Chapter 379

"..."

Namgung Jincheon's eyes fluttered as he stood as still as stone. As he started walking, he spoke with a regal voice infused with magic power.

"The beggar has fallen."

The message was relayed to his remaining three accomplices in real time. They took a moment to sort their own thoughts before they responded.

- Will you eliminate him?

- I will throw a cordon around the palace.

- We will do everything you wish.

Despite the fact that the powerful, transcendent martial artist Yoo Joo-Wan had been killed, they weren't panicking at all. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho's fighting power surpassed their expectations because they had never thought that Yoo Joo-Wan would be defeated.

Still, Seo Jun-Ho couldn't be stronger than Namgung Jincheon.

"A simple cordon around the palace will not be enough." The Alliance Leader shook his head. "Cordon the bathroom the Players are using as an entry point to Neo City."

- ...!

- That is a keen insight.

- So you intend to prevent him from retreating.

Namgung Jincheon owned all the neigong in the city, so a Player couldn't possibly defeat him no matter how strong they were.

'At least, until now.'

The Demonic Cult had been causing him trouble with their Beta Neigong Chip. So now, he couldn't help but laugh. "We will be able to clear away all the troublemakers at once."

- What do you mean...?

"From this moment on, I declare Player Seo Jun-Ho as an official enemy of the Murim Alliance."

- An official enemy!

His subordinates were surprised by his unwavering decision. Namgung Jincheon had always been careful about setting up justifications for himself, so it wasn't like him to do this.

- On what grounds?

"Seo Jun-Ho is currently with the Small Heavenly Demon, Wisoso. We will associate him with the Demonic Cult and create a good opportunity to take them both down at once."

- Yes, we are truly lucky.

The three martial artists were delighted. They had made meticulous plans to make out the Demonic Cult as 'the bad guys'. If they carried out the plans, the Demonic Cult would be branded as evil by the public. Their reputation would never be able to recover.

'And Seo Jun-Ho is a Player working with the Small Heavenly Demon, who will carry the reputation all by themself.'

Even if they pronounced Seo Jun-Ho an official enemy of the Murim Alliance, no one would really point fingers at them.

- Will a cordon be enough? If Seo Jun-Ho attempts to learn 'that'...

One of them asked carefully.

"There will be no problems," Namgung Jincheon said after thinking for a moment.

He had already cut his ties to that ill-fated relationship 700 years ago. Even if someone who could use those martial arts emerged, he would still be the victor.

'No one in this city can defeat me.'

Namgung Jincheon opened his diary and started writing another entry.

***

The top floor of the Imperial Palace held the throne room designed to the peak of extravagance. It was adorned with all kinds of decorations that sparkled like stars. But because there was no trace of people, it seemed strange and dreary.

"Contractor, why was that beggar guarding the stairs?" asked the Frost Queen.

"Dunno." Even though he had made the dead man confess, Seo Jun-Ho couldn't find what he had been protecting among his memories. However, Seo Jun-Ho had a strong feeling that he was protecting something.

- Perhaps it is about time that I step in.

"What are you saying, you lump of metal?" retorted the Frost Queen.

However, Wisoso didn't back down.

- Queen of an unknown nation. This will make you stop looking down on me.

Wisoso boasted. Blue light flooded their LED eyes. The light from their eyes scanned the room.

- There. There is a space behind the throne.

Seo Jun-Ho was surprised. He hadn't expected anything at all. "Wow. You really are more useful than Frost."

"I-I am helpful...!"

"Yeah, yeah." Every once in a while—every once in a long while—they would be helpful.

Seo Jun-Ho started carrying Wisoso rather than the Frost Queen. It seemed that her status had fallen.

"Behind the throne, right?"

Seo Jun-Ho took a close look at the drawing of the dragon there, and he instantly got a feeling. "I think it's here."

He pressed on the dragon's eye. The wall split open, and a new room was revealed.

"This place..." Seo Jun-Ho was stupefied by its enormous size.

However, his shock only lasted for a moment. When Seo Jun-Ho stepped inside, the door behind him closed on its own.

"C-C-Contractor."

- Y-Y-Young Hero.

"You're a spirit, and you're a robot. Why are you afraid of the dark?" He consoled them, but he couldn't understand them at all. "Wisoso, turn on your light."

- Oh, right. I'm a machine.

At that, a bright light shot out from Wisoso's eyes and lit up the space in front of them.

"The Murim Alliance was here." Seo Jun-Ho had been hoping that he was the first one to discover this place, but it seemed he hadn't given the Murim Alliance enough credit. There were devices and equipment all over the room stamped with their symbol.

- Oh, Young Hero Seo! Look over there!

Wisoso exclaimed, looking up ahead.

There was a set of stairs rusted with time. At the top, there was a skeleton and a booklet.

"What is this?"

The first thing that Seo Jun-Ho thought was that this was a trap.

'There are signs that the Murim Alliance has already been here a few times. But a book like that is still here?'

Anyone could see that the book was both expensive and suspicious.

"Be careful, Contractor."

"Intuition is telling me that it's okay." He slowly walked up the stairs. "A skeleton and a booklet. What's with this random pairing?"

It was likely that the skeleton was once His Majesty the Emperor. Seo Jun-Ho doubtfully reached his hand out.

"Confession of the Dead."

***

The holy sunlight poured through between the window panes of the throne room. There was a martial artist kneeling on the ground.

"I beg of you, Your Majesty!" exclaimed the martial artist.

