Episode 7: Tidal Wave of Monsters / Chapter 125: Sovereign of Judgment

TL: emptycube / ED: Obelisk

Sponsors: P.R., K.K., and Tyler

“Then, shall we write our wills?”

“Our wills?”

“Yeah. Let’s all write one. Like always, we don’t know when we’ll die.”

They never knew when they would die. Even still, Richard ordered people to write their wills. This was because he knew very well that the fight against the high-ranked monster would be unlike any fight they had experienced so far.

**

Choi Hyuk was lying in bed.

During this time, Choi Hyuk became the hero of Dark City.

“How did a middle-ranked warrior slash apart a highest-ranked monster?”

“He has a Sword of Vow… Also, he had the help of the Steel Battleship.”

“Even still, does it make any sense?”

“Why can’t it? All the elderly who possess a Sword of Vow right now had created legends back when they were young. There’s nothing more to say about those known as the Exalted Wings. Although I didn’t think I’d see it in my lifetime, there were definitely cases like this in the past.”

“You’re saying Overseer Choi Hyuk is at their level?”

“Then he isn’t?”

“… Wow…”

“What should I say? The fact that I saw this historic scene with my own eyes… I’m very proud of it.”

Choi Hyuk’s heroic feat had become a legend.

The citizens of Dark City were proud that a legend like this had occurred in their own hometown.

{To be honest, it wasn’t only Overseer Choi Hyuk. The troops from Earth fought better than we expected. We will now see a scene of the earthlings’ fighting.}

Choi Hyuk wasn’t the only one under the spotlight. Various broadcasting media platforms praised the earthlings’ fighting techniques.

{Although the earthlings’ fighting techniques are crude and simple, their utility is on the level of experts. Who would have thought that a species that hadn’t even awoken karma until four years ago would fight this well? This is why some argue we need to research the earthlings’ fighting techniques and their growth and add it to the alliance’s manual.}

“That’s right. The earthlings were fiendishly good at fighting. Those who possess innate skills are rare and their karma isn’t special… yet they fight strangely well. When it looks like they might die, they survive and attack. I’ve never seen fighting techniques like theirs before.”

From the aliens’ perspective, the earthlings really possessed nothing special. Like how the Flame Wing Tribe was born with the ability to create flames, the majority of alien tribes possessed a distinct characteristic in how they used karma. However, the earthlings didn’t have such a characteristic.

From the beginning, the process in which the earthlings began to control karma was different from other species. The earthlings were suddenly able to use karma once the alliance dismantled Earth and allowed them to artificially inherit it. It was like forcefully making a flower bloom before it was ready. Because of this, there was no way their karma would possess a distinct characteristic. If they were to look for a distinct characteristic, it would only be that it contained the perseverance of lifeforms that were created and had evolved throughout Earth’s 5-billion-year history.

However, with just this, the earthlings were able to create a fighting technique that wasn’t lacking when compared to the other species. In only four years.

“The earthlings are already reassuring, but they’ll get stronger in the future. I look forward to it.”

That was how Choi Hyuk and the earthlings became renowned in Dark City.

At first, when Choi Hyuk said he would attack the highest-ranked monster Narci, Lankin made a fuss, saying, ‘The status of earthlings is currently low. If you act insubordinately, all the earthlings will be criticized!’ but the result was different once things settled. Such things like ‘my side’ and ‘your side’ weren’t decided from the beginning, it depended on one’s actions. Even those who didn’t even show an ounce of interest would, at times, gather to someone’s side after an incident. What Choi Hyuk accomplished was exactly this.

The earthlings, who were an unspectacular species from the countryside, had, at the very least, become a species affiliated with the hero of Dark City.

Everyone had taken the earthlings’ side.

Specifically speaking, what Choi Hyuk had done was insubordination, but there was no one who would dare say he needed to be punished.

As the war waged on and a new hero was born, the time outside passed by like a blur.

However, Choi Hyuk, who was lying down this whole time, didn’t have the leisure to enjoy this mood.

