Chapter 473
[Hellbound From Hell]
"Hell?"
Seong Jihan felt puzzled after noticing the word that appeared in place of the ???.
Hell? The term is typically used to describe the afterlife or the underworld, isn't it?
Was this hidden ability, which was previously shrouded with ???, actually tied to Hell?
-Hell?
-Why is Hell suddenly mentioned...?
-Are we falling into Hell now that the Red factors have disappeared?
People quickly picked up on Seong Jihan's muttering and started to question among themselves.
-Hell? Does he mean the Void?
-It must be that. The final destination of all beings is the Void. So, when they say Hell, they must mean the Void.
-But why specifically mention the Void here?
Alien beings watching the broadcast quickly assumed that Hell meant the Void.
However, Seong Jihan thought otherwise.
'Hmm... This doesn't seem to be the Void.'
The concept of beings ending up in the Void usually signifies death, which makes sense in the BattleNet context. But why would such a thing be hidden under ???
After pondering for a moment about what Hell might entail, Seong Jihan decided to reveal everything.
'I've already exposed so much. I might as well reveal this too.'
He decided to harness the power of collective intelligence.
"Everyone, the Red factor have disappeared, but something like this has appeared instead."
When Seong Jihan revealed the term 'Hellbound From Hell',
-What?
-So Hell is real?
-Wow... There really is an afterlife?
-See, this is why you should believe in religion! Or you'll end up in Hell, lol.
-So believing in Seong Jihan is enough? lol
-Yeah, let's trust in the Administrator for salvation.
As people reacted to the revelation that Hell might be real, some even started to joke about forming a religion around Seong Jihan.
Meanwhile, the alien viewers had a larger reaction.
-No way, the system actually verifies Hell?
-Is the system message genuine?
-The Administrator revealed it, so it must be true;
-The concept of Hell shouldn't be separate from the Void... Why is such a term used specifically?
-It's strange that this appears as a hidden ability.
The majority couldn't understand why this was hidden from them, why it wasn't classified as the Void.
At that moment,
[You've uncovered even this, it seems.]
A voice, familiar yet unsettling, resounded in Seong Jihan's ears.
'This voice... It's unmistakably....'
It was the voice of the Red Administrator.
Despite supposedly being erased during the selection process, not all of him seemed to have vanished.
"You insidious bastard... Does this Hell have to do with you, Red Administrator?"
As Seong Jihan said this,
"Unc... Uncle! Look outside!"
Yoon Seah, her face pale with shock, pointed out the window.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"The... The whole world... It's turned red."
Her voice trembled with fear as she described the world turning red.
But,
[Seah, what are you talking about?]
"I don't feel anything unusual."
Those watching at home, including the petrified Seong Jiah and the Shadow Queen, didn't sense anything out of the ordinary.
However,
-Huh?
-Did you hear that?
-Yeah, he said something about uncovering everything...
-Is it just my eyes, or has the world turned completely red?
-The sunlight is totally crimson now;
-It's nighttime here, but the moonlight is blood-red,
In contrast, human viewers all seemed to have similar responses to Yoon Seah.
They too had heard the Red Administrator's voice and noticed the world turning crimson.
"Is this... only affecting humanity?"
Since Seong Jihan had transcended humanity by becoming an Administrator, this phenomenon didn't affect him.
Seong Jiah was petrified, and the Shadow Queen was a Shadow Elf, so neither of them seemed affected as well.
[So... I really might not be considered human anymore.]
"That's why I told you to use the key and revert to being human quickly."
Offering a brief word to the feeling of isolation Seong Jiah was experiencing, Seong Jihan stepped outside to get a clear look.
'While I can't feel the world turning red... there is something off up there.'
The sky above, with the sun appearing as usual, seemed normal.
But from the direction of the sun, a faint red energy was emanating.
Moreover,
"Ugh... Why do I keep looking at the sun..."
"It's really hurting my eyes, but I can't stop...!"
People on the ground, too, were staring at the sky with confused and disturbed expressions.
To be precise, they were all staring at the sun.
'I need to trace this red energy.'
Swoosh!
Seong Jihan ascended into the sky.
Then,
Whoosh...
The red energy grew increasingly intense.
And as he ascended, the sky too began to turn red, just as the humans had described.
-The Red Administrator is linked with Hell...?
-Did he create this Hell system separately from the Void?
-Isn't the realm of death under the jurisdiction of the Black Administrator...? He's really crossed a line;
-Does the Void not care about this?
-The Black Administrator didn't seem aware of his subordinate colluding with the Red Administrator.
-Permanent Administrators might not be as omnipotent as we thought...
The consensus was that Hell should be within the realm of the Void, controlled by the Black Administrator.
That the Red Administrator had managed to create something separate yet overlapping with the domain of the Void led to doubts about the Black Administrator's true power.
'This is it.'
Seong Jihan arrived at the source of the powerful red energy emanations.
* * *
Hovering over Seoul, a gigantic red eye was staring at him.
[Blue Administrator. I admit it. The plan to make me a permanent Administrator through humanity has failed.]
The pulsating movement of the enormous eye made Seong Jihan furrow his brows.
"Red Administrator..."
Following the revelation of the Hellbound From Hell ability, the red eye had abruptly appeared.
