Chapter 156 - Episode 21. God of Ashes (9)
Chapter 156: Episode 21. God of Ashes (9)
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Jaehwan looked at Yu Seolha, then at the man who had appeared with her.
He was short and slender.
The man swaggered forward slightly, glanced at Jaehwan, and asked, “Is that the guy?”
“That’s him.”
Yu Seolha nodded lightly and stepped boldly between Jaehwan and the Clockmaker. Even the Clockmaker looked slightly tense before the wild World Force pouring from Yu Seolha.
Judging by the commotion behind the wall, some of the Clockmakers seemed to be hurriedly tending to their injured comrade.
Yu Seolha paid them no mind and asked Jaehwan again, “I heard you have Eunsae.”
“The child is somewhere safe.”
“I would appreciate it if you returned the child quietly. Eunsae is precious to me.”
Jaehwan shook his head.
“That would be difficult.”
“Are you trying to hold Eunsae hostage?”
Yu Seolha’s presence shifted ominously.
The Clockmaker who had been watching from behind spoke in a voice as precise as an alarm.
“Rupture. Should we take this as an intention to interfere in the Fifth Site’s affairs?”
The Fifth Site’s affairs.
It was a warning that this was no longer a matter confined to the Alliance.
The man beside Yu Seolha smiled at the blatant threat.
“Oh, this is fun.”
Interfering in the Fifth Site’s affairs meant standing against the God of Time, ‘Chronos’, master of the Fifth Site.
Yet the man did not sound tense at all. If anything, his swagger only grew worse as he whispered to Yu Seolha, loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“They have Roman numerals written on their foreheads. I guess these are the ‘clock series’ people.”
“Clock series?”
“They pick some decent swordsmen, then rank them by the time on a clock. Chronos’s tacky taste.”
The Clockmaker’s expression stiffened.
“If you mention Chronos-nim’s name one more time...”
“If you want to threaten us, Chronos should have come himself. At the very least, his right-hand man, the Leader, should have shown up. Do you think the likes of you can threaten us?”
At that moment, a voice drifted from inside the wall.
“Nine O’Clock. One O’Clock is dead.”
The Clockmaker called Nine O’Clock nodded. Then the Clockmakers who sprang from between the walls rushed the man all at once.
The man grinned.
“Yeah, this is how it should’ve been from the start.”
He drew his katana in an instant and knocked aside every flying dagger. His strikes were so fast that even Jaehwan was surprised.
Still, the Clockmakers were no ordinary opponents. Their attacks carried the resolve to inflict a fatal wound even at the cost of their own lives.
Both sides fought at an extremely high level.
Swordplay that surpassed even the Metaverse Six Gods unfolded in the noon alleyway. The gods who had fled far away began cautiously creeping back.
Only one person disliked this situation.
“I’m talking right now.”
Yu Seolha’s voice carried a chilling coldness.
Sensing something was wrong, the man quickly stepped back and tried to explain himself.
“Seolha, I’m not doing this because I want to fight...”
“Shut up, Imai. And you too.”
Even Yu Seolha’s World Pressure did not stop the Clockmakers’ assault.
Then thunder began crashing around them.
“I said shut up.”
Dark clouds gathered in the sky.
Yu Seolha was wrapped in vivid blue ghostly energy from head to toe. The chain scythe in her hand, Thunder Goblin, cried out.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up! I said shut up!”
Lightning fell in an instant and swept through the area.
“Eek!”
Imai dropped flat to the ground. At the same time, the surrounding crowd turned into bright ash and collapsed with horrific screams. Even the Clockmakers were startled and rapidly put distance between themselves and Yu Seolha.
It was truly terrifying World Force.
The crowd that had been too shocked to even flee trembled with wide eyes.
“Th-that can’t be...”
Only then did they seem to realize who Yu Seolha was.
Yu Seolha, the Second Division Commander of 「Rupture」.
Owner of the chain scythe, ‘Thunder Goblin’.
This was the Combat Power of someone who held the position of Commander even within the 「Rupture」.
Jaehwan had seen her strength once before. Yet seeing it again felt different. It seemed she had not gone all out last time.
Even the Seven Star Jaehwan had just defeated could not have faced this woman one-on-one.
Yu Seolha turned her goblin-like face toward Jaehwan and pointed her chain scythe at him.