{We can’t heal the lower half of your body right now. It has been completely crushed by a highest-ranked monster’s power. To recover, we need to wait for a healer from the center. Due to your contributions this time, the alliance will undoubtedly send a healer… But it will take time. Since we’re in the middle of a war right now.}

Fragment Light said as it scattered like a fog and thoroughly looked after Choi Hyuk. The lower half of Choi Hyuk’s body was still in a shattered state. Although he had regained consciousness in a day, all he could do was lie down.

If it wasn’t for Fragment Light, who was healing Choi Hyuk around-the-clock, he would have already died. His condition was just that severe.

{On top of that… Since you used such an enormous power with the body of a middle-ranked warrior, the karma in your entire body has been torn up. Even if a healer arrived right now, you would still have had to recuperate for a month.}

This was what Choi Hyuk felt as well. The karma, which had filled his body like honey, was now like dried clay, broken and split. He couldn’t expend any strength.

Even still, Choi Hyuk urged Fragment Light again today.

“Is there really no method? Aren’t you aware of Dragonic’s current situation?”

{Yes. I do. Isn’t that why we sent Earth’s expedition back to Dragonic even though the war in Dark City hasn’t ended? However… There is no other way.}

“Really?”

Since the moment he had regained consciousness, Choi Hyuk restlessly troubled Fragment Light.

Faced against his perseverance, even the objective Fragment Light became fed up with it.

{Yeah, there is a way. A warrior at the same level or stronger than you just needs to cut their karma and body and pass them down to you. Rather than regenerating your destroyed body and karma, you are transplanting them. Although it is a dangerous method, if it works, you can move immediately and even become stronger. However, which warrior will transplant their perfectly fine body over to you? That is why I said there is no method.}

“…”

Choi Hyuk couldn’t help but be silent.

Although it was cruel, time simply passed like this.

The third day.

Choi Hyuk was still lying down. It seemed they seized their chance to victory as the sky, which had flashed with lights until yesterday, was now dark and calm. It was dark and quiet. There were almost no lights, as one would expect from Dark City. There was nothing to do.

If it was like normal, he would be able to see and touch dark matter, but due to his torn-up karma, his senses were completely in the dark. Since he didn’t have feet, he couldn’t move, and he simply lied down in his designated spot as he blankly waited for time to pass.

His only enjoyment was watching Fragment Light fly around like fireflies.

‘Ah…’

Choi Hyuk blinked.

Anger surged multiple times a day and made everything seem like a dream. He simply had to endure during this time. He was powerless as though he was already dead.

“It’s peaceful… Damn it…”

Choi Hyuk found this period of time spine-chilling.

‘Why am I so anxious?’

Perhaps it was because his body wasn’t in its normal condition, but Choi Hyuk had been engulfed in an unknown anxiety multiple times now.

The lights from Fragment Light swayed around Choi Hyuk’s face, and the shadows of Dark City cast over him.

Step.

Just then, someone entered the infirmary. Due to the busy war and the fact he needed complete rest, no one visited during this time.

“Who is it?”

“Hello.”

The one in the shadows with her head lowered was Richard’s aide, Leah. It seemed she had just come from the battlefield as her entire body was smeared in blood.

“Aide Leah? What about the war?”

“Yes. It’s me. I’m…”

Leah, who had raised her head in the darkness, lowered it again. Her shoulders trembled miserably.

“… This. If you read this, you’ll understand. Then, I’ll return to the battlefield now.”

What she had handed to him was Richard’s eye, which was as solid as a jewel, and his will.

Choi Hyuk accepted these items in a moment of bewilderment. The warm blood smeared on the eye and will wet Choi Hyuk’s hand.

——

Choi Hyuk.

I hope you will use my final gift well.

Remember.

You don’t need to kill even if it says you need to. You don’t need to keep them alive even if it says you need to.

A skill is a skill. Don’t trust it blindly.

I’m leaving it up to you.

——

As a will, its contents were exceedingly simple and lackluster.

“Leah. What is this?”

