Chapter 126.

December 25th .

Christmas . On this beautiful holiday celebrated by lovers and families, a huge piece of news swept through Korea .

The world’s rank 1 guild, Creator’s Sacred Grace, announced their Tower of Miracle campaign .

Although the announcement came late by a couple of weeks, I didn’t mind too much, since the result was the same . I already bought 4 billion won’s worth of their stocks, and I should be able to sell them soon .

“Are you worried?”

Currently, I was on the phone with Kim Suho while reading the guild stock chart .

[Creator’s Sacred Grace +10 . 1%]

It was rare for a top guild’s stock to fluctuate so much, but Creator’s Sacred Grace’s stocks were already up 10% . As I used stock market leverage, the profit I made was almost 100% .

—Not at all .

Despite what Kim Suho was saying, I could hear the concern in his voice .

Conquest of the Tower of Miracle would last for six months . Although most Tower conquests ended within three months, the Tower of Miracle was currently the world’s biggest Tower . Unable to conquer this Tower with even six months, Creator’s Sacred Grace would announce their defeat .

I thought about stopping them since I knew they would fail, but it was unlikely for their guild master to listen to a kid like me . After all, he refused to listen to even Yun Seung-Ah .

—She’ll come back with glory .

“…I hope so too . ”

Since the announcement was delayed by two weeks, they might have a chance of succeeding . Though, with the same logic, they might suffer a bigger loss .

From this point on, I couldn’t be sure of the future . I might have a forest of knowledge in my head, but there were an infinite number of trees that existed in it . There was simply no way for me to know every single one of them .

—Oh, by the way, you’re on your way to meet Chae Nayun, right?

I glanced at my watch .

11:59 a . m . It was a minute before the promised time Chae Nayun forced on me .

“…Why would I be?”

—What? Come on, don’t be like that . She planned a lot for today .

“What?”

—Well, uh, she asked me about what you liked and what to do together that’s fun . She was looking forward to today a lot, so you have to go .

It seemed Kim Suho was more worried about Chae Nayun and me than Yun Seung-Ah .

“…I’m hanging up . ”

—Wait! Please, just go~ please~?

“Why are you acting cute towards me?”

It was a pretty Kim Suho-like thing to do .

With a grin, I hung up . I closed my laptop, lied down on the couch and turned on the TV .

After spending an hour just passing time…

Tididi—

The door opened, and Evandel and Hayang returned from their walk .

“We’re back~!”

“Meow~”

Evandel raced to the couch as soon as she closed the door and stared at me intently . From the looks of it, she wanted something from me . Realizing that it was about time for her favorite anime to start, I handed her the remote and went into the bedroom .

“Ehew . ”

I hopped down on my bed, whereupon a subconscious sigh came out . My heart throbbed with pain and I suddenly got a strong urge to smoke .

Feeling like this uncomfortable feeling would continue if I stayed still, I looked at my smartwatch reluctantly .

There weren’t any messages or calls from Chae Nayun . In that case, she should have already gone home . An hour had already passed, and with her personality, there was no way she was waiting for me .

Telling myself that, I picked up the game console .

…Just like that, it became 3 p . m .

In the end, I left the bedroom, unable to calm my throbbing heart .

Evandel was sleeping on the couch, using Hayang as a pillow . When I carefully turned the doorknob so as to not wake her up, Evandel and Hayang got up and stared at me with sleepy eyes .

“Uh, Evandel, I’m going out for a bit . I’ll bring back yummy food . ”

“…Uun… . ”

Evandel went back to sleeping .

I quickly left the dorm . Riding the bike I had parked in the parking lot, I slowly drove to the Daehyun’s VIP hospital .

“…She’s still there . ”

I came here, thinking ‘just maybe’, and I was right .

Chae Nayun was leaning on the hospital’s wall, wearing clothes that were clearly chosen with care . Her short hair had a soft wave, indicating that she got her hair done, and she was uncharacteristically wearing a light makeup .

Looking at her, the throbbing pain in my heart grew stronger .

Swallowing a sigh, I slowly drove towards Chae Nayun .

Chae Nayun was staring at her smartwatch while pouting .

