Episode 9: Shackles of Judgment / Chapter 156: Triumphant Return at the Road of Glory

TL: emptycube / ED: Oer

In the middle of the war, where monsters and warriors clashed at full strength, they saw this scene unfold slowly.

{… Shhik?}

Air escaped from the highest-ranked monster that had appeared just now, and it fell as its body was sliced vertically in two. Choi Hyuk’s sword strike continued on and ripped into the lumps of flesh behind it. In the opening of the lumps of flesh, a dark reddish-brown miasma surged like steam.

Chiiik!

The reddish-brown miasma covered the highest-ranked monster that had been cut into two parts.

Even split into two parts, the monster waved its large hands and struggled, but as though it was being devoured by an invisible mouth, the reddish-brown miasma melted its body and it disappeared.

However, Choi Hyuk couldn’t be happy.

“Damn it… Appearing at that moment…”

His arm slumped down. Although he instantly sliced through a highest-ranked monster, because it acted as a meat shield, he couldn’t fully destroy the lumps of flesh behind it. Also, he didn’t have any more strength.

Biting his lip, Choi Hyuk sent out an order.

“Advancing party, turn back! We retreat after finishing destroying the marked Kahur Kabkuns.”

His voice was filled with regret.

However, their reply was an incredible cheer.

“Woaaaah!!!”

When they first saw the highest-ranked monster, the majority of them assumed they would be defeated and despaired.

As young masters or ladies of the top four tribes, did they not know defeat? Who hadn’t lost someone precious to them in this great war? While there would be a difference of whether most the people they knew had died or if one or two had died, there was no one who didn’t know that defeat meant death and that it was a terrifyingly powerless experience.

Because they knew, they didn’t want to fight a hopeless battle.

They didn’t want to see those close to them dying, and they didn’t want to hurt those close to them with their deaths. The higher their position was in the alliance, the more they avoided dangerous battles, justifying that, by doing this, they were helping the alliance reserve their fighting power.

The highest-ranked monster was an existence that tore down all their efforts.

The moment they faced it, the warriors’ spirits fell. It was an existence that would ridicule their memories and struggles as it destroyed them.

Despair.

And a line was drawn over this despair.

Like a lie, the highest-ranked monster’s existence disappeared. The fear it gave them was annihilated. Their world flipped around twice in this short period of time.

They saw Choi Hyuk who returned after turning things around.

‘Ah…’

Something suddenly surged within them.

The great achievement that unfolded in front of their eyes just now.

A high-ranked warrior slew a highest-ranked monster instantly. That person was their leader. He gathered his army and was rushing towards them.

“Woaahhh!”

The shivers running down their entire body soon turned into cheers, and then a thrilling counterattack began.

The despair weighing down on their bodies was exploded by an even stronger excitement as the warriors lost their reasoning. ‘How did it happen?’ ‘How did a high-ranked warrior kill a highest-ranked monster?’ These questions weren’t important. The warriors gave up on comprehending what had occurred and left their bodies to their boiling blood.

This time, no one cared about their lives. Only victory. They only hoped for victory. They wanted to be a part of something greater.

“Smash them! Smash!”

Crussh!

Emotions could be a weakness, but at times, they would be a catalyst in overcoming one’s limits. The warriors who had been slowly, barely pushing the monsters back began to push the monsters back right away.

Before Choi Hyuk’s advancing party could arrive, monster corpses filled their surroundings like smashed star fragments and their targets, the Kahur Kabkuns, were destroyed.

“We return!”

Along with Choi Hyuk’s shout, the path to the karmalings’ universe, the path to their triumphant return, opened.

**

{… A demise-ranked monster. Do you know the meaning of this?}

“I saw it with my own eyes and failed to destroy it. Its spirit, pardon me, but it exceeded that of Exalted Wing Dark-Sound, who I had met before.”

{There’s no way Exalted Wing Dark-Sound showed you his full strength…!}

“But the monster wasn’t complete either.”

