novelraw Chapter 334: Episode 334
Chapter 334: Episode 334
[Caller ID Restricted]
-"Yes, this is Kim Yusin."
A single phone call had come in right before they departed from Busan Port for the New Continent. It was from none other than Hong Yul.
By the time Yusin answered, she was already aboard a fighter jet. She bluntly revealed she was heading out to the Pacific Ocean alone to settle things with Nemesis once and for all. Yusin desperately tried to stop her, but it was no use.
To cement her resolve, she had already injected herself with a mana-rampage serum. No matter how the situation unfolded, she was destined to die within mere hours. In the end, Yusin gave up on persuading her and asked for just one thing, operating under the worst-case scenario.
—"If we manage to back Nemesis into a corner, there will be at least one brief window of opportunity for you to regain your consciousness. When that happens, raise your pinky finger to signal me, and I’ll send over a magic circle to strip Nemesis away. It won’t take long. Regaining control of your body for just two seconds will be more than enough."
Her pinky finger was the signal.
Nemesis hadn’t been fused with Hong Yul for very long, leaving her inherently unstable. Amidst the fierce battle, Yusin caught the split second Nemesis’s eyes shifted back to a golden hue after taking a brutal headbutt from Hong Yeon. After Hong Yeon’s final strike, those irises had remained a constant, brilliant gold.
Upon seeing Hong Yul’s signal, Yusin stealthily canceled the 8-Step Chaos Magic he had been casting, pretending Nemesis’s interference had caused the spell to fail. Nemesis became absolutely certain of her victory, and Yusin continued to lower her guard by feigning an attempt to turn himself into a Titan. Teleporting Specter directly into the now-lucid Hong Yul’s hands, he flipped the entire situation on its head in a single, decisive stroke.
Now, in the present.
The crimson aura flowing from Hong Yul’s body rapidly morphed into pitch-black mana—undeniable proof that she was transforming into a Titan.
As the Titanization progressed, Nemesis’s mounting agony became palpable. She twisted her body violently, shrieking with ear-splitting intensity.
In the end, it worked.
Roist, the sixth Magic Tower Master who passed down the Titan Magic to him, had once said:
"I am merely trying to help you. Think carefully."
"Unless humanity becomes Titans, there is no way to stop the calamity. When you come to that realization, use the magic I have bestowed upon you."
At first, Yusin couldn’t comprehend those words, but as time passed, he realized Roist had even taken Nemesis into account. Whether it was Albern or Roist, he couldn’t help but think neither of them had been completely sane.
"Yeon."
Yusin lightly patted Hong Yeon’s shoulder as she knelt blankly on the ground.
"I’ll leave the rest to you."
"...Yusin?"
Now came the final stage. Nemesis was essentially an uncleared calamity. No matter who managed to kill her, she would simply continue to switch vessels. He had to completely block her ability to steal bodies at the source.
Writhing in agony, Nemesis’s soul finally tore itself free from Hong Yul’s chest and hurtled straight toward Hong Yeon. Though the situation had gone slightly awry, Nemesis was attempting to force things back to her original scenario. If she stole the Guardian’s body, a truly irreversible disaster would unfold.
However, Yusin had been waiting for this exact moment.
A pitch-black expanse rapidly ballooned outward from Yusin’s body. It was a world of absolute void, erasing everything except for himself and his target.
That target was the soul of Nemesis, hurtling straight for Hong Yeon.
"What are you doing...!"
The encroaching darkness swallowed Nemesis whole. Now, only she and Yusin remained in the pitch-black expanse. Reduced to a mere soul, Nemesis violently thrashed about in a desperate bid to escape, but it was utterly futile.
With only one option left, she aggressively burrowed straight into Yusin’s chest.
"...Ugh!"
The entire world shuddered violently.
A wave of intense nausea hit Yusin, and he dropped heavily to one knee. His mind twisted into a chaotic mess as his body slowly drained of all strength.
Nemesis’s voice furiously echoed inside his head.
"What do you think humans are?"
Before he knew it, the agonizing pain dominating his body vanished, leaving only a single haunting question lodged in his mind.
"Humans are beings capable of controlling their intellect and emotions, armed with the capacity for self-reflection. And yet, they only ever pursue their own comfort and personal gain. They were fundamentally designed that way from the very beginning."