But when she heard the engine noise of my bike and looked up, she smiled brightly .

“Ah! Hey! Kim Hajin!”

Pointing at me, she ran up to me in a hurry .

“You’re freaking… I mean, you’re very late . Where were you?”

“I didn’t agree to meet in the first place . ”

That was the only thing I could say . Chae Nayun leered at me once, but didn’t complain . She just held up her watch .

“I had a lot planned for today . We were supposed to eat brunch at noon, go bowling at 1, go to a café at 2, visit a tarot fortune-teller at 3, go to an arcade at 4, go to a restaurant at 4:40…”

Hearing her recite the schedule she had planned, I lightly smacked her head .

“Uk . ”

She stiffened her body and raised her head slowly .

I thought she’d react stronger, but she only looked at me confusedly and asked .

“Why’d you hit me?”

“…Who plans everything out like that? This isn’t combat training . ”

“Then what do we do?”

“Let’s go on a drive . We have about two hours left . ”

I spoke as I tapped on the seat behind me .

“Drive? Sure!”

Chae Nayun rejoiced . Once she got on the back seat, I stepped on the accelerator .

“Let’s go straight to the arcade . After we play games for 40 minutes, we can go to the restaurant . ”

“Shut it, fool . Dates are supposed to be spontaneous . ”

“…I-It’s not a date . I told you not to misunder— ugyak!”

I sped up to prevent her from justifying it more .

Without going to the arcade, I made a big circle around Seoul .

On this snowing Christmas day, we drove around seeing Seoul’s beautiful scenery .

Although I came three hours late, we saw many things and enjoyed our time together . We stopped by a clothing shop, and by the time we left we were wearing completely different clothes than the beginning . We then ate at a restaurant, and I forced Chae Nayun to eat some pancakes .

After spending two and a half hours together, it became time for her to go, and so I drove her to the Portal Station .

[Domestic Portal Station]

“Ah… mm…”

The Portal Chae Nayun had to take was connected to North Hamgyeong Province . However, she stayed near me, hesitating to go .

“Hurry, you’re going to be late . ”

Unable to look at her straight, I muttered as I stared at the Portal in the distance .

Chae Nayun then nudged my shoulder .

“Hey . ”

“Hm?”

“…Today was fun . ”

Chae Nayun’s short and calm words made me bitter and pained me more .

“…I’m glad . ”

“By the way, before I come back, don’t…”

She didn’t finish her sentence . After hesitating for a moment, she shook her head and smiled .

“Nevermind, I’ll see you soon anyways . ”

With that, she put her hand out . Though small and white, her hand was crude and wrought with calluses .

With a bitter smile, I grabbed her hand . She must have liked the sensation as her cheeks turned faintly red .

“Your hand is pretty big… and soft . ”

“Because I only have to pull the trigger when I train . ”

“…I’m jealous . Kuhum, anyways . ”

Chae Nayun let out a dry cough and let go of my hand .

“I’ll see you later . ”

I smiled silently .

“Then I’m going . ”

“Yeah . ”

“Stay safe . ”

With those last words, Chae Nayun walked to the Portal, glancing back a couple of times regretfully .

**

January 3rd, the third day of the new year .

In the sleeting weather, I got in a sedan parked in a desolate park .

Jain and a man I hadn’t met before were sitting in the front seats, while Boss was sitting in the back .

“This is the helper I was talking about, so don’t be too surprised . ”

“Hello . ”

Judging by the man’s reggae style hair and black skin, he was likely Khalifa, the Chameleon Troupe’s seat of Blue .

“Now that the main hero is here, everyone close your eyes and entrust yourselves to my magic power~”

Jain unleashed her magic power .

I did as she said .

Jain’s magic power touched my body, and I could feel something being painted over my skin .

“Done . Here are your fake IDs . ”

Three minutes . It only took three minutes for us to become completely different people with Jain’s Gift .

I opened my eyes and looked at the rear-view mirror . Reflected in it was the image of a nurse, not Kim Hajin .

“I don’t know why you want to make things this difficult . We could have just used poison . ”

Jain’s first idea was to use poison . However, the Devil’s Seed couldn’t be killed so easily . That was why I prepared the god-slaying bullet .