Choi Hyuk called out to Leah, who was about to leave. She, who had been walking uneasily, stood rigidly as if nailed in place. However, Leah couldn’t open her mouth easily.

“…”

Unable to endure it, Choi Hyuk urged her.

“Don’t drag it on and tell me quickly.”

Even though he couldn’t even stand up, his voice was frightening and as sharp as a blade.

“… A high-ranked monster appeared. Overseer Richard, Yohan, and Diana and the great warriors of the El Tribes fought it.”

“A high-ranked monster?”

Choi Hyuk felt his heart tighten. He knew precisely how powerful these ‘high-ranked’ individuals were. If a high-ranked monster appeared, there was no one on Dragonic who could face it. Only then did Choi Hyuk understand the sudden words that Richard had died. This wasn’t the only problem though.

‘If I don’t return, I can’t protect Dragonic.’

Middle-ranked warriors couldn’t understand the true power of high-ranked monsters as the difference in power wasn’t in ‘quantity’ but ‘quality’. Choi Hyuk’s heart became urgent.

“Fragment Light! Make a proposal to the higher ups! Isn’t Dark City stable now? We need support troops in Dragonic.”

But before Fragment Light could reply, Leah shook her head.

“There is no need for that. The high-ranked monster has been dealt with.”

Choi Hyuk was shocked at her words.

“How?”

“Overseer Richard… ended it.”

Choi Hyuk was at a loss for words.

A high-ranked monster wasn’t an existence that could be killed just because a few middle-ranked warriors gathered to fight it. This was especially true for earthlings.

The only way a middle-ranked warrior could wield a power beyond their ability was with a karma-weapon. Something like the Sword of Vow or the Sword of Calling that Choi Hyuk and Chu Youngjin possessed. However, besides those two, no other earthling was in possession of a karma-weapon. As such, it was impossible for a middle-ranked warrior to deal an effective blow on a high-ranked monster. Even if they could somehow hold it back, it was impossible for them to kill it.

No, it might even be impossible for them to hold it back as they didn’t possess a technique to suppress their enemy like the Steel Battleship.

“How?”

That was why Choi Hyuk asked again like a fool. Leah shook her head.

“… I don’t know how. Either way, the high-ranked monster died in Overseer Richard’s hands… Also, he passed away in its hands.”

Tap. Tap.

Clear teardrops fell at her feet. Leah still couldn’t raise her head.

“… I think Overseer Richard knew that he was going to die.”

“…”

Choi Hyuk couldn’t say anything.

Perhaps Richard had obtained enlightenment at the last moment, like how Choi Hyuk had when he fought the highest-ranked monster. Perhaps what determined their fates was the existence of a karma-weapon. Richard was a warrior much more talented than Choi Hyuk had thought.

Yet, he died.

Like how Leah had said, she didn’t know how he died, but he had died in a place where no one recognized his talent.

“Why didn’t you run?”

“… Instead, we protected the inheritance of the dragons of the past.”

‘The inheritance of the dragons of the past…? Was that worth exchanging Richard’s life for?’

Choi Hyuk’s expression was cryptic.

{Ha… So that’s what happened.}

The one who joined in was Fragment Light.

{Dragonic used to be inhabited by dragons that were the closest to the original form. Many exalted dragons lived there. For example, the ancient dragon Barhaloleun was evaluated to be at the peak of the highest rank. The inheritance left behind by them will probably not be ordinary. Although we will only know the details after examining it, if they fought in the presence of that inheritance, I believe that the high-ranked monster’s strength might have been somewhat restrained.}

Fragment Light, who had been tilting its head at the news that a middle-ranked warrior had killed a high-ranked monster, revealed an understanding expression.

On the other hand, Leah’s expression became darker.

Twinge.

Choi Hyuk felt a pain in his chest.

This was a pain he was experiencing for the first time since he learned his mother had died.

In the distant Dark City, Choi Hyuk had lived, while in the distant Dragonic, Richard had died.

Choi Hyuk, who had promised to return quickly, couldn’t fulfill his promise. On the other hand, Richard protected Dragonic as promised. Using his own life.