{Hmm…}

{No, even still, a question remains. A demise-ranked monster was wounded by a mere high-ranked warrior?}

{Exalted Wing Flame-Hell! Choi Hyuk is a high-ranked warrior possessing a Sword of Vow! You clearly understand what that means, right? He annihilated a highest-ranked monster with one sword strike. It’s fine to believe his report.}

{…}

With the God Dragon Leviathan’s support, the ‘Brain’ became silent. The silence indicated the Exalted Wings’ agreement.

Choi Hyuk stood in the middle of the stone plates, which pierced the sky.

{… Then only the reward remains. Since he made such contributions, shouldn’t we allow him to set up a base in Alliance City? It’s also good to expand the military gate system rights for his race, the earthlings, and allow them to enter Alliance City.}

The God Dragon Leviathan continued his momentum and proposed a reward.

‘Alliance City’, this place was the ‘center’ which Choi Hyuk had aimed for since resolving himself on getting revenge at Marronnier Park. The city holding all the power in the alliance. The city where the ‘Brain’ was erected.

Choi Hyuk unconsciously clenched his fist. However, Dark-Sound joined in.

{Let’s discuss his reward later. High-ranked Warrior Choi Hyuk has yet to complete the mission I assigned him.}

Choi Hyuk reported the situation regarding the demise-ranked monster as soon as he returned from the monsters’ universe. Because of the severity of the matter, it was reported directly to Dark-Sound, and Choi Hyuk was immediately summoned to the ‘Brain’.

The mission Dark-Sound was referring to right now was the complete colonization of the Shapley and Laniakea Superclusters. Choi Hyuk had only toppled the Rotten Border, he had yet to go beyond that.

{That will progress as is, and we should discuss the reward immediately!}

{God Dragon Leviathan, I understand you value High-ranked Warrior Choi Hyuk… But please do as I say. Since he is under my jurisdiction.}

{… Khmp. Who’s valuing who…}

After grumbling for a while, Leviathan became silent. He accepted Dark-Sound’s proposal.

As soon as the Exalted Wings came to a decision, Dark-Sound order Choi Hyuk to leave without any celebratory words.

{Now… It’s time to decide her ‘treatment’. Since we don’t have time, High-ranked Warrior Choi Hyuk, you can go now.}

“… For life and freedom.”

Choi Hyuk nodded and left the ‘Brain’. Although he didn’t express it, rage seethed inside.

The reason wasn’t as frivolous as feeling hurt by the Exalted Wings’ treatment of him considering his contributions.

‘They are my final targets. The Exalted Wings…’

Even though they were physically present, he met the Exalted Wings. He stood on the ‘Brain, which was known as the heart of the alliance. A day like this had finally come.

So was he moved?

‘No way.’

They were Choi Hyuk’s enemies. Even if they said it was because of the war against the monsters, they were the cause of the inequality and cruelty in the universe. While they said that all life would be annihilated if they lost in the war against the monsters, they were existences who wouldn’t bat an eye when they pushed a planet or a species into hell.

He had just met his enemies.

However, Choi Hyuk stood with his head lowered and reported in proper form. He came and left as told to.

This humiliation… Yet, he couldn’t show any traces of it.

Gulp.

Choi Hyuk swallowed his surging rage. As if he had drunk alcohol, his throat felt hot.

Choi Hyuk left the ‘Brain’. The road that connected the ‘Brain’ to Alliance City was as wide as a plaza and as long as a river. It was called the ‘Road of Glory’, and if one stood there, they wouldn’t be able to see their shadow under the blinding lights pouring around them. It was a place that even made one feel as though they were floating.

Choi Hyuk raised his head and looked towards Alliance City. His black eyes, which had now calmed, looked at the flame swaying in the distance. The flame didn’t lose its brilliance on the light-filled ‘Road of Glory’.

Choi Hyuk wasn’t taken aback. He already knew because he had heard it from Chu Youngjin.

A smile unknowingly crept up his face.

He placed his hand in his inner pocket.

He received the summons to the ‘Brain’ immediately after returning. It didn’t matter if he rested for a bit before going considering he had just experienced an intense battle, but Choi Hyuk immediately accepted the summons after hearing news from Chu Youngjin.

He wanted to arrive here first.

{It’s been a while. Is this the second time?}

Chu Youngjin contacted him through Naro. Since the technology of the fallen narolings was different from the alliance’s current technology system, Naro judged that it would be able to prevent anyone from wiretapping their communication.

