novelraw Chapter 323 : The Journey Ends (1)
Chapter 323 : The Journey Ends (1)
The tower disappeared.
Very slowly, like feathers, Special Operations members could be seen descending gently.
"This is...!"
Lee Yu-jin and Hwang Ji-su raised their heads at something they felt in the force that enveloped them.
"Su-hyeon."
"You won."
Su-hyeon's figure descending, shining more brightly than when he ascended.
It was like a god who directly reigned over this world in the flesh.
But.
To the two of them, he was just one human.
A man they loved dearly who had overcome all hardships and risen to the top.
Without needing to decide who would go first, Lee Yu-jin and Hwang Ji-su met each other's eyes and smiled faintly.
"...You went through a lot, Ji-su."
"You too, Yu-jin. ...It was truly a long battle."
"Yes."
'It really was long'.
No other words would come out.
It was a victory obtained only after losing too many things.
'...Uncle. Rest in peace.'
'Uncle. Your life ended in failure even after death.'
The two thought of their respective uncles.
One was an ally of humanity, and one was among humanity's greatest enemies.
There was even the irony that one uncle had caused the death of the other.
Not just those two, both women had to hear about the deaths of many relatives during the chaos.
And how many fallen comrades and cadet friends were there?
Friends who once attended the same classes.
Go Do-il, Oh Min-seon, Seong Do-gyeong, Yoon Garam, Han Soyul...
They couldn't hold out during the year it took for Su-hyeon to return and had to meet their end.
And how many instructors died to save as many students as possible?
And the deaths of countless people whose faces and names they didn't even know.
After enduring and overcoming all those deaths.
Finally, a brilliant victory was descending from the sky.
"Su-hyeon!"
"Special Operations Captain Jeong Su-hyeon!"
"Captain!"
People flocked to Su-hyeon as he landed on the ground.
"You won."
"Did we win?"
They all looked like they might go crazy wanting to confirm the victory as quickly as possible.
"Yes. We won."
Su-hyeon gave them the answer they wanted.
"Belphegor is dead, and the war is over."
"Waaaaaaaaah!"
"Aaaaaaaaaah!"
Cheers louder than thunder erupted.
"We won, we actually won!"
People kneeling, bowing their heads to the ground, and wailing.
"Shit, we went through so much! Hueek!"
"Kuhk! Captain, you went through so much too, sir!"
"Uaaaaaah!"
People fiercely embracing each other and letting out howls mixed with tears.
"Mother."
"Dad..."
People quietly shedding tears while looking up at the sky.
Through them.
The Great Overlord Belred, standing awkwardly, scratched his head vigorously and walked toward Su-hyeon.
"Belred."
"Wow... Now I truly feel a presence that can't be approached?"
It was beyond the despair he felt when he had an audience with Belphegor.
"You amazing bastard. You finally won."
"Yes. Belphegor has vanished in death."
"So what about... the promise?"
"No need to worry. The promise will be fulfilled."
"Heh. Is that so?"
Belred snorted as if embarrassed.
"About 70 survivors remain?"
"Yes. Murmur and Levenna, those two scum stubbornly kept coming after me."
But Belred's prowess in successfully killing Legion Commander Murmur and Great Overlord Levenna, and massacring high-level S-rank and above demons and demonic beasts in droves, had saved at least those 70 survivors.
After demons with power and command authority were all killed by Belred, the demonic forces had virtually collapsed.
"I've tied up those who surrendered over there."
The surviving demons were bound in chains and trembling with fear in a corner.
"Will you kill them?"
"That won't be necessary."
The battle was already over, and Su-hyeon was there as an absolute transcendent.
"As promised, if you open the door to Nastrond, I'll guarantee that you can safely return with the remaining forces."
"Come on."
Belred let out a hollow laugh.
"Can't you already send us back there without that?"
"No. That would take quite some time even for me. If it were that easy, Belphegor wouldn't have needed to make Hwang Won-jae go to such trouble to come here."
