Chapter 74: Jeong Pan-soo and Jeong Pan-ho (4)

The day of the Vampire Lord was disastrous. With vast, flapping flesh-wings, the epic monster gained strength by absorbing the blood of its opponents. The Guardians had the task of fighting the deadly enemy.

Bang!

Burr, rumble.

“Fuck it!”

“It’s too strong!”

In the Vampire Lord’s blood storm, the disciples of the Guardian Gate were overwhelmed. Even seasoned fortified warriors who had gone through all formative battles expressed their despair. They didn’t know how to deal with such a formidable monster, but they couldn’t give up.

The vampire lord was summoned near the Guardian Gate. If they failed to overcome him, the Guardian and his siblings would be annihilated by the Vampire Lord. At the time, Kang Deok-cheol was a young gatekeeper, and beside him was Jeong Pan-ho. In the end, they had to come out and join the fight. Sending the general disciples to vanquish the Vampire Lord was an act of manslaughter on his part, so Kang Deok-cheol did not hide behind them but took up his sword and stepped forward.

“Let’s just hold on for 10 minutes until the support troops arrive.”

“Fuck…today is my ritual day,” Jeong Pan-ho grumbled, his face distorting with disdain. The only skill Pan-ho had was to wield a sword; he joined the battle because of his fondness for Kang Deok-cheol. There was also the influence of his younger brother, Jeong Pan-soo. Seeing Jeong Pan-ho’s dissatisfaction, Jeong Pan-soo said with a bloody smile, “If you fall, I’ll be here. My sister-in-law will have a child soon…if the father dies, how will I look into those eyes, knowing they are the same as my brother’s?”

Then, there was a battle. It was a fierce blood-bath. Countless disciples died, and the core resources of Suhomun, including Kang Deok-cheol, gladly offered their lives in return for victory. Many men were lost on that day – it was the most natural and expected outcome of any battle…but when death closed in on Jeong Pan-soo, the sky seemed to swallow Jeong Pan-ho in a single gulp.

Jeong Pan-soo fell to the floor, his final breath escaping in a gasp. His composition…his lasting expression was one of shock…the image fixed itself permanently to the walls of Pan-ho’s mind.

With the help of other forces who arrived late, they were able to defeat the Vampire Lord in the end, but there was no way to save those who had sacrificed their lives for the Gate. Jeong Pan-ho, who was famous for his masculinity, cried like a child on that day. He screamed to the sky to return Pan-soo to him, as he destroyed all destructible objects in reach. However, there was no way to reverse death. His younger brother would never return. It was a trademark of Pan-ho’s to fight one step ahead to keep his brother safe.

“I’m sorry, Pan-soo. Had I fought further ahead…if I had been stronger than that damn monster, you wouldn’t have died. I am so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

After that day, he was a ruin for a while. The birth of a small creature with a piercing cry was the only thing that brought life back into his withered heart.

“This is your son.”

The voice of his now-estranged wife tickled his ears as she handed him the child. From the minute his muscular arms cradled the delicate frame of the infant, who screeched as though his heart was being ripped out, Jeong Pan-ho found a reason to live.

“Pan-soo. Your name is Jeong Pan-soo.”

Jeong Pan-ho’s first and only son.

* * *

Kang Min-hyuk listened to the story. Now, his uncertainties about the rich man, Jeong Pan-ho, had been resolved.

“That’s why you used the same dollimja even though it was not the same line.”

People often asked why he chose his brother’s name for his son. He evaded the question’s depth, responding that he loved his son, and that was why steering clear of the painful memories that stemmed from reliving that dreadful day.

Jeong Pan-ho projected his younger brother onto his son and loved both in the one form. He couldn’t rebuke him even when he knew his son had done wrong. However, when it came to abandoning allies, Jeong Pan-ho drew a very firm line. No matter how fearful the situation might be, the abandoned person would have a family.

Jeong Pan-ho said, “To me, Pan-soo was life’s hope. Without that child, I would have died of a broken heart. I didn’t want to show my pain. Every generation that forms the current structure of the Guardian Gate has its pain. It’s the same with me and the same with Moon-Ju. No…I am sure there’s nobody with only good memories in a world that has been turned into hell by monsters. Oh, it’s a damned world.”

Jeong Pan-ho laughed bitterly. At first, he’d had no intention of talking.

However, after almost losing his son, the tiger of the Suhomun Gate was soaked in emotion.

“Don’t blame your father too much.”

“Your father also suffered. I lost him because I couldn’t protect him, and that’s why strength is what I prize most highly. If you don’t have power in this world, you will only have more pain.”

Kang Min-hyuk knew it well.

Even though Min-hyuk drew a line with his father, he couldn’t break the bond with Suhomun. The Guardian Gate was a harsh place, and he had a problematic childhood there. However, the name Suhomun was of great significance to Korea. They were heroes. When he went out on the street, ordinary people gave thanks to the disciples of Suhomun, and some gratefully rummaged through their pockets and gave them everything they had. The power that Deok-cheol Kang pursued was for more than purely personal comfort. Kang Deok-cheol had authority, and with that power, he was responsible for the safety of the Suho Gate and the people around him.

In keeping with the meaning of the word guardian, Kang Deok-cheol moved forward in an honest way to protect his convictions. The man’s integrity was indisputable, but that didn’t stop him from being a very cruel father.

Jeong Pan-ho laughed awkwardly at Kang Min-hyuk’s scowling eyes.

“Whoops, did I just talk too seriously? Enough of that. When did you start learning magic? I’m no expert, but I know that the skills you’ve gained can’t be the product of a few months’ training.”

“I was lucky.”

“Luck?!”

