Chapter 872
“...”
“...”
‘What’s that now?’
“What...?”
‘What does that mean? Why is this bastard saying weird stuff all of a sudden?’
“What are you talking about?”
‘Are you crazy?’
‘What the hell are you talking about? Isn’t this a little strange? No matter how much I think about it, his emotion feels a little strange.’
‘Is that line correct? Thank you for your hard work. Now it’s all over. This won’t happen anymore. Doesn’t that kind of line fit better?’
‘Goodbye, my ass. Why are you talking like someone you won’t see anymore?’
From start to finish, I didn’t understand anything.
Why he was talking like that, why he was holding on to the pendant, why he had said he was scared, why he was smiling as if everything was finally over, why he was making a face that seemed like he could only be at ease now, why his appearance was now scattered... there was nothing I could understand.
I couldn’t say anything. It wasn’t easy to think when it felt like my mind was paralyzed.
I tried to get back to myself, but I became dazed. So time went by. As always, a wonderful landscape loomed over the continent.
Very bright sunset light illuminated the continent. As if the whole story were over, the light began to spread across the continent.
Everyone must have thought it was a miracle. Looking around blankly, I saw people cheering in joy.
It was the behavior of those who thought that everything was over.
“Son of Light!”
“I lived... lived.”
“Benignore... haha... hahahaha!”
“It is light.”
“It’s a warm light. It’s so warm...”
“The Sunset Swordsman won... hahahaha! Oh, God... Thank you. Thanks again for the miracle...”
‘What kind of bullshit are you talking about? Now...’
“It is a miracle. Everyone, it’s a miracle. The continent has won once again. We did not lose to evil and did not give in, we achieved victory once again. Our home, the soul of the Son of Light! We have preserved the things we value. We will never forget this day.”
‘I mean... what? What are you guys talking about?’
“The demon is disappearing. Everyone... the demons are disappearing. Humanity has won.”
It was just like they said. The strange monsters were slowly scattering. Those affected by the glow of the sunset screamed painfully and dispersed.
Everyone put down their swords. The adventurers fighting fiercely, the priests who had continued to pray, and the wizards who were constantly chanting spells put down their wands.
I saw people shedding tears, hugging each other in relief, or falling to the floor.
In the meantime, Kim Hyunsung, who held me in his arms, was disappearing.
“Huh... huh?”
I grabbed his clothes, forgetting to act, but they fell apart before my hand could reach them.
Just like a dandelion seed being blown away, he began to scatter even in the slight wind.
I grabbed his hand, but I couldn’t get it. The hand that was holding me was disappearing. It was like touching the sand.
“Hey, hey!”
I didn’t know when, but Kim Hyunsung’s expression had frozen. He’d kept his smiling face as it was after he said the last line.
His gaze was fixed on me until the very end. His eyes didn’t blink, and the shape of his mouth did not change. I couldn’t even feel any slight tremors.
“Hey... what’s wrong?”
I didn’t hear an answer.
“Is it a prank?”
Still no answer.
What should I have done? He was a bit strange. Was it because he’d overdone it... I thought he was exhausted. He’d fainted while standing. That must have been it.
‘It’s okay if you don’t look much like the protagonist. You’ve already done enough. You don’t have to do this much.’
‘Honestly, you knew everything, right? You’re doing this to make fun of me, right?’
“Say something. Hyunsung. Are you okay? Hyunsung... now... it’s all...”
Was it because he was too shocked that I’d suddenly started talking? Were you surprised? Actually, I wasn’t planning on talking here.
‘Look at him frozen in surprise. I can’t do this anymore. Hey, I won’t do it from now on. So talk.’
“Everything will be fine now. Everything is over. Now... let’s go back. Let’s go back...”
No answer was heard.
He was still looking at me quietly with a smile on his face.
“It’s over now.”
“...”
“Hey. It’s over now...”
“...”
“Kim Hyunsung. Can’t you hear me?”
‘Benignore, Lucifer, it’s over now, right? Someone, please answer. Jihye, is this right?’
‘Why is no one giving any feedback? It’s a little strange now. No, isn’t it a bit too strange?’
‘This wasn’t in the plan. Things are going a little strange right now. Benignore. Benignore. Can you hear me?’
“Benignore... can you hear me? Belial... you...”
“...”
“What are you doing? Kim Hyunsung... you...”
I slowly got up. The body of the guy who had been holding me collapsed.
“Ah...”
Startled, I reflexively stretched out my hand.
“Huh...”
His face scattered when I touched it with my hand. The face that had been smiling all the time was no longer visible. His body, legs, and arms were just blown away by the wind.
“Ahhh... huh...”