"I see."
Belred suddenly looked alternately at the camps of humans and demons with mixed emotions.
"Jeong Su-hyeon."
"Speak."
"Could we sit down and share a drink?"
"I don't see why not."
"But you humans are badly affected by the magical energy we emit."
"Even if someone turns into a Ma-in right there, changing them back to human would be nothing."
Belred shrugged his shoulders, agreeing that was true.
"Well, what can't you do right now?"
"...I can't bring back the dead. That's impossible even for a transcendent."
"I see."
"...So thank you. For protecting my comrades."
"There's no need to thank me for something I did for my own benefit."
Belred vigorously scratched his cheek covered with blood scabs.
"I should be thanking you for killing Belphegor. Although my family departed long ago, their souls already scattered... Now I think I won't be troubled even if they appear in my dreams."
The Special Operations members left at various points in the tower received treatment from Su-hyeon.
Hong In-hyeon had suffered severe internal injuries.
Kwon Seung-yeon had lost a leg.
Nam Tae-hoon's right arm had disappeared.
Min Hae-na had an indelible wound on her stomach.
But Su-hyeon, having become a true transcendent and acquired the Secrets of the Stars and Germer's wisdom, erased their injuries cleanly with abilities more overwhelming than any healer.
However, even Su-hyeon's power could do nothing for Gong I-an, who had died after defeating the Death Knight Lord.
"How stupid. How could you just die?"
"Why couldn't you hold on a little longer? Or even be a bit cowardly if it wasn't working out?"
Two captains who survived after losing their commander, Jo Sujin and Seol Ji-yun, knelt before his corpse and wept.
Beside them, Chief of Staff Heo Sung-gyeom and Kim Cheol-han pressed their hands together and bowed their heads.
"He died with a smile on his face."
"...The enemy the Commander faced was the Death Knight Lord. A being with power almost equal to Legion Commander Murmur or Great Overlord Levenna."
Su-hyeon said.
"So he exhausted his strength after defeating such a being."
Heo Sung-gyeom looked at Gong I-an's body with a dejected face.
"The Commander died in battle leaving behind achievements no less than those of the previous Commander Ju Taeyang, who sacrificed himself to kill Malek."
"He always said he wanted to die in battle."
Captain Seol Ji-yun also nodded, stopping her tears.
"Yes. And he also said that he hoped his expression at the end would be a smile."
The subordinates who survived thanks to the Commander's noble sacrifice were devastated, but could only hope that his final moment was at least somewhat satisfying.
"Special Operations Captain. Was Commander Gong's sacrifice not in vain?"
"Yes."
Su-hyeon answered.
"If not for him, I might not have been able to defeat even Eligoss, let alone Belphegor."
Because Su-hyeon's tactics weren't exposed and he had strength remaining, he was able to overwhelm Eligoss and draw out his authority.
And only after suffering from that authority could he find the clue to become a true transcendent.
"That's a relief."
Scenes of the massive battle that began with Hwang Won-jae and the [Sword of Belphegor]'s agitation flashed through Heo Sung-gyeom's mind.
He still couldn't believe that the grand battle had finally ended in victory.
"Amazing. It's beyond expression to just say it's amazing."
Above all.
"We lost too many things, but in the end, we survived."
Heo Sung-gyeom looked up at the sky.
The sky that had reclaimed the sun was vividly blue.
"And we who survived have a duty to make the world prosper again."
"But before singing of reconstruction."
Su-hyeon picked up his words.
"We should first pay tribute to those who left us."
"This is why I like you."
Tears welled up in Heo Sung-gyeom's eyes.
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After collecting the deceased, Su-hyeon's group sank the floating fortress and returned to the Human Fortress.
There was another tearful reunion.
Special Operations Captain and Acting Commander, and a transcendent and victor for whom such titles were meaningless, Su-hyeon gathered the Suicide Squad after a round of meals and issued brief, direct orders.