The horrific atrocities committed by humanity over the ages played out in a vivid, agonizing panorama across Yusin’s mind.
Countless dead fish floating belly-up in a river choked by toxic factory runoff.
Vast fields stained a morbid red by mountains of rotting tomatoes, discarded due to mass overproduction.
Entire herds of slaughtered elephants left to rot in the sun, their ivory tusks ruthlessly sawed off.
Adults forcing a gun into a trembling boy’s hands, demanding he execute a prisoner of war while soldiers stood by, cackling around lit cigarettes.
"For humans, truly altruistic behavior does not exist. The ’goodwill’ they so proudly claim is nothing more than a highly subjective mechanism of self-gratification."
War. Famine. Pollution.
Greed. Jealousy. Hatred.
A torrential flood of gruesome scenes washed through Yusin’s mind. Far more horrifying, however, was that every time he witnessed one of those scenes, the raw, unfiltered emotions of the victims bled directly into his soul.
He became the son pulling the trigger on his own father; the terrified monkey strapped to an iron testing frame, waiting to die. These visceral experiences forcibly wedged themselves into his consciousness, flooding his memories with unimaginable rage, deep-seated resentment, and suffocating despair. He was forced to intimately empathize with their sheer agony.
"Humans are a cardinal sin by their very birthright."
Contrary to his usual unwavering convictions, Yusin felt himself rapidly falling to Nemesis’s twisted ideology. Such was the sheer terror of ideological brainwashing.
"The great work of purification is an absolute inevitability."
Nemesis whispered in a sickly sweet tone. Yusin’s eyes slowly dyed a sinister shade of scarlet.
"Won’t you join me?"
The corners of Yusin’s mouth twisted up into a savage grin.
"Go fuck yourself."
He slapped his hand firmly over the magic circle resting on his own chest.
This time, plumes of pitch-black smoke exploded outward from Yusin’s body. Nemesis flinched violently before unleashing an agonized shriek.
"You son of a bitch, not again!"
Every time he heard her agonizing screams, a deep sense of satisfaction swelled within Yusin. He had successfully incapacitated Nemesis by forcibly converting his body into a Titan right in the middle of their ideological fusion.
That’s enough now.
Breaking completely free from Nemesis’s brainwashing, his sanity rushed back to him. Just as he had done when crossing over to the New Continent, Yusin shrank the barrier until it barely covered his body.
And then, he walked.
He looked like a solitary savior, marching forward with the sins of the entire world resting heavily on his shoulders. The murmuring hunters hastily parted to the left and right, carving out a clear path.
The situation outside was already stabilizing. The moment Nemesis was effectively wiped from the world, the Ultio monsters froze completely in place, as if suffering a massive system error.
"What the hell happened in there?"
"Somebody explain what’s going on!"
The hunters fiercely fighting outside were met with nothing but sheer confusion. It was only when the inner-perimeter hunters relayed the situation via earpieces that everyone turned to stare at Yusin in stunned disbelief.
He sealed Nemesis inside his own body?
It didn’t take long for the Magic Tower to enter Yusin’s line of sight. Samia had physically relocated the towering structure from a distance away to much closer to the battlefield.
The core members waited anxiously out front. Having just survived a grueling battle, none of them were in good shape; their combat suits were dyed a morbid crimson with blood, and several visibly limped.
Approaching them, Yusin finally spoke.
"Is everyone okay?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire area devolved into a sea of tears. Yusin let out an awkward, sheepish chuckle, scratching the back of his head.
Although everyone looked ready to tackle him in a massive hug right then and there, and despite standing a mere few meters apart... they strictly existed in entirely different worlds. They were as immeasurably distant as opposite ends of the universe.
A brief, fleeting conversation was their absolute limit.
Yusin locked eyes with Jin Bora at the very front.
"My promise to return... please don’t think of it as a failure. Just a work in progress."
"...Sir," her trembling voice rang out.
"Please take good care of Sol," Yusin said.
Sniffling softly, she nodded.
Yusin raised his wrist. The woven grass bracelet Jin Bora had given him was half-charred, but stubbornly intact.
"I told you, I’m going to be fine."