"Your voice is as loud as always. Are you taking some kind of supplement?" A sly voice responded. It belonged to His Majesty the Emperor. He stood up from the throne and slowly made his way down the stairs. "Everyone knows you are the most powerful warrior. So why do you refuse, General?"

"..." The man was quiet.

The emperor crouched down and lifted the general's lowly bowed head. "General, do you dislike the idea of being my sword?"

"That's not it." On the contrary, he wanted to become His Majesty's sword more than anything else. He was the leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guard—the Jinyiwei. He was the emperor's sword and shadow, a man of great influence everyone envied.

However, His Majesty had never attempted to revive their division since it had been destroyed.

"Your Majesty. There is no need to make this difficult. Please, just allow me."

"Allow you? Oh, allow you to kill Jincheon?" His Majesty the Emperor laughed and sprawled on the ground like some hillbilly boy.

"Your Majestyyyy! Please, maintain your dignity!"

"No, you please maintain your dignity~" He said teasingly. "General. You are strong."

"..."

"You are strong enough to kill Jincheon. Even I know that."

"Then why..."

"But are you certain that you can slice his throat without damaging the city? If you are, then I will give you permission."

The general couldn't answer the emperor's cutting question.

He had already run battle simulations in his head several times. He knew better than anyone else that Namgung Jincheon wasn't someone he could defeat only with a few attacks.

Once he fell silent, the emperor smiled bitterly. "This city is a flower that managed to bloom in the midst of ruins. It is the final hope the central district has left behind."

If the general fought Namgung Jincheon, the city would have to suffer.

"If the monsters were to fight, the ones who suffer would be the people. And a significant amount of neigong in the Chip will be absorbed as well."

It would destroy the future of the central district—now known as Neo City.

The man knew that much. He knew. He knew very well.

"But..."

Why did the emperor have to lay down his life for this?

He couldn't say it out loud because he was all choked up.

"General, you did not believe back then either, correct?"

"..."

"You did not believe that this desolate land would become like this. I know..."

"Back then, I was just being realistic."

"Indeed. Realistically, it seemed impossible. But we were successful beyond imagination. So, I wish you would trust me this time, too."

"Your Majesty..."

The faint smile and the warmth on the emperor's face suddenly disappeared. When he spoke once more, it was with the regality of a ruler.

"General Cheon-Gwang, lift your head and accept my command."[1]

"I will heed your command." He lifted his head.

"General Cheon-Gwang, I hereby appoint you as the head of the Jinyiwei. May you stay true to the duties I leave you." The emperor gave his order with a face stained with both joy and sadness.

"...I will do as you command with my body and all my conviction and soul."

That day, the first and final emperor of Neo City disappeared from the world.

It was all so that Namgung Jincheon would never try to steal his power again.

***

"..."

Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. All the pieces had finally fallen into place. Wisoso probably thought the same thing, wrapped in his arms.

- I-I did not even know...

"It's not just you. No one knew."

The Frost Queen dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief. "What a fine—fine ruler. I feel like I must learn from him."

"Yeah."

The Emperor of Neo City had ended his own life. He knew that Namgung Jincheon wanted the 'System Chip,' and he knew that there was no realistic way to stop him.

"But I had no idea that he would become an AI himself."

This was one of the secrets of Neo City. For the past 700 years, only one emperor had reigned over this land. He was the very same emperor that became a machine in order to avoid fighting Namgung Jincheon.

"Geez, I don't even know what to say," Seo Jun-Ho remarked.

The emperor had certainly succeeded. For the past 700 years, Namgung Jincheon ceaselessly attempted to hack the System Chip, but it remained safe.

Unfortunately, the city was still destined for destruction. Now, the herald of its destruction was only one step away from gathering all the 'First Chips'.

"..." Seo Jun-Ho looked at the skeleton once again. He originally thought that it belonged to His Majesty the Emperor, but he was wrong. "That's General Cheon-Gwang."

Until the moment of his death, he had served as the emperor's sword and shadow.

'And this book...' It contained all the martial arts he had used throughout his life.

Seo Jun-Ho reached out and picked up the book. Clearly, there was only one reason why such an amazing book was still here.

[Target is confirmed to be a 'Pureblood'.]

[General Cheon-Gwang's trial is now beginning.]

[Fight the warriors within the data and survive until the end.]

All of a sudden, Seo Jun-Ho's surroundings changed. He found himself in a huge fighting arena with clear views of the vast sky. A single pillar of light descended in front of him.

[Your first opponent is Yi-Hyul of the Jinyiwei.]

Seo Jun-Ho looked up at the baby-faced young man. He took out the Sword of Ambition from his Inventory.

"I'll finish your mission," he muttered.

He had made such a decision because he finally knew who was good and who was bad.

***

- Y'all, did you see the news?

- Yupyup wtf is happening?

- Why is Seo Jun-Ho being targeted by the Murim Alliance?!

- Well, they said he's been going around with a ball called the Small Heavenly Demon.

- The barriers throughout the city have been strongly reinforced. Many areas have been cordoned off as well.

The Community forums were in an uproar. Earth's Hero, Seo Jun-Ho, had just been branded as the Murim Alliance's official enemy.

The Players weren't the only ones who heard the news.

"This is a fun development. What do you think?" asked Isaac Dvor.

"..." The Heavenly Demon chuckled. "Indeed. He has never failed to entertain me."

The boring six months he would have to spend had just become a bit more exciting.

1. There is no hanja, but it likely means something like 'heavenly light' or 'heavenly brilliance'. ☜