Chapter 270

As great history was sending waves throughout Lunatic, an incident that dwarfed its significance spread throughout the entire Mirror World as Akasha Messages appeared before all races.

[The ninth zone is reclaimed.]

[World Hidden Quest: Reclaim the Nescius, complete.]

[Contribution ranking of World Hidden Quest: Reclaim the Nescius.

1. Grandis

2. Curiositas

3. Creo

4. Regnator

5. Ravana

6. Keter

7. Una

8. Modak

9. Vipera Anguis

10. Skrep]

...

[Increasing the achievement level of World Quest: Path of Life.]

[Upregulating the assessment of the Mirror World.]

[The Mirror World is judged capable of handling more history.]

[Raising the survival tax of all races by 30%.]

[Bestowing World Quest: Slay the Chaos to all races.]

...

[Slay the Chaos (World Quest)

Rank: —

Description: A world quest bestowed upon all races. Slay the Chaos to diminish their numbers. Rewards will be paid based on rank, calculated by one’s contribution throughout 100 days.]

The ninth zone was reclaimed.

***

Kraaaaahhh!

Kreeeeehhh!

Graaaaahhh!

Humans, orcs, elves, and other races whose eyes were filled with madness sprinted along the corridor. Each one was bone-dry with disgustingly bulging veins.

“Growl! Damn bloodfiends!” Tigrinus shouted as his palms glowed with a yellow light.

[Activating Race Skill: Tiger Slap.]

He sent yellow waves of palm strikes flying at the bloodfiends, but they paid no attention to those struck and continued to charge without fear.

Kyeeeeehhh!

Kreeeehhh!

“I’m sorry!” Sang-Sik shouted as he grabbed one of the bloodfiends and threw him on the ground, a judo technique he often used when subduing criminals.

Just then, someone shouted from behind him, “Move!”

Sang-Sik released the bloodfiend and quickly jumped back.

“Haaahh!” Wang Chen shouted as he swung a red dagger horizontally, his eyes having turned blood-red.

[Activating Item Skill: Blaze Dragon's Claws.]

Claws made of blazing flames swiped the bloodfiends, turning them to ash.

“What the hell was that half-assed attack?! Are you trying to arrest the bloodfiends or something?!” Wang Chen shouted at Sang-Sik.

Sang-Sik stared at the bloodfiends that had become ash and mumbled, “Is there... no way to return them to normal?”

“Growl! Get a grip. There is no way to return those bitten by inferior vampires to normal,” Tigrinus said firmly.

Bloodfiends were those bitten by vampires of inferior caliber, who could not even make Cani. Their minds were destroyed completely while the vampire genes entered their bodies, reducing them to mere beasts starved for blood.

“But...” Sang-Sik trailed off as he stared at the bloodfiends’ corpses with compassion.

“But nothing. Hector! Anytime now!” Wang Chen coldly interrupted him as he looked behind him.

“HAAAAAHHH!” Hector shouted, punching a giant steel door like a sandbag as orange light flashed repeatedly.

[Activating Skill: Straight Punch.]

[Activating Skill: Straight Punch.]

[Activating Skill: Straight Punch.]

...

[Trait: Fatal Blow duration.]

[00:03:12]

[00:03:11]

...

Kyeeeeehhh!

Arhhhhh!

“Grrr! Here they come again!”

“Dammit! There’s nowhere to go!”

They had separated