Chapter 409
It was the New Year.
The tumultuous year had finally ended, and a new one had begun. However, the atmosphere among the populace was far from celebratory.
「We’re live from the Heroes Association New York Branch. This place was hit by an air raid from the Demon Force earlier today. While only part of the building was damaged, the streets have been completely devastated by the aftermath of the battle. The number of confirmed casualties so far is...」
「The Himalayas have collapsed with a deafening roar. This footage captures the battle between Doppelganger of the Ten Evils and S-rank Hero Ma Kwang-Soo. More than half of the mountain range was destroyed in the process...」
「Flashes of light streaked across the sky before a massive explosion erupted on the ground below. It appears the arrows fired by Heaven Eye of the Ten Evils have fallen upon a village. Similar incidents have been reported across the world...」
Under the cover of dawn, the Demon Force had launched a large-scale air raid.
Thankfully, the Heroes Association had been on high alert and responded swiftly, successfully mitigating the damage. However, with an attack on such a scale, losses were inevitable.
What a mess to start the new year with.
I’m so sick of this.
With the grim news spreading worldwide, fatigue weighed heavily on everyone. The hope they once had that the new year would be different was rapidly fading.
And as the last remnants of joy for the new year vanished entirely, replaced by a bleak somberness, the world received a certain piece of news.
「Breaking News!」
A victory report had arrived from beyond the Pilgrimage Path.
「One of the Six Great Demon Realms, the Silent Volcano, has been completely conquered by the Heroes Association’s assault force! During the operation, one of the Ten Evils, Demon’s Edge, was successfully eliminated... 」
「Secret facilities hidden underground by the Demon Force have been entirely wiped out by the Perfect Ones. So far, sixty locations have been confirmed, and the Heroes Association has begun identifying traitors, starting with the missing individuals...」
The fall of Demon’s Edge, the conquest of a Six Great Demonic Realm, and the destruction of secret bases made for a sweeping victory, reminiscent of last year’s Pleasure District purge.
Because of that, it was no wonder the bleakness was erased in one go as the world erupted into celebration. A seemingly miraculous victory had happened once again, allowing people to catch a true glimpse of the war’s end.
“If the Silent Volcano is gone, doesn’t that mean only half of the Six Great Demonic Realms are left?”
“That’s right. And now that Demon’s Edge is dead, if the missing Tuner and Beast King are confirmed dead as well...”
After a year of slow but steady progress, the Demon Force had lost half their strength. Finally, the effort that had been endlessly spinning in circles, restricted within the Pilgrimage Path, could begin extending outward.
Thus, it was natural that a celebratory atmosphere took shape with the populace lauding the Heroes Association and the assault force. Then, on top of that, another momentous event occurred as if responding to the joy.
“He... He came back!”
“He actually came back to life...!”
The Blessing of the Eternal, which granted a second chance at life by undergoing, had revived someone for the first time. While the world had been thrown into an uproar by the Heroes Association and UD Group’s announcement of such a system, most had remained skeptical. Now, however...
“If dying no longer means the end... shouldn’t we be fighting more aggressively?”
“With visitation and sponsorship systems in place, and if resurrection is guaranteed, then...”
Of course, the fear of death wouldn’t vanish overnight just because a few people had come back. The possibility itself, however, had already made all the difference.
Considering humanity had already quickly adapted to the Towers of Heroes and system messages, they also swiftly accepted that death was no longer the end. People began actively researching the Blessing of the Eternal, which they no longer regarded with suspicion.
People sure adapt fast.
Seated on a garden bench in Askus, Se-Hoon scrolled through the news on his phone while letting out a small chuckle. Not too long ago, everyone had been skeptical about the Blessing of the Eternal. Yet, overnight, their attitudes had completely flipped.
Well, I guess that’s the obvious response when your life’s on the line.
There was a vast difference between risking one’s life as an experiment and experimenting only after death had already arrived. If he hadn’t mastered the power of Boundaries, Se-Hoon, too, would have waited cautiously—just like the other heroes—until the first batch of resurrected individuals appeared.
Either way, this isn’t a bad thing.
If the Blessing of the Eternal became as widely accepted as the Towers of Heroes and system messages, humanity’s fear of challenge would diminish. Of course, becoming too desensitized to death would be problematic, but the Heroes Association and UD Group would likely regulate that balance.
Aside from that...
Switching articles, Se-Hoon continued to browse reports of the Demon Force’s attacks across various regions.
