MTLNOVEL Chapter 2 - Return (2)
Episode 2
Episode 2: Return (2)
“… … .”
For a moment, Lee Seong-hun’s face hardens coldly.
He was so angry that his face turned bright red.
It’s to the point where you wonder if this person even has this kind of expression.
Well, I guess there hasn’t been anything that’s this frustrating lately.
But thanks to that, I feel relieved.
“I’ve always admired your foolishness, but this time you’ve crossed the line.”
I answered by drawing my sword.
No matter how you look at it, it’s impossible to find any weakness in him.
Further conversation was pointless.
But that doesn’t mean I can back down.
The opportunity was now.
The ark will soon be ready to set sail.
So, you have to do it in there.
‘Fuck.’
Now it’s a do or die situation.
I have to either die or break the power.
Boom!
I put all my energy into my toes.
A new type of bullet shoots out like a bullet through the ground.
He put the blade on top of that speed.
A flash of light extended from the waist and cut through the area.
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
It was power packed into one trajectory.
And it was the most perfect swordsmanship I have ever swung.
The belief that I had ignored death was sharpening my blade and lifting me to a higher level.
It feels like I’ve become one with the sword.
The thrill of being struck by lightning in the head spreads down the spine and throughout the body.
At the same time, the enemy that was as huge as Mt. Taishan shrinks back to its original size.
Lee Seong-hun’s eyes shook slightly as if he was surprised.
perhaps…….
I might be able to ring it.
Phew!
Blood spurted out before my eyes.
The blood drops that were scattered here and there were captured clearly in my vision, one by one, like snowflakes.
His right arm, which had been holding the sword, was swinging in the air.
But, it was a coincidence.
Lee Seong-hun’s sword cut off my right arm with one blow.
“Keuuuuuup!”
The moment I realized it, lightning flashed before my eyes.
I opened my eyes wide, suppressing the scream that was about to burst out with my molars, just to see the next separation.
But I didn’t see it.
Crunch!
A cloud of light spread out and a cool sensation passed over my left shin.
At that moment, the world tilted upside down.
I didn’t have much difficulty in finding out that my left foot had been cut off.
But thanks to that I found it.
‘Gap!’
For the first time, I saw the power plant that existed beyond Lee Seong-hun. I threw the magic bullet I had prepared toward the gap.
The magic bullet, which was the size of a baseball, had explosive power strong enough to blow away an entire area.
‘I can’t let you go even if you die!’
The magic bullet thrown with all one’s might shoots out like a bullet.
A straight flash of light shot towards the power plant.
The speed was fast enough to break the speed of sound and create a sonic boom.
But the sword of the Black Sword was faster than that.
Choaaaaaaaaaah!
There was a loud noise as if space was being torn apart.
A flash of light so large it completely obscures my vision engulfs the entire space.
As a wave of light passed by, I could still see Lee Seong-hun standing proudly like a crane.
He was leisurely catching the bomb I threw with one hand like it was a baseball.
“… … .”
I stared blankly at the sight.
I never thought his power would be this overwhelming.
The swordsmanship he just showed me existed in a different dimension than mine.
It was so shocking that I didn’t even realize that I had lost my right arm and left foot for a moment.
“You brought something quite interesting.”
Lee Seong-hoon looks back at me.
The expression that had been cold and frozen until just a moment ago had now become calm.
As if nothing had happened.
“It was a little fun for the first time in a while.”
He continued, sharpening his sword elegantly.
“A belief that is worth dying for, that’s good. But didn’t I say that all things flow from above to below? Deciding on someone’s life is also a privilege reserved for those with power.”
I heard those words while lying on the floor.
The blood flowing from my body was spreading widely.
“The powerless always have no choice but to follow that decision. There is no choice. That is why your beliefs are nothing but illusions. You just live that way if I tell you to live that way, and die that way if I tell you to die that way.”
It was absurd, but I couldn’t say anything in response.
Pain slowly began to rise from the cut surface.
The senses that had been temporarily lost due to the mental shock were returning.
I clenched my teeth so hard that I felt like a groan might escape at any moment. My eyes were bloodshot, but I looked straight at Lee Sung-hoon without blinking.
I can’t just scream and run away.
That was the only thought that filled my head.
“So, try to survive as a half-cripple. Let me test whether you can keep your faith even in hell. It’s a shame that I won’t be able to see the results.”
Lee Seong-hun smiled brightly.
“Is there any reason to do so?”
And that was the end.
For a moment, everything flashed before my eyes and I completely lost consciousness.
When I opened my eyes again, I was left on the side of the road, still in first aid.
And over there.
Kuoooooooooooooooo!
I could see a giant ark flying towards the bright full moon.
* * *
The masterminds of destruction, the ones who turned the Earth into ruins, have left. To build a new world, their own kingdom.
Now, all those left behind in the destruction were those who had no responsibility for this situation.
However, this does not mean that the entire upper class left.
There were also those like me who were left behind even though they could have boarded the ark.
We hastily organized the leadership team.
Dungeon breaks will soon occur all over the world.
In order to respond quickly to this, it was necessary to quickly replace the high-ranking personnel who had disappeared in an instant.
“You take the position of commander.”
At first, I thought it wasn’t a position I could handle.
But somehow I ended up becoming the commander in chief.
At this time, I was thirty-one years old.
Although he rose from one star to five stars overnight, it was not something to be happy about.
I was half-crippled, and now the real end was coming.
It was a position filled with only great responsibility rather than authority.
The first thing I did when I was in that position was to hold a press conference and tell the truth.
