Chapter 101

101. Individual circumstances

“Hehe.”

Ko Byeong-gap hummed for some reason while he was busy packing. In a large duffel bag, he stored away extra clothes and other emergency supplies. After that, he looked at his outfit with useful tools hung in the waistband and battle vest.

Now prepared, he stood at the front door. Somehow, he felt bitter looking around the empty house. Ko Byeong-gap turned around with a bitter smile.

“See you again, dear.”

A pickup truck was parked in the underground parking lot. Three days ago, he rushed to get a used one. He bought it at a low price, so it didn’t look very good, but it moved well. He double-checked the diesel barrels, preserved food in the luggage compartment, and ensured it was all set.

“Alright.”

He got into the driver’s seat with a duffel bag in the back seat.

“Wait for me, you bastards. I’m coming.”

The car ran softly.

***

The first place he went after leaving home was a cafe. It was a weekday morning, but there were quite a few people. Ko Byeong-gap met the person he promised in the second-floor corner, a woman in plain clothes. He couldn’t see her face, as she wore a round brim hat, a mask…

“Why are you wearing sunglasses?”

“Well, would a celebrity like me show her face?”

“It’s more suspicious to go around like that.”

Jeong Seon-kyung smirked, but she looked ridiculous. Ko Byeong-gap held out the items he had prepared without hesitation: bank accounts, property documents, seals…

Jeong Seon-kyung looked unhappy. Of course, it was covered by her mask and sunglasses.

“Just as I said. If I don’t get in touch with you after more than three weeks, give them all to my mom.”

“Hey, Byeong-gap… I’m asking because I don’t understand, but why are you asking me to do this?”

“I told you, you’re the only one I can trust.”

“No, no, I’m not asking you that.”

Jeong Seon-kyung took a sip of her coffee and continued.

“You can give it to her before you leave.”

“I don’t like that. How can I tell my mom that I could die?”

“That’s ridiculous. Is it okay to notify her after you die?”

“That’s better.”

“You’re more of a nut job than I imagined.”

Ko Byeong-gap gave her a big smile. On the other hand, Jeong Seon-kyung responded with extra enthusiasm. She asked, packing the files.

“What if I run away with this?”

“You’d have a lot of money. It must be a small amount of money compared to your fortune, but…”

Ko Byeong-gap answered like that and tilted his head. Suddenly, he felt a little anxious.

“Don’t do that. Please tell my mom.”

“Oh, yes, yes. I’m afraid that you’ll become a ghost and curse me.”

Jeong Seon-kyung shook her head. For an instant, her eyes became serious.

“Hey, by the way, Byeong-gap.”

“Uh.”

“What the hell are you doing? Why are you making such a fuss? No, you don’t have to answer right away. Listen. I don’t know if it’s easy for you to leave like this, but aren’t you thinking of anyone who will be left behind? Haven’t you thought of your mother when I tell her that you’re dead? And what about my position having to tell her?”

“… I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? Damn it, that’s it?”

“I know this is an unreasonable request.”

“Phew! You idiot!”

Jeong Seon-kyung shouted. Attention was drawn to their side for a moment, but she calmed down and spoke quietly.

“I’ll come with you. I don’t know what it is, but I’ll help you.”

“I told you, it’s a problem I have to solve alone.”

“You’re sick! Where in the world is that possible? You’re not the Dark Knight. Are you fighting against the world by yourself?”

Ko Byeong-gap didn’t answer. Jeong Seon-kyung’s expression drooped.

“Can you please not go? I don’t know what it is, but can you just not do it? Huh?”

“…”

He wanted to say something nice.

– If I don’t, I will regret it for the rest of my life.

– It is better to die for the sake of a calling than to spend the rest of your life in regret.

But it didn’t fit with him. Ko Byeong-gap just smiled.

“Go.”

“Ugh…”

“And I’m not going to die. I’ll be back for sure.”

“… If you don’t mind dying, I can just kill you.”

“Okay, I have to go now.”

Ko Byeong-gap stood.

“If things go well, I’ll tell you everything that happened.”

“I don’t need anything like that, so take care of yourself.”

“Okay.”

Ko Byeong-gap left the cafe. Jeong Seon-kyung sipped her remaining coffee and looked at the place where he walked out for a long time.

Ko Byeong-gap climbed into his car and entered his destination in the navigation. He had quite a drive ahead of him.

“Let’s go to Mt. Jirisan.”

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***

Ko Byeong-gap was deprived of the Goblin Lord’s power. Setting aside how something so damning could happen, he focused on the fact that since then, he had been unable to cross to Ashvilam. However, no matter how hard he pondered about how he could get back to Ashvilam, he couldn’t come up with an answer.

To plow a field, he needed to get a hoe first, but since he lost his hoe… there was no other way, so he waited vaguely at first. He waited endlessly until Landriol opened the door that connected the Earth. However, this guy hadn’t opened it once in the last two weeks. It was a problem if he tried to get over the door. He hated to admit it, but Landriol was strong. A head-to-head match with him couldn’t guarantee his victory.

