Episode 25
While waiting for the plane to Jeju Island to depart, Jonghyeon came across shocking news.
On the news he was reading on his phone, a familiar name was written.
- Red Rose Guild. Sudden Agreement with Korea on Dungeon Administration!
The ripple effect of the article was enormous. Because it stated that the Red Rose Guild, his sworn enemy, was fully establishing a branch in Korea and subordinating itself to the country.
- So is Red Rose Guild going to monopolize all the high-rank dungeons in Korea? The more that happens, the harder it'll be for our country's talents to grow since items won't drop for them.
- What nonsense! Talents can't emerge from Hell Joseon anyway. We'd be better off if they at least maintained public order.
- I thought Red Rose Guild would devour the weakened South Korean government like this... *muffled* Your Honor, I'm innocent. My house cat...
- The rumors about Red Rose Guild are really nasty.
Opinions on the matter were quite divided, but there were many voices of concern regarding the agreement between Red Rose Guild and Korea. Because it was already evident that Red Rose Guild incurred the hatred of various countries by resorting to all kinds of means.
'Well. If they build a branch in Korea, revenge will be a bit more convenient. At least I won't have to take a plane.'
Jonghyeon summarized the article only in that manner.
Anger welled up just from seeing the name, but the time was not yet ripe.
Strangely enough, no matter how much ki he accumulated, he couldn't use the Body-Protecting Aura.
If he only learned the Body-Protecting Aura, he would strike the Red Rose Guild.
That was Jonghyeon's thought.
The Body-Protecting Aura and magic barriers.
They contributed immensely to guilds expanding their power over nations armed with modern guns and cannons.
How could a nation stand against a guild of ability users when guns and cannons didn't work on them?
Therefore, Jonghyeon was also incredibly obsessed with the Body-Protecting Aura.
And if he learned the Body-Protecting Aura, he would probably receive an astounding evaluation of at least A-rank.
'When I make my move on the world, that will be the time.'
While he was thinking such thoughts, the plane bound for Jeju Island departed.
Hmm. An MT.
Having properly heard the overview of the MT, Jonghyeon's mind was complicated.
Friends, and colleagues.
Were such things really necessary?
Watching the children enjoying themselves, Jonghyeon had nothing in particular to worry about.
The children were discussing dungeons and famous rankers, and Jonghyeon also hid at a distance, listening intently to their conversation.
"Have you heard of the Raynov Guild? It's a newly formed guild, but they say it has already cleared B-rank dungeons twice!"
"Isn't their guild master an Awakened called Spanoyte? I want to meet him sometime."
"From what I've heard, he carries seven swords on his back and swings them around like the Seven-Branched Sword."
Jonghyeon had met Spanoyte once before.
He remembered stealing an item before even becoming the target of Spanoyte's ability.
'To think that guy grew so big.'
Jonghyeon was once again surprised at his own position.
Even now, he was evaluated as C-rank or higher by the nation and a select few, but Jonghyeon had grown even stronger than that.
'If this information got out, I'd be scouted from everywhere.'
The night on Jeju Island was quite cold.
But the children paid no heed, holding a campfire and starting a drinking party.
Watching such a sight, Jonghyeon couldn't erase his thoughts about himself once again.
Friends. Colleagues.
Words that wouldn't leave his head. Jonghyeon still remembered the warmth of the Nemerek Guild he had met in Russia.
But the more he saw such sights, the more displeased Jonghyeon became.
'Friends and colleagues. If they were truly people I could trust, I wouldn't think of refusing. But at the same time, those precious people could fall into danger because of me.'
Jonghyeon had to take revenge. And he always moved alone.
He thought that for someone like him, making friends or colleagues would be an obstacle to them as well as to himself.
Based on this MT, Jonghyeon organized his thoughts perfectly.
Revenge. And success.
If he still felt lonely after accomplishing those two things, then he would look for friends.
