Chapter 303: Chapter 300: An Unstable Pause

“It seems everyone has gathered. You’ve all heard why we’re here?”

In the ‘Black Martial Hall’ (黑武堂), a particularly secretive place within the Heavenly Demon Cult, several individuals had assembled.

Sitting arrogantly in the seat of honor at the center was Samaja, the Left Protector.

The one to speak was the Heart Devil Commander, ranked fourth in the cult.

“We’ve heard all about it. Those foolish ones. If only they had kept the focus on them outside the tower, our great endeavor would have proceeded smoothly.”

“Who knew Jinzo would die? I thought they were quite strong, but it all ended too anticlimactically.”

Chae Hong-ah and Bae Cheon-mu each added their comments.

With plans already set to march onto the martial world and consume everything, even the empire, this turn of events had put a wrench in all their machinations.

At that moment.

“Calm yourselves. Regardless of those fools’ success or failure, with the power of our cult alone, we have enough to sweep away both the martial world and the empire.”

Samaja, who had been silent until now, stood up.

All eyes were fixated on him.

“With the Heavenly Demon suffering internal injuries and in hiding, our cult has had an unusually long period of seclusion, quietly observing the brazen Martial Alliance and watching the western empire pollute these lands. But the time of enduring all this humiliation ends today.”

A wing-broken eagle is no longer an eagle.

Merely a relic of the past and something that must be settled.

If everything in the Heavenly Demon Cult comes down to the logic of power… naturally, a new Heavenly Demon is needed.

Precisely.

It was time for him, the Left Protector, to make his move.

“Heart Devil Commander.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

The Heart Devil Commander bowed respectfully.

“What’s the status of our preparations?”

“Everything has been taken care of as ordered. Would you like to see for yourself?”

“Indeed. I am quite looking forward to it.”

Samaja leisurely raised his hand, and the Heart Devil Commander immediately approached a wooden pillar.

At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary pillar, but as internal energy was injected, drastic changes began.

Boom, boom, boom!

With a loud noise, the floor of the annex slowly began to open, revealing stairs descending underground.

“What, there’s such a facility here?”

“What is this, Left Protector? This is!”

Those who had been standing nearby exclaimed in surprise.

Despite spending their entire lives within the Heavenly Demon Cult, none of them had imagined such an immense facility hidden beneath the annex.

“As said before… I have invested a long time in this endeavor and prepared many things. So all you need to do is have faith and follow properly.”

A smile crept up the corners of Samaja’s mouth.

Beneath the stairs.

In an interior lit by torchlight lay a number of Jiangshi that defied imagination, asleep and awaiting their master’s command.

From blood Jiangshi and poison Jiangshi to the yin-yang Jiangshi capable of facing top-notch experts, and even the top-tier celestial Jiangshi.

These were the strongest Jiangshi, both those captured by the Blood Sect and those nurtured through the Heart Devil Commander.

“In a month after destroying Kunlun, we will seize control of the entire martial world. Ah! But before that, we should put our house in order first. Where are the Right Protector, that old man, and his disciple now?”

“They are… currently outside the tower.”

“Consumable offerings will be required in abundance, but what good timing. Or perhaps, it’s thanks to that they’ve saved their lives.”

Samaja smirked.

“Shall we assemble a pursuit team?”

“No, leave them be. After all, a person who relies solely on the Shadow Corps is incapable of accomplishing anything.”

The Amhwang and his disciple could be slowly dealt with when they return to the martial world.

With the Jiangshi and the main elite forces of the Heavenly Demon Cult, killing the two of them would be no difficult task.

＊＊＊

Outside the tower, the talk was all about the outbreak that had occurred three days ago.

[The hero who saved humanity]

[What happens to the members of the High-Level Corporation? A comprehensive summary of the rankers and their specialties.]

[Compilation of individual interviews]

[Saint Teresa of Amsterdam proudly declares her affiliation, saying ‘I’m proud to have been a part of it’]

[Gang Jin-hyuk, previously known to have hidden his identity, is revealed to be a famous BJ!]

Various articles plastered the internet and communities.

There were many clickbait stories and lies, but they also evidenced how much the stock of the High-Level Corporation had risen.

sky: We’re alive again thanks to Jin-hyuk this time.

Blank: I really thought I was going to die. Buildings were collapsing and roads were shattered.

min: I used to think the tower incidents were other people’s problems, but after directly experiencing this, I realize just how serious it is.

Lily: ㅇㅈ. Seriously. I thought I was going to die of fear.

BlindWatcher: Does everyone know? They’re doing a live broadcast of the memorial service today.

ANKEY: ㅇㅇ. Heard about it. It’s not long now, if it’s at 3 PM.

Narang: It’s at Daejeon National Cemetery, so if you’re nearby, go check it out.

kimy: Yeah, we should watch. We need to honor the dead.

byMiniBridegoom: Sigh. It’s gratitude, remorse, and also sadness.

jxh: After this, I really think players deserve even more respect. They’ve fought with their lives on the line for us.

11: Right. They definitely should.

Shortly, a live national broadcast began.

It wasn’t through the Tower of Trial broadcasting system but via the official channel of the Korean Awakened Association.

With a crisp sound, Jin-hyuk, Cheon Yuseong, and Teresa appeared dressed in black suits.

All spotlights focused on the three of them.

SugarDaddyJuice: Oh, there’s Jin-hyuk!

IdoYeon: Cheon Yuseong and Teresa are here too.

MinKyungBoo: Wow, such a dazzling lineup.