Choi Hyuk blankly looked at Richard’s will and his blood-smeared eyeball.

“Then I’ll take my leave…”

Leah said her farewell and returned to the battlefield, but Choi Hyuk was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t return her farewell.

‘I still have a long way to go.’

Cold water was poured on his heart, which had become slightly cocky due to the fact he had slashed a highest-ranked monster. Choi Hyuk trembled from his powerlessness. Dragonic was suffering under a tidal wave of monsters. Even Richard, who he trusted, died. However, Choi Hyuk was still lying in bed.

He felt a regret that exceeded feeling powerless.

“The end result is the same… Would it have been better if I had just kept my body in good condition while we waited for support?”

{No. It would have taken longer to wait for support troops than it would have taken for you to recover. You did the right thing.}

Like always, Fragment Light presented the cold, hard truth, but it didn’t comfort him in the slightest.

Victory didn’t come cleanly.

Like how he learned of his mother’s death not long after beating the Wyvern of Destruction, Choi Hyuk’s life was always in the middle of a war, where the greatest victory and the worst loss simultaneously intersected.

{But, that eye. It looks like it’s a body part containing an innate skill. If you leave it outside for too long, the karma inside will scatter. It seems she came running as soon as he died… I’ll preserve it for you.}

Fragment Light stayed objective even in situations like this.

This trait actually opened Choi Hyuk’s eyes.

“It’s fine.”

Choi Hyuk raised his hand and overlapped Richard’s eyeball with his own eye. Inside was the most fundamental karma Richard had possessed.

{Uh, it’ll be difficult to inherit that right now.}

Fragment Light tried to stop him, but Choi Hyuk didn’t listen.

Even though his eye hurt as though it was burning, this much pain was nothing.

Fragment Light calmly looked at Choi Hyuk and said with an awkward voice.

{You’re doing well. Well, since only the essence is there, there isn’t much in terms of quantity. But, you know, right? As its power is weak, it won’t be able to recover your injuries. You will only inherit his innate skill.}

“I know.”

Red blood flowed from Choi Hyuk’s left eye which had fused with Richard’s eye. Choi Hyuk blinked.

When the blood drained a little, his left eye, which emitted a dark blue light, was revealed.

Choi Hyuk looked at Fragment Light.

It emitted a white light (goodwill), and above its head was a blue shield symbol.

Fragment Light was ‘someone to keep alive’.

Choi Hyuk closed his eyes.

He inherited Richard’s innate skill.

It was truly a shabby inheritance ceremony. Veins bulged on top of Choi Hyuk’s tightly clenched fists.

**

During this time, the expedition which returned to Dragonic underwent intense battles.

The blades of the expedition, which had returned from Dark City even stronger than before, ripped apart the invading monsters without mercy.

In the situation where both Choi Hyuk and Richard weren’t present, the one standing at the very front was the Sovereign of Paradise Camilla.

“Penelope.”

While letting her karma rest for a moment, Camilla called out to Penelope, who was standing by.

“What, unni?”

Like always, Penelope replied affectionately.

However, Camilla’s expression was solemn.

“Like always, our clan will stand at the front.”

“That’s a given.”

“… But observe the other warriors outside of battle well. Pass it on to everyone.”

At Camilla’s rigid attitude, Penelope instinctively became tense. Her round eyes, which had always been good-natured, contained a keenness to them.

“What should we consider when observing them?”

“Whether they have the qualifications to join our clan for one. Especially focus on Richard’s clan members. Also, secondly… Those who might potentially become our enemy.”

“… Enemy?”

“Yeah. Enemies. Tell them to be careful. Since Richard died… Although I don’t know how he did it, the peace until now was all due to him. But he died. The ones remaining are those wrapped in their own desires…  People who feed off their own pride… Everything will change now.”

Camilla raised her sword, which had been resting to the side for a moment.

As she glared at the onrush of monsters, she said,

“In the end, the sword is what protects paradise.”

Rather than looking at the monsters, she looked beyond them as she fiercely wielded her sword.

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