Whoosh!
A faint gust of wind brushed past him. A presence had appeared by his side in an instant, as if they had teleported there.
Se-Hoon turned his head.
“You’re late.”
“The... counseling... huff... took... longer... huff... than expected...”
The identity of the presence was Jake, panting heavily as if he were about to collapse. Dressed in a hospital gown, he looked even worse off than usual.
Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow.
“You could’ve just run here. Why’d you even use the power of Premotion?”
“If I... huff... didn’t, I... huff... wouldn’t have made it... cough. Ugh!”
Jake broke out into a fit of violent coughs, having forced himself to speak.
Sighing, Se-Hoon jabbed a finger into Jake’s side without hesitation.
“Ack?! That hurt...?”
Jake trailed off, eyes widening, as he realized his breathing had returned to normal. If it was as usual, he would have struggled to breathe for at least five minutes after disrupting his breathing by using the power of Premotion. That issue was gone with one touch?
“What did you do?”
“I slightly adjusted your blood flow to calm your body. This happens sometimes when your consciousness accelerates—next time, be mindful of it.”
“Oh...!”
Jake let out a gasp of admiration at Se-Hoon’s effortless explanation. He had spent ages struggling to find a solution, and it turned out the answer was so simple it made him feel foolish.
I thought I’d improved a lot... but when I’m with Se-Hoon, it’s like nothing has changed.
Feeling oddly embarrassed, Jake let out a small, awkward laugh and sat beside him.
“So, what did the test results say?” Se-Hoon asked, leaning back against the bench.
“Ah. No abnormalities. They say I can be discharged today.”
Despite having his heart destroyed and his soul absorbed by the Destroyer of Swords, Jake’s body was not only intact but healthier than ever. From the looks of him, when Jake’s heart was regenerated using the information from his soul, the synchronization between his body and mana had drastically improved.
I wasn’t expecting this level of improvement, though...
Unintentionally, it felt as if he had turned Jake into one of those eccentric beings—like the Seeker or Tuner.
As Se-Hoon frowned at the thought, Jake suddenly remembered something.
“Come to think of it... I never got to thank you properly, did I?”
“Technically, you didn’t have a chance to.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t you remember how Aria was clinging to you?”
“Ah...”
Jake chuckled at the memory of his sister hugging him so tightly his ribs had almost cracked. Back then, he had been too breathless to understand why, but now, he knew exactly what she had felt.
I was embarrassed too... but she probably had it the worst.
Recalling the moment Aria had cautiously looked up when Se-Hoon left, Jake asked, “Have you met up with my sister since then?”
“We exchanged a few messages now and then, but she seems to be pretty busy.”
After the conquest of the Silent Volcano, Aria had been preparing for a press conference with Aaron to reveal the hidden truth about Demon’s Edge. Since Aaron was forbidden from telling the truth, Aria had decided to take the stage herself.
“I never thought she’d go that far.”
She used to say she didn’t care about her family’s secrets. Yet, now she was stepping forward personally for a press conference?
As Se-Hoon pondered over Aria’s unexpected change, Jake seemed to be hesitant over something.
“Do you... know what she's so busy with?” Jake cautiously asked after a short pause.
“Hm? Oh, yeah. Your father told me himself.”
Jake reacted with visible surprise before his expression was washed over by subtle relief.
“I see.”
He had been worrying about how Se-Hoon would react when he learned the truth, but it turned out that his demeanor had remained unchanged.
“When did you find out?” Se-Hoon asked.
“Yesterday. From my sister.”
Jake let out a bitter chuckle, recalling how Aria had told him the truth during her hospital visit.
“To be honest, it really wasn’t that shocking. It was more like... something that was bound to emerge sooner or later.”
Due to last year’s engagement scandal, Jake had been suspecting that his family harbored some deep secrets. And when Demon’s Edge absorbed his synesthetic mindscape, he had felt an eerie sense of familiarity—something too significant to dismiss as mere coincidence.
“So... I mean...”
Jake clasped his hands together, struggling to find the right words. Even though he had already spent countless sleepless nights agonizing over it, when faced with the chance to voice his thoughts, his still tongue felt heavy.
What was it he truly wanted to say? Lost in that uncertainty, Jake struggled until he found his answer.
“I don’t know.”
“...”
“I don’t know how to face my family... or my father. I don’t know what the right thing to do is.”
Once he began, the words spilled out effortlessly, like they had just been waiting for the right moment. Jake clenched his fists tightly.
