Chapter 166: The Murderous Intent of Park Jeong-yong and the 10th Selection
“Whoa, what… What is this?! Why is this happening AGAIN?!”
I awoke in what felt like the umpteenth reincarnation to find myself face-to-face with the Special Platter of Park Jeong-yong. My heart nearly leaped out of my chest.
And, once more, in an unknown number of attempts, I restored the residual memories.
[Item Activation – Izanami’s Heart]
[Residual Memories from the Previous Life Acquired.]
[Restored 0 Points of Strength, 0 Points of Agility, 0 Points of Intelligence.]
[No skills were lost in the previous life, so no skills were restored.]
[All memories from the previous life have been fully restored.]
“Ghh…”
The countless iterations of my past-life suicide show flash back into my mind.
Perhaps it was because Ruci had died once. The excruciating pain that used to surge through my mind when restoring memories felt significantly milder this time around.
Anyway, that’s not the pressing issue now.
In a panic, I hastily pulled out the Box of the Dead. Inside it lay a single testament left by my past self.
“Wha… this is bullshit at the level of a terrible game… this can’t be real, right?”
Breathing out curses without hesitation, my eyes fixated upon the unbelievable reality written on the note.
[Current Challenge – Attempt Number 13]
[Stack complete. The Water Deity is knocking at the door outside. This time, they’re really coming out.]
[Please, Jong Yong, tell me this is true… Shit.]
I’ve died 13 times trying to pull the Water Ether. Now it’s the 14th attempt.
Is this even a game? Shit. This isn’t a game. Shit.
‘How desperate must I have been…’
To scribble such superstitious comments (?). The feelings of those 13 tragic deaths of mine become even more poignant. I trembled all over again.
The heavens are indifferent as well. Shit. Even after 10 consecutive lifetimes, I looped the process three more times.
It said 25% probability. Why hasn’t the Water Ether appeared yet? Is that not insane?
“Mr. Senior, isn’t this probability tampered with or something? Feels rigged.”
-Hmm, dunno? I’m only responsible for the system UI, so I don’t know. Ask the lesser deities.
“Shit, we should definitely start a boycott. At least, Mr. Senior, just hurry up and die already.”
-Hiiing, too much.
I mumbled and collapsed right there. The relentless downpour soaked through me.
Since the Ether would be automatically generated after some time anyway, there was no reason to confront my companions at the warehouse before confirming it.
It’s simply more peaceful staying here at the regression point.
‘Especially since I have to do another suicide show in front of Seseona unnecessarily.’
Even if these memories will eventually fade, I still want to protect Seseona’s emotions.
Above all, I remember her face screaming when she saw me. I don’t like that.
‘It’s about time that this should resolve…’
In agitation, I didn’t even notice that I was trembling my legs. I was biting my nails and shaking my wet hair out, when, soon after, the irritating effect sound played, and a panel popped up.
[Skill Success – Ether Collection (Passive)]
[A Water Ether has been collected into the Ether Condensation Bottle after satisfying the time requirement.]
[Time Remaining Until Next Ether Generation – 3 Hours]
“YES!!! COME ON!!!”
The moment I saw the word ‘Water’, I leaped up. My body moved faster than expected.
A drug-like excitement swept through my peripheral nerves, my body trembling with adrenaline as I screamed like a madman.
I finally understood why people go crazy over gacha games.
“Guys, it’s finally here! I swear!”
“Hiiiek! Master Jung Yong?!”
In my extreme joy, I yelled like a madman as I entered the warehouse building.
According to Seseona’s later testimonial, “At this time, Master Jung Yong looked crazier than when he held the red sword.”
And considering I have a history of such crazy antics, Knightrea immediately unloaded real bullets at me.
“That white-haired demon must have failed, it seems.”
“Huh?”
Bang, Bang, Bang! The revolver spit out lightning bolts.
If it weren’t for my superhuman senses that dodged them, my hard-earned Water Ether would have gone to waste.
It was a while before I managed to explain myself amidst the suspicious and distrustful gazes of Knightrea and Seseona, wiping sweat from my brow.
Ultimately, with the excuse that “the critically important Adrang needed to be quickly revived,” I managed to silence their mouths.
Muttering under my breath, I fed the Ether to Adrang.
“Master Adrang, drink this. It’s good for you, just gulp it down.”
“Ghhh….”
With a dialogue reminiscent of a son feeding ginseng tonic to an elderly mother.
Even in the brink of death, Adrang accepted the Ether bottle I offered.
“Please… please… father…!”
Carhalas watched beside me as if he had forgotten how to breathe.
Once the Ether was administered and the willpower infused through, the effects rippled through Adrang’s body, healing wounds at an accelerated rate.
‘Good. It’s not too late!’
The scorched, coal-blackened areas healed, and the gaping wound in his stomach disappeared in an instant. A calm, peaceful aura spread across Adrang’s face as he closed his eyes and started to breathe evenly.
He had fallen asleep, the tension finally easing from his body.
“Ah… thank goodness… father… thank heavens…”
Carhalas embraced Adrang and cried his heart out in joy.
Even Knightrea, who had been cold as ice throughout, softened her gaze and looked down at Carhalas with warmth. As for Seseona, there was no need to say.
“…”
Even though I had likened Adrang to a dead father, and had gone so far as to perform an Indian suicide ritual, something about seeing Adrang recover and Carhalas rejoice felt strangely complex.