“I’ll give you a choice. Bring Jin Eunsae before me by the time I count to ten. Otherwise, that crow dies.”
The crow on Jaehwan’s shoulder trembled.
Without caring whether the crow lived or died, Jaehwan pointed Dokbul at Yu Seolha.
“No.”
“What are you thinking? Do you think you can beat me?”
Andersen finally cut in.
“No, wait a second. She says she’ll kill me. Why are you trying to fight her? Just give the child back!”
“If Eunsae goes back to them, the child will suffer again.”
Yu Seolha’s eyebrow twitched.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Seolha. Let me talk to you for a moment...”
Yu Seolha shoved aside Imai, who had rushed to intervene.
Jaehwan continued, “I can’t hand a child over to people who conduct experiments like that.”
“Then what does that mean? Explain properly, or you die here today.”
Yu Seolha looked serious, as if she genuinely had no idea what he meant.
Jaehwan calmly watched her while checking his World Force.
He had already used 「Path of the Wave」 once. If they clashed here, Jaehwan would be at a disadvantage.
When Jaehwan did not answer, Yu Seolha finally lost patience and summoned lightning again.
At that moment, the Black Shop’s gatekeepers appeared from one side of the alley. A small child ran out from among them and stood with both arms spread wide, as if protecting Jaehwan.
“Commander, stop.”
It was Jin Eunsae.
* * *
Jaehwan and the Allies returned to the inn.
Perhaps because their group now included members of the 「Rupture」, no gods rushed at Jaehwan as they had before.
The Blind Clockmakers glared at them with clear displeasure, but they did not recklessly start a fight. They had realized that they could not face both Jaehwan and Rupture-level Commanders at the same time.
“Innkeeper! One jumbo dumpling and a bowl of thin noodles! Hahaha, I’ve always wanted to try this whenever I came to the martial world.”
Imai casually joined the group and fired off orders as though he were an ordinary customer.
Manri Shintong looked troubled by Imai, but soon brought out a table full of food.
“Eat as much as you like.”
“There’s no poison in it, right?”
“No cook would dare do such a thing to the 「Rupture」.”
Imai nodded lightly, drank down the chicken broth, then noisily chewed a dumpling.
“Oh... what is this? What is this? Seolha, try some. It’s seriously good.”
“Eat all you want by yourself.”
“Innkeeper, ever thought about opening a chain outside the 〈Metaverse〉?”
“Ahem, I have not considered it yet...”
Perhaps because a Rupture Commander had praised his cooking, Manri Shintong looked extremely flustered.
The Black Shop’s gatekeepers and even Baeko, who loved to fool around, remained silent this time.
They were the Black Shop, the finest information network in the 〈Metaverse〉. Naturally, they knew very well who Imai was.
The Third Division Commander of the Rupture. The Formless Swordmaster, ‘Imai Kazuki’.
If that man made up his mind, this entire inn could vanish with a single sword strike.
Runald was the only one who spoke to Imai without concern.
“But sir, are you really from the 「Rupture」?”
“Yeah.”
“Do Rupture people eat dumplings too?”
“Not often. That’s why they taste even better.”
“Is it true you kill anyone who talks to you?”
“You’re talking to me just fine.”
“If the Rupture Lord fought the Seven Divine Thrones, who would win?”
“I’ve never seen them fight, so I don’t know. Still, I’d put my money on our boss.”
“Then if a Commander fought the Seven Divine Thrones, who would win?”
“Hm. That’s classified information, but if you really want to know...”
Yu Seolha warned the loudly chattering Imai, “Shut up, Imai.”
“For now, that woman is the second strongest among the Commanders.”
Imai fell silent after that. Yu Seolha let out a quiet sigh and looked at Jaehwan across the table.
“I heard what happened from Eunsae.”
Thanks to Jin Eunsae’s heartfelt explanation, Yu Seolha seemed to have barely understood the situation.
In short, Jaehwan had not kidnapped Jin Eunsae. He had saved the child from danger.
Still, Jaehwan did not look pleased.
“I never said I would return the child to you.”
“This is not something that requires your permission.”
“The same goes for you. You do not have to go back.”
Jin Eunsae’s eyes widened.
Jaehwan had clearly seen Jin Eunsae’s past in Yesterday. What the child had endured, how Jin Eunsae had become an Awakened One, and how the child had survived this far. He did not know everything, but he knew enough.
