novelraw Chapter 287 : After the End (1)
Chapter 287 : After the End (1)
Escorted to a large room, Su-hyeon sat face to face with the shelter's owner, who was surrounded by guards.
"What's your name?"
Asking for a name straightaway without any greeting.
Glances that were beyond unfriendly, disrespectful and hostile.
Attire and complexion that easily revealed he wore good clothes, ate good food, and lived luxuriously while others didn't.
"This feels like an interrogation."
Su-hyeon, having observed all this, did not use honorifics when addressing the middle-aged man.
"I have no name to give to a nobody."
"Huh. Look at this."
When the middle-aged man laughed, the Awakened standing guard beside him bristled.
"Arrogant bastard!"
"Show some respect."
"You guys too."
"...!"
Su-hyeon calmly met everyone's gaze, looking into each person's eyes one by one.
Each time, the guards avoided his gaze, feeling a strange sensation.
"I saved people from the shelter you lead, and instead of thanks, this is how you treat me."
Su-hyeon looked into the man's eyes.
'About B+ rank.'
He appeared somewhat tainted by magical energy.
'I suppose it's only natural.'
It seemed obvious he would become a Ma-in before long.
"Right, I heard that demonic beast was A-rank. You killed it with one blow?"
"That's right."
"Not even funny."
The man snickered.
"I guess it might look that way to those who were struggling with a few wild dogs without any mana. I'm surprised they didn't make a fuss claiming it was S-rank."
"Kukukuk."
"Hahaha!"
Laughter erupted among the guards.
"Don't play games. This isn't a world where a guy with no presence can act cocky like he's something."
The man's intention to intimidate and frighten was so obvious that Su-hyeon didn't feel any particular emotion.
With Su-hyeon containing his aura, he apparently didn't look very frightening despite making the man feel uneasy.
'How has he survived this long with such poor judgment?'
Su-hyeon thought.
'He's lucky in many ways.'
Su-hyeon found it hard to find any other reason for his survival.
'I don't know how much luck was involved, but.'
The very fact that such low-level wild dogs could roam in packs meant there were no strong demonic beasts or Ma-in nearby.
"So? Did you call me here just to say this?"
When Su-hyeon changed the subject without any particular rebuttal, the man smirked as if to say, "See?"
"Anyway, I value your skill. You've done everyone a favor and made them overestimate you. I need someone with a brain like yours."
"You're trying to recruit me."
"Quick to catch on."
The man, thinking the conversation had moved to his pace, arrogantly put his foot on the table.
"What do you need? If you need a place to sleep, I'll give it to you. If you need women, take your pick."
"Hmm."
After a moment's pause, Su-hyeon said to the man:
"This era might not be so bad for you."
"Hahaha!"
The man burst into laughter.
"Think whatever you want."
"I'll refuse your request. I'll leave now."
Su-hyeon stood up.
Destroying a shelter like this and turning it into a wasteland would be nothing for the current Su-hyeon.
But.
'If I carelessly intervene and destroy their community, that would be presumptuous.'
Su-hyeon was extremely pragmatic.
'I can't take everyone with me alone right now anyway.'
Extending a hand of salvation to those visible.
It was an extremely human emotion, and Su-hyeon had no intention of impulsively bearing the risks that would result.
"That won't do."
But as the man finished speaking, ten guards surrounded Su-hyeon.
"What's the meaning of this?"
"Either join me, or die here."
The man wiggled his finger.
"Leaving safely? There's no such option."
"Why?"
Su-hyeon asked with a detached face, showing neither anger nor fear.
"It sets a bad precedent. A young, strong, and handsome guy like you saves people and tries to leave suddenly? Some might want to follow you. That would make control troublesome."
"Isn't that their right?"
"Rights? Bullshit."
The man crossed his legs the other way as if Su-hyeon was spouting nonsense.
"Once they've come under me, they should follow my orders. That's their duty."
"What if they say they want to follow me?"
"Hehehe. Didn't I just say? Either join me or die."
"Hahaha."