“The plan is simple . We’ll enter Chae Jinyoon’s room disguised as nurses . Then we’ll bring him out and kill him in a secluded place . ”

Although Jain made her plan sound easy, in reality, it was extremely difficult considering the security inside the VIP hospital .

However, it was possible with Jain’s ‘Disguise’ ability and Khalifa’s ‘Portal’ ability .

“As for how we’re going to bring him out, that’s why he’s here . He has the ability to open Portals . But if the magic power undulation is too great, we’ll be found out by the mercenaries outside the room and the security system . So our best bet is using a small Portal that travels only 20 km . Once you go through the Portal, the disguise I put on you will wear off . But you won’t have to worry about anyone seeing you . We already have a barrier set up where you and Chae Jinyoon will stand off . ”

There, I would be have to face Chae Jinyoon head on .

“Once you and Khalifa leave, Boss and I will craft a fake that will stay lying in bed . Just in case a mercenary walks back in . All you need to do is finish your task and come back through the helper’s Portal . ”

Jain’s ability wore off once her target went beyond a set distance . To maintain the fake Chae Jinyoon, Jain had to stay in the hospital room .

“Now, get off and pretend like you’re heading to work . Only I will be in the sedan . I’ll stay close enough to maintain your disguise so don’t worry . Just make sure you’re not more than 4 km away . ”

The distance restriction of Jain’s Gift was 10 km when she was disguising one person, 8 km for two, 6 km for three, and so on .

Khalifa got off first, followed by me, then Boss .

The sedan then drove off slowly .

The three of us began to follow the sedan, while maintaining an appropriate distance .

**

We successfully entered the VIP hospital .

I headed to the counter and waited for Jain to call me .

“Haeyeon-ssi?”

At exactly 11:00 a . m . , Jain called me .

“Yes?”

“It’s time to check on Chae Jinyoon-ssi’s condition . Follow me downstairs . ”

“Ah, yes . ”

I followed Jain down the stairs, along with another nurse and a doctor . They were Boss and Khalifa in disguise .

We took the escalator down and arrived downstairs .

Once we were in front of Chae Jinyoon’s room, Jain looked at the clipboard she was holding and spoke to the mercenary standing guard .

“11:10 a . m . , it’s time for a check-up . ”

“Yes . ”

The mercenary let us through without suspicion . As soon as we entered the room, we locked the door .

Inside, Chae Jinyoon was sound asleep .

Jain murmured quietly .

“CCTV . ”

I was in charge of dealing with the CCTV . Using my smartwatch, I temporarily stopped the CCTV . Just this took 200 SP .

“It’s done . ”

“Good . ”

Jain turned to Boss .

“Boss, be careful so that the mercenaries outside don’t notice . ”

“I know . ”

Boss unleashed her magic power with extreme care and created two magic power puppets . Next, Jain turned them into Chae Jinyoon and the nurse I was disguised as .

“Alright, you’re up next, Khalifa . ”

“Okay . ”

Immediately afterwards, Khalifa created a small Portal .

Wooong—

This time, the undulation of magic power was stronger . We had to hurry before the mercenaries outside noticed the magic power and came in .

—W-What was that? Hello? Did something happen inside?

I put Chae Jinyoon on a wheelchair I prepared and walked into the Portal .

**

The Portal led to a desolate forest .

The ground was covered with sleet, and the trees nearby were all naked .

In front of me, I could see a wooden bench .

I parked the wheelchair next to it and waited for Chae Jinyoon to wake up .

All of a sudden, Chae Nayun’s face began to overlap with Chae Jinyoon’s . She was looking at me with a bright smile .

However, I suppressed the thoughts popping up in my head .

I needed to free myself from all thoughts and ideas .

“…Fucking hell . ”

But I just couldn’t do it .

I took out a white box I brought just in case .

Cigarettes .

Putting what I inadvertently quit in my mouth, I lit it with magic power .

An acrid smoke passed through my throat and invaded my lungs .

The unpleasant combination of nicotine and tar made me relax, if even just a little .

