Chapter 292: The Founding Hero (3)
U4gBalor Joaquin’s gaze lingered for a long while on the spot where Kang Geom-Ma had vanished.mHEsOIm
jsM5“They say children grow up in the blink of an eye…”zoSU55
k8zHAHe smiled wistfully as he stood up. His tongue slurred, and his body swayed.Kvs
sP7‘Ah, looks like I drank too much.’yZMGTdK
NnlYHe stumbled on his way to the kitchen. He tried to lean on the wall, but unfortunately, he tilted toward the side where he had no arm. Thus, the man once known as the founding hero was about to fall disgracefully.ttIWH1y
VMZb“Haven’t you had enough to drink?”huDBUP
AwCwOoA youthful voice stopped him. Someone grabbed his remaining arm.DXXyI
srXk8QqDespite the sudden appearance, the former Balor Joaquin—now Ho Ah-Hyun—barely flinched. He didn’t seem surprised at all.OlDUFy5
n7eYh4“Seems like it. I got a little carried away seeing my boy after so long. Sorry for worrying you.”H8w9DXz
N4QFRHe smiled gently.R4o3s0
uO7“And why didn’t you drink with him? It was about time, wasn’t it? Oh, or is he still underage?”ulsA
Cq7F1p6“What good is a young face when inside he’s already over forty? Besides, that boy’s a hardcore drinker. If I’d sat down at the table with him, I might’ve died. That’s why I drank alone.”CjVPz
73hL“How amusing. A man once called the founding hero, completely helpless after a few drinks. If the demons had known 700 years ago, they would’ve beaten you. All they had to do was disguise alcohol as water and knock you out.”retT7mg
KUDunA“What a cruel joke.”PYOpokJ
PlKZNXWHo Ah-Hyun murmured softly. The other’s gentle laugh brushed his back.Ven6bMz
LGfu“…Was this your idea too?”8LjWrg
6jDzz“You said it yourself earlier. I don’t act on my own will.”Rl9mOs
oSOxThe speaker, whose face remained unseen, shook his head.wald
dJe“You also said I’m a useless observer.”pVBjz
Kaoe“I didn’t go that far.”pOPB
0GM“Haha, just joking, just joking.”AP8z
TN9cUThe other chuckled and patted Ho Ah-Hyun on the back. Even so, he didn’t turn around. Like a statue, he kept looking straight ahead.r5LXFD9
Ei9“Can I ask you a question?”emmWf3V
BLoz9CK“Ask. I’ll answer unless I don’t know.”1zu8BGN
wLaDXvA carefree reply. Ho Ah-Hyun smiled inwardly.w6Iyb
D3Ap2‘Is there even anything this person doesn’t know in the whole universe?’jRzfXJ
7th0xEven before Kang Geom-Ma had suddenly appeared, this person had already given him a revelation. That’s why he wasn’t surprised. He even hinted at the nature of the incident and its solution.TcrG2
LVHM9r‘He knows everything.’S5A
FUQxw1He doesn’t intervene in anything. Knows so much, he’s uninterested in all of it. Only lesser gods want to meddle and influence.d3U5b
9d16g2sBy comparison, this being watches everything from the highest place.WhxhVD
n5cR‘Some might call it negligence.’dba
wYXHo Ah-Hyun thought the same. Even so, he dared to speak, hoping this omniscient observer might indulge a small whim.h4j
4kf9b“What will be the end for that boy?”6XB4O
6KmoqIn front of Kang Geom-Ma, he had hidden it well. But the anxiety pressing on his chest was real.TyiBhm
M55‘I passed on his message.’HoL5
sT6cC6AHe knew nothing else. Only the gods knew what was to come.TVmXed
Tls“Your words are double-edged. Joaquin, that’s not what you truly mean. Don’t you actually want me to watch over Kang Geom-Ma?”IGi0I
COTJDl“Huh huh, I was clumsy. Tried to fool you.”Jcu
QfVwHo Ah-Hyun admitted it plainly.JDcntx
wO9RE“But yes, it’s true. I’m asking. That boy is mentally broken and has a volatile temper, but he’s not a lost cause. It’s just that the environment around him was so cruel it wrecked his mind.”DtBO7z
gmNK4AY“Well, I’d say more than ‘a little.’ Though yes, if I’d grown up with those parents, I’d be a wreck too. Wasn’t his father a repeat offender and his mother an addict? Even trash would be offended by comparison.”XMvgga
OgE5qA tongue clicked in disapproval. Ho Ah-Hyun responded.sorfy