"Seems like a guy who's hard of hearing."
The guards snickered.
"This seems familiar."
Su-hyeon said with coldly sinking eyes.
"How many humans have you killed like this?"
The man spread his palms wide in response.
"Sorry, but I can't count them all with just these."
"......"
Su-hyeon didn't even sigh.
"I see."
"Boys, just bring me one arm."
"Yes!"
They were C-rank, D-rank Awakened.
Among them were some showing early symptoms of becoming Ma-in.
'That man, and that woman. Even that boy.'
Three of them had reluctant expressions.
"In that case."
Su-hyeon's figure disappeared, becoming an afterimage.
Thump! Thump!
As Su-hyeon's afterimage passed by them, the Awakened who received light jabs to their chins and temples collapsed like puppets with cut strings.
"!?"
"What the hell!"
As five collapsed, the remaining five guards tried to draw their weapons or activate their abilities.
But what shocked them even more was something else.
Woong.
An invisible sword made of mana formed in Su-hyeon's hand.
"Insane!"
Everyone's mouths fell open.
It was an unbelievable sight.
'He's an incredible master! Was he hiding his power?'
The man who had never even thought such a level existed was terrified.
It was natural, as not even the Sword God or Dragon Spear had reached the level of wielding a sword without a sword.
'I had barely achieved the level of emitting sword energy just a few years ago!'
The man who had arrogantly crossed his legs hurriedly stood up and waved his hands.
"W-Wait! Let's talk...!"
Slash!
The man's head, which hadn't even seen its own death, fell from his body with eyes wide open in disbelief.
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"Uuugh."
"Kuuk......"
Looking around at the seven guards who had lost their leader and were either unconscious or in pain, Su-hyeon walked toward one man who was frozen like ice.
"Your name?"
"......"
"I won't ask twice."
"Jeon Woo-jong."
"You seemed reluctant to kill me."
"...What's the point of saying that?"
"It has more meaning than you think."
Su-hyeon spoke to another woman he had marked earlier.
"Without showing any reaction, go out and bring Kim Sang-jin."
"......"
She went outside without a word.
"What are you plotting?"
Crash!
Su-hyeon's foot, which brushed past his ear, smashed the wall.
"!"
"I'd prefer if you didn't open your mouth unnecessarily until I tell you to."
"......"
After examining Su-hyeon's expression, Jeon Woo-jong kept his mouth shut.
Shortly after, Kim Sang-jin, who was summoned, was greatly surprised by the carnage before him, but after hearing the whole story, he spoke favorably about Jeon Woo-jong.
"I see."
Su-hyeon nodded at the story that Jeon Woo-jong had been a PMC employee and had tried to protect the shelter people, somehow keeping them from crossing the line amidst the dead leader and his subordinates who ran wild relying on his authority.
"So his nature isn't evil, but he served a greater power and acted according to his conscience in his own way."
"...Even so. I'm still just one of the bystanders."
"I know. If you had acted like some great hero, you would have died long ago."
Su-hyeon, who inwardly thought he wasn't naive enough to expect that from just anyone, looked at Jeon Woo-jong and said:
"Choose. Will you lead these people or die by my hand?"
"Wh-What?"
Jeon Woo-jong, flustered, asked Su-hyeon.
"Why would you trust me?"
"I'm not particularly entrusting them to you out of trust."
"But what if I change my mind or..."
"Those who've tasted meat know how to eat well."
"!"
When Su-hyeon's gaze saw through everything about Jeon Woo-jong, he couldn't bear it and lowered his head.
To the eyes of a transcendent, human pretenses and evil facades were as transparent as the craftiness of a dog or cat.
"But I understand what you're worried about."
Su-hyeon said.
"You need heads."
"Heads?"
"In addition to the leader's head."
Su-hyeon said.
"Select three humans who have committed evil deeds large enough to incur everyone's hatred and are beyond redemption, and kill them with your own hands."
"Hiiik!"
A scream erupted from among the guards who had barely regained consciousness and could hardly breathe.