{That’s because there wasn’t much to report about. I recently joined a troop that operates in Alliance City. Since I’ve settled down in the center, I should have news to report to you occasionally.}

{That’s good. What kind of troop is it?}

{That is… It’s a little odd. What’s certain is that they won’t blindly comply with the alliance’s decisions. Even the dweebs from the top four tribes here say that they were abandoned by their families… Still, seeing as they established a base in Alliance City, it seems they have someone behind them… I can’t be certain. Either way, this is all I wanted to report but…}

It seemed the alien lifestyle suited him or perhaps the past and pain regarding Lee Hyejin had been shaken off, but his voice was bright.

He even made a mischievous voice.

{I think you’ll like this news.}

{What is it?}

Chu Youngjin lowered his voice.

{The princess has returned. I heard she received a summons just now so she will be summoned in one hour.}

{…}

{Then. Good luck.}

Chu Youngjin hung up after saying in a joking manner.

That was why.

This was the reason why he hurriedly accepted the summons.

Choi Hyuk himself didn’t know why he did it…

But he grabbed something from his inner pocket and took it out. His fist was tightly clenched.

The swaying flame in the distance slowly came closer. Flame-Rain’s hair was incomparably purer and tougher than that of Whirlwind Fire or whatever his name was, who had followed him for the colonization.

“… Hmm…”

However, Choi Hyuk murmured.

He didn’t notice from afar, but as Flame-Rain came closer, he saw that her appearance was miserable. Her clothes were still smeared with blood, and her cheeks were densely stained with blood that wouldn’t rub off easily.

Perhaps it was her pride as the Flame Wing Tribe’s princess or her original etiquette, but her hair was desperately blazing, yet it was barely under control. Her hair would blaze up before dying out soon, and whenever it did, her hair, which had turned white, fluttered powerlessly. Her left arm’s movement looked unnatural, and her right arm was propping her left up. She tried her best to keep her slouched shoulders straight.

Flame-Rain bit her lips as she walked. She didn’t want to show her weakened appearance in front of them.

After returning from the intense battlefield, no triumphant return ceremony or break was provided to her. As soon as she returned, examiners, who were outwardly polite but possessed a stiff attitude, guided her away from her subordinates, and as soon as she entered the examining room, she was interrogated like a suspected criminal under the guise of reporting.

It wasn’t like she didn’t know this would happen, but their treatment made her realize that ‘they were being excessive’ once again.

After the examination, she was summoned to the ‘Brain’ without an attendant.

That was why her appearance was no different from a straggler.

She was already at her limit so she didn’t recognize Choi Hyuk. She simply took one step after another, doing her best not to faint.

“Hey.”

She was about to pass Choi Hyuk, but she stopped when she heard his voice.

“… Huh?”

She raised her head.

Flutter.

Flower petals fluttered in front of her eyes. Choi Hyuk’s hand was above her head and was slowly releasing flower petals.

“Huh?… Huh?”

She followed the flower petals and turned her gaze.

Choi Hyuk grabbed another handful of flower petals from his inner pocket and sprinkled them above her head.

He said,

“Congratulations on your triumphant return.“

Flame-Rain held one of flower petals in her palm and gave Choi Hyuk a sorrowful look.

“It’s not a triumphant return… The number of returning members is less than one-tenth…”

Choi Hyuk shook his head.

“If a reconnaissance troop returned, then it’s a triumphant return.”

Then he stretched his hand and patted her head before passing by.

“You’re going to be punished if you’re late so hurry up and report.”

Choi Hyuk passed by her. Flame-Rain’s eyes followed Choi Hyuk before quickly turning around to observe the ‘Brain’ in front of her.

Looking in front of her, with her gaze fixed, she shouted,

“Do rookies like you come to the ‘Brain’ these days? …You worked hard!”

Choi Hyuk smiled without turning around.

Blaze.

Flame-Rain’s hair, which had been swaying dangerously, blazed in a clean, gentle flame…

As it covered her earlobes…

Then her shoulders.

She straightened her back and walked up the Road of Glory.

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