Chapter 139: Rising Dawn, Surpassing the Past (1)
In the past, I saw a scene while watching a historical parody video.
An emperor who had died due to a subordinate’s betrayal said something in that scene.
He said that when you are stabbed, strength gradually drains from your entire body, and it is the kind of thing that even mental strength cannot resist.
Back then, I thought to myself, 'If you truly try to hold on, wouldn't you be able to manage it somehow?'
But in the reality I was experiencing firsthand, I could feel with my body just how nonsensical that thought was.
"Hah..."
No matter how hard I tried to endure, strength refused to return to my limbs.
Perhaps it was the penalty for the Cohesion I had just used.
Regardless, what was certain was that my body would not listen to me.
"Damn it!"
"Yu-seong!"
Ryu Jin-oh and Kim Su-hyeok rushed over, though they were a moment too late.
Thanks to the two of them, the Apostle stepped back instead of attempting a follow-up attack.
'That is a relief...'
I had been worried about what would happen if the Apostle continued his assault after I threw my body to block him.
Fortunately, that did not happen thanks to the support from Ryu Jin-oh and Kim Su-hyeok.
Of course, that did not change the fact that I was currently dying.
"Ah..."
Was it because I had lost too much blood when the blade entered and was pulled out?
Beyond the loss of strength, my vision was starting to blur.
"Y-Yu-seong. N-No...!"
At some point, Ha Eun-ha had clung to me, weeping as she poured out her healing magic.
It felt like only a moment ago that I had pushed her away and taken the blade in her stead; when did she get so close?
'Did I lose consciousness for a second...?'
That might be it.
My body felt like mine, yet at the same time, it felt like it belonged to someone else.
In any case, I was truly grateful.
To think she would try so hard to heal me while shedding such tears.
But...
'It probably... won't work.'
This was a wound beyond just being serious; it would not be strange if I died right this second.
If she were the awakened Ha Eun-ha, things might be different, but for her current self, it would be impossible no matter how hard she tried.
So, while I felt sorry for her, her current actions were essentially meaningless.
'I do... have some regrets.'
I did not regret throwing my body for Ha Eun-ha even though I knew there was a high probability of death.
It was my way of taking responsibility for a situation caused solely by my arrogant judgment.
In fact, even if that were not the case, my choice would not have changed.
However, what I did regret was...
'I wanted to stay with them until the end.'
The fact that I likely would not be able to be with them anymore.
Well, if you asked if I was afraid of death, honestly, I was.
Even so, my greatest regret was that I could no longer walk beside them.
'My life was not particularly enjoyable anyway.'
Since that day I spoke to Yu-hyeon, I had barely talked to my father.
Naturally, I had grown distant from my mother, and my social circle was not wide.
After being burned by someone once, I never really wanted to get close to anyone again.
The only times I felt anything resembling joy were when I read the stories of this world or when I was with my one and only friend.
'And now, I cannot even see that friend anymore...'
So, the only joy I had left was watching over these people from their side. That was it.
In a situation where Ha Eun-ha might have died, how could I not have lunged forward?
It was just heartbreakingly disappointing that I would no longer be able to see the journey of Kim Su-hyeok and the others.
"...up!"
While I was thinking that, Ha Eun-ha shouted something at me.
However, I could not understand exactly what she was saying.
'I guess I cannot even hear well anymore...'
My eyes were starting to close as well.
I was probably only holding on this long because I had the body of a Player.
But even that seemed to be at its end.
'Ah...'
My consciousness was drifting further away.
Even when I tried to hold on, I could not resist.
"Still... I protected her. The others will..."
They will handle the rest.
That should be enough.
With that final thought, I lost consciousness.
***
"Damn it! Yu-seong!"
After Choi Yu-seong lost consciousness, Kim Su-hyeok was the first to react violently.
Venting a rage that included harsh language he normally would never use, Kim Su-hyeok began to launch a fierce offensive, completely abandoning the defensive style of combat he had maintained until now.
"Urgh!"