And they were the three that Jeon Woo-jong had pointed out.
"If you kill them with your own hands in front of everyone, it won't be difficult to gain authority."
"Excuse me..."
Jeon Woo-jong, who had chosen the three without hesitation, now looked at Su-hyeon and barely managed to say:
"I'm sorry, but could I ask for one thing?"
Jeon Woo-jong's manner of speech became polite after clearly understanding the situation.
"What request?"
"Well, I think I'll need to select five more from outside."
"......"
He was more proactive than expected.
It could be that he had a lot accumulated.
"Go ahead."
With Su-hyeon's answer, the fate of eight evil people was decided.
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Su-hyeon stayed at the shelter for one more day.
During that time, Jeon Woo-jong revealed the crimes of eight evil people who had incurred everyone's resentment and executed them, hung up the leader's head, and expressed gratitude for Su-hyeon's help.
His skill in using Su-hyeon's overwhelming power to establish his authority and lead the organization seemed sufficient to lead this one shelter.
'He's built up some leadership capabilities at the PMC.'
Su-hyeon muttered.
"He handles things quite well."
"Everyone has mentally relied on him."
Kim Sang-jin said.
"In that case."
Su-hyeon turned to him.
"By the way, Kim Sang-jin."
"Yes, yes."
Seeing his expression, Su-hyeon smiled slightly.
"You don't have to be so nervous."
"I-I'll try not to be."
But he couldn't possibly relax right now.
Well aware of this fact, Su-hyeon changed the subject.
"I'm going to the [Human Fortress]."
"Really?"
"Yes. And I'd like to take you and your daughter with me."
"Pardon?"
"You don't have to follow if you don't want to."
"Ah, no, that's not it."
Kim Sang-jin waved his hands.
"Why would you want someone like me..."
"You might not know."
Su-hyeon said.
"Your daughter has quite a lot of mana in her."
"R-Really?"
"Of course."
Su-hyeon smiled.
"Someday, if this world is rebuilt, So-eun might enroll in the academy and become my junior."
"...That would be really nice."
Kim Sang-jin muttered with a distant look, as if it was hard to imagine.
"By the way, did you graduate from EFAC?"
"No."
Su-hyeon shrugged.
"I haven't yet."
"...What? Then how old are you?"
"19 years old."
"Huh."
Kim Sang-jin's mouth opened wider than it had all day.
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Having obtained a compass, a map, some food, and clothing, Su-hyeon headed toward the [Human Fortress] with Kim Sang-jin and his daughter Kim So-eun.
"We should arrive by tomorrow."
Su-hyeon said while basking in the warmth of the campfire after entering a cave to find a place to camp.
"That's fast."
Kim Sang-jin, who had started speaking casually to Su-hyeon as requested, said.
"That's how our country's land is. If we had a car, we would have arrived in two or three hours."
"True."
Of course, it would have been even faster if he had used Chukji.
But during the journey, Su-hyeon had been taking in the sights of the destroyed world.
'How many people have died, and how many demons have run rampant.'
That much couldn't be fully known just by looking.
"By the way, I never thought you'd be that Jeong Su-hyeon."
Kim Sang-jin, who was stroking his sleeping daughter's head, said.
"I heard you were a great hero despite being young."
"I'm no hero."
"At least, that's what a former Execution Force member who believed you'd return thought."
"Is that so?"
"Said he was from the 1st Unit. Boasted about having participated in the same battle as you."
"...And now?"
"He's dead. That's why we're alive."
Kim Sang-jin said bitterly that if he hadn't died, the shelter wouldn't have ended up like that.
"You're a hero to me and my daughter."
"I appreciate those words."
"...I wish there was some way I could help."
"Hmm."
Was it because of the relief of knowing they would soon arrive at their destination?
Or was it due to gratitude and regret?
Seeing Kim Sang-jin's loosened tongue, Su-hyeon said:
"If that's the case, I'd appreciate it if you could tell me what you know about the current situation."
"Hmm, if that's all."
And Kim Sang-jin's long explanation began.