yho“They were your creations too.”sojE
mbG“Come on, man…”3DY
P4NP2“I know. You only observe, right?”DNuTQ
udmGNsb“Seems like you’ve got a lot built up against me. But still, you punished them yourself in a way, didn’t you?”cqnDtsE
5ASpU5“Yes.”V1yyEek
YNR34“What did you do?”WKxHCa
PJnHe asked despite already knowing. Such poor taste. Ho Ah-Hyun answered without hesitation.NVE
8lJZL5N“I killed them.”rCyXrjR
2Bu1Bq“How curious. The man once called the founding hero, killing for personal reasons.”FFOf
EEppZ“A hero isn’t someone who acts righteously, but someone who can’t tolerate injustice. As you know, in our world, those who deserve death, die. Here, the legal system is so soft the truly damned keep walking around.”XqYJJC
Ox0AUHo Ah-Hyun’s gaze was firm.AxWr
585k940“That’s why I killed them. Because by my standards, they deserved to die. If that counts as vigilante justice, I have nothing to say. But ever since, I’ve never killed anyone on impulse again. That, I can swear in your name.”HGyzc
KVeKEkF“No need to swear. I understand. Just as Kang Geom-Ma feels out of place with that world’s logic, you too felt alien to this one’s morality.”L8BH
EyMi“That’s right.”q06t61Z
UFE“Well, alright.”52d4Smo
mcc7The other walked past Ho Ah-Hyun and headed for the door. He moved slowly, hands in his pockets.666n
0zKonXEven for Ho Ah-Hyun, it was the first time seeing him with his own eyes. Until now, his revelations came only in dreams, through voice alone.QJqR
qctGWzU“I have a question. If you answer it, I’ll keep an eye on Kang Geom-Ma. Consider it a bribe.”frPeAB
WssW0He said that just before turning the doorknob.i9pKUh
kqqlXI9“Why, upon coming to this world, did you choose a sashimi knife? That’s why Kang Geom-Ma only uses sashimi knives on the other side.”bLc
DMPrJ0“…No particular reason.”TVKsok
wUoIIrHo Ah-Hyun scratched his forehead with his thumb.KQtyJr
CjMNhV“When I first came to this world, I passed out from hunger. This was the place where they fed me. Little by little, I started working here and ended up staying—that’s the story.”KJJOT
pHI“Now that you mention it, you were just like Kang Geom-Ma. Is that why you took him in?”Oew
UPNj“I can’t say it didn’t influence me.”QaEc
MRqm“Well, don’t you sound human.”stu
tTyLdSm“I am human.”IwfFyX
Y4LK“Now I see who Kang Geom-Ma modeled himself after.”qXQGA
POWCHo Ah-Hyun cleared his throat quietly.WedBPH
0XyU“It’s not that much.”gRbH
B1lNR1R“Even the tone’s the same. Anyway, it’s been a long-standing curiosity of mine, but now it’s cleared up. Feels like a weight lifted.”BSNz
qqiP“…”PQt0We1
KyPCJfT“Got anything else to say? You’ve got that look.”kCe
PRp“Just in case… do you have a name?”po4
JT6lI“Of course I do.”QhQ
iYzFQGThe other slowly turned his head, and Ho Ah-Hyun’s eyes widened. Always serious, now he was visibly shocked.GpbrJ
894D“G.M.”rTK6xE
FPJbgrMThe other, an outer deity, smiled as he touched his cheek.B2IHRJ
wN6gF“Another name is, Geom-Ma.”gdb8
8Ag“…?!”tV8T
ZYZehmMHo Ah-Hyun reached out, but missed him. Even though it was his good arm this time, the alcohol hit late, and his eyelids fell shut.285pZVW
P4DddjaAs his consciousness sank, a soft voice echoed in his ear.17Nymx
IUB“Thanks to the academy you founded, Kang Geom-Ma remained human and not me. He’s the only one among all timelines. That’s your legacy. You can be proud, founding hero.”oBR
7dcCrrrk.A1uWPN
VRIThe scene beyond the restaurant revealed a lake. Countless sashimi knives were embedded on the surface like gravestones.tLyk2BT
gXzbIt was the domain of the God of the Sword—the Lake of the Sword.TmaQ6
Fb3Zb“Did you know the universe is shaped like a donut? They call that a ‘loop.’”MgsufJK
jTbXHe shrugged as he said it.ag4
Kn4zI6“Think of it like that, more or less.”u6nT8
A0VKOne final line.2HPnaiA
q6bDH1i“Thank you, Father. I just wanted to say that once.”711P
