Chapter 42 - Choice

Pwack!

When the red spear cut off the last vine blocking the exit of the station, dazzling light poured onto the stairs.

“I’m outside now!”

Kang Min-ah took the lead in leaving the subway exit.

He looked around the mushroom forest that grew high around him, creating a shade with his hand to avoid the strong sunlight.

“…. Wait, what is that?”

Kang Min-ah opened her mouth widely, seeing what was in front of her.

It was because the body of some kind of giant was sitting on the building where Joo-seok’s body was once enshrined.

Jin-seong, who stood in front of Min-ah in shock, spoke quietly.

“….It’s the dead body of the ‘Lord of Corruption’ that the first heroes defeated.

“Oh my god….”

He was a human-like giant with two arms and one leg, with skin covered in large and small tumors as if he had been afflicted with a plague.

What was strange was that the tumors were still wriggling alive over the dead body of the Lord of Corruption.

“Is he dead…..?”

“Yes, he’s dead. But once he retrieves the heart, he will revive.”

“….Then, doesn’t that mean he’s not dead?”

There was one more thing that was strange.

It’s the golden spear that pierced through the lord’s head.

The golden spear penetrated from the back of his head to the front, and it was stuck to the ground.

The Lord of Corruption was dead with his head leaning towards the ground with the golden spear pierced through his head.

Kang Min-ah looked up at the peculiar-looking creature.

She also has fought numerous monsters at the front line and has been to expeditions, but she has never fought a monster with such an overwhelming visual.

“….How did the first heroes even fight them…..?”

While Kang Min-ah was lost in thoughts, Jin-seong stepped out and quietly stared at the remains of the Lord of Corruption.

“There’s nothing…..”

“What?”

Jin-seong shook his head.

“Nothing. Let’s have you treated first.”

Then Jin-seong pointed at the edge of the spear that was stuck to the ground in the middle of the wide square.

A golden spear pierced through the head of the Lord of Corruption like a pillar on the floor, around which clear, clean water was gushing out and flowing into the nearby fountains.

“….How can there be such clean water in a place like this?”

Kang Min-ah was puzzled and curious at the oddness.

Jin-seong walked towards the gigantic spear.

Then he explained what was happening.

“The spring water has been purified by that spear.”

“Really? What spear is that?”

“It’s the Spear of Loo.”

“….the Spear of Loo?’

It’s the angel’s spear that the first saint had.

Jin-seong silently looked up at the spear.

The great angel summoned by the first saint was able to seal the Lord of Corruption by stabbing the angel’s spear into his body.

It was the holy spear.

“Thanks to this holy spear’s power, which is purification, this cursed land could have the holy water.”

“Wow…. So that’s why we call it the Fountain of Purification….”

Ironically, the holy water has been coming out from the most disgusting and contaminated place.

Jin-seong kneeled down and put his wounded arm inside the spring water.

The cold spring water wrapped around his right arm.

The water began to purify Jin-seong’s right arm that had been contaminated by poisonous magi.

Tiring!

[The unnamed god says that the god will push away the magi and start the recovery!]

Soon, Jin-seong could feel the warmth around his arm.

When the warmth had almost disappeared, he lifted his right arm from the water.

[The unnamed god is recovering your wound at a fast pace!]

Sssssssk….!

At the same time, he felt the hot blood circulating around his arm, and the wound was quickly healed.

‘The magi that contaminated my arm is completely gone now… So that means,’

Srrrkk!

[Unlocking the Tyrfing saved in Ten of Sword No. 3!]

Srrrnng….!

Jin-seong took out the magic sword.

‘I need to make this magic sword more usable.’

He threw the Tyrifing into the small fountain to purify the poison in the sword.

Chiiiiiik….!

As soon as the dense magi in the magic sword touched the holy water, the magi began to come out like hot steam smoke.

[The Catastrophe of the Corruption saved inside the Tyrfing of the Storm is starting to become neutralized!]

[The rate of the Catastrophe of the Corruption inside the Tyrfing of the Storm is decreasing to 50%!]

Beep!

[The Tyrfing of the Storm is resisting the holy water! The catastrophic energy inside the Tyrfing is no longer disappearing!]

Jin-seong nodded at the window.

‘This is enough.’

“How is it?”

Jin-seong nodded.

“It’s good. It’s your turn, professor.”

“…What do I need to do?”

Jin-seong pointed at the bigger fountain.

“You can go in there. You’ll be able to heal your addiction.”

“Umm… Is that so?”

“If you stay there for 10 minutes, you’ll be healed.”

Min-ah, who was about to step into the water, stopped.

Then she turned to Jin-seong.

“All I need to do is just go in? Won’t there be a sudden attack?”

Kang Min-ah was still worried about the enemy.

“They won’t since I’ll be on the watch.”

Although my clairvoyance has weakened, I can still cover enough distance to be prepared for danger.

“Umm, then….”

Kang Min-ah carefully took off her armor and weapons.

She took off the breast plate’s clasp, shoulder and pelvic armor, and gaiters on the ground.

Then, Min-ah put herself into the water, wearing white tights with her bare feet.

“Ah! So cold!”

