Episode 130. Heroes Assemble (1)
“Si-woo, can you explain? Actually, I think you should.”
“…….”
“If you don’t give me the details, I’m going back. You and everyone here have dealt with many enemies together. No matter how strong and big the opponent was, we always fought bravely and won by firmly depending on each other. But… What was that just now? I’m embarrassed to say, but I was scared. I wanted to run away immediately instead of fighting.”
As soon as we escaped with Sung Hyun-woo’s teleportation, Yoo Ji-yeon grabbed my shoulder and demanded an explanation. The others didn’t say anything, but it seemed like their thoughts were similar. They were confused and frightened at the appearance of the unknown creature.
“You saw the monsters swarming in, right?”
“…….”
“Every single one of them can wipe out a team of hunters. They are ‘real invaders’, incomparable to minor monsters, and too powerful for humans to deal with on their own.”
“I know. And I know there are hordes of them beyond the Land of Death. But that’s not what I’m asking you to explain. You know what I want you to tell me.”
Yoo Ji-yeon’s tone was serious.
I closed my mouth for a moment, and she continued without pausing.
“I don’t have many people to take care of. My parents are dead, and I only have my grandmother living back in my hometown. I have no friends, no lovers. The only people I’ve known for a long time are the people right here.”
“…….”
“Si-woo, I was falling behind at the Academy. If it weren’t for you, I might have been an apprentice, going from one magic guild to another, living a life that no one recognized. I’m not afraid of losing my position or what I’ve built up. I was just afraid I’d die in vain. I was afraid I would die without being able to help and without knowing why.”
Her fast-paced words were sincere.
Yeah, I knew.
I still remembered how she sacrificed herself to save other people until the very end. There was no way I couldn’t know.
“Mr. Si-woo.”
Han Yeon-soo spoke up next.
“While other people might not know, everyone here knows that you have a frightening amount of information about events that haven’t happened yet and creatures that haven’t appeared.”
“…….”
“It’s probably thanks to some sort of ability you have. Or maybe there’s some reason we don’t know about. I won’t ask you about that. I don’t doubt you, either. Just like Yoo Ji-yeon said, there’s only one thing we want to know.”
The look in her eyes was very sincere as well.
“Our enemy. That creature that could bring an end to humankind if things go wrong. The monster we just met that looked like a boy. What the hell is it?”
“…….”
“Don’t hide anything, and don’t be evasive. Just tell us everything you know. No one here wonders how or why you know. The people here at least trust you more than they trust themselves.”
“…I know.”
Han Yeon-soo’s voice was full of trust in me.
Perhaps an even deeper trust than what she showed me as one of the -Five Heroes- in my past life…….
“Whew.”
I let out a deep sigh.
Yeah, I had to tell them. I could no longer just drop information.
I didn’t care how the way they looked at me would change. All I wanted was to eradicate monsters from this world and bring an end to the Disaster.
“He’s called the Great Overlord.”
I spoke with difficulty.
“He’s a monster that killed all of you when you were much stronger than you are right now. And he once destroyed this world when it was much more advanced and had more powerful hunters.”
* * *
The Great Overlord.
In the past, his appearance was too sudden for humanity.
It was a time when the Returnee Situation had ended just a few years before, and people were happy. They said that peace was finally coming. And then, he appeared out of nowhere in the red sky.
-You should also feel the pain of losing your family.
-You should also feel the pain of being deprived of your land.
Legions of monsters that could single-handedly destroy cities poured in. The powerful United States collapsed overnight.
It was all because of what hunter Lee Young-ho did impulsively. Lee Young-ho ignored the Great Overlord begging him not to do it, and he trampled and killed a monster that the Great Overlord considered his family while toying with the boy. And, as a result, the boy’s hidden instinct as an invader was awakened.
-I’m going to kill you all.
-And I will fill this world with my family.
-So that no one will get hurt again.
Humanity struggled to deal with monsters that were driven only by instinct. But what would happen if the monsters united and formed a group to invade at that moment?
-The front line has fallen.
It didn’t take long for humankind to fall. He was too strong. And by the time I managed to find a way to fight him, I died. And then, I returned to the past.
“Based on my analysis, there needs to be a
“…….”
formed aberration that didn’t exist before. An individual that can put a dagger in his throat. But I also disrupted the flow of things. My plans completely fell apart, and the time sequence is all broken. To be honest, I’m confused. Very, very confused.”
I confessed that I had come back in time, that they had all died once, and that the world had ended. And yet, they did not shout ‘Liar!’ and deny it, nor did they show any fear. Rather, they looked more relieved than before.
“That isn’t so bad.”
“…What?”
“Well, we actually had a conversation earlier. We wondered whether you were the final enemy. We thought that maybe you were just messing with us all this time. Honestly, you’ve shown us how evil you could be. And sometimes, you seemed like the mastermind…….”
“Wait, I was never like that.”
“Hehe. I’m kidding.”
Han Yeon-soo grinned broadly at my reaction. It was a naughty joke.
“Back to the past… Honestly, it’s hard to understand, but I think it’s the clearest way to explain who you are, Mr. Si-woo.”
“…….”
“So that’s the answer. You made it that far in the past without any abilities. So why are you worried? You’ve become so strong now. And you know a lot more, and you have all these trustworthy people. Don’t make any more plans, and don’t be confused. Just by your account, I think it’ll be okay to fight him. If I were the Great Overlord, I would be so scared after hearing your story that I wouldn’t come out of the Land of Death.”
“What?”
“I mean, you know him better than he knows himself. And you know all the things he has yet to do. So, you’ll know how he will act and what strategies he’ll use. Isn’t that terrifying? How could he come out? To make things worse, you’re one of the strongest people alive.”
What was she talking about?
“I think she’s right.”
Said Sung Hyun-woo, as well.
“Remember what the Great Overlord said in your memory? He said that you would have changed history if you had even an E-level or F-level skill.”
“…….”
“Sometimes, you worry too much. You’re much stronger than you think. And even if all of your powers disappear overnight, I think your presence alone will prevent humanity from being defeated. That’s what I think.”
Before I knew it, their worried faces had brightened up.
Everyone seemed to be having similar thoughts.
[You only have good people by your side.]
“…….”
[I once dreamed of a team like this. I feel so proud. Is this vicarious satisfaction? Hahaha. It looks like I’ll enjoy watching you for quite a while even after you save the world.]
The Traveler murmured quietly. He was right.
I only had good people around me.
“Jeong Si-woo.”
Seol Ah-rin opened her mouth.
“Don’t stay still and quiet. Do that thing where you go on like you’re the best, and like you know everything. That super confident briefing. Do it.”
“…….”
“You’re not just going to sit there, are you? If he’s that terrible, we need to attack him first as soon as possible. Let’s go mad before he does. Let’s wipe him off the face of the earth before people learn about that dangerous creature.”
Her straightforward words were rather comforting.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login