EYB80gdHe left Balor Joaquin behind and walked out of the shop.9vEQux4
7s0gHis vision blurred, and the founding hero fell into a deep sleep.42Frgq
tuVNOV4***Pm2
S7OOKWhen he opened his eyes, the surroundings were no longer the universe.2kLfJ
8XPfuThey were what had once been the universe.Nu8T
1E5Celestial bodies and galaxies split in two. Sword scars carved throughout the cosmos.aFrU7
iccwToo colossal to seem like mere battle traces.wSPV
spbb6The word “astronomical” is often used when something is immeasurable.orw
knFyRMIWhat he saw before his eyes was exactly that.TFdfpL
QdiBlSpace, which in the human mind represents infinity, was shattered.kGf
o1dvhINWhile he had been with the chief, it had all spiraled completely out of control.C5S6CU
yqK‘Who did this…?’81Jc
icVqYHe looked down at his own hands. He was gripping two sashimi knives tightly. Murasame, chipped, and Eternal Frost, silently weeping.w9P3YV9
ipy‘Was it me?’LX932ou
BilIt was absurd. How had he torn the universe apart with sashimi knives? And the funniest part was that he could still breathe.XZ5
Elm9pxEven without much scientific knowledge, he at least knew there was no oxygen in space.bcGaVp
q75hrKo‘Then I’m no longer human.’94FDh
i8SOSThat was the unspoken truth of the situation. Of course, he wasn’t the only one. There was also the hero, Leon, as wrecked as the universe itself.LbzyE
iau“Haah… haah…”zec9
A0NFHe was breathing irregularly.WhYm
my8His right elbow was bent backward, and he held his sword only in his left hand.SQ0
iLewHis abdomen had several holes, from which no blood emerged—only black liquid and stardust.sqlR
CdImZCqHe was miraculously still alive.uW2E6G
D89djJ1“The end… the end… look at it.”b4L5Y0
xqqiaLeon muttered between gasps.pRLiD
IUfKang Geom-Ma watched him silently. The boy shakily raised his sword. Dark energy clung to the blade like pulsing veins.zzw
KgJ9C3H“Kang Geom-Ma… you have to kill me.”8XQlPHF
IMBbldHis voice was desperate.Fy2apL
0Vc68“That’s the only way all of this will end.”TLVAv
5xWIt wasn’t a provocation. He genuinely wanted it to be over. His intention was clear even without words.EwB65c
UhxKang Geom-Ma sighed deeply.dLUFu
0dvYes, Leon had absorbed the false gods into his body. Not to gain power, but to imprison them. He had turned his body into a cage for them.nrtYpQ
tSkynhlThere was only one reason why he did all that.SAP
uJc“…You plan to die with them?”50ICMJP
fgTWaThat was why Leon had joined Kuarne and betrayed humanity. To bear all the evil and sin of this world alone.n9u
pcOpHe didn’t respond. In his left eye, darkened, shadows churned. The right one had also blackened halfway. Perhaps the thoughts of the false gods were invading him.tDa9M52
OjVFor a moment, Kang Geom-Ma felt a kind of reverence. The fact that a teenager could retain his sanity in that state was already a miracle. Maybe it was thanks to his “Miracle Blessing.”GJxW
VwVuBut that didn’t justify what he had done. He had attacked the heroes and, in the end, killed Saki Kojima.ArBrOe4
kpeNo matter the reason, that was an unforgivable sin.AKhXG3X
pDYHe had to pay for it. But not with his life.MHvkG7
vo4k3That wouldn’t balance the scales. His punishment shouldn’t come from a sword, but from humanity.zsR3PL
JKlnF9He closed his eyes. He divided time into fragments, preparing for Leon’s strike. Then he focused on his inner ear. And then, his other self, Lycan, responded.VIZ78
lmU— So, you want to go back to the mythical era?vQeQm
fWTHe asked mentally.NO1era0
3Po‘Can you do it?’7C6nqk
20KEcsU— I’ve never tried. But now I will.kNgp
57iiLycan’s spirit aligned beside him.8tjw
5or7o— Faster than light.P5GVBG0
pZ3QA flash of light illuminated the dark, silent universe.2uH
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BlackLotus
Qi RefinementI understand this a little bit, but atleast ik this is peak