Kang Min-ah was startled by the cold water temperature, but she held it in.

She frowned as she looked at Jin-seong with only her head beyond the surface of the water. But her frowned face was loosened as the water warmed up in an instant.

“Wow…. Being in here actually feels good….”

When the holy water began to neutralize the magi that has assimilated into Kang Min-ah’s body, she started to feel relaxed.

“…..I think it’s warm in here.”

“Stay like that for a while. Then, the horn will also disappear.”

“Ooh……”

Kang Min-ah, who wasn’t really listening to Jin-seong’s words, showed a relaxed face as if she was at a spa.

Kang Min-ah ended up falling asleep as she was very tired from the journey. Jin-seong looked at Min-ah and looked at the remains of the Lord of Corruption pierced by the holy spear.

“….Was this done by the magic swordsman?’

He thought as he was looking at the lord’s skin covered with wriggling tumors.

‘This place is originally a boss room. So there should’ve been an attack from the boss.’

But there was no boss in the boss room.

He looked carefully at the dead body of the Lord of Corruption.

They should’ve been an attack from the remains of the dead body of the Lord of Corruption when they entered the Guemsu Mountain Sun Palace, but nothing happened.

So, neutralizing the Spore Mass, the final boss of ‘The Tomb of the Lord, was the condition for clearing the Tomb of the Lord dungeon here.

Spore masses made up each part of the remains. Although the lord’s body was bound to the spear and unable to move, it was normal for the parasitic spore masses to move the lord’s arms and legs to attack those who approached.

But those spore masses had been already eliminated by someone.

‘……He’s nearby.’

Jin-seong watched Kang Min-ah who was sleeping inside the water.

Lee Jin-seong was like an iron man who doesn’t feel the tiredness at all, but Kang Min-ah had an average human body. So it’s not strange that she is tired from the journey.

‘It will be okay to let her sleep for a while.’

Sssk.

Jin-seong organized his thoughts, then he looked at the Geumsu Mountain Sun Palace, where the dead body of the Lord of Corruption was sitting.

“……”

There was a man waiting for him.

Jin-seong stepped inside the building.

Unlike the outside, the inside of the building was comparatively clean. The large hall was covered with bright marbles on the floor, and the large and heavy internal pillars were splendid in Renaissance style.

At the end of the hall, there were two statues standing, and beside them, was a familiar-looking man waiting for him.

“Destiny is strange.”

When Jin-seong approach, the magic swordsman spoke without even turning around. The magic swordsman was staring at a landscape painting behind the broken statue.

“I closed my eyes thinking that everything ended, but I returned.”

The magic swordsman smiled as he turned around to see Jin-seong.

“……”

Jin-seong stood in front of him, leaving a distance between himself and the man.

“You know what’s funny? I died as a hero after killing this monster, but when I opened my eyes again, I’m helping this monster’s subordinate. Isn’t this funny?”

He laughed as if he was talking about someone else.

Jin-seong asked coldly.

“……Who is it. The one who’s giving orders to you.”

The man waved his hands to Jin-seong’s question.

“Haha…. Can I tell you that later? Because if I tell you now, I will have to kill you….”

Jin-seong smiled at his words.

“….I will be different from how I was in our last meeting.”

Jin-seong grabbed the Tyrfing that has become 50% purified. The man, however, ignored that and asked Jin-seong.

“….How’s the wise man doing? How about Setz? How about the saint and the other dude…?”

The magic swordsman suddenly began to ask about his old friends.

“You can check it out yourself.”

“….Please, I’m begging you…. Tell me about how they’re doing, even just one of them is fine.”

Hearing that, Jin-seong realized that the magic swordsman wasn’t in a good condition.

Jin-seong thought as he looked at him.

‘I was right, there’s still a chance for negotiation.’

Jin-seong knew that the magic swordsman purposely waited until Kang Min-ah fell asleep. This meant that there was another reason why the man approached him.

As if proving his thought,

Beep!

[You have now reached the critical turning point ‘Encounter the Magic Swordsman’!]

[Achievement, you will have to choose one of the two options: ‘Let’s meet at the paradise!’, ‘Stop talking bullshit!’.]

[Once the desired result is fulfilled, you will be rewarded. This is not mandatory.]

A reminder popped up.

Jin-seong smiled.

“What do you want to hear?”

“….What do you mean?”

Srrrng….

Jin-seong spoke as he put away his sword.

“Do you want me to tell you what you want to hear, or do you want to know the truth?”

Hearing Jin-seong’s words, the magic swordsman asked.

“…Are you going to trifle with me right now?”

The magic swordsman got angry at Jin-seong.

“Well…. I don’t think you have a lot of time left for your, the magic swordsman…?”

The magic swordsman was slightly agitated by Jin-seong’s words.

“…What?”

“I know a lot more than you think. Perhaps, I even know the way to get a better result. So….”

Then he walked towards the magic swordsman.

“Will you accept my only request?”

The magic swordsman smiled at Jin-seong, who was asking in confidence.

“…..It’s funny. You’re kidding me, aren’t you?”

Jin-seong, who smiled facing the magic swordsman, was thinking of achieving both of his desired results.