novelraw Chapter 217 : Chapter 217
Chapter 217 : Chapter 217
Chapter 217: Transcendence (2)
Despite Ho-cheol's blatant provocation, the Giant did not show a particular reaction.
Instead, its voice rumbled in his head once again.
[An interesting little human.]
At the light reaction, as if it had simply discovered a curious creature, Ho-cheol narrowed his brows.
“You’re the one who’s unnecessarily big.”
Another talking monster.
Fortunately, it wasn't the first time, so he wasn't flustered.
And he had learned from the last experience.
Just because it could speak didn't mean they could communicate.
He didn't hold any expectation of communication, nor any reassurance that it was moderate.
It wouldn't be strange if that reaction flipped at any moment.
As if there was nothing more to hear, Ho-cheol swung his sword.
Kwadeudeudeuk—!
His full power, unleashed by even activating his Trait.
Cracks formed in space along the trajectory of the sword swing, twisting, and beyond that, a powerful impact struck the Giant dozens of meters away.
Kugugugung—!
Its giant body tilted back greatly and was pushed back.
However, its back hit the canyon before it could fall, and in the end, it was merely made to take one step back.
And as the dust settled, he could see the state of the monster that had been hit by the sword.
“Heh.”
Ho-cheol made a sound as if dumbfounded.
He hadn't expected it to die in one blow, but he had landed a proper gash on its face.
He thought he would deal some meaningful damage.
Swiiiiiik—
Smoke rose from the wound, and it healed in an instant.
The Giant raised its hand and felt its own face.
Just that alone shook the ground.
[Because I am in an incomplete state, the recovery is slow.]
The Giant even reacted as if this, too, was unsatisfactory.
The fact that it didn't even pretend to be in pain, let alone counterattack, was quite unpleasant for Ho-cheol.
The Giant looked at Ho-cheol once again.
[Still, you are magnificent. To think you have a Trait of this level without my grace.]
“So the day comes when I get complimented by a monster. Anyway, I guess you just have to live long enough, huh?”
The Giant extended its hand toward Ho-cheol.
Kugugugung—
Just the hand getting closer crushed the space and pressed down on Ho-cheol.
Gravity or pressure.
It far surpassed such concepts.
Were humans this weak in front of an absolute being?
A desire to kneel immediately, put his hands together, and bow his head low wrapped around his entire body.
In fact, the leader next to him had already failed to endure it and was trembling, flat on the ground.
However.
“To a mere monster.”
Ho-cheol grit his teeth—and swung his sword, swatting the hand away.
As the hand moved away, the sensation from just now vanished in an instant.
The Giant, which until now had an atmosphere of having found an interesting toy, expressed admiration with sincerity for the first time.
[Magnificent. There is not a single waver in that will.]
[The body is robust.]
[The Trait has reached mastery.]
[With that spirit, I shall test your qualification for transcendence.]
With those words, the Giant's eyes flashed.
An intense light, as if two suns had risen before his eyes, engulfed Ho-cheol.
He grimaced and covered his eyes with the back of his hand.
A moment later, the light disappeared, and the place where Ho-cheol opened his eyes again was desolate like before, but it was not the canyon.
Instead, there was only an endless wasteland where nothing could be seen.
At this point, this place was so familiar it was almost nostalgic.
“Ah, this is clichéd now. And boring.”
Ho-cheol neurotically kicked the ground with the tip of his toe.
However, while he was relaxed on the outside, he couldn't help but be tense inwardly.
Until now, no formidable enemy had been able to penetrate his mind.
Moreover, even that endlessly resurrecting monster from last time had only barely managed to penetrate his mind after Ho-cheol allowed it.
But this bastard entered freely, opening his head without any trouble.
The bigger problem was that Ho-cheol couldn't resist this process at all.
It wasn't that his mental barrier was pierced, but as if he had been moved to that place.
He looked around.
Even the Giant monster was nowhere to be seen.
“Where are you and what are you doing.”
However, he soon realized that was his own delusion.
