Episode 67.
The Sinin is Chairman Kang?
I had never once considered it.
From the very beginning, it was impossible for two of the same being to exist.
But now, after hearing all the facts, I couldn't stop the doubt from creeping in.
Take me, for example. I had returned to the past through regression.
Of course, that was something only I, as the holder of the Stone of Regression, could have accomplished.
‘What about this world?’
In this world where I had returned as a regressor, it was possible that someone other than me had acquired the Stone of Regression this time.
Of course, regression wasn't about splitting one's existence in two, but about returning to the past—so I should rule out that possibility, yet…
‘Even if it's not regression, there could be various phenomena: reincarnation, time slips, time travel, moving to a parallel world, and so on.’
A world filled with all sorts of transcendent phenomena.
If regression was possible, there was no reason the rest couldn't happen either.
But to dismiss all those possibilities entirely… This world, a world called the apocalypse, was far too much of an unknown.
Now, let’s think.
If another Chairman Kang had returned to the past through such phenomena, or had traveled here from a parallel world.
‘Chairman Kang is not a man who bends his convictions. Black Moon, and the one who planned all of this….’
It would be to efficiently prepare for the apocalypse.
Gathering the Awakened even before the apocalypse and forming the most powerful force.
If one created a supreme force standing alone without rival, humanity wouldn't have to bleed among themselves.
And they could band together as one to overcome the ordeals ahead with minimal casualties.
Ah, of course, that was purely my own speculation.
“I have one question.”
I asked bluntly, so as not to let it weigh on my mind any longer.
“If you, Chairman Kang, were to return to the past through some special opportunity, how would you prepare for the apocalypse?”
“….”
There was no answer for a while.
But soon.
“I would create the greatest force that no one would dare challenge. Because that would be the way to minimize humanity's losses.”
“But the blood spilled in the process….”
“For the greater cause, one must know when to overlook the trivial.”
It was certainly no different from what I had thought.
If he had said something different here, I might have been disappointed.
If it were the Chairman Kang I knew, it was obvious he would have conceived the exact same scheme as the Sinin.
What a relief.
That he spoke the truth even in this situation.
Well, that's what a tiger is.
One who may break, but never bends.
“What would you have me do?”
A voice drifted out after a brief silence.
“What would you have me do?”
“Are you asking me that?”
“Just because. I'm curious.”
I gazed fixedly at Chairman Kang.
In a sense, it was a situation where my life could be in danger.
But this old tiger was unperturbed.
Was it an act?
No.
It was an innate disposition.
I supposed this was exactly what people meant when they spoke of vessels of a different size.
“Under the circumstances, it seems highly likely that I am the Sinin.”
“That seems so.”
“If so, is there anything to hesitate over?”
“You mean….”
“I must be killed.”
“….”
He uttered the words telling me to kill him with perfect composure.
“Are you serious?”
“Hoho! I appreciate your high regard for this old man, but even I am not so bold as to gamble with my own life.”
“That only makes it more remarkable. You say you're not one to gamble with your life, yet you calmly tell me to kill you. Where would an ordinary person say such a thing?”
“Hmm. When you put it that way, I suppose so. Indeed, I would have to be quite a remarkable figure.”
“I'm not joking. You truly are remarkable.”
“I think that's enough praise. So?”
“Yes.”
“What do you intend to do? As for me, Yunchan, I intend to follow whatever choice you make.”
“….”
I held my tongue for a moment.
“To be honest, I hope you choose to eliminate me.”
“No.”
Honestly, there was nothing to think about.
“Why would you do this? You're someone who knows full well that I'm not that kind of person.”
“….”
“If this is a test for me, please stop. This isn't even amusing.”
“…Did you catch on?”
“Yes. The acting was a bit clumsy.”
It was a sort of test.
Just as I had tested Chairman Kang moments ago, Chairman Kang had tested me in turn.
If I had chosen to kill him here.
‘Our trust would have crumbled.’
Leaving aside the danger to his life, at that very moment our trust would have collapsed beyond recovery.
Even if that meant severing it with Chairman Kang's death.
“Although I did regress to stop the apocalypse, I have no intention of seeking extreme gain by killing my own people. Even if that brings harm to humanity.”
Stopping the apocalypse?
It was a grand path to save all of humanity.
But I had no desire to reap benefits by cutting down my own people along the way.
“And the Sinin? That guy is nothing special. Chairman Kang is far more precious to me, so don't utter such insincere words about killing or whatnot.”
“…Thank you.”
Was it because he was getting old?
Somehow, from this tiger who had been nothing but cold and calculating, I seemed to catch a whiff of humanity.
“But this has become quite troublesome.”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought I'd never have to stand on the front lines. To think I'd face this in my later years.”
Until now, he had been an ordinary person who hadn't awakened his traits, so he had mainly been in charge of intelligence.
‘But from now on, things will be different.’
Dual traits. And if they were trait absorption and bestowal, it wasn't a matter of standing on the front lines—he should be standing at the very forefront.
“Can you tell me what I must do from now on?”