He had to catch the other person off guard. To do that, it was his fundamentals to aim for an opening. He returned to the beginning and set out to find a way to get to Ashvilam, but there wasn’t one. No matter how much he looked and thought, he couldn’t find a way. In the first place, it was a power that only he had in the world…

‘What if I’m not alone?’

It was when he broke the notion that he was the only one that Ko Byeong-gap could recall as a person who showed a very similar ability. Kim Hana, the main culprit of the attacks on the power plants. There was something different about her.

‘What if there isn’t?’

If there wasn’t, then he had to find a new way. He had to check on even the slightest possibility that time. Around 2 pm, Ko Byeong-gap was able to reach the entrance of Jirisan Mountain. He stopped at the mountain’s foot and started climbing. The coordinates that Kim Hana gave him led to rough terrain without hiking trails. It was a good place to avoid the general public, but it wasn’t a problem for Ko Byeong-gap.

He climbed the mountain as if he were casually jogging. Occasionally rock walls or vines blocked the way, but he didn’t stop. Did he hike like that for about two hours? He reached places ordinary people couldn’t even reach in half a day.

A small creek on the mountainside greeted him. The whole area, as before, was dense with hardwood trees. He soaked his throat in the stream and looked over his surroundings. He then took out his cell phone and checked the map.

“This is correct according to GPS.”

A creepy hut made of wood, or a secret hideout in a natural cave. No matter how much he looked around, he couldn’t find anything like it. There were only trees everywhere.

“Oh, damn it. Was I fooled?”

Only then did he feel frustrated. Come to think of it; he made no appointments with her to meet that day. How would she know he was coming?

“It’s a little embarrassing.”

Hing!

Ko Byeong-gap was startled and turned around. There was no one there until a while ago, and Kim Hana stood there with her eyes squinted. She showed no sign of hostility and didn’t even have a weapon in her dress.

“I don’t want you to pull it out.”

Kim Hana pointed to Ko Byeong-gap’s right hand. Ko Byeong-gap responded by letting go of the sword’s hilt he had reflexively gripped.

“Yeah, I’m not here to fight.”

“For that state, of course.”

“It’s not for use here.”

Kim Hana tilted her head but didn’t ask for an explanation. Instead, she brought up something else.

“It’s been a while since I asked you to come to see me, but now you’re here. You hadn’t come out often, so we looked for you from our side a while ago… but we didn’t see you.”

“I’ve been busy for a while. By the way, where are the kids you bring with you? I don’t see them with you.”

“…”

Kim Hana frowned instead of answering.

“Why are you speaking informally?”

Ko Byeong-gap was at a loss for words at the surprise. He went silent for a moment and then answered a little ugly.

“Aren’t you speaking informally too?”

“I don’t want to do that; it’s funny to talk about it now. I’m getting a little weird with age.”

“I don’t think you’re old enough to say that.”

Kim Hana was of the same age as Ko Byeong-gap, no matter how strong she was. Of course, a high-level awakener like Kim Hana couldn’t be judged by appearance. For S-class, people seemed to reach the realm of immortality.

“I’m way older than you, Ko Byeong-gap. I’ve lived more than four times the number of days you have. Maybe hundreds of… oh, no. Never mind what I just said.”

Kim Hana sighed quietly then continued.

“The fact that you came to me means that you want to know the truth of the world. I can tell you about it, but before that, the promise first…”

“No, I came to you today for another reason.”

Ko Byeong-gap cut off Kim Hana. She rolled her eyes for a moment before she asked.

“Another reason?”

“Yes, let me go to Ashvilam. I’ll listen to your story next time.”

“Ashvilam?”

She asked back.

“What is it?”

“Don’t you know Ashvilam?”

“It doesn’t sound like a person’s name, and since you want me to send you there, then it must be a certain place. But none of the countries or cities I know have such a name. Why are you leaving and asking me to do that?”

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Ko Byeong-gap kept his mouth shut for some time. He wondered if he had come to the wrong address.

‘No, no, no. I believe what I saw then.’

He changed his mind and asked again.

“Can’t you cross over to a world other than Earth?”

“…?!”

Kim Hana’s eyes grew bigger. Her mouth opened on its own. Ko Byeong-gap immediately noticed that he had hit the point. The look on her face said, ‘How?’

“How… how can you….”

“Because I’m like you too. Well, not now.”

“Like me?”

“Hmm, that’s right. There’s no need to make a hideout like this. You must have something nice out there.”

Ko Byeong-gap urged her to let him go.

“Let’s not do this here. Let’s move, shall we?”

Kim Hana swallowed and nodded.

“… Yes.”

She reached out her left hand and grabbed the air. The next moment, the space was torn into four parts. Inside, a black vortex swirled.

‘It’s a little different from mine.’

He paused. Ko Byeong-gap barely stopped just before trying to get inside without thinking. He held a shy look on his face.

“I parked my car down the mountain. Can’t I take that with me, too?”

“…”

***

“Gasp!”

“Gasp, gasp, gasp!”

The Hob Goblin breathed heavily. Four Normal Goblins scattered around him, and they were, without exception, a wreck.

“Growl…”

“Ouch… it hurts…”

A sprawled-out Normal Goblin groaned. It held a training sword that wasn’t sharpened, but that didn’t mean that it was soft.

“…”

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The Hob Goblin laid down the sword. He was holding it so tightly that his palms felt numb, and he turned his head slowly. All over the place, people were seen aiming weapons at each other. They screamed and wielded their weapons.

The Hob Goblin thought the sight was terrible.

“Send the fallen ones to the mines. Leave only the strong ones behind.”

Suddenly, Landriol appeared in the arena. The Goblins in battle immediately bowed down, shivering in fear. Landriol frowned as he glanced around the arena.

“Cut out the greetings and finish what you were doing.”

The Goblin sprang to their feet at the command. They then swung their weapons again. It had already been a day.

“My Lord….”

“What is it, Marilyn?”

“Everyone… seems very tired. It’s late, so I’ll call it a day–”

“Marilyn.”

“Yes.”

“They, the Holy Warriors, will not wait around for us. Whether the sun goes down or it rains, they just keep on advancing.”

Marilyn lowered her head and said nothing. Landriol looked back at the Goblins.

“Look at this pathetic sight. The Sarahons, who had nothing to fear from the world, have become so weak. In this state, even if they get back together, they will only be trampled by the Holy Army.”

“That’s right…”

Landriol walked slowly with his hands behind his back. The sound of sickness could be heard from all over the arena.

“I… My Lord.”

“Say it.”

“It isn’t that this girl dares to doubt the will of the king, but looking at the king’s actions after his return–”

“Don’t stretch it out; just get to the point.”

Marilyn took some time to ask.

“Are you preparing for war?”

“That’s right.”

Landriol answered immediately. Marilyn’s eyes grew wide.

“Who are you fighting with?”

“You’re asking the obvious. Of course, this is to punish Madmut and the other foolish creatures.”

“As I said before, we are the only ones on the continent. Far from Madmut, and there are no other Ains except the Sarahons….”

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“We’re going to invade the other world. Madmut is there.”

Marilyn couldn’t answer. She became speechless, so Landriol furrowed his eyebrows while monitoring her reaction.

“You don’t look happy about that, do you?”

“Oh, no, no! How dare I?”

“Marilyn.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“I hoped for peace on this land, and that foolish people who were fighting for personal possessions wouldn’t do that anymore. Thus, I unified the Earth and ruled the people with laws and discipline. They no longer fought over land and food.”

“Yes, I know that.”

Marilyn, who witnessed the generation of peace, remembered the situation at the time. Under Sarahon’s rule, the Ains lived in harmony. Even if she put aside racial bias and looked only at objective facts, that era was rich. Anyone on the land could sleep warm on their backs without getting hungry. Landriol was admired as the God of the Earth.

“But…”

Landriol clenched his fist. Veins stood out in his forearms.

“But Madmut, twisted in his heart, couldn’t stand to see that. He said I was arrogant about being called the God of the Surface. That’s the only reason he annihilated the Sarahons! Is that the standard of a noble God?”

“…”

“What’s even more startling is the behavior of the people who succumbed to fear. They betrayed us without knowing the grace we had given them. They hit us on the back of our heads in unison because they were afraid to confront God! What’s the difference between that and pointing a spear at a parent?”

Scrap!

The ground split, unable to withstand Landriol’s rage. Marilyn quickly calmed him down.

“My Lord. Let’s fix it.”

“Whoa… I realized it only after I

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When the name Varin came out, Marilyn shuddered. Varin was the name of the Queen and the only woman Lord Landriol had been fond of. Marilyn had been one of his seven concubines, but she never had the chance to speak to

“What did you realize?”

“Why do you think I’m standing here against the provisions of nature?”

“Well, isn’t it to rebuild Ashvilam and give it prosperity again?”

“The reconstruction of Ashvilam?”

Landriol snorted.

“How do we rebuild Ashvilam, which is already buried underground?”

“What?”

“Why am I alive? It’s to bring the same despair to those who made us despair. I can’t even close my eyes until I cut Madmut’s throat. That’s what I realized!”

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Marilyn looked up at the king with blank eyes and turned away. Shouts and groans still resonated everywhere, and several Goblins were exhausted and collapsed. Marilyn looked back at him with frozen eyes and asked.

“But, my Lord, isn’t the number of soldiers too low to fight a war against God?”

Landriol suffered from her criticism.

“That’s true. A mere 1,500… one is to cut the enemy’s throat, and the rest is nothing more than an arrowhead. Damn it; I didn’t expect the Demons to do such a ridiculous thing.”

“… What?”

“There will be no big problems. Fortunately, the Seed of Enlightenment had been planted in time. It’s sprouted, and now it’s insignificant, but it’ll get better in a little while. If I bought this temple from the Ancient Shop—”

“Lord, my Lord!”

Marilyn shouted and interrupted Landriol, who showed off his discomfort. Either way, Marilyn asked.

“Did… did the king know that the Demons would invade the land?”

“…”

Landriol stared at Marilyn, who shivered, but she didn’t avert her eyes. After a while, Landriol replied calmly.

“Yes. It was I who brought the Demons.”