Chapter 226
The sound of footsteps echoed rhythmically through the dark passageway. The stairs wound both up and down, forming a maze-like structure.
How long had he been walking like that?
Kim Ilsoo stopped in front of a door illuminated by a torch and clicked his tongue.
“It’s cold. I asked you to keep it warm.”
The two rankers guarding the old wooden door bowed their heads.
“We apologize. We didn’t know you were coming.”
“No, not for me.”
Kim Ilsoo gestured towards the inside of the door.
“For my friend, I mean.”
“… We will keep that in mind.”
“Yes, yes.”
The half of his face not covered by the mask lit up with a bright smile. He patted the shoulders of the rankers on guard duty and opened the door.
*Creak, groan*—The door, which had not been used in a long time, opened with a bone-chilling sound.
How long had it been?
As the door opened and Kim Ilsoo stepped inside, his gaze focused on the slanted coffin-like structure.
It resembled a place where a corpse might be stored, but it was certainly not a coffin.
Inside was a woman who was emaciated and withered.
Her once-black hair had turned brittle and gray, and her cheeks were sunken to the point of hollowness.
Kim Ilsoo took a medicine bottle from his pocket and opened the cap.
*Drip.*
The liquid from the bottle trickled down to her mouth. As time passed, her tightly closed eyes slowly opened.
“Long time no see, Hyomin.”
The woman inside the coffin, Hyomin, opened her mouth.
“Il… Soo..”
“You’re quite cold, aren’t you? Here, I brought a blanket.”
Kim Ilsoo handed her the blanket he had brought.
Hyomin, after glaring at him briefly, reached out to take the blanket. Covering her shivering body with it brought back a little warmth.
“… How long has it been?”
“About five years since then.”
“I’m still not dead, huh.”
“You’re not trying to die anymore, are you?”
“Because you won’t let me.”
Kim Ilsoo nodded in agreement. Following the blanket, he took some snacks from his pocket and offered them to her.
“Smart choice. Why would you waste your time dying?”
“Chocolate bar, huh.”
Hyomin accepted the snack Kim Ilsoo offered her. She didn’t particularly feel hungry, but it had always been a favorite of hers.
Eating the chocolate bar in small bites, Hyomin asked, “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“Hmm?”
“If I recover my strength after all these.”
At her question, Kim Ilsoo grinned.
“Why? Are you planning on killing me again?”
Accepting his kindness—receiving the blanket to regain her body heat and the snack she took—Hyomin harbored thoughts of recovering her strength just to immediately kill her enemy right in front of her.
“Twenty years… No, is it almost 21 years now?”
Kim Ilsoo briefly calculated in his head, then shook his head, deciding it didn’t matter.
“Anyway, a tremendous amount of time has passed, Hyomin.”
“So what?”
“You’ve stayed exactly the same since then.”
“…….”
“But back then, you couldn’t beat me, right?”
*Crunch.*
The sound of bitten lips.
Blood trickled down from Hyomin’s lips. Her eyes emitted a fierce murderous intent.
Receiving that gaze calmly, Kim Ilsoo took a handkerchief from his pocket.
“That must hurt. Here, wipe it.”
“… I don’t need it. Get lost.”
“That’s harsh. Is that something you say to a friend you haven’t seen in years?”
“Harsh? Over something like this? How could you, after what you did to us?”
For some, more than 20 years may have been a long time, but not for Hyomin.
The entirety of that time amounted to dozing off in a daze, immersed in something that was either poison or medicine, only waking occasionally.
Several times she lunged at him the moment she awoke, depleted of strength and with a body emaciated to dust.
She was subdued and fell powerlessly several times.
For others, it might have been a distant memory, but for Hyomin, that day felt as fresh as a few days ago.
“Were you really our friend? Are you… are you human?”
“Yes, because I am human. Being human allows it.”
“You’re trying to brush it off with such words again!”
“Shiwoo and Yerang are alive.”
“!”
Hyomin’s eyes trembled with emotion. She couldn’t help but doubt the words she had just heard.
“They… they were dead, weren’t they?”
“I told you they were.”
Kim Ilsoo shook his head.
“Sorry. It was a lie. The truth is, they are alive.”
“How could you lie about something like that!”
“Then why do you think I kept you alive?”
He gently touched the half-mask with his hand.
“Out of loneliness? Because I miss my old comrades? Or because I wanted to torment you?”
“It’s true, it’s really true.”
The snack that was in her hand dropped with a thud. Hyomin realized that Kim Ilsoo’s words were not meant to mock or deceive her.
Hyomin shivered, bowing her head. Kim Ilsoo’s eyes narrowed as he looked down at her.
“You don’t seem curious about the reason.”
“Doesn’t matter, that kind of thing…”
Hyomin’s mouth curved into a bright smile, though she was almost on the verge of tears.
She had thought that she survived while everyone else perished because she chose to sacrifice herself.
At this point, she decided she might as well kill Kim Ilsoo or follow him in death.
But they were alive.
Her sacrifice hadn’t been in vain.
“As long as they’re alive. Just being alive…”
“Are you sure?”
As she shivered from the joy she hadn’t felt in so long, Kim Ilsoo’s voice reached her.
“It won’t be a lie for much longer.”
Her heart sank with a sudden thud.
She looked back up at Kim Ilsoo’s face. He had been fiddling with his half-mask, seemingly due to a persistent ache.
“I thought they might be alive, but they really are.”
“No way, you…”
Hyomin’s eyes widened in shock.