She finally burst into loud, inconsolable wails. Samia and Kim Bora quickly stepped up to support her from both sides.
"Seojin."
"Yes, Tower Master." Uncharacteristically, Jeong Seojin’s voice was also quivering.
"You are the next Magic Tower Master. In a world completely freed from this calamity, leadership and administrative skills will be far more vital than raw magical prowess. I believe you’re the most qualified for the job."
Jeong Seojin bowed his head deeply. "I will honor your will, Tower Master."
"Take good care of those left behind. And thank you for following me without complaint, even when I was impossibly stubborn."
"The honor was entirely mine, sir."
Yusin turned his head. He now faced Eunsol, whose face was a blotchy mess of tears.
"Sol, come here, you little troublemaker."
"Aaaaah! Yusin!"
"Stay healthy, stop skipping meals for those stupid diets, and..." Yusin smiled gently. "Make sure you actually graduate. Got it?"
She nodded aggressively, crying her eyes out all the while.
Yusin took the time to speak with everyone else as well. He told Ha Yerin she had been doing an incredible job and to keep it up. He offered his sincere apologies to Cha Yerin, and he shared a meaningful exchange of glances and a firm nod with Samia. As for Kim Sarang, he promised her a hefty bonus.
"Hey."
Hearing a distinctly sharp voice, he glanced over his shoulder. Han Yoonjeong walked toward him, her eyes completely bloodshot. Her severed arm was now heavily bandaged, likely having been regenerated with a high-grade elixir.
"Look at you, acting like some kind of damn saint. You’re going to shoulder everything by yourself this time, too? Do you think you’re a god?! Seriously, why do you always do this?! You didn’t even say a word right until the very end...!"
Yusin laughed playfully. "Are you pouting because I left you out of the loop?"
"Shut up! When someone’s being completely serious, you should at least...!"
Ultimately unable to hold back her tears, she turned her head away.
A faint, wistful smile tugged at the corners of Yusin’s mouth. "It’s not a sacrifice, it’s the best possible option. I’ve only ever chosen the best course of action."
There were so many things he desperately wanted to say to her, but he simply didn’t have the luxury of time.
"I’ll be going now. I owe you a lot for everything."
"...Get lost. And you’d better make damn sure you come back."
"Of course."
Bidding farewell to Han Yoonjeong, Yusin finally resumed his march toward the Magic Tower.
"You heading out?"
Startled by the sudden voice, Yusin swiftly snapped his head around. He spotted Hong Yul grinning widely at him, wisps of black smoke still billowing from her body.
"Association President."
"Bullshit, I stepped down from that. Just call me your big sister."
"Yes, ma’am."
"You wanna die?"
Yusin laughed playfully. Hong Yul casually scrubbed her face with the palm of her hand.
"That wasn’t the complete Titan magic, but an instance-type spell," Yusin explained. "It’ll automatically wear off once enough time has passed. Bora is going to send you some medicine, so make sure you take it religiously for the next five years. Otherwise, the lingering aftereffects might literally drive you insane."
"I’m already going insane right now just because of you. What the hell do I care about some medicine?" Muttering that, Hong Yul took a step closer. "I finally get to see you after five long years, and we have to say goodbye the moment we reunite?"
"I’m sorry."
"Well, even so." She firmly extended her fist. "You really are my kid."
Yusin mirrored her motion, extending his own fist. Though their knuckles couldn’t physically touch, it was their way of saying goodbye.
"Kids like you are the ones who deserve to be happy, goddammit. It’s all because I wasn’t strong enough. Who else is there to blame?"
"That’s not true. We only won the battle against Nemesis thanks to your decisive intervention."
"Cut the crap." She stared dead at him with absolute seriousness. "Come back. By any means necessary."
"I will."
Parting ways with Hong Yul, he finally stood right before the grand entrance of the Magic Tower. Waiting for him at the very end of the line was Hong Yeon.
They stood silently facing each other. Both had an endless amount of things they wanted to say, but when faced with the actual moment, the words stubbornly refused to come out.
"...I suppose this is a temporary goodbye."
As Yusin finally broke the silence, Hong Yeon’s desperately maintained composure crumbled completely. She clamped a hand over her mouth, fighting back a choked sob.
