Chapter 92: Path of the Depth (1)
The War of Revival was over. It ended with freed from the . However, that was only the beginning.
Jaehwan spoke to the pale-faced patient in the healer room of Gorgon Keep.
“You were alive.”
It was Jagel ng.
“I thought you were dead.”
“...I’m the leader of a Ten-Clan. I won’t die so easily.”
He smiled, but his injuries were severe. It was a miracle that he even survived.
“It’s all thanks to the Doctor of Despair.”
When he was injured, Chunghuh had just returned to Gorgon and quickly tended to Jagel ng. If not, he would’ve died.
“...I heard you defeated Sang Garam.”
Jaehwan knew it was Sang Garam who caused Jagel ng to be in this state. So, in so sense, Jaehwan had taken revenge for him.
“He was a Great General.”
Jaehwan knew Jagel ng ant sothing deeper.
“Did you know him?”
“Every mber of the Jagel family knows the Sang family.”
The Sang family was one of the Renowned Familyiesof the .
“You might be aware, but ‘they’ will now have their eyes on us too.”
“They?”
“The Renowned families. Sang already has, for sure.”
The Palace belonged to the Lords and the Renowned families. also killed a mber of the Renowned families. Jaehwan shook his head.
“It’s okay. They won’t co here anymore.”
Jagel ng opened his eyes wide in shock.
“Did.... Did you acquire the [Narrow Door]?”
Jaehwan nodded and Jagel ng heaved a sigh of relief.
“That’s good... but it’s too early to be relieved.”
“I know.”
Jaehwan understood what he was talking about. He had warned the other leaders of this in a previous eting. There was another, normal, way of coming into .
“I’ll just kill them again.”
Jagel ng sighed. He could now believe those words to be true.
“If they are here to kill , even at the cost of their lives, they may be worth fighting against.”
“...I see.”
Jagel ng smiled, then turned to face the window. It seed like there was finally a short peace in .
He also realized that this peace was possible because of one person.
Soone called out to Jaehwan, and he stood up from his seat.
“Take care of yourselves.”
Jagel ng stared at Jaehwan. Where was he going now? What lay beyond the path that he would be taking? Was it a path that they could follow? Or... Was it his fate, to walk alone on that treacherous path?
“Master.”
Jaehwan stopped, not looking back.
“....It’s nothing.”
Jaehwan walked out. Jagel ng had the feeling that he would never get to see him again. But he couldn’t stop him.
There were a lot of people who ca to see Jaehwan. The first who ca were Chunghuh and Cayman.
“Kid, don’t think of leaving secretly.”
“I will not let you go alone this ti.”
They were afraid Jaehwan that would travel to the alone. However, the one that ca to see Jaehwan next had an entirely different reason.
“What is it?”
It was a man with blonde hair, and a single silver wing on his back. He saluted to Jaehwan and spoke.
“I have a few matters to discuss, Master.”
“Why didn’t Euren co?”
“The Chancellor is busy with the work you gave him.”
It was Karlton.
“Okay, go on.”
“Yes, sir. The first is from the eting...”
Karlton began to report what he had prepared as Jaehwan looked at him. In so sense, Karlton was similar to Sang Garam. He was one who wanted to keep the order of sothing.
‘Didn’t he also beco an Awakener?’
The keyword [Suspicion] allowed one to create their own unique world. Jaehwan’s world was ‘Fall’ while Cayman’s world was the ‘Great Sea.’ Then, what was Karlton’s world? Jaehwan beca curious.
“...and... Master, are you listening?”
“Oh, yes. Where were we?”
“...According to Gorgon Law, chapter 24 line 5, the behavior of not listening to the report of...”
He had not changed one bit, even after being Awakened. Karlton then smiled and stopped.
“...We were talking about the tower.”
“What tower?”
“Carpediem, sir.”
Jaehwan then rembered the tower he had made with ikal. It was now more refined and stable than when it was first made.
“What about it?”
“There are complaints of the ti flow being too fast.”
“...I see. Understandable.”
“There are increasing suicide rates among those who challenge it to beco Awakened.”
Ti was bad for the spirit. It was punished for overusing ti. Even for Jaehwan, corruption was seeping out from his body due to not consuming horns regularly.
However, Awakening required overcoming such hardships. Jaehwan then spoke.
“We do have it running too fast. Change it with ikal.”
“Yes, sir.”
“They can’t just beco Awakened by simply repeating [Stab] or [Slash]. Order the system to create Awakeners on a constant basis, and take out those who do not want to be Awakened. Training to rise in Adaptation stages is also a solution.”
“Adaptation... do you really think it’s a solution?”
“People have different opinions. Awakening is not salvation. One might find life within Adaptation.”
Karlton seed to have complicated thoughts as he heard that.
“...Anything wrong?”
“There’s a personal problem.”
“Personal problem?”
“What is it?”
“I’m now a 3rd step Awakener. I guess you know that already.”
Jaehwan nodded.
“But I don’t see my unique world.”
“...What?”
That was impossible. All who beca 3rd step Awakeners had a unique world. It differed in shape and size, but there were no instances where one did not acquire a unique world.
‘Wait, maybe his unique world is...’
Jaehwan rembered Sang Garam’s words. He told Jaehwan that every being had their ‘world’, even if it wasn’t unique.
‘Maybe Adaptation and Awakening is quite similar in so sense.’
Jaehwan reassured Karlton.
“Don’t worry. Maybe your unique world is the ‘System’ itself.”
“...Is that possible?”
“It’s a possibility. I don’t know everything about Awakening.”
Karlton then asked, “If my unique world is the ‘System,’ will I have to fight you soday?”
It was an unexpected question with a hint of humor. But Jaehwan pondered it seriously.
“Maybe. If you really try to protect this world.”
“You really intend to destroy this world?”
“Yes.”
“Then, even if I try to protect it when the ti cos, you will not change your mind?”
“Yes. Then you will be destroyed together with it.”
After giving it so thought, Karlton asked, “Master, take with you.”
“To?”
“To the , sir.”
Jaehwan did not answer. In fact, a lot of people had been bringing up the issue of the expedition already.
‘I guess it’s about ti to pick who to bring to the .’
He couldn’t bring everyone. The was dangerous enough to scare off the Lords of the . As Jaehwan fell silent, Karlton added, “According to Gorgon Law Chapter 3 Line 4, all Gatekeeper Captains have the responsibility to protect the Master of the Fortress in an ergency.”
Jaehwan laughed. “But you are not the Captain anymore.”
“...”
“And I won’t be the Master when I leave.”
Karlton seed to be shocked by those last words.
“...I expected... but are you really going to quit being a Master?”
Karlton wished it was a lie. They needed a central figure to keep in order more than ever. The leaders were even considering asking Jaehwan to beco their king.
“Yeah. I will be leaving in a week.”
“But if you leave, Gorgon will fall. No, will...”
“Don’t worry.”
Jaehwan turned to the window and looked out at the sky.
“I have an idea for that.”
And Karlton realized four days later how ridiculous that ‘idea’ was.
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