For 20 years, she hadn’t known whether they were dead or alive.
That meant they hadn’t shown themselves for 20 years.
“Using me as… bait…”
“I’ve said it before, didn’t I? Why do you think I kept you alive?”
Kim Ilsoo sighed deeply and shook his head.
“It’s truly an extraordinary friendship. Unlike the one with me.”
“Is that why… you kept me alive?”
“That’s part of it. And having someone to talk to occasionally is nice, right? After all, we have old memories together…”
*Crack*—A thin, bony hand clutched his neck. When Kim Ilsoo’s neck was seized, the rankers behind him made a move.
*Swoosh.*
Kim Ilsoo’s hand rose in signal. At that, the rankers who had drawn their weapons and summoned their power halted their movements.
“No, there’s no need for that.”
“To die…”
“You know you can’t.”
Hyomin’s arm fell limply. Shortly after, Kim Ilsoo tapped her forehead lightly.
“What could you possibly do with a body devoid of any magic?”
Slowly, Hyomin’s eyes closed. She clenched her teeth to avoid collapsing, but she was already too exhausted.
“The world is changing a lot, Hyomin.”
Rising from his seat, Kim Ilsoo looked down at Hyomin with pity.
“The world has forgotten about you now. The glory is all mine. In the world I live, there’s no one to continue the legend of Blue Eyes.”
Kim Ilsoo turned away.
“Adolf.”
“Yes.”
The blonde-haired player who accompanied Kim Ilsoo responded.
“Make sure she’s put back to sleep with the medicine.”
“Understood.”
“You heard that both are alive, right?”
“I’ve received the report.”
“If they come, they’ll aim for a time when I’m not around. But I can’t just stay here forever, can I?”
At Kim Ilsoo’s words, Adolf nodded.
“I’ll make sure there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Alright. I trust you.”
Kim Ilsoo patted him lightly on the shoulder and began to climb the stairs again.
As he moved, he suddenly stopped.
“Ah, right.”
He scratched his head, realizing he had misspoken to Hyomin.
“Is there anyone?”
The Blue Eyes. The person who inherits the legend of Blue Eyes.
* * *
As the sun slowly set beyond the mountains, the world became enveloped in a golden hue.
Jin Doha looked up at the sky. He had always loved this time, witnessing the clouds scattered across the golden sunset.
However, at that moment, he could not enjoy this pleasure.
“…… It’s late.”
His murmuring startled those gathered around him.
The previously quiet group erupted into conversation.
“What’s with Kim Ilsoo?”
“He’s not here yet.”
“He’s late, that fellow.”
“The Great Mage?”
“The Great Mage has declined to participate in this raid…”
“The hell freezes over! That young lad with barely any experience!”
Namgung Gahui shouted angrily.
Kim Ilsoo, the guild leader of Blue Zone, had yet to make an appearance. Furthermore, Hailz, arguably the strongest player among them, had refused to join.
She must be scared, scared! Frightened of a mere Guardian!”
“Could it be that the head of the Namgung family, too, is afraid?”
All heads turned toward the direction of the voice. At a leisurely pace, Kim Ilsoo arrived fashionably late.
Along with him, a group of high-ranking members of Blue Zone approached. Upon joining them, Kim Ilsoo glanced around the gathering and smiled.
“Honestly. Who here isn’t a little afraid?”
“Why are you so late?”
“Sorry. The wound from the Heavenly Demon still aches.”
It was an informal apology, but Namgung Gahui did not particularly press the issue with Kim Ilsoo’s demeanor.
His mere presence was already a great help to the party.
“Now that everyone’s here, let me introduce an important benefactor.”
The speaker was the high-ranking mercenary king, Bamael.
“A benefactor?”
“Perhaps you all know this person. Here.”
Bamael pushed up his sunglasses and nodded, prompting a flamboyantly dressed woman to step forward.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Clementine.”
Adorned in gold jewelry, she carried a business-like smile. Her long curly blond hair shone brighter than the sunset itself.
“Here, take this. It’s an energy drink our company makes. You’ll need it for the hard work ahead.”
She handed out drinks with a lighthearted smile. Those gathered here were giants who led the tower.
Yet among them, there was no one who dared underestimate her.
In fact, in some respects, she might very well be the biggest giant guiding the tower.
Clementine.
The magnate possessing the most points within this enormous tower.
She wore a thousand items and bore two god-tier items, entirely enveloped in wealth.
“Clementine, are you participating in this raid?”
To Namgung Gahui’s question, Clementine shook her head while distributing drinks.
“Oh no. I’m just sponsoring the expenses for this raid.”
“… It must not be a small amount of money?”
“I can recover it all. Public sentiment translates to money, after all.”
“Do you want your name added to the raid team?”
“For sponsoring an astronomical amount, I think I deserve that much, don’t you?”
Essentially, she offered money in exchange for not risking her life. Unable to either reject or accept her proposal, Namgung Gahui simply closed his mouth.
“How about offering a god-tier item instead?”
Kim Ilsoo’s gaze settled on the necklace adorning Clementine’s neck.
“That might be a far more valuable contribution.”
“Oh, the guild leader of Blue Zone, right? You’ve mentioned something timely.”
Clapping her hands loudly at Kim Ilsoo’s words, Clementine smiled.
“Don’t you have a god-tier item as well, Guild Leader? Would you be interested in selling it to me? I would pay handsomely.”
“…”
At Clementine’s question, her eyes gleaming with greed, Kim Ilsoo’s lips twitched slightly.