"Hmph!"
At the same time, wounds began to accumulate on the bodies of both Kim Su-hyeok and the archer.
If the battle until now had been about looking for each other's openings, now it looked like a literal fight to the death.
Of course, that did not mean Kim Su-hyeok had lost his reason due to excitement.
'Ha Eun-ha needs to be completely safe if she is going to heal Yu-seong!'
Choi Yu-seong had been removed from an already difficult situation.
If they continued the same formation as before, openings would surely be created.
Therefore, Kim Su-hyeok swung his sword like a Rakshasa, paying no mind to the wounds that continued to pile up.
...However, that did not mean Kim Su-hyeok was being cold-blooded.
'If only I had been a little more aggressive!'
If he had, the Apostle he was facing would not have had the chance to fire arrows toward Ryu Jin-oh and Choi Yu-seong.
Then Ha Eun-ha would not have been threatened.
If only...
'Yu-seong would not have ended up like that.'
Guilt washed over him.
One friend had thrown his body and risked his life for another.
But what had he done?
He claimed to stand for justice? He wanted to create a world where everyone smiled?
'When I cannot even protect a single friend right in front of me?'
He ground his teeth so hard they felt like they would crumble.
How could he declare that he would protect the distant future when he could not even protect the person right in front of him?
How could he discuss future justice when he could not even prevent the tragedy occurring before his eyes?
It was the ultimate hypocrisy.
"Therefore."
He would now take absolute responsibility for the words he had spoken.
It might be far too late, but he would not engage in any more actions he would regret.
With that carved into his heart, Kim Su-hyeok began to drape himself in his talents.
"Divine Stroke, Reversing the Tide, Perseverance, Pride and Conviction."
The talents began to manifest instantly through Kim Su-hyeok’s voice.
Every single one was a talent of A-Rank or higher, the kind that an ordinary Player would struggle to obtain in a lifetime.
Was it because he had been unwilling to use them until now?
That was absolutely not the case.
Using this much power at once was a significant burden even for Kim Su-hyeok.
Drip—
A single trail of blood flowed from Kim Su-hyeok’s nose as the talents fully manifested.
His body, which had not yet fully matured, could not perfectly handle the talents he had activated.
In short, these were talents used at the cost of a significant price.
However, such things did not matter to Kim Su-hyeok.
"Yu-seong risked his life. Compared to that, this is just a drop in the bucket."
Indeed.
His friend was currently risking his life; how could he hesitate to use his talents over something like this?
This would reduce the time he could move his body properly, but that was fine.
As long as he could buy enough time for Ha Eun-ha to focus entirely on Yu-seong.
Therefore, Kim Su-hyeok brought out every hidden card he possessed.
"Steadfast Faith, Unbreakable Faith."
Kim Su-hyeok used the abilities of the sword he had obtained from the Gate he visited with Choi Yu-seong.
Through Steadfast Faith, he strengthened his mana to reduce the burden on his body as much as possible.
And through Unbreakable Faith, he called upon the stats of the unconscious Choi Yu-seong.
The only saving grace was that Guardian's Revenge was not yet active.
'For this to become usable...'
It would mean the person he needed to protect had died.
So, he had to go on a rampage to ensure the final ability of the sword was never activated.
As Kim Su-hyeok made that firm resolution and began his fierce assault on the archer again.
CLANG!
BOOM!
SKREEE!
A very fierce battle was unfolding in another area as well.
Was it on Im Seong-cheol’s side? No.
Now that the other Apostles had no room to spare, Im Seong-cheol was cornering the dagger-wielding Apostle with what was almost a one-sided beating.
Furthermore, although he had retired from active duty, he was filled with guilt for failing to prevent his student's serious injury due to his dulled senses.
Because of that guilt, Im Seong-cheol was attacking several times more fiercely than before, so it was hard to call it a "fierce battle."
And since Ju Ha-yeon and Oh Jin-eon were fighting alongside Kim Su-hyeok, they were naturally excluded.