Arkajoo: Jin-hyuk pulls off a suit well.

las: Does he look cooler with that bandage on his shoulder or what? The wounded look is more impressive.

kupi: A man with wounds is cool. Thrilling!

FridgeMagnet: But can’t they use healing skills? Why’s he got a bandage on?

Thousands of mourners, reporters, and a chat window hustling with activity on the screen.

“Look, Jin-hyuk saved all these people.”

“Despite that… we’ve lost far too many.”

Jin-hyuk offered a bitter smile.

I heard that thousands of players died just in Korea.

The number worldwide was tens of thousands.

With such estimates, the actual number could only be higher.

“If you dwell on what was lost, you can’t move forward in life. You did your best, achieving results hard to believe. So hold your head high with confidence.”

Cheon Yuseong placed a hand on Jin-hyuk’s shoulder.

To think he would say something like that.

Yeah, maybe it does give me a bit of strength.

Those alive must continue living for tomorrow.

kyaakyaakya: Look over there! Samurai Guild’s Takeshi came too.

ParkHeeSu: Yeah, that guy came to return the favor to player Gang Jin-hyuk.

McDoriaKetchupThief: They said they lost over a hundred guild members this time.

eeeeee: Yeah. The damage was devastating.

pri: They fought at the very front to save the refugees, against that goat.

Mojo: Good loyalty.

BlueGreenery: Makes me see them in a new light.

“Are you here? I, a mere human, am so honored to meet your divine presence…”

“…!?”

Takeshi tried to speak, but Jin-hyuk quickly interrupted.

What was he about to say in front of the whole nation?

“Quiet.”

“Yes?”

“Silence is golden… you know that saying, right?”

“Ah, understood.”

Regret poked at Jin-hyuk a bit as Takeshi bowed his head sulkily.

Perhaps one day he would have to tell Takeshi the truth.

At that moment.

“Jin-hyuk, come on over. The ceremony is about to start.”

Teresa called from the front, waving her hand.

“Yes, I’ll be right there.”

Jin-hyuk made his way through the crowd of reporters and mourners.

In the flurry of falling snow,

Pure white chrysanthemums were placed in front of the graves.

One for the citizens who died in the outbreak,

Another for the players who died trying to save them,

And a last one for the soldiers and police officers who threw themselves into the fray without any supernatural abilities or skills.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A brief memorial followed the sounds of the gun salute.

pri: At least it ended safely.

Mirinae: Can I finally breathe a sigh of relief?

Sage: Not yet. It’s not over.

jew: Yeah. That gate hasn’t disappeared yet.

SpaceFortress: Is there something stronger?

him: What about the one controlling those black goats?

Low: Since it makes weird crying noises, you can see the goats moving around. It must be giving them orders; looks like it’s the boss.

ButterWaffle: Its magic is off the scale, incalculable. It’s impossible to deal with.

YoonJaeSun: If it comes out, it’ll be really dangerous this time.

kkh: They say all guilds are pooling their efforts to find a way to close that gate.

TrustMe: Sigh. It really is worrying.

A voice of relief followed for having survived the immediate threat.

At the same time, there were significant concerns voiced over the gate that had yet to open.

That made perfect sense.

After all, they had only bought themselves a little time.

The root of the problem remained unsolved.

‘About a week left, I suppose.’

Jin-hyuk’s gaze drifted to the distance.

The massive gate was still floating in the sky.

Within its shimmering surface,

Countless barbed teeth seemed to protrude, warning that they could burst out at any moment and reduce everything to nothing.

＊＊＊

The next day.

At a large pension located in Gapyeong, an interesting gathering had been formed.

On one side under an umbrella, Jin-hyuk was seated with Amhwang, Ellis, and Wol-yeong,

While on the opposite side, Chu Heon-ling and Cheon Yuseong had taken seats.

Teresa had arranged to join them after shopping for clothes with Andria outside the tower.

What started as a simple gathering had ballooned into a huge affair because one person after another wanted to join.

Even so.

The meeting of two notable figures was something else.

‘Just looking at it gives me shivers. And to think they would meet outside the tower… in swimwear, of all things.’

Chu Heon-ling, who laughed elegantly, contrasted with the stern-faced master.

On the outside, it seemed they weren’t bothered, but a subtle battle of nerves continued between them.

Chu Heon-ling, wearing a graceful cardigan and a wide-brimmed hat, lay on the sunbed.

Her sunglasses on, sipping a tropic drink with bobbing ice cubes, she looked like she was on an overseas trip taking selfies for Instagram.

How she adapted so quickly to this world was beyond me.

Did Cheon Yuseong give her private lessons, perhaps?

In contrast, the master had sourced a full-body competitive swimsuit from somewhere. Properly dressed with a swim cap.

“Cough. Disciple. The clothing in your world is extremely uncomfortable.”

Well, it must be.

That muscle mass you have was too much for the swimsuit, and it tore apart. It couldn’t have been comfortable.

As Jin-hyuk was about to hold back his true thoughts, it happened.

“Oh my. In my opinion, maybe Amhwang’s brain is so muscular that it puts extra strain on his clothes. He’s always been clueless, picking out clothes like that.”

Chu Heon-ling took a sip of her drink.

“Dumb? Did you just call me dumb?”

Suddenly…

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

All the water in the pool surged up into the sky.

“Aaaah!”

“What’s happening?”

“Is it an earthquake?”

“Could it be that the outbreak has started again…?”

Guests staying in the opposite pension screamed out in fright.

Cheon Yuseong let out a small sigh as he glanced at both of them.

“This feels anxious.”

“I agree.”

And so…

Their vacation outside the tower began.