★ ★ ★
After the two-night, three-day MT ended, and after seeing Bori return home safely, Jonghyeon, who had followed in late, reported the contents of the MT to Chairman Lee.
"There were no particular problems."
"Is that so? I suppose I worried for nothing."
Chairman Lee sipped his tea as he listened to Jonghyeon's report.
"So, what did you learn there?"
"Pardon?"
Jonghyeon was considerably flustered.
"I asked what you learned. Did you think I sent you there for no reason?"
"Simply. The children looked happy. But I also realized it was not a fitting garment for me."
Jonghyeon had things he needed to do.
And friends or colleagues weren't needed for that. Because it was his own matter. Because he had to resolve it with his own hands.
"Is that so? As expected, you are peculiar."
Chairman Lee had wanted to make Jonghyeon a bit more human. That was why he had sent him to something called an MT, so he could see what a human life was like.
"I still need to organize my thoughts a bit more, but I'm afraid I..."
Uncharacteristically, Jonghyeon hesitated for quite a while. And before Jonghyeon's words could even finish, Chairman Lee spoke.
"A father finds peculiar joy when his child leaves his embrace. If you wish to leave, then leave. But if you have nowhere to return to. It would be fine to come back here."
Seeing Chairman Lee answer as if he knew exactly what Jonghyeon was going to say, Jonghyeon pressed his lips shut tight.
The fact that he had to leave despite this giant of a man treating him so well weighed on his mind no less.
Chairman Lee took a peculiar liking to this strange man.
A pure youth who seemed like he had been through the world's filth and done all sorts of bad things.
A world where tens, no, hundreds would die if a faction war broke out between guilds. He thought the world had now rotted to that extent.
A world where life and money came first, and remaining values were priced by them.
He thought it was a rare purity to possess in such a world.
Furthermore, because this man was not ignorant of the world either, these were words spoken knowing exactly how Jonghyeon would take his offer.
"Thank you."
Jonghyeon pretended not to be moved as best he could, looked Chairman Lee straight in the eye, and expressed his gratitude.
Chairman Lee gave an awkward smile, checked his watch, and left the reception room, and Jonghyeon returned straight to his quarters.
★ ★ ★
A few days later.
Jonghyeon opened the door to the 6th stage.
And he couldn't help but be greatly surprised.
It wasn't because of the small room about the size of a school classroom, nor was it because the room was sealed, with only a dim light illuminating each other.
It was because none other than himself was standing there.
-Hello?
Just like Jonghyeon, who was quite outgoing, another version of himself greeted him.
"I'd appreciate it if you could explain what kind of situation this is."
A conversation with himself.
But the Jonghyeon across from him looked at him calmly.
-I am me. You are you. Aside from our similar appearances, we don't have much in common, do we? Do you need more of an explanation?
Seeing the doppelganger that even mimicked Jonghyeon's sarcastic tone, Jonghyeon felt displeased.
"So if I kill you, I clear the 6th stage?"
At Jonghyeon's question, the self across from him pondered for a while.
-Hmm... I wonder. How should I explain this? To be honest, this situation is bewildering for me too. You know the feeling of opening a door and going inside, only to find yourself staring at yourself?
Jonghyeon couldn't understand what the self across from him was saying.
But the self across from him continued speaking as if he didn't wish for Jonghyeon to understand.
-One thing's for sure: in this situation, only one of us can go back out that door. Right? In the end, we have to fight because of this damned system.
Jonghyeon still didn't understand. No, he no longer wanted to understand.
As if to prove it, Jonghyeon quietly drew his Sotaedo.
-Yes, that's it. It's just that I have a slightly different ability from you.
Puaaang-!
Sword aura and sword aura clashed, vibrating at that moment.
At the same time, they began pulling the shadows in the room to attack each other.
-You can't even use half of half of your ability, right? You know it too.
"Shut up!"
The shadows tangled together as if fighting, but Jonghyeon foresaw that he would lose that fight.
He could already feel that his opponent could control far more shadows. He even felt himself being pushed back each time their Sotaedos clashed.
-You can't beat me. Know why? Because you're a fake.
"I'm a fake? Then are you saying you're the real one? Ridiculous. Just a dungeon system. Can you even get out? No, what can you do even if you get out!"
Jonghyeon retorted at the words that he was weaker. He was a fake? Then what was real?
-You're the ridiculous one. If I get out, I'll receive a rank rating first. And I'll live enjoying the women, cars, houses, wealth and glory, and fame that come with it. Isn't that the correct answer?
Jonghyeon couldn't be sure, but he thought the doppelganger standing before him was another version of himself.
Dark parts that had existed within Jonghyeon's inner self. He felt it was a monstrosity created by those parts combining with the dungeon system's whatever-it-was.
His shadows were all subdued, and the doppelganger's shadows began to bind him.
-Who even acknowledges revenge these days? I don't do useless things. Wasn't that my original creed? Revenge is the most useless thing of all.
The self across from him shouted, binding Jonghyeon with shadows.
Jonghyeon pondered those words endlessly, but the shadows slowly tightened as if unwilling to give him more time to think.
Everything grew faint, and he could no longer think of anything.
Jonghyeon pressed the escape button without hesitation and escaped.
"Whew."
The time Jonghyeon had spent in the 6th stage was about 20 minutes.
But Jonghyeon felt that time was longer than 200 minutes.
At the same time, he thought.
'Do I want something else more than revenge? Is that really true?'
The orphanage was something Jonghyeon wanted to protect himself.
And what the doppelganger had said was what he wanted to achieve.
But Jonghyeon suddenly thought it was funny that he was even having such thoughts.
"Puhuhu... So what do you want to do?"
He asked with a laugh as if posing a question to himself, but he couldn't give any answer.
And he wondered what the doppelganger would say to him if he entered the 6th stage after finishing his revenge.
The most certain thing was: Jonghyeon had no confidence in clearing the 6th stage right now.
The doppelganger was himself with everything optimized. Attack and defense, ki and shadows. It handled all of them from a superior position to himself.
And the moment his thoughts reached that point, Jonghyeon realized what he lacked most right now.
'What I lacked wasn't the Body-Protecting Aura, nor enormous ki. It was simply the basics.'
Jonghyeon had never learned martial arts from anywhere.
All his fighting methods were built according to his own theories, and above all, were created based on experience.
But the conclusion was that with his skills built so haphazardly, he couldn't beat the optimized doppelganger.
Only now did Jonghyeon's wavering heart harden and become clear.
He now felt there was no need to try so hard to learn the Body-Protecting Aura. Because he thought that such techniques would naturally follow once he truly grew stronger and the abilities he handled became proficient.
Jonghyeon had now completely organized his thoughts.
First, although his belief that Chairman Lee would raise him up hadn't changed, it had no meaning for his current self.
What Chairman Lee could raise up was ultimately not his own ability. He had realized this during the few months under Chairman Lee.
'From now on, I will make what is mine truly mine. I will defeat myself. And when I am satisfied with myself, I shall return here.'
He thought there was no need to feel rejection toward the things that followed after setting his own goals and abilities in order.
However, the second thing he realized was that continuing to live like this without ability was ultimately of no help.
'Relationships? Wealth and glory? Let them all follow. I may be awkward with them now, but someday I'll make them mine too. But for now, my own completion comes first.'
Jonghyeon went straight to Chairman Lee and informed him that he was leaving. Having shaken off work and distracting thoughts, because he wanted to devote himself to training, Jonghyeon was rather able to speak clearly.
It might not be as the person in charge had said, but Jonghyeon's vision was now wide open. He could leave without lingering attachment.
Because he could see the self that would return.
Thus, six months passed.
★ ★ ★
Six months later.
The Red Rose Guild had virtually occupied the Korean government.
The guild branch built in the heart of Seoul was erected after completely demolishing the expensive buildings that had previously occupied the site. Accordingly, the people's reactions grew stronger.
-The government seems like Red Rose Guild's henchman now.
-Does it make sense to demolish perfectly fine buildings in the heart of Seoul just to build their own house?
-Sigh. As expected, it's Hell Joseon. When do I get to escape this country?
-Your words are too harsh, sir. It's still a nation. We are the descendants of Dangun. We must overcome!
-Ridiculous. Did Dangun even give you rice cakes? What nonsense. In this democratic era.
-Isn't it the era of guildism, not democracy?
But there wasn't a single person who stood up to fight the Red Rose Guild head-on, having grown stronger than the nation itself.
On the contrary, only those trying to forge even the slightest connection with Red Rose Guild increased. Those with similar power chose containment instead of all-out war.
That was the current state of Korea.
"It's the end times, the end times. These bastards are now eyeing my business, aren't they?"
Chairman Lee vented his anger while holding a newspaper in one hand and drinking tea with the other.
"Is that so? Shall we engage in all-out war?"
Yu Jinseong, who was beside him, spoke to Chairman Lee as if it were nothing.
"No. These guys' power is no joke right now. Can we be certain of victory even if you are deployed?"
Yu Jinseong pondered Chairman Lee's question for a moment.
He was a powerful individual ranked within the top ten in Korea. Yet Yu Jinseong had chosen Chairman Lee over a guild or the nation.
If someone like him were deployed? He couldn't guarantee certain victory, but Yu Jinseong had never thought he would lose a fight.
"If it is your order, I will depart immediately."
"That's enough. Stop. If I lose you for nothing, my position crumbles. I think we only need to keep them in check. For now."
Chairman Lee waved his hands, seeing Yu Jinseong's determined appearance.
"More importantly, can you reach Jonghyeon? I have no idea what he's been up to lately."
"I don't know about that either. Ever since he quit saying something came up, there has been no word from him."
"I know. It doesn't seem like he's working as a fixer again either. His phone is always off too."
Chairman Lee suddenly missed him. He felt that if Jonghyeon and Yu Jinseong worked together, they could completely destroy even the Red Rose Guild.
A few months ago, Chairman Lee hadn't stopped Jonghyeon, who suddenly said he was leaving.
"It hasn't been many months, but I am deeply indebted to you."
"So it comes to this in the end."
Chairman Lee gazed intently at Jonghyeon.
"I have something I must do. And I wish to focus on it. However, as you said before. If I have nowhere to return to. Then I will certainly come to see you. After everything is settled."
It was the first time Chairman Lee had seen Jonghyeon's resolute expression. And it was an expression he would never forget.
Even though it was an expression of resolve as if he were a man about to die, could one say that it instead inspired the conviction that he would achieve something?
"Yes. I understand. Even if I mention the orphanage to hold you back, you won't be held back, will you?"
To Chairman Lee, who asked with a serious expression, Jonghyeon answered without a moment's hesitation.
"I trust you, Chairman. And... shouldn't you also prepare for my return?"
At Jonghyeon's face answering with a smile, Chairman Lee also answered with a hearty laugh.
"You. You've finally become the real thing. Don't worry about the orphanage, and make sure to finish what you want to do. I'll be waiting."
That was how Jonghyeon had left Chairman Lee's side.
A rather long tutorial ends.
---------= Author's Afterword ---------
The long tutorial has ended.
Honestly, I know you probably think of a tutorial as something simple.
I wanted to explain, through this thing called a tutorial, not simply the protagonist getting stronger or obtaining abilities, but more the reasons for his inner growth and how he could become stronger.
I can't guarantee whether it was conveyed well. Haha.
From the next arc, 'The Fixer: Making a Name,' it will get a bit more interesting.
And normal serialization begins.
That's all.
Ah, right! First clicks, recommendations, comments, and criticism are all welcome, so please feel free!!!