Chapter 109: Catastrophe (10)

Jaehwan felt the power surging within him.

'This is the power of the Sole-King.'

It was power he was experiencing through his own body, but he didn't feel that it was realistic. It wasn't at the level of just destroying the lands and the world. It was controlling the world itself.

That was the power of the Master of Chaos.

Jaehwan knew that this power was the goal he had to strive for.

'...This is crazy.'

What's more important was that this power wasn't everything Catastrophe had. And even then, he lost to Big Brother and was sealed away.

'How strong do I need to become...?'

Jaehwan thought he had opened a possibility after he overcame the 4th step. But today, he saw 'impossible'. Then, as he thought, the fight was almost over. He felt Sole-King's spirit waning away, with his voice coming to him.

-You can only call me with the stone three times.

-You used it once this time, so remaining is two.

-You will need me when you meet [Big Brother] so that means you have only one chance.

-You have to thank your friend, or else your spirit could've only called me two times.

And the voice was gone. Then Jaehwan felt horrible pain gripping him. He knew his spirit was at the limit. He also saw darkness grasping him and tentacles coming out of him. He was becoming a Dead Man.

He felt the memories fading away. He was losing himself. He then wished if something could be there to kill him before he loses himself. Then he heard something touching him. Something that felt like a brush was tickling him.

Then he realized that it was that brush that made him stay.

Memories were coming back.

He then saw Jaehwan talking to Chunghuh long time ago, when he first fought Chunghuh at the training ground. Then, the other memories came back. Some were distant while some were embarrassing.

-They die because the 'ocean' exists, right?

-I guess so.

-Then I will wipe out the ocean.

Jaehwan was really embarrassed at seeing himself answering against the Question of Righteousness.

'...I was a fool.'

Reckless, foolish, and childish. He had no respect or compassion. He was a child.

But even then, Chunghuh never hated him. Then Jaehwan felt something within him: happiness. It was as if he was accepted by a world.

"Kid! Kid! Wake up!"

He felt pain searing through his body.

"KID!"

There was a voice. It was the doctor.

"KID!!!"

Kid, how long will you call me a kid?

"Jaehwan!!"

Jaehwan smiled. He opened his eyes and there was a 1200-year-old man looking down at him with teary eyes.

'You did it, old man.'

He still felt corruption within him, but since Catastrophe wasn't hostile against him, it wasn't doing anything from within.

"Why did you become a Dead Man! Do you even know what you were putting yourself into?!"

Chunghuh shouted but Jaehwan smiled.

"...I trusted you."

Jaehwan had made up his plan with Chunghuh in mind. With his 'Dead Man Slash', Jaehwan thought there was a chance for Chunghuh to reverse him from becoming a Dead Man.

He then saw Sameng Hoon panting. It seems the King had left him before giving him a final blow that allowed him to survive. But his spirit was destroyed severely, so he was going to die at any second.

Jaehwan looked around. There were no Generals anymore.

"It's done..."

Everything was done now. The Lords would not care about the Chaos anymore, as they would be busy rebuilding what they had lost.

'But something is weird.'

The Expedition Team members weren't too happy. Jaehwan then turned to where Sameng Hoon last was. Inside the space that he created earlier were the particles that showed video. It was now stuck on the ground, each particle showing the same video that was shown to Jaehwan again and again.

Everyone was watching the video of Jaehwan's body now.

Sameng Hoon looked up.

'...You will be left alone.'

The members looked weird as they watched it. It wasn't the excitement of victory that grasped them, but a different emotion. Sameng Hoon knew what it was.

Betrayal.

"...Master."

It was the North Gatekeeper Captain James who spoke first.

"What is that... video?" he asked.

"I had heard of the rumor... that you are not dead, but alive. I thought it was a false rumor..."

"W-wait! What are you talking about?"

"The Master is not dead?"

"...He is not one of us?"

People began to mumble and Cayman spoke.

"Hey, it's not important..."

"It's very important," James replied coldly.

Cayman couldn't understand. Why did it matter if Jaehwan was dead or not? Cayman then looked around at other members, but they too seemed to think the same thing. Some even asked this.

"...Come to think of it, didn't you acquire the [Fruits] when you got to the Palace of Reincarnation? What did you do with all those [Fruits]?"

"Wait! Are you accusing the Master of reviving back through the [Fruit]?" Cayman shouted angrily.

"...Then how can you prove that video!"

"He did not eat the [Fruit]! He..."

"Then WHERE ARE THOSE [FRUITS]!!"

Cayman couldn't say. He couldn't explain that he destroyed every remaining [Fruit].

'I see.'

He then realized why they were becoming angered. They did not trust Jaehwan. They did not join the Expedition Team to 'change the world'. It wasn't a noble idea that drove them. All they wanted from the beginning was only one thing.

The [Fruits].

That was the only thing they wanted. But what if their leader was one who did not want such thing at all? What if their leader was an entirely different being who did not share their pain?

Cayman looked at Jaehwan.

Suspicion began to turn into rage and began spreading among the people. Sameng Hoon smiled ominously from the distance. The reason why people's emotion changed so quickly was also because of his Top grade skill, [Derange]. But the skill only worked when there was a spark.

It was people's darkness. It was their distrust against Jaehwan that brought this.