"Everyone sprawl out and sleep, then we'll meet again in a couple of days. Don't look for each other until then."
"Understood!"
It was a time of sweet rest.
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
A few days later.
While the Human Fortress was busy preparing for funerals, they were also occupied with various tasks without a moment to spare.
Among them, the biggest event was caused by Su-hyeon.
Using his transcendent power, he made his voice heard by all humans scattered around the world.
Su-hyeon first announced humanity's complete victory, Belphegor's death, and the existence of the Human Fortress.
He also announced that the defeated demons would now return to their original world.
And that they would never cross over here again.
He also conveyed messages to demons and Ma-in.
Surviving remnants around the world would be given the opportunity to return to Nastrond only under the premise that they gathered under Great Overlord Belred, who had rebelled against Belphegor and helped Su-hyeon achieve victory.
For the Ma-in, if they resisted, no mercy would be shown, but if they wished to return to being human, they should seek him out.
Hwang Ji-su, who was listening to all this content beside him, shrugged her shoulders and said:
"Is he really omnipotent?"
Two weeks later.
A joint funeral service was held at the Human Fortress to honor all who had died since the beginning of the end.
Instead of wreaths, bouquets woven with nameless wildflowers were offered before the memorial tablets.
"Commander Ju Taeyang, Commander Gong I-an. Thank you so much for everything."
"Captain Ahn Byeong-jun. We will never forget you until the day we die."
"Captain Ma Seunggeon. We miss you."
There were many floral tributes from comrades for fallen captain-level officers.
"Mom, what will happen to my poor mom..."
"Father, you're leaving now. Oh, Father..."
Ordinary people who had survived those hellish times also burst into tears before the deaths of their families.
"...I can't watch this."
"Hiiiing."
It was such a sad sight that even the watching Special Operations members couldn't hold back their tears.
After this flood of tears.
Su-hyeon stepped forward before the people who had released the grief in their hearts.
[Everyone, this is Jeong Su-hyeon.]
Su-hyeon's voice reached everyone's ears without a microphone.
[We all stand on the blood of family, friends, teachers, lovers, and enemies. There must have been moments when you had to use your wits, and times when courage and wisdom saved your lives. Sometimes you may have survived instead of the person next to you simply because of luck.]
[But to honor those who have departed, we must devote our remaining lives, given to us like gifts, to meaningful work.]
[That will be a process of honoring the departed and reclaiming what we have lost.]
[Yes. We will rise again. Though the great battle has ended, another battle called reconstruction lies before us. Hands that put down swords must now pick up sickles and shovels.]
Savior and victor.
Protagonist of myth, and creator of legend.
Before Su-hyeon's voice, people didn't even make breathing sounds as they focused all their attention on him.
[In that process of reconstruction, this place, the [Human Fortress], will be reborn with a different name, as the last legacy of human civilization and the beginning of everything.]
[I will help you as well. Peace has arrived. But the peace before us will not favor idleness. Reconstruction will be a longer journey than war.]
Jeong Su-hyeon.
A man beautiful like a god, like an angel.
Whenever his voice, his face, his gaze swept over the people, they felt an unknown grace filling their hearts.
[The world is not made in a day. The bodies of warriors will soon grow old before time. Our children, whom we've raised with care, will sometimes be arrogant and disrespectful, rebelling against the older generation. Sometimes they will respect the older generation and strive to surpass them, creating another era.]
[Thus life will continue. But whatever life unfolds, I wish you all good fortune.]
Su-hyeon looked around at them and continued.
[I would also like to say a word to the Execution Force, my comrades who have overcome all these battles to come here.]
At Su-hyeon's words, all members of the Execution Force from captain-level down straightened their postures.
[As Acting Commander and Special Operations Captain, I express infinite gratitude and respect for your hard work. I declare here that our mission has been successfully completed.]
Therefore, Su-hyeon smiled.
[The Execution Force is disbanded as of today.]