Great power comes with equivalent responsibility and cost.
Chairman Kang, well aware of that, asked about his role.
“You probably have some idea, but it will be quite a difficult task.”
“I had resolved myself from the moment I gained this special power.”
Even if he now smelled of humanity, he was still a tiger.
“Until now, we have killed captured Awakened or summoned their souls to extract information from them.”
We had captured countless Awakened while waging war against Black Moon.
The purpose of capturing them had been to acquire information on Black Moon and to fill the Soul Jar.
But from now on, that would change.
“Your Trait Absorption. We will use it to steal their traits. And if there are worthwhile traits, we might distribute them among our own people.”
“Yes. That is what must be done.”
“But will that be alright?”
“What do you mean?”
“I suspect that absorbing a trait will certainly kill that person. I'm asking if you're still alright with that.”
“So what?”
“…What?”
“Is this not the apocalypse? One mustn't invoke the order of modern society. Killing people. That will become an everyday occurrence soon—what problem is there with that?”
A fearsome man is truly a fearsome man.
His mental fortitude was so solid that one could believe he had already survived an apocalypse.
“There's no need to worry about such trivial details. If that is my role, I shall fulfill it faithfully. Rather than that….”
He asked after a brief pause.
“Coexistence with Black Moon. Do you have no intention of considering that?”
Here, it was obvious he was a businessman.
The kind of disposition that could shake hands with a sworn enemy from just moments ago if it meant profit.
“It's impossible.”
“Hmm.”
“In any case, a relationship of coexistence with Black Moon is impossible. We have no intention of negotiating in the first place, and leaving a tumor devouring the body alone will only damage us further.”
Our convictions are firm on both sides.
Even if they walk a path for humanity, if their methods and convictions differ, coexistence is impossible.
“Forcing a connection will only backfire, so it's best not to even entertain such thoughts.”
Rather than the possibility of coexistence.
“Suppressing them when we are certain we can. That will be the priority.”
They may think themselves supreme, but who knows.
‘Already, that gap is narrowing.’
Through the portents of the treasured artifact's manifestation, that gap was steadily narrowing.
And now, with Chairman Kang's trait awakening, that gap would narrow even further.
“I clearly understand your thoughts.”
“I am glad if my intent was conveyed well.”
And so, that series of topics came to a close.
*Slurp.*
Sipping the warm tea set before us.
“By the way, it's been quite a while since the two of us talked like this.”
“It has. The schedule in China took longer than expected.”
“So.”
“Yes.”
“I know you'll manage fine on your own, but what about the others?”
By ‘the others,’ he meant the comrades.
“Everyone is growing rapidly. Well, they are prodigies beyond their station, so they grow quickly with just a little guidance.”
“That sounds a bit different from what I heard?”
“…What?”
“Han Yeongung.”
Ah!
I realized what Chairman Kang was getting at.
“I had heard that he alone had been underperforming in the recent battles.”
This old man—just when had he fixed another watchful gaze?
As expected, he was a man who couldn't be thought of as an ordinary person.
For such a man to have gained traits on top of that, and dual traits at that, his future growth was truly immeasurable.
“It's true that Hero's performance has certainly been lacking.”
I thought back on the battles so far.
If we measured by merit, Jeong Rohwan would undoubtedly be first, William and Yeil tied for second, and Hero third.
Liu Yan had only just joined us as a comrade, so it was too early to discuss his performance.
In any case, Yeongung had failed to display any notable skill to the extent that his performance was considered the weakest among the four.
Well, it wasn't that I didn't understand.
‘Unarmed combat, fighting without weapons, is quite difficult.’
Jeong Rohwan commanded the dead, William wielded a sword, and a healer supported the party.
Compared to them, it was an unavoidable phenomenon that Hero, forced to fight bare-handed, showed poorer performance.
We could force a weapon into his hands, but.
‘It would be like cutting radish with a treasured sword.’
Fist King was a trait specialized in unarmed combat.
Even if he was at a disadvantage now, giving him a weapon would only erase his combat experience and proficiency.
“Shouldn't some measure be taken? If we just watch silently like this, it could lead to a drop in his confidence.”
“A drop in confidence….”
He would know best about his own poor performance.
It certainly seemed possible that he would think that way.
“It's a needless worry.”
But I could say this with certainty.
“The Hero I know is not someone who would fall over something like this. He overcame even greater ordeals alone, in silence.”
The one who, without any help, had instead suffered because of the stubbornness of being a late bloomer, endured that harsh ordeal and survived the apocalypse.
“Something like this is an ordeal? Psh, it doesn't even qualify as one. He'll probably dust himself off and get back up in no time.”
“Is that so? You seem to have a firm trust in him.”
“Before the regression, he was one of the comrades I trusted most.”
Since we had already spoken about the regression, there was no reason to hide it.
“That one sentence alone makes the reason for your trust convincing.”
“He will do well.”
That wasn't merely one-sided belief.
‘He's called Hero for a reason.’
Han Yeongung.
He was exactly the kind of guy worthy of the name Hero.