…After waiting in the cold weather and cigarette smoke for an unknown amount of time, Chae Jinyoon finally opened his eyes .

“… . ”

Chae Jinyoon stared at me without being perturbed by the foreign scenery .

I stared back at him and bowed .

Chae Jinyoon spoke .

“…Kim Hajin?”

I didn’t reply .

“Where are we?”

I didn’t reply .

“Did something happen to the hospital room?”

I didn’t reply .

Instead, I took out my gun and loaded it with the god-slaying bullet .

“Hajin?”

Chae Jinyoon’s innocent voice gave me a heart-wrenching pain .

I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath . I dropped the cigarette on the ground and stomped the ember out .

Then, I finally spoke .

“Chae Jinyoon-ssi, have you heard of the Devil’s Seed?”

“What?”

“…It should be something that hasn’t been confirmed yet in this world . ”

Looking down at Chae Jinyoon, I continued .

I felt like I needed to explain why he had to die .

In a way, it was to show respect . But in truth, it was a cowardly self-justification .

“A Devil’s Seed is a devil that takes over a human’s body, almost like a parasite . But once the seed sprouts, the devil will take over its host’s body, transforming it into its real self . ”

My clothes fluttered from the fierce wind . Because of the cigarette I smoked for the first time in almost a year, I could still feel the bitterness in my mouth .

I slowly raised my gun and pointed it at Chae Jinyoon’s head .

“Chae Jinyoon-ssi, this seed is inside your body . ”

Chae Jinyoon looked at me silently .

“You will become a devil . ”

My vision turned blurry .

My hands were trembling uncontrollably .

“I’m… I’m sorry . ”

Holding the gun with both my hands, I did my best to stop the trembling .

After taking a deep breath, I put my finger on the trigger .

“I’m sorry, really, I’m sorry… . ”

However, I couldn’t help but hesitate .

Chae Nayun’s face rose up in front of me . Her smiling face overlapped with Chae Jinyoon . The feelings she had for me touched my heart once again .

Pain shook my heart, and sorrow suffocated my throat .

I was afraid .

I was afraid of the pain she would feel and the wound she would come to bear .

It was then .

Chae Jinyoon’s face contorted frighteningly . At the same time, demonic energy rose up from his body, burning the ground and stifling me . Chae Jinyoon’s entire body turned ash-black .

Chae Jinyoon, or rather the devil that took over his body, reached out toward me .

From its deathly black fingers and blood-colored eyes, I could feel an undoubtable killing intent .

But even as its hand drew ever closer to my neck, I hesitated .

Due to mental exhaustion, I didn’t have the strength to pull the trigger .

My hesitation should have led to my death .

However, no danger came my way .

Silent and distant .

It was as though the world stopped .

Standing in the middle of this serene forest, I looked into the devil’s eyes .

Its bloodshot eyes were frozen and unmoving, but carried a tinge of tears .

Immediately, my heart sank .

The Devil’s Seed was unable to fully sprout and was being blocked by Chae Jinyoon’s will .

“… . ”

Chae Jinyoon was staring me, suppressing the evil within him .

I couldn’t say anything . I couldn’t make the situation any better .

Chae Jinyoon’s decision was clear, and I couldn’t betray his conviction . I couldn’t make his effort go to waste .

Clenching my teeth, I re-aimed my gun .

“This time, I won’t hesitate . For me, and for you . ”

…When my finger was about to pull the trigger, a small thought rose up in my head .

Chae Jinyoon, the man I created .

He was a kind, warm, selfless, and righteous… hero .

KWANG .

I pulled the trigger .

In an instant, the world seemed to get farther and farther away as a brilliant light dyed the surroundings white .

The god-slaying bullet pierced through Chae Jinyoon’s forehead and destroyed the seed residing within .

His blood and brain fluid splattered all over my body . His bones pelted my skin, and a strange ringing sound reverberated in my ears .

My legs gave way, and I collapsed on the ground . All sorts of emotions swept through me . My face became wet with what could have been tears or blood .

“Ah… . ”

From my mouth, an indiscernible sound came out .

I couldn’t tell if it was the cry of a human or a beast .

Today, I murdered Chae Jinyoon .

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