This eye was the most significant and powerful manifestation of the Red Administrator Seong Jihan had encountered so far.
Particularly,
'...It's likely because of this hidden Hellbound ability. Energy is flowing from the earth towards here.'
The world had turned completely red.
Humans, despite the pain in their eyes, couldn't stop staring at the sky.
The Red Administrator's eye was gradually absorbing the energy from those people.
"Where have you been hiding? Here?"
[I am everywhere. My appearance manifests because Hell has been revealed.]
"Hell... What is that exactly?"
Surprisingly, the Red Administrator readily answered Seong Jihan's question.
[It is a system designed to efficiently utilize a core resource: humanity.]
"A system?"
[Indeed. Currently, the Black Administrator monopolizes the management of the dead through the Void. But this Void leans excessively towards 'annihilation,' squandering resources inefficiently...]
"Resources..."
[You were designed as a resource to elevate me to a permanent Administrator. You cannot be used frivolously. Thus, the Hell system was created to monopolize even your deaths.]
He regarded humanity as a core resource.
Alive, they nurture the Red factor. Dead, they're drawn into Hell for reuse.
"And you managed to keep this hidden from the Void?"
[Permanent Administrators don't bother observing lower species in detail. Besides, as you know, I had a collaborator.]
He was referring to the Arena Owner.
Seong Jihan's mouth curved into a sneer.
"What now? Your collaborator has been unmasked, and Hell has been revealed. When the Permanent Administrators catch you, it's over for you too."
[Heh. I am not bound to any one place. I am everywhere...]
"Is that so? Then stop clinging to humanity and entertain yourself elsewhere."
[I intend to.]
The Red Administrator surprisingly agreed with him.
"Really?"
[Yes.]
With that,
Whoosh...
Above the red eye, another scene began to unfold.
It showed Ashoka, who had defied the Red Administrator after gaining enlightenment.
-The five enlightened beings before you all chose to turn away. But defiance... interesting. One finally provides a bit of entertainment after such a long wait.
The Administrator had actually welcomed this act of defiance with joy.
Although this was all Seong Jihan had seen from Ashoka's memory.
-I... I will turn away...
-We were all under your control...
-We cannot cooperate with you. Forever, I shall avert my gaze from the sky, never looking at humans, and live with my eyes on the ground.
Prior to Ashoka, the enlightened beings.
All had chosen to avert their gaze, unable to bear looking at the sky, their heads bowed.
'Perhaps that was the natural choice.'
The Red factor pervaded humanity.
On top of that, there was Hell created by the Red Administrator hidden in the heavens.
Despite understanding the world's workings and distortions, choosing defiance, like Ashoka, wasn't easy.
Turning a blind eye and continuing to live was the best option.
[I did not consider Siddhartha to be a variable. I merely regarded him as a diversion.]
[Yet, he created The Martial God within infinite regressions, and through you, he has even exposed Hell...]
Flash!
The eye glowed with a red light.
[Humanity. You are now free. I shall withdraw my hand from you.]
The Red Administrator declared he would withdraw from humanity.
Yet Seong Jihan remained cautious.
"...If you're withdrawing, why is the Hellbound ability still here?"
The hidden ability, 'Hellbound From Hell,' persisted.
"Moreover, the energy from the earth is still streaming in."
The human energy rising from the ground was growing stronger.
[The investment needs to be recouped, after all.]
Twitch.
The eye emphasized the need to recoup the 'investment,' burning brightly.
'Of course, he wasn't going to leave quietly.'
As Seong Jihan prepared to draw his sword and spear to attack the eye,
"Is there really a need to fight?"
Whoosh...
A bowler hat appeared out of nowhere, and the Arena Owner revealed himself.
"Arena Owner, you've changed a lot."
"This face?"
Under the bowler hat was a face shaped like the cosmos.
But the once intricate cosmos was now riddled with red holes, giving an impression that it could collapse at any moment.
"I'm now just as damaged as your half-mask."
"Did you get punished by the Black Administrator?"
"Yes, I fled as soon as you became an Administrator, but my old Master was just too powerful..."
With a flick, the Arena Owner inserted and removed his fingers from the holes in his face.
"Ah, now that I've lost the Arena, I need a new title. Luckily, the Red Administrator decided to govern Hell."
"Should I call you the Owner of Hell now?"
"Yes. Hmm... In your world, I guess the terms Hades or King Yeomra fit? Anyway, until I decide, just call me the Owner of Hell."
"Sorry, but I'm going to destroy that. So, you won't be the Owner of Hell."
"Haha..."
The Arena Owner laughed.
"I've been observing you. Even as the Blue Administrator, you're quite powerless..."
"..."
"No matter my condition after being punished by my previous Master, you're no match for me."
Whoosh...
The fierce aura of the Void mixed with a red essence began emanating from the holes in the cosmic face.
"Given all the grievances I hold against you—losing the Arena, getting punished by my Master—it's quite a list."
"What a shame."
"Even so, given all our past dealings, I'd prefer to part amicably."
The Arena Owner, having amplified his power, spoke again.
"So please, stay still if you wish to survive."
With a grin, Seong Jihan countered,
"Do I really seem like someone who would do that?"