Jin Eunsae’s eyes grew slightly watery. The child’s face reddened.
“Thank you. But I have to go back. I want to go back and deal with it myself.”
“If you have nowhere to go, come anytime.”
Jin Eunsae bit down hard on a lip and lowered the child’s head.
Imai, who had been shoveling noodles into his mouth as he watched, muttered, “The Commander is sitting right in front of you, and you’re trying to recruit a Rupture member? You’re no ordinary guy. Seolha, make sure you catch him.”
“I said shut up.”
After glaring at Imai again, Yu Seolha spoke to Jaehwan.
“Our last meeting did not end well.”
“There was no reason for it to end well.”
“I don’t know exactly what happened to Eunsae, but I’ll take care of the child from now on. Stay out of it. By the way, my offer from last time still stands. What do you say?”
“...”
“Join the 「Rupture」.”
“I told you no.”
“Why? I’ll give you a position too. Hm. I’ll make you the Third Division Commander.”
Imai choked on his dumpling.
Jaehwan shook his head.
“I don’t need it.”
“Why not? From what you do, it looks like you hate gods and Lords too. If you come with us, you can beat people up and fight as much as you want. You saw how everyone fears us, right?”
“...”
“I don’t know why you hate us, but you can join, look around, and decide later. The Rupture Lord wants to see you badly too.”
The Rupture Lord.
Jaehwan’s eyebrow twitched at those words.
He had heard something from Ethan on the Sixth Floor.
The Rupture Lord had also hung something resembling the ‘eye’ in Jaehwan’s Unique World in the sky.
He was a little curious. What was the Awakened One who saw the same world as him searching for at the end of this world?
“What do you say? Interested?”
Jaehwan shook his head.
“I’m enough on my own.”
“Are you serious? You look incredibly dangerous right now. You know what will happen if Imai and I leave this inn, right?”
Yu Seolha was not wrong.
No one was openly surrounding the inn as before, but Jaehwan could still sense many World Pressures watching them from beyond five hundred meters. The moment the Commanders left, it was obvious how they would act.
“Fine. If you feel that strongly, I won’t force you. Still, I need to repay you for saving Eunsae. Want me to deal with the Alliance for you?”
Runald, who had been eating noodles across from Imai, sprayed noodles from his mouth. The inn’s gatekeepers looked startled as well.
The Rupture was going to interfere in the War of the Six Gods?
“No, I don’t need that. Don’t get in my way.”
Runald and Andersen looked at Jaehwan as though they had indigestion.
Fortunately, Yu Seolha’s offer was not over.
“Then should I kill the Leader for you?”
Manri Shintong, who had not expected things to go this way, was turning pale too.
This could easily escalate not in the 〈Metaverse〉, but into a Site-scale Holy War.
Imai, who had finished all three bowls of noodles, joined in as if he found it entertaining.
“You mean it? The ‘Leader’?”
“What about it?”
“You lost to him before.”
“When was that? I can beat him now.”
At those words, Jaehwan remembered seeing Yu Seolha’s name in the First Floor rankings. That meant Yu Seolha had challenged the tower long before he arrived here.
Jaehwan suddenly wondered.
Had Yu Seolha seen this tower’s final floor?
At that moment, his ears went numb. It felt as though the entire Eighth Floor had been sucked into a vacuum.
Five-colored light poured down from the sky outside the inn. The light fell precisely over the Alliance’s main home base.
No one spoke, but everyone understood.
The strongest god in the 〈Metaverse〉 had just descended to the Eighth Floor.
Only one god had been added, yet it felt as though the air across the entire Eighth Floor had changed.
Yu Seolha grumbled, “So that bastard does come down to the Eighth Floor himself sometimes.”
Eight shadows rapidly occupied the area outside the inn.
They dismantled the external formation as easily as breaking toys, then entered the inn in an instant.
Baeko and the gatekeepers gripped their sword hilts at once. Imai sneered.
“The Clock Hand Corps. You have more people now?”
The enemies were Blind Clockmakers.
There had been four before. Now there were eight.
It seemed they had come fully prepared for the Commanders.
Yet the Clockmaker’s attitude was unexpected.
“We did not come to fight.”
After looking around the inn for a moment, the Clockmaker looked at Jaehwan.
“God Slayer, the Leader wishes to meet you.”
Footnotes:
Chapter discussion