“The ark will not return.”
After that, as expected, there was a big uproar.
People were very indignant.
Among them, there were many who did not believe the new leadership’s words.
The days of confusion continued.
Flags with a blue moon on a black background, symbolizing Lee Seong-hun’s family name, ‘Changwol’, were burned all over the city, and the official residence where they lived was overturned in the riot.
But they were no longer here.
“Now is not the time to sit still.”
I actively encouraged the angry citizens.
Signs of the end were raising their heads everywhere.
If this continues, I’ll really die without being able to do anything.
This was not the time to be doing this.
“You must clear the main quest to survive.”
I first set clear goals.
“If we clear all the main quests, we might be able to obtain something that will allow us to transcend dimensions like them.”
And it gave hope through an optimistic future.
Of course, the process was not easy.
It was a time when just getting through each day was overwhelming.
In the meantime, you clear the main quest while killing the monsters that rush in?
To be honest, it was nearly impossible.
But without even this optimistic hope, the situation was so bad that there was no will to move forward.
“But even so, we must move forward. We must survive.”
It wasn’t just because of survival instinct.
We had a clear motivation to endure that ordeal.
“Wouldn’t that be the only way we can judge those who have abandoned us?”
I fueled people’s anger.
But even that didn’t go as planned at first.
“You guys are the same kids!”
There were those who did not believe me as their commander, and those who did not believe that we had been abandoned.
But as time goes by.
As the end approaches and it becomes clear that the ark will not return.
We came together under one goal.
“Let’s give it a try!!”
“Fuck! I can’t die like this!”
“I think I’ll just let those kids eat well and live well!!”
“Let’s get some proper revenge!!”
Those who abandoned us were the ones who kept us alive.
And that’s when hell began.
The dungeon break phenomenon continued.
The Earth began to be overrun by monsters, and a tidal wave of monsters surged toward the city.
We risked our lives to defend the walls.
Day after day, people and colleagues died.
The pain and crying continued like an endless rainy season.
In those terrible times, we survived by experiencing someone’s death and by building on someone’s sacrifice.
I won like that little by little.
“Commander, please get some sleep… … .”
In the meantime, I didn’t stop my rehabilitation training.
Even though I was half-crippled, I couldn’t give up like this.
“Don’t worry. It’s still doable.”
He held the sword with his left hand instead of his right.
His left foot was replaced by a prosthetic leg.
I was thinking of going back to the battlefield.
After that, I thought I would become stronger than before.
The realization I felt during the final battle with Lee Seong-hun was beckoning me from the other side.
I wanted to get there.
I absolutely had to reach it in order to surpass Lee Seong-hun.
Although everyone was skeptical of my comeback, I eventually ended up going back to the battlefield.
It may not be as much as before, but it should be enough for one person.
I plan to fill in the missing parts in practice.
“The half-crippled commander is also joining us! Let’s protect him to the death!!”
I clasped my hands together and hit the back of Lee Chang-hyuk’s head as he shouted.
As he grabbed the back of his head, his men lined up and laughed, holding their stomachs.
“Poohahahahaha!”
“I knew it! Hehehe!”
“Anyway, I’m telling you, you’re going to do something that’s bound to happen.”
I smiled as I watched Lee Chang-hyuk joking around.
“You should be guarding the back of my head instead of protecting me.”
Contrary to Lee Seong-hoon’s wish that I would collapse in hell, I was becoming stronger in hell.
It’s all thanks to them.
‘Special Forces, Ignis.’
Those who gave up on following me to the New World.
I looked at each of the faces lined up in front of me.
Each and every face has its own unique personality.
Although their genders and ages are all different, the way they look at me is the same.
‘Faith and trust.’
I, too, will have the same gaze as they look at me.
To me, who has no blood relatives, they were like family.
Because of them, I was able to get to where I am today, and I was able to make the choice to remain on Earth without hesitation.
To that extent, they were absolutely necessary in my life.
I believe that I am that kind of person to them too.
“It’s nice to be with the captain and it reminds me of the old days!”
“Hima-ri isn’t here yet, but what can we do? We have to accept her!”
okay.
With these, there will be no problem.
As always, I will overcome any hardship.
This is the real game from now on.
The road ahead was long, but I was confident.
“Let’s go to the battlefield.”
Because I wasn’t alone.
“This time, let’s move forward with our own will, not someone else’s decision.”
Unlike the World Wars, there was ample cause.
We will fight to protect the world and the things we hold dear.
You will surely survive the destruction that comes like a storm.
And then someday.
We will surely hold those who have abandoned us accountable.
“Let’s goeeeeeeeeeeee!!!”
So we headed towards the battlefield.
With a hot fighting spirit.
and.
Seven years have passed.
* * *
[There are no more main quests.]
I stared intently at the message before my eyes.
Even amidst the acclaim and huge rewards pouring in for his achievements, that message alone captured my attention.
It seemed like a lie.
“… … .”
I touched the message window with trembling fingertips.
… … It is reality.
It was an obvious reality.
Now I can finally believe the message before my eyes.
Finally, we arrived at the destination we had longed for.
“Khuuuuk.”
I got down on my knees and buried my head in the floor.
The time that has passed flashes before my eyes, riding on the emotions that overflow uncontrollably.
There were truly heartbreaking moments that I couldn’t bear to look at.
I moved forward with a desperate determination, one step at a time.
Behind those steps, the blood of those who shed it to send me here remained like footprints.
So many people died.
On the battlefield, in the city, in the nameless plains.
People were dying every day.
And now.
I was the only one who survived.