I felt something strange and looked around. Cheers could still be heard. With the sound of happy laughter, the scenery changed like it was a festival.
I saw them coming to me. I saw people looking at me holding the scattered Kim Hyunsung.
I could see they had slightly strange faces. The party members around me looked worried.
How did I look now? Was I crying?
My hands kept trembling. I couldn’t breathe properly. I felt dizzy. What was going on? I was dreaming right now, right? What in the hell happened?
What was I supposed to do from now on? What was my next plan? What was I going to do? Now... now... why am I here? What are all these... I...
“...!”
“...!”
“...”
“...”
I heard voices around me, but I couldn’t understand anything. I stretched out my hand one more time, but I couldn’t get anything. Park Deokgu...
“Hyung-nim...”
I heard his voice. But even after that, I couldn’t hear it right.
It was then that I felt my body float into the sky.
I couldn’t figure out exactly what was going on, but then I felt like I was falling to the ground.
Everyone was looking up. I saw myself immersed in a huge light. I could see people looking at me from below.
Did I get out of the dummy? Was I going down? It had happened so quickly that I had no sense of reality.
Was I really resurrecting now? Was I coming back to life like this?
“...!”
“...!”
I saw them cheering.
It was hard to judge, but it was probably happening.
[You have completed the conditions for clearing the mythic-grade dungeon ‘The Continent Where the Son of Light Sacrificed.’]
[Resurrection of the Son of Light (1/1)]
I saw the message.
I saw the sky that covered the northern part disappear.
Everything affected by “dungeonization” reverted to its original form.
Once again, the bright light fell, and the fallen things were raised again.
As if there had been no battle from the beginning, as if this had not happened in the first place, everything went back to its original state.
Flowers bloomed, and trees grew. Light fell on the contaminated area. The sunset light continued to fall all over the continent.
I could also see Eberia in the distance. Leaves bloomed on the World Tree with the sunset light. The elves offered prayers to the World Tree.
Laios was no different. Neither was the Federation.
The same went for Mirror Lake. This phenomenon, which was taking place across the State, the Republic, and the entire continent...
It was a sight I didn’t comprehend. No, it was a sight I didn’t want to understand.
The blocked river flowed again. Those who had been lying down got up. Those who were hiding came out and looked up at the sky.
In the sunset light that illuminated the entire continent, I could see them quietly closing their eyes and spreading their arms. I saw the people of the continent rejoicing.
But I still couldn’t hear their voices. They were probably cheering.
They must have been muttering for a miracle, for the Hero of the Sunset, or the Son of Light.
Like it had before... now, this sight must have looked like a miracle. It was a sight worthy of being called a miracle.
It felt like it was time to get back what everyone had lost and what they had almost lost.
I bowed to look down at where Kim Hyunsung was, but he was not there. The ragged body was no longer visible.
‘Why you...’
“You won’t come back.”
The bodies of those who had been wounded were being healed. Those who had been dying raised their bodies. Kim Hyunsung still didn’t get up. He wouldn’t go back to normal.
“Why are you...?”
The pendant.
“Why aren’t you getting up?”
My head hurt.
Cho Hyejin was crying. She was crying while looking at Kim Hyunsung.
Kim Ye-ri was holding Kim Hyunsung’s sword. With her head bowed, she was hugged by Ahn Ki-mo and collapsed.
“Sniff... Sniff... Sniff...”
I could hear her crying.
“Sniff...”
I guessed that was what it had meant.
I guessed that was what Kim Hyunsung’s last words had meant.
I guessed the sunset light that filled the sky was not the effect of clearing the dungeon, but the light created by Kim Hyunsung.
Sacrificing himself for me... I should be enjoying myself when it meant this? Were you really going to end it like that? Was it that?
My hands were shaking. I felt as if something were forcibly pulling me off the floor.
“I won’t go down.”
“...”
“Fuck! I’m not going down. Shit. Fuck! Take this off. I’m not going down, you bastards!”
“...”
“Kim Hyunsung, you stupid bastard! Don’t be presumptuous! Son of a bitch. Who do you think you are to decide whether to get me back or not? What the hell are you doing, damn it, presumptuously...”
“...”
“I will take care of everything. Just put it back the way it was. You stupid bastard.”
“...”
“I will take care of everything! Just put it back the way it was from the beginning! You bastard! Let go of me! Fuck, I won’t go down! I’m not going down! Shit!”
“...”
“Benignore! Benignore!”
“...”
I looked around in a hurry.
I saw someone looking at me. They seemed invisible to other people’s eyes, but they were definitely visible to me.
“You...”
The guy with the mask off.
He opened his mouth while smiling.
‘This is right.’
“Stop with the bullshit! You bastard!”