“… Is it jealousy? Hmm, it’s somewhat different from that.”
If I must be honest, it was more a sense of regret.
‘If this were my father…’ A meaningless regret surfaced.
Unwilling to wallow in such sentimentality, I left the three women who were celebrating behind and stepped out of the warehouse.
Shaaahh…
The rain was still coming down in thick sheets.
The inferno that had engulfed Adrang’s mansion had visibly lessened.
“Fire! Wha… When did it start burning?!”
“It’s coming from the direction of Sir Adrang’s mansion!”
“Call the fire brigade!!”
Only now did the outside world begin to stir, the commotion growing steadily louder.
“… Is it audible?”
I looked up at the sky. The sticky, faint magical barrier characteristic of black magic had vanished without a trace.
Hector Cassas’ silencing spell had finally lifted.
“It took so long. Shit.”
I tapped my pouch pointlessly as I muttered under my breath. The egg inside reacted, wriggling faintly.
Getting to this point… it really felt like it had taken an eternity.
So truly… it was excruciating.
The incident of Hector and the Cassas gang had happened, and one day had passed.
Adrang continued to stay secluded in his mansion thereafter, maintaining absolute rest.
No contact with the outside was allowed. Not even priests for treatment or investigators examining the fire could come closer than a distance beyond some barriers.
Adrang provided the following summary of the fire incident:
-During a feast with guests, a fire broke out. Due to my negligence in my drunken state, I allowed the flames to grow unattended.
-Currently, with the chaos stemming from the Godless Festival, I’ll await its conclusion to take responsibility for the incident and tidy up the mansion. I’ll resign as a knight.
-In the meantime, as a gesture of self-restraint, I’ll remain secluded in my mansion, barring the entry of anyone outside family and honored guests.
Thus, the fact that Adrang had become a one-armed man was unknown to anyone but a few who had stood against Hector that day.
Moreover, a strict gag order was in place with regards to them as well.
Later, rumors quietly spread through the Temple of the Godless about the disappearances of Geom Rim’s, Paek Eun’s, and Gold’s knights.
Even after an investigative team frantically pursued their whereabouts, no traces of them were found anywhere.
‘Of course that would be the case.’
All the corpses had become feeding fodder for the shadowy black creatures nurtured by Elfride.
Not a single drop of blood or strand of hair would remain.
Adrang was naturally the first to be suspected, owing to the suspicious timing of the fire.
And Adrang consistently played dumb in response to all inquiries.
“… Since I loathe lying so much, I hope you accomplish what you set out to do.”
Adrang, caressing the cross-section of his severed arm, spoke to me behind the barrier.
While I couldn’t see his expression, his tone suggested he harbored some doubt. He seemed curious about my intentions.
But I merely bowed my head to dodge the question.
“Yes. Thank you.”
This is the power and coercion of authority.
Once Adrang says “it’s so,” without definite evidence, even a national investigative team could only nod and agree, moving on.
What could they do? They just had to accept it as truth.
‘Things are proceeding according to plan.’
In fact, when the investigative team later inspected the mansion, all the bodies of the Cassas clan were already consumed entirely by Elfride’s black magic.
Rather, we were actually covering up the existence of Cassas’ secret organization.
‘It isn’t time to reveal them yet…’
For the grand finale of my plan, these villains must remain hidden.
So inevitably, Adrang had to maintain his enigmatic image as per my request.
My revenge was not yet complete.
‘No, it’s just beginning.’
I licked my lips with a devious smile.
‘I’ll crush you all at once.’
Hector Cassas. Even your meticulous plans won’t leave you time to react.
Using all the information and methods gathered through repeated deaths, I will ensure, no matter what happens…
“To ruin everything you have.”
Muttering under my breath, as always, I headed to the Godless Festival arena where cries of battle resounded.
Today was the fourth day of the Godless Festival. The championship match for the ‘Dragon-Slaying Sword’ was about to begin.
-Jong Yong, do you HAVE to carry that sword? It’s giving me the shivers.
When I arrived at the contestant waiting room and stared blankly into the air, this comment came from Older Brother Sooho, who has no arms, directed at the bright red curved blade, the ‘Martial-Slaying Sword,’ carried on my back.
“… I don’t like it either, but I can’t just leave it somewhere dangerous, can I?”
-Hm. That’s… kinda true.
I carefully ran my fingertips along the sheath of the Martial-Slaying Sword, ensuring it wouldn’t accidentally slip out.
‘When I obtain the Dragon-Slaying Sword…’
There will definitely be some sort of change in this Martial-Slaying Sword.
That’s why Hector Cassas took the risk to infiltrate people into the Godless Festival.
I don’t yet know how it will transform or what the process is, but I’ll figure it out after obtaining it.
I smirked while observing the faces of the contestants warming up nearby.
‘Getting it won’t be a challenge at all.’
The championship’s rules state 10 randomized matches.
All of the Cassas clan lackeys should be gone by now. It doesn’t matter who my opponents are; I just need to demolish their heads to win.
Ten straight wins, and I’ll be guaranteed first place.
“The 500 warriors who have pierced through intense competition! The championship matches begin now!”
The middle-aged knight who made the opening declaration at the beginning of the festival solemnly announced the start of the championships.
Amidst the earth-shaking roars, a quiet competitive spirit ignited.