“Part of me thinks I should atone as a member of the family, but another part of me doesn’t want to be shackled by it.”
What was the right choice? What was the wrong one? No matter how much he thought about it, the answer eluded him.
Jake was clearly conflicted, so Se-Hoon opened his mouth to speak—but then closed it again.
This is a tough one...
If it were a personal issue, Se-Hoon would have stepped in to help without hesitation. But problems stemming from past generations were rarely so simple.
Counting both his lives, he had never encountered something that complicated. Remaining silent, Se-Hoon contemplated a solution—
“...Alright.”
Jake suddenly stood up, his gaze firm with determination.
“I’ll just do both then.”
“...Huh?”
Se-Hoon looked up at him, startled by the unexpected declaration.
Jake met his gaze, unwavering.
“I’ll apologize to those who were hurt because of my family. I’ll earn their forgiveness. And after that, I’ll live my life on my own terms. That way, there’s no problem, right?”
“Well... I mean, yeah, but...”
Was it really that simple? Having seen firsthand the tangled webs of resentment and revenge, Se-Hoon knew from experience that forgiveness wasn’t something that could be granted so easily.
His skepticism showed, making Jake chuckled bitterly.
“Of course, it won’t be easy. Maybe it’s something I’ll never achieve, no matter how hard I try.”
If forgiveness were that easy, people wouldn’t say, “Don’t commit sins in the first place,” but, “Go apologize.”
Jake himself knew how difficult it would be. In fact, that was why, at times, he had wanted to distance himself from his family completely.
“But even so, I have to try.”
At the end of it all, Jake had made his choice for one simple reason.
“Because this is something only I can do.”
No one else could apologize on his behalf. No one else could earn that forgiveness for him. It was the path only he could walk. Just like when he had thrown himself into battle to protect his sister at the Silent Volcano, he believed that the upcoming trial, too, was a way to prove who he was.
“...”
Se-Hoon silently observed. To some, Jake’s goal was a naive, idealistic decision. But rather than stopping him, Se-Hoon just resolved to watch over him instead.
“I’ll be rooting for you.”
Because, like Jake said, it was a challenge that only he could take on.
[The bond with ‘Jake Myers’ has grown to Lv. 4.]
[Since the bond has grown to Lv.4, your Relationship with ‘Jake Myers’ can now be redefined as ‘Belief’.]
[Relationship: Belief]
[The most crucial aspect of trust is the unwavering belief that it will remain unshaken, no matter the circumstances.
However, for someone who doesn’t even believe in themself, expecting them to believe in others is nearly impossible. But your steadfast determination despite that—your refusal to waver even in the face of adversity—has given them the courage to move forward.
No one knows how long or arduous the road ahead will be, but to honor the steadfast belief you have placed in them, they will never stop moving forward.
*A Fatestone is created each time the subject can feel your unwavering belief in them.
*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases whenever the subject feels the belief in them.
*The probability of the subject’s synesthetic mindscape manifesting inside the Fatestone increases when the subject’s belief in you increases.
*Currently created Fatestones: 1]
“...”
Se-Hoon gazed at the notification message before him, an odd expression on his face. He had expected Jake’s bond level to increase soon, but something about it felt off.
Rather than increasing because something inside Jake changed... it feels like it happened because I changed.
It was only natural for Relationships to be mutual, affecting both sides. But... the change felt distinctly different from what he had experienced before.
As Se-Hoon pondered this new sensation, Jake spoke up again. “Alright, I should get going... oh, right.”
Jake, who had been about to return to his hospital room, suddenly turned back toward Se-Hoon.
“My sister wants to meet you after the press conference.”
“Hm? What for?”
Couldn’t she just call or text him about it? Seeing Se-Hoon’s puzzled expression, Jake smirked.
“She didn’t say what it was for exactly, but... judging by her expression, I think I know.”
“What do you mean?”
Leaning in, Jake whispered the answer into Se-Hoon’s ear. “A date~”
“...”
Se-Hoon blinked, dumbfounded.
And at the sight of him, Jake let out an amused chuckle.
“Take good care of my sister, okay... Brother-in-law?”
Whoosh!
With those teasing words, Jake was gone with the wind.
“...”
Left blankly staring at the now-empty spot, Se-Hoon sighed and rubbed his temple. It was at that very moment that he recalled how Aria had always kept Jake in check.
“Now I see why she had to keep him in line...”