The Giant was still in front of him.
He just hadn't even been aware of it.
Above in the sky, a faintly visible giant head.
Even the huge bulk that encompassed the canyon just now was nothing but a dwarf compared to this.
"Holy shit."
No way, is that its real body?
Or is it the type whose ego inflates a bit in the mind?
Whatever it was, it didn't really matter.
If that thing was really a monster that didn't die in reality and kept resurrecting, he would eventually have to fight in this mental space.
Ho-cheol let out a hollow laugh as if in despair and muttered.
“The balance is so messed up, this.”
Of course, just being big doesn't mean it's strong, but that's not the case here.
Just the head is that size.
If it stood up properly, wouldn't its head go outside the atmosphere?
Here, its snout must open properly, as the monster's voice came into his ears, not his head.
“Your spirit is still weak. You fail.”
With that one sentence, all the emotions he had until moments ago flew away.
Being tested by a mere monster was an unparalleled displeasure.
Moreover, failing a monster's test was more than enough reason to be enraged.
“The beliefs and will you have built. They all might seem hard and firm at a glance, but in reality, they are empty.”
Ho-cheol's expression distorted.
It wasn't an entirely wrong statement, but hearing those words come out of a monster's snout was a separate issue.
Whether it knew his feelings or not, the Giant continued to speak.
“Morality, beliefs, goals borrowed from others. How long do you think those will last? A fake human. I see it. You are empty. The outside is a tower that soars higher than any other, but the inside is empty. A sandcastle built on a wavy beach would be sturdier than this.”
The voice was low and circled around Ho-cheol.
Perhaps it was laced with the same kind of Trait that dominated a person's mind, like before.
The low, heavy voice held an unknown persuasiveness and a pulling power.
However, it had no effect on Ho-cheol.
Not because his mental strength was firm, but…….
“Shit. Who doesn't know that.”
Ho-cheol, whose core had already been scratched to the limit, was in a state of being too pissed off to fall for such brainwashing.
He raised his sword, which was less than a toothpick to the Giant, and aimed it at its eye.
“Stupid bastard. You think you can scratch my insides or change my mindset with that? Conversely, I find you, who can't understand this, so pathetic and pitiful I can't even watch.”
In the first place, how many times had he heard such criticism?
“Do I look like an empty human to you? Filled inside with will, beliefs, and spirit that aren't mine?”
Ho-cheol twisted one corner of his mouth and smiled.
“You saw correctly. But that's only when you see a fragment of the situation; you don't understand its nature at all.”
Inherited responsibility, borrowed will, false beliefs.
Not one of them was proper, nor were they his own.
However, Ho-cheol was unashamed of it all and could assert it confidently.
“I still don't care at all if this damn world goes to ruin. Rather, I'd burst out laughing, mock it, and despise it.”
A twisted human.
Although he realized his foundation was that of a surprisingly decent person.
Nevertheless, his growth process was so horrific that he himself grew up to be a horrific person.
However.
“So what about it? Whether my true nature is rotten, whether I borrowed or stole decent thoughts. Even if it's not mine. Protecting it is my choice and my action.”
The essence doesn't matter.
Its value is only evaluated by the choices and actions of each moment.
“Bastards like you are the most pathetic. Morons who think that as long as it's their belief, it's justified even if it's clearly malignant. If I'm a failure, and that's a success……”
Ho-cheol declared firmly.
“I'd rather live my whole life as a failure. And you too, going around with a mug like that, you're just big, you're a monster failure, you bastard.”
He didn't forget to add a sneer.
The Giant's eye twitched lightly.
After contemplating something, it spoke again.
“It seems belief, to you, is different from what I know. But nevertheless, in your deepest place, something else is driven in like a wedge, blocking you from taking out the most important thing.”
Until you realize that deficiency and become whole…….
“You will not be able to reach transcendence.”
“I told you I don't care about that transcendence or whatever.”
As expected of a monster, we can't communicate.
And Ho-cheol swung his sword once more.
“It's time for you to get out of my head!”