"Was there... was there really no other way?"
"This was the best option. And like I told you before." Yusin raised his index finger and pointed it warmly at her with a smile. "Now it’s your turn to save me. That’s all there is to it, right?"
"...Yusin."
After remaining silent for a long moment, she suddenly placed her hand over her own chest. Moving her fingers in rapid strokes, she began to trace out a magic circle.
"Wait, what are you doing—"
"I’m copying you. The exact same magic I just watched you use twice."
Hong Yeon was perfectly recreating the structure of the Instance Titan magic circle Yusin had drawn earlier.
Yusin’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. The intricate flow of the circulating mana was unmistakable.
A circle...! Just when did she manage to complete it?
Having cast the makeshift Titanization magic onto her own body, she fearlessly dove straight into Yusin’s isolated world.
Her feet lifted off the ground. In that abyss, a space resembling a sprawling black sea where Yusin stood entirely alone, she actively swam her way over to him.
"It’s too dangerous! What do you think you’re doing...!"
She didn’t offer a single word in response. She merely closed the distance and pressed her lips firmly against his.
He was too stunned to speak.
Overwhelmed by a sudden, choking surge of emotion, Yusin wrapped his arms tightly around her, anchoring himself in the raw, undeniable warmth of her body. In a void inhabited by no one but the two of them, they kissed passionately.
Nemesis did not react to her, now that she had temporarily become a Titan.
"...You idiot."
After sharing a long, breathless kiss, the two finally pulled back to look deeply into each other’s eyes.
"You cast such a highly dangerous magic on your own body just to do this?"
She smiled warmly, her eyes brimming with tears. "I’d do it a hundred times over."
She took Yusin’s hand, gripping it tightly in both of hers, and pressed her forehead softly against his.
"I promise you. I will find a way to save you."
"...Alright. I’ll be waiting."
Yusin’s isolated world began to forcibly shift once again. As if swept away by a powerful current, Hong Yeon was pushed out of his embrace.
"Thank you."
With those final words, Yusin parted ways with Hong Yeon. Feeling a heavy, lingering sense of longing, he paused in front of the Magic Tower’s main entrance and took one last look behind him.
Not just the core members of the Magic Tower, but hundreds of thousands of hunters who had crossed over to the New Continent were staring intently at him. In a suffocating silence where not even the sound of a swallowed breath could be heard, Yusin clicked his earpiece and spoke.
"I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of you for following me to this New Continent. Please, live your lives to the absolute fullest for the sake of everyone who sacrificed theirs today."
Unpinning the Supreme Commander of Humanity medal from his chest, Yusin let it clatter heavily to the ground. Then, he pushed open the heavy main doors and stepped inside the Magic Tower.
The interior remained exactly as it had always been. Yusin took a slow look around the first-floor lobby, a place brimming with countless cherished memories. The familiar sight of the managers ordering delivery food and laughing boisterously together painted itself before his eyes like a fleeting phantom.
Forcing himself to turn away, Yusin briskly crossed the sprawling lobby and stepped into the magic circle elevator.
The ninth floor, the Tower Master’s room.
Yusin carefully slipped the dimensional coordinate necklace resting on the desk around his neck, then lay down on the bed, which had a massive magic circle meticulously drawn across it.
"Ea, please start the process."
-Understood.
Ea’s voice was distinctly trembling, but she quickly regained her composure.
-Magic Tower Planetary Transfer Protocol activated.
-Confirming that this planet is beyond recovery. Transferring to the next mana planet suspected of an impending calamity.
-Do you consent?
Yusin quietly closed his eyes and replied.
"I consent."
The surrounding ambient mana began to rise upward in the form of glowing blue droplets. Keeping his eyes closed, Yusin fully activated the magic circle drawn upon the bed.
This time, it wasn’t a temporary instance like the one he had used to cross over to the New Continent. It was a completely original magic crafted using a direct medium.
As the monumental magic activated, Yusin’s consciousness plummeted straight into the absolute depths of his inner mind, a place from which no one could ever wake him.
"May you have a truly peaceful journey."
Ea, gently descending amidst a warm cluster of light, carefully pulled the blanket up over him.
"My savior."
And just like that, Yusin and Nemesis completely vanished from the face of the Earth.