falling rain.

Korain stomped on the ground, shattering the asphalt beneath his boot as he roared out, "Dammit–!!!"

The mix colored-haired man attempted to march towards the single man dressed in all-black who was retreating, but was stopped–

"Korain."

"Huh?" Korain looked back.

Dae-Seong was looking at him, drenched in the constant rainfall as he slowly shook his head, holding the body of the young, blonde companion of theirs who was on his last breaths.

I failed.

In my mission to give sanctuary to those beaten down by Armageddon, I failed to protect even the ones by my side.

…I must not be deterred, though. Even if I fall over, I must stand. If I don't, who will? He thought.

--

"Perhaps I over-prepared for this day," Jun-Seo stated.

"--"

He stayed silent, adjusting his glasses before he tore the armor around his torso off in a confusing choice, ripping his garments to fully reveal the stab wound left on the left side of his abdomen.

"What's this?" Jun-Seo watched him.

If my Evolution System won't help me…It's up to myself to handle this, he thought.

"Cast: Flame Edge!" He yelled out.

Spurring an awakening of lively flames around the steel of his thick greatsword, he huffed, sweating heavily before bringing the flaming steel close to his wound–breathing in and out once more before–

"Nrgh–!!!"

He pressed the fiery surface against his bleeding wound, using the heat of the flames to cauterize the gash on his abdomen.

After a minute of the agonizing solution to his wound, it finally managed to stifle the bleeding as he allowed the flames to dissipate, leaving him standing there, lathered in sweat and breathing heavily.

"...I see. Perhaps I doubted your conviction," Jun-Seo said, "But, it makes no difference. My victory was assured the moment you were brought into my domain."

"--"

Though he didn't like it, he allowed the malicious man to continue talking so he could buy himself time, holding his stomach as it burned with a throbbing, heated pain.

As much as it pains me to admit, he does have the upper-hand. This man's skillset is tailored for killing other players. If I wish to win…I must use every opportunity given to me, he thought.

He watched as Jun-Seo raised a single hand, ushering in an air of malice that swirled into a dampening darkness.

"Rise, Tormented Souls."

From the ground of bones, those very materials began to rattle before coalescing, forming into skeletons that rose with an undying aura sprouting from their hollow forms.

"Tch…" He clicked his tongue, mumbling painfully as he held his stomach, "...So this is the true nature of your domain?"

Jun-Seo smiled faintly, "It's an undying army–subservient to myself. Each and every one of them are victims of the GOETIA System, though not all are by my hand."

"You're sick," he said, adjusting his glasses with his trembling, weakened fingers, "It's not enough that you take their lives away, but you take even death from them?"

"I am despicable, yes. Have we not established that?" Jun-Seo replied with a smirk.