As he swung the sword, cracks formed in the space along its trajectory.
The cracks instantly covered the entire space, and not long after, with an ominous Jjeojeojeojeok— sound, the space collapsed.
Ho-cheol tilted his head and looked around.
He was back in the canyon where he first faced the Giant.
Ho-cheol narrowed his brows.
His mind wasn't a place that could be entered and exited so easily.
And yet it entered and left so simply?
Moreover, he hadn't received any damage?
Perhaps that space wasn't his mind, but a space artificially created by that Giant.
It just tricked him into thinking it was his mind and pulled a stunt.
The Giant, still huge, but dwarfed compared to the absurd size from before, was staring blankly at Ho-cheol.
Ho-cheol was also half-convinced, thanks to having just seen that mental body.
He couldn't kill that thing yet.
At best, he would just put a small scratch on its body.
[Now is not the time.]
The monster lightly waved its hand.
A typhoon raged and pushed Ho-cheol's body far back.
And carried on that wind, a murky fog rushed in instantly.
[Transcendence is not far.]
Fog settled thickly, obscuring Ho-cheol's vision.
And after that fog disappeared.
“Jeez.”
Before he knew it, he was standing at the entrance of the Gate.
It even has the ability to kick you out of the Gate?
He had experienced numerous monsters and peculiar environments in Gates until now, but a monster that kicked you out of the Gate like this was unprecedented.
From Ho-cheol's perspective, it was honestly dumbfounding.
How was it that he experienced more of these unusual cases than the guys who had been dealing with monsters their whole lives?
“Uh, ah! Boss!”
“Boss!”
“What. Are you okay?”
And the executives and Ha-rin, who discovered him, ran over.
“You guys?”
“We were suddenly thrown out by that fog! But then the entrance closed so we couldn't even go back in!”
He could belatedly understand why they weren't visible.
That Giant monster bastard must have done something.
Even he was this helpless, so how could these guys have endured it.
With that thing's power, it wasn't strange at all.
“And that guy is……”
At Wolf Fang's words, Ho-cheol's gaze turned to the side.
The leader of the New World Trait Liberation Society. He, too, was in the same boat as Ho-cheol, having been kicked out of the Gate.
“Hm. Since you all know me, I don't need to introduce myself separately, right?”
Even in a situation surrounded by his enemies, he was relaxed.
No, he had no choice but to be relaxed.
“Anyway, to think our most important secret has been found out like this.”
“Bullshit. It's obvious you were testing the waters, wanting to show it off.”
“Haha.”
He laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.
“I was found out immediately. Well, it can't be helped. That's right. The final goal that our Society pursues, transcendence, is precisely that Giant you just saw.”
He brought his hands together and touched the five fingers of both hands.
“To achieve transcendence before the Giant resurrects, and to kill it. Just think about what would happen if that thing fully resurrects and comes out of the Gate. What an absurd disaster would occur.”
A whale monster of a similar size to that thing had appeared in Africa decades ago.
Of course, in the end, humanity won.
Although it came with the sacrifice of soaking several countries in radiation and turning the land into a place where no one could ever live.
“We are, in a sense, an organization to prevent the disaster and damage of that time.”
“The reason you didn't say that until now and proceeded secretly among yourselves?”
“Because that process isn't exactly clean. We can't expect empathy or support from ordinary citizens. And asking the nation for help? Would they really obediently work to kill that thing? Or would they be lighting fires in their eyes trying to find a way to use it?”
Regarding that question, Ho-cheol didn't have much to say.
Rather, the probability of their greed ruining things was higher.
No, it would definitely ruin things.
“Until now, you worked under that government, maintaining a minimum line, so I couldn't rashly share this information, but not now. In this situation where you can dirty your hands as much as you want for your own beliefs and everyone's peace……”
The leader asked in an insinuating voice.
“Won't you join hands with us? We will prepare transcendence for you, only for you, and by you. And eternal peace.”
Before he knew it, he had extended his hand toward Ho-cheol.