Jeong Pan-ho scoffed in disbelief. Such advancements could not merely be explained away by the word ‘luck.’

“You defeated the A-class Death Knight with magic. Not only that, but you healed Pan-soo’s body with magic. I’ve never before bore witness to the spells that you used. That means…all you’ve done stems from you, and that can’t be explained by luck.”

His voice was firm.

Even Jeong Pan-ho could now clearly tell.

“A new magical civilization is being created because of you. You’re not just a wizard. You’re a magical pioneer.”

Kang Min-hyuk looked down at his hands for a few seconds before replying:

“In this world, magic is misunderstood and under-appreciated. For a century, wizards have been tethered to an uneducated assumption of their own limits, never breaking the barrier of their true potential. There is so much more than we know. I’ve been lucky enough to begin to peel back the layers, to see what hides beneath the surface.”

Before the eye-opening events of that day, Pan-ho Jeong had nothing but disdain for wizards. He ignored them, perceived no value in magic, or the workers of it – they were accessories, he felt – practically useless. They seemed to spend a lot of time studying instead of doing. Why waste so much time when the sword symbolized the truly noble path? Only with a blade could dangerous beasts be slain—Jeong Pan-ho’s experience of fighting alongside wizards unerringly culminated in them trembling in fear.

In light of Kang Min-hyuk’s return, however, he accepted a new possibility.

“You keep doing what you’re doing, Kang Min-hyuk. If you can change my mind, you can change anybody’s…soon enough, the entire world will have no choice but to admit to the power of magic. A wizard’s power. Your power.”

The conversation remained a good memory for both men.

* * *

It was a rare occurrence for Jeong Pan-soo to take a day off. The scene that greeted the Latecomers was not one of hope…it was a group of Death Knights spitting out red eyes.

“The enemy has appeared!”

“Ready to fight!”

The struggle for survival began again, but different from before. At first, it was just a close-quarter battle, but a formation was formed this time to protect Kang Min-hyuk.

“Protect Min-hyuk as much as possible so that he can focus on magic! Keep in mind: our purpose is not to forcefully defeat the enemy. Stay in your place and make survival your top priority.”

Advancing with the current power was a reckless choice, but it was time to give up on rediscovering the leading group.

[… … kill!]

[… … Insignificant humans!]

The battle began. At the forefront was Jeong Pan-ho, but he wasn’t in good shape after his grueling battle with the transcendental Death Knight. That, the emotional fatigue, and his lack of rest made his body heavy – each time he swung his sword, his muscles screamed in agony. Still, Jeon Pan-ho clenched his teeth and separated a Death Knight’s head from its body.

“Die, you bitch!”

When his son was born, Jeong Pan-ho pledged: he would not succumb to any monsters’ wrath. He vowed to be as strong as he could and to encourage his son to do likewise so that they could live long lives side-by-side.

“Explosion.”

Bang!

Kwakwakwang!

When he saw the death knight being swept away by Kang Min-hyuk’s magic, a smile burst out from nowhere.

‘Kang Min-hyuk.’

His name alone felt reassuring. He couldn’t explain why. There was an absurdity to it, too, but that would settle in time. It’s said that a son resembles his father…perhaps he had turned away from Min-hyuk because each was as stubborn as the other…nevertheless, Kang Min-hyuk didn’t turn away from Jeong Pan-soo. He protected Pan-ho’s most precious treasure, and for that reason, Pan-ho’s heart changed.

‘I will protect you unconditionally.’

He had saved his son. The least Pan-ho could do in return was to ensure Kang Min-hyuk’s survival.

Crack.

Jeong Pan-ho suddenly hit the ground.

[… … die!]

[… … human!]

Countless Death Knights swarmed around him. When the auras roaring from his sword were about to collide with them, an unexpected situation occurred.

“Uh?”

“What is this?”

Pasa Sasak.

Surprised voices popped up here and there as Dark Knights began to disappear, scattering like dust. Jeong Pan-ho, who had just been struggling with evil, was instantaneously relieved.

It was clear what their extinction meant.

“In the end, you succeeded.”

The advance team had not been separated from space! They had succeeded in clearing the Dark City of the S-class dungeon by defeating the Dark Lich.

* * *

The Subjugation was being broadcast live to the public by Broadcast K. Following the Dark Lich’s defeat, the reporter spoke into the camera, still wearing the traces of his suffering.

“It was thrilling. Suhomun suffered a lot of difficulties in the process of Subjugation. Still, with the gatekeeper’s expertise, Kang Deok-cheol, and his successor Lee Jun-ho, the dungeon’s demons were finally defeated. Pocheon citizens can rest assured now. The demon that was tormenting you no longer exists in this world.”

The broadcast was great. Suho Moon’s performance was outstanding, and as a result, his real-time viewership rose ridiculously.

‘With this broadcast, Lee Jun-ho will surely establish his position in Suhomun. His selflessness was awe-inspiring.’

His body trembled at the thought. However, something regrettable had also occurred. As the Latecomers were separated in space, there was a transmission issue, and their video could not be delivered. It was said that the later generations survived. It would have been great if they had broadcast how, but there was no choice but to be left behind for them.

As soon as the reporter met the latecomers’ cameraman, he said in a trembling voice as they left the dungeon.

“It was great!”

“What’s the jackpot? Tell it to me!.”

“There was a magical deity in the second generation. Kang Min-hyuk…he was not an ordinary wizard, but a supernatural being!”

While supporting Alex, the cameraman showed a professional spirit; he couldn’t record a lot, as helping the injured man to safety had taken most of his strength. However, the shots he managed to get were astonishing enough to trigger the entire world.