So, the place where the fierce battle was happening was...
"How dare you!"
Naturally, it was the side where Ryu Jin-oh was.
The Apostle and Ryu Jin-oh were engaged in non-stop combat, where it was difficult to see even a second of leisure.
At a glance, his state looked similar to Kim Su-hyeok's, but there was a distinct difference.
It was the expressions they wore.
If the emotion seen on Kim Su-hyeok’s face was guilt, for Ryu Jin-oh... well.
"How dare someone like you!"
It was rage.
A rage that burned as hot as the lava of an active volcano.
There was a good reason for Ryu Jin-oh to display such anger.
"I told you."
He had said that he was the one standing at the very front.
Did the meaning of those words merely imply that he wanted to stand out?
Absolutely not.
The reason Ryu Jin-oh had spoken those words was not for some petty or pathetic reason like that.
"The one who stands at the front is a shield and a flag."
If you look at the history of war, everyone says the same.
That the most important role on the battlefield is held by the vanguard.
That the vanguard also takes the largest share of the military merits.
Then, does the vanguard get the title of an important role and monopolize numerous merits for no price?
"Bullshit."
There was no way that was true.
Just as a process must exist for a result to occur, numerous merits can only be taken under a fitting price.
The vanguard is the existence that meets the enemy at the very front.
In exchange, they have a higher probability of death than anyone else, and the moment they are defeated, it becomes difficult to predict a victory.
If the vanguard collapses, the army in the rear is immediately exposed to attack.
As Ryu Jin-oh had just said, the vanguard was a shield protecting the rear and a flag showing the path to victory.
"And yet...!"
He had failed to fulfill that role.
Even though he had said he was the one standing at the very front, he had failed to protect the rear.
He had not even lost his life because his best was not enough; he had simply allowed the enemy to get past him.
He had never once in his life failed to keep his word, yet today, that creed had been shattered.
Therefore, Ryu Jin-oh was burning with a rage hotter than anything else.
And that rage was directed at himself.
"Never in my life have I felt a sense of powerlessness."
He had not felt it even when he fell behind Kim Su-hyeok.
Even if it wasn't now, he knew he would reach that level someday if he kept running without stopping.
He had not felt it even when looking at the Players standing at the summit.
He believed there was no reason he couldn't reach that place himself.
But now, an unbearable sense of powerlessness seemed to overwhelm him.
If Choi Yu-seong were to die, it would be irreversible.
Losing a comrade was not the kind of thing that could ever be recovered.
Just because he spoke coldly every time did not mean he disliked those he had overcome hardships with.
Without a doubt, Choi Yu-seong was his comrade.
"Therefore."
He would make a vow.
Rather than dwelling on a moment that had already passed, he would ensure that when that guy woke up.
He would make sure Yu-seong did not regret the actions he had taken.
He would make sure Ha Eun-ha was never put in danger again.
In that case, there was only one thing he had to do now.
"I will kill you for sure. I swear upon my life that you will die here."
He would not give up just because it was late.
He had already failed to keep his word once, but that did not mean his statement about standing at the front had vanished.
Lifting the weight of that statement was what he had to do now.
Standing at the front meant that even if he wanted to collapse and give up, he had to stand up again for those behind him.
As Ryu Jin-oh made a firm vow to kill the opponent in front of him even if it meant his own death.
[A new talent is awakening.]
A new system notification began to shine before him.
Upon confirming it, Ryu Jin-oh did not hesitate for a single second and immediately used the awakened talent.
It was a talent that showed Ryu Jin-oh’s essence, the very talent Choi Yu-seong had used through the Embodiment of Admiration during the final exams.
"This is my domain! If you wish to cross it, you will have to kill me first."
He activated the Declaration of Domain.
Suddenly, his momentum changed so drastically it could not even be compared to before.
The powerless boy from a moment ago was no longer here.
...All that remained was a proper Player who had surpassed his past, staring at the enemy with eyes burning, prepared to become a shield and a flag for his comrades even at the cost of death.
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