#027.
『The End, and Eight Years Later』
Ogang, the five massive pillars supporting humanity.
Having already firmly established their respective domains, they should never have pointed their blades at one another.
Just think.
If they—having already grown as large as they possibly could—pointed their blades at each other, tremendous damage would result. Then who would reap the benefits?
The remaining three forces that didn't fight would be the only ones laughing.
That was why they had only been implicitly watching one another, with nothing more than small-scale skirmishes breaking out.
For the sake of profit, they should never have pointed their blades at one another.
But since when did the affairs of this world ever go exactly as intended?
On the day that marked eight years since the apocalypse began, the greatest event that the survivors would never forget occurred.
A war had broken out between two forces belonging to Ogang—Baek-ui and Heukseong.
And it was not the small-scale skirmishes they had put on for the sake of pride, but an all-out war for each other's survival.
“Keuk!”
“Uwaaack!”
Screams.
“Kill them!”
“Don't let them escape!”
And a battlefield where war cries echoed back and forth.
Blood formed puddles, and corpses formed mountains.
Was this another trial being presented to them?
No.
It was a situation where they had overcome the given trial, and a brief moment of rest had been granted before moving on to the next one.
The cause was the war between the two Ogang forces, Baek-ui and Heukseong.
No matter how different their goals and interests, they were still survivors weathering the apocalypse together.
But why?
Why were they waging a war to kill each other as if they were sworn enemies?
“Why?”
William, who had cut down his opponent.
Powerful enough to be called the Star of the Sword—a survivor ranked 30th—voiced his doubt.
“Why the hell!”
That doubt soon turned to rage.
“Choe Jin-seong! Why the hell are you fighting such a meaningless war of attrition!”
He shouted toward the enemy front where their foes had gathered.
In the center of the enemy camp, surrounded by guards—Choe Jin-seong.
The leader of Heukseong and one of the strongest survivors, ranked 15th.
Though he hadn't obtained the title of the Ten Venerables, no one could say anything about his influence.
Because no one thought that the leader of an organization called Ogang was beneath the Ten Venerables.
One who received the acclaim of many.
Yet now, he was committing an incomprehensible act.
He had suddenly declared all-out war on Baek-ui.
Just why?
For what purpose?
*Sneer.*
To William's shouts from afar, Choe Jin-seong only responded with a crooked smile.
And.
“Push forward. This time, we must erase those arrogant Baek-ui bastards from this world!”
At Choe Jin-seong's repeated encouragement.
“Uwaaaaah—”
The Heukseong members let out screams that were closer to war cries and surged in like waves.
“Damn it!”
William—a man whose composure was rarely shaken.
But in this very moment, he couldn't help but spit out a curse.
They had just survived a trial that had claimed countless victims.
‘We can't retreat anymore.’
They could no longer afford half-hearted resistance against those charging with doubled courage.
“Have you made up your mind?”
The one beside William, placing a hand on his shoulder, was Sin Yun-chan.
“…Because I too have something I must accomplish.”
“Good thinking. It was a fight we'd have to face sooner or later anyway. You knew as well that they were hostile to us.”
“….”
Heukseong had held unusually strong hostility toward Baek-ui.
Until now, it hadn't developed into an all-out war, but now that it had happened, there was no reason to hesitate.
Even if it reduced the probability of survival, even if it cut down the strength to resist the apocalypse, they had to do it to survive.
Because that was the law of survival.
“Let's go, Yun-chan.”
“Yeah.”
*Srrrng—*
William drew his sword.
That sword boasted a black blade—it was the famed blade Arondight, which never broke when wielded for a just cause.
And the moment Yun-chan's hand touched that blade.
*Hwaahak!*
A brilliant light illuminating the battlefield.
That light illuminating the sword and the pure white armor was caused by the Enhancement trait.
It was a trait that granted a temporary enhancement overlapping with the existing one.
“Let's go, Yun-chan.”
Led by William, who had finally steeled his resolve, they charged forward.
“….”
And Yun-chan, following behind him.
In the past, he might have been merely a simple Enhancer, but now he was different.
Having completed enhancement of his entire body, he had become a combat agent capable of performing a combat role rather than a supporting one.
Moreover.
*Hwaahak!*
He attempted temporary enhancement on all the equipment covering his body.
A light far more intense than the previous golden hue enveloped the battlefield.
That was ‘Self-Strengthening,’ one of the unique abilities of an Enhancer, which granted a far more powerful effect than enhancements given to others.
Now, at this very moment.
*Kwaang!*
A calamity armed with powerful equipment began to sweep across the battlefield.
“Break through!”
“Yes!”
With William and Yun-chan—who bore the strongest martial force—leading the breakthrough, the morale of Baek-ui soared.
Baek-ui, which had been pushed back by Heukseong's momentum just moments ago, began to pierce the enemy lines with astonishing force.
Hundreds, and then thousands.
Most of the members supporting Heukseong died.
An overwhelming victory for Baek-ui.
It was a result no one had expected.
Because outwardly, the prevailing opinion had been that their forces were evenly matched.
Yet when the results were laid bare, Baek-ui was dominant.
“Choe Jin-seong!”
William's furious cry.
Surrounded by elite soldiers trembling in fear, Choe Jin-seong finally revealed himself.
The man armed in black armor that contrasted with William.
*Srrrng—*
He drew the Sword of Light that contrasted with his armor.
Excalibur.
The Sword of Victory, known as the most powerful among existing Noble Phantasms.
“Why on earth did you cause this? Even if we're forces gathered for mutual benefit, weren't we comrades heading toward the apocalypse?”
To William's question.
“Comrades?”
He snickered.
“Not once have I ever thought of you as comrades, though?”
And he turned around, gaze sweeping over the Heukseong members trembling in fear.
“These guys here are the same.”
“You, what…?”
Something was wrong.
Yun-chan sensed something suspicious and was about to speak.
“You are chess pieces. Tools that move to accomplish my goal—nothing more.”
At that moment.
“Get back!”
Yun-chan, who had warned William, grabbed him and retreated.
Along with that.
*Hwhiooooo!*
A massive black sphere boasting tremendous suction power formed above Choe Jin-seong's head.
“At this moment, I become a transcendent being beyond humanity.”
What the suction pulled in was neither William, Yun-chan, nor Baek-ui.
It was the former Heukseong members who had become corpses—all of them were sucked in.
“A god—yes. A being worthy of being called a god will be born!”
When the black sphere, like a black hole, had drawn in all of them.
“Get away!”
Yun-chan, intuiting the danger by instinct, pushed William away.
And.
*Kwakwakwakwakwa-kwangg!*
A massive explosion erupted at the spot where they had been moments before.
It was not a trait Choe Jin-seong possessed, but the Explosion trait of one who had been a Heukseong executive.
*
Taewang Group Executive Meeting Room.
Only two people were in the spacious meeting room.
Chairman Gang, who had overcome dementia and still firmly held his position, and Sin Yun-chan.
“Seong Ye-il, Han Yeong-ung, and even Jeong Do-hwan that you mentioned have all been placed under protective measures.”
Swift measures taken in just one hour.
“It's a safe place, right?”
“Since it was your request, I paid considerable attention to it.”
“Then that's a relief.”
The fact that Chairman Gang had paid attention meant they had been placed in secure protection that ordinary people couldn't find.
‘I have to prepare in advance before their hands reach them.’
I didn't know what method they used to identify the Awakened.
One thing was certain: they knew about an Awakened named Jeong Do-hwan—though they didn't seem to have grasped that he would later become one of the Four Venerables—and had tried to win him over.
That was why I had requested protective measures for the three who would later become important figures, and I had now confirmed it was done.
“And this.”
The stack of documents Chairman Gang held out.
“Choe Jin-seong. His residence.”
As expected, his efficiency was remarkable.
“Thank you.”
“No need for thanks. But there is one thing I'm curious about.”
“What is it between us? Ask away if you're curious.”
“Yun-chan, you seem urgent. As if you're being chased by something.”
“…You certainly have keen eyes. Yes. I am definitely being chased by something right now.”
“Is it something you didn't expect?”
“Yes. Something I never dreamed of is happening.”
“The requests you made just now are related to that as well, I suppose.”
“Exactly.”
“…Could you tell me? What is chasing you. And what is happening right now.”
From Chairman Gang's position, he would be curious.
About what could be chasing me—someone with the ability to cure dementia and wipe out organizations in an instant.
And what my future plans were.
“If it's a secret, you don't have to tell me….”
Chairman Gang noticed my hesitation and changed the subject.
“No. I'll tell you.”
If it had been a short while ago, I wouldn't have revealed the secret.
But now the situation had changed.
The Awakened were appearing.
Of course, it was not yet targeting all of humanity, only a minority, but it was true that the awakening process had begun.
However, no one knew when that would change.
Once the awakening process began in earnest, full-scale precursory phenomena would occur, and the world would fall into chaos.
Before that, those with me—especially Chairman Gang—could know the truth without issue.
“Soon… an enormous change will occur in the world.”
“From the way you're speaking, it doesn't seem like an ordinary change.”
“A great upheaval. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say all order until now will change. That's why preparation is needed. Preparation for as much of humanity as possible to survive the coming apocalypse.”
“That means everything you're doing now is related to that preparation.”
“That's correct.”
“….”
Silence fell for a moment.
“I won't ask how you know this, or what your reasons are. Even partners have lines they shouldn't cross.”
“Do you believe me?”
“Is there a reason not to?”
“It's an absurd story.”
“Though our acquaintance hasn't been long, I've determined that you are not someone who speaks nonsense.”
After a brief pause.
“Seeing you speak so seriously, it must be true. And people who spout absurdities never admit that their own words are absurd.”
Anyway, his perceptiveness was truly something.
“Then what I must do is clear. To help you thoroughly with that preparation in every possible way.”
“I couldn't ask for more if you would do that.”
“Very well. I shall use all my wealth and the bit of power I hold to help as much as possible.”
“You don't ask for compensation?”
“….”
He stared at me fixedly.
“Maintaining my partnership with you. That would be compensation enough.”
Glistening eyes.
‘The old tiger was still hiding his sharp fangs and claws.’
Right now, he was making a gamble.
Betting on me—one who had foreseen the great upheaval—to gain as much profit as possible.
And that was what I wanted as well.
“I look forward to working with you.”
“That is what I should say.”
Meeting a partner whose understanding aligns is a difficult thing.
In that regard, I suppose I am quite fortunate.