‘Well... what should I say?’Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m
Surprisingly, Seo Jun-Ho wasn’t agitated. He knew that there had to be a fiend version of himself somewhere on the higher Floors.
‘First of all, Sung-Jun.’
The information Sung-Jun gave Seo Jun-Ho made him aware of the existence of parallel worlds, and Seo Jun-Ho had become suspicious of many things by then.
‘Then the Administrators...’
Seo Jun-Ho recalled how the Administrators were always expecting something from him. He was grateful in the beginning, but he couldn’t help but doubt the reason behind their expectations over time.
‘I’ve always wondered if they already knew who I was. I figured the reason they’re so wary of me while expecting something from me at the same time was probably because they know something that I don’t know.’
All the thoughts soon led to a reasonable assumption.
‘Fiend.’
Seo Jun-Ho thought there could be a fiend version of himself born from the many parallel worlds.
The answer to his hypothesis was standing in front of his eyes right now.
“So you actually exist.”
The eyes Seo Jun-Ho could see through the mask were as red as red jade. Specter’s eyes were redder than any other fiends Seo Jun-Ho had ever met so far, including the Heavenly Demon.
Seo Jun-Ho said, “I must admit this is a bit unexpected. I thought the Archduke was the corrupted Seo Jun-Ho of another world.”
“...You’re delusional,” Specter said blandly, “You can’t reach him nor surpass him. You will never be able to defeat the Archduke.”
“I suppose the Archduke’s dog will think that way, of course,” said Seo Jun-Ho. He gestured toward the mountain of bones beneath Specter’s feet and asked, “How many Seo Jun-Hos have you met before me?”
“Who knows? I stopped counting after ten thousand.”
“Ten thousand...”
‘He killed so many.’
Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that the fiend in front of his eyes was the one who had severed Sung-Jun’s arm and killed Sung-Jun’s Seo Jun-Sik.
‘Makes sense if he used Watchguard of Darkness. The scornful power of darkness is capable of erasing an existence, after all.’
“Let me ask you a question.” Seo Jun-Ho stared at the fiend with firm eyes before asking, “Where is your Frost?”
“My Frost? It’s been a while since I heard that name.”
“Just answer my question,” urged Seo Jun-Ho.
Specter directed a strange gaze at Seo Jun-Ho before saying, “That is a strange question to ask; did you not meet her on your way up here?”
Specter’s voice was bland and without a single ounce of emotion, and his voice made Seo Jun-Ho feel as if he were listening to static.
“I abandoned her on the 8th Floor. You must have seen her on your way here.”
“...”
Seo Jun-Ho’s quivered, and he clenched his fists without realizing it.
- Calm down, Partner.
Seo Jun-Ho knew that he had to stay calm. However, Seo Jun-Ho felt like his Imperturbable Mind would break at any moment upon seeing Specter’s look of superiority and arrogance.
- Contractor.
- Contractor...
- My Contractor...
A mournful cry he had heard on the 8th Floor echoed in his ears. The Frost Queen he held in his arms disappeared while looking for her contractor like a child until the moment she died.
Back then, Seo Jun-Ho knew that the Frost Queen was calling out to someone else.
“...Why?” Seo Jun-Ho’s voice trembled.
Specter tilted his head in wonder as if he didn’t understand the question.
“What is the intent of your question?”
“...I’m asking why you abandoned her.”
“Oh, what a lame question.”
Specter raised his hand, and a cloud of darkness swayed above his hand.
“...”
Specter’s Watchguard of Darkness was much darker and deeper than that of Seo Jun-Ho’s Watchguard of Darkness. They had the same ability, but Specter’s Watchguard of Darkness made Seo Jun-Ho feel stifled and afraid.
“No one has ever raised both Frost and Watchguard of Darkness to EX.”
“...So what?”
“Is it too hard for you to understand?” The cloud of darkness hovering above Specter’s palm took on a crimson hue as he infused his demonic energy into it. “I had to make a decision, and I could only choose one between the two to reach the next Stage.”
“...So?”
Seo Jun-Ho gasped.
Specter was basically saying that those people would have no legacy to leave behind, as their own personal worlds would disappear the moment they perished.
“Can you even call that being alive?”
“You’re giving too much meaning to being alive.”
Specter seemed greatly disappointed in Seo Jun-Ho for not understanding his thoughts.
“You need to have a life to be alive.”
“...”
“I’m sure many people would want to live in the world that the Archduke wants to make.”
Seo Jun-Ho couldn’t retort. Perhaps Specter was right.
“The Archduke’s will is fair and righteous, and his ways are better than allowing people to suffer under the unfairness of the world.”
Specter slowly walked toward Seo Jun-Ho.
“Let me ask you a question. If a miracle happens and you somehow manage to kill the Archduke, how sure are you of creating a better world than the world the Archduke wants to make?”
“...”
Seo Jun-Ho didn’t reply because he wouldn’t change.
The world would be exactly as it was at the moment, and there was something great to that kind of world.
“It will continue.”
“...What?”
“Not everyone will die after living a happy and long life, but the legacies of those who have perished will lead those who are still alive.”
“How absurd. Is that even relevant?”
“The Archduke wants to end the universe. He wants the extinction of living beings.”
“So what? It’s not like they’ll realize that they’re going to disappear. They’ll remain happy until they die.”
“...”
‘So that is the Archduke’s goal. Should I say he’s kind or cruel?’
Seo Jun-Ho felt an indivisible distance of value from himself in the other world. He thought it would be impossible to persuade Specter even if they had a long conversation.
“The look on your face shows that you have the same thoughts as the Seo Jun-Hos from the many parallel worlds,” Specter murmured. He kicked one of the skulls by his feet before continuing. “Every Seo Jun-Ho I’ve met all had the same gaze—none of them understood me at all.”
“I think I know why they couldn’t understand you.”
“Explain.”
The reason was simple.
“You’ve already become a son of a bitch the moment you abandoned Frost and drank the Archduke’s dirty blood. Meanwhile, we were still humans.”
“...Is that so?” Specter said dryly as he pulled up his demonic energy. “In that case, use your strength to prove to me that you’re right—final Seo Jun-Ho.”
“This is a bit unexpected.”
‘He’s similar to me in that respect—wanting to prove things by strength.’ Seo Jun-Ho instantly raised Overclocking to a thousand percent as soon as the battle started. ‘Not even Sung-Jun managed to beat this monster.’
The power radiating from Specter was certainly superior to himself.
However, Specter wasn’t a Transcendent.
‘Then it’s worth a try,’ thought Seo Jun-Ho.
Meanwhile, the cloud of darkness created by Specter flew toward him like wildfire.
“Ice Barrier and Wall of Darkness? Can you get any lamer than that?” Specter muttered indifferently as his darkness tore Seo Jun-Ho’s apart defenses like paper.
“...!” Seo Jun-Ho was astounded. He didn’t think that there would be such a huge difference in power between them.
Specter saw Seo Jun-Ho’s confusion.
“I told you. I made the right decision by abandoning Frost,” he said.
“No way. Don’t tell me...”
“Your Watchguard of Darkness is no match for my Darkness.”
‘Darkness?’
Seo Jun-Ho was struck by an epiphany after hearing Specter’s words.
“...EX?”
“Did you really think I abandoned Frost for no reason?” Specter wrapped himself in darkness before vanishing without a trace.
“Night Walking!” Seo Jun-Ho exclaimed. Seo Jun-Ho’s sharpened six sense couldn’t detect Specter, not to mention his five senses.
“You’re like the other Seo Jun-Hos from those parallel worlds. You can’t beat me, but it’s not a surprise. After all...” An indifferent voice reverberated throughout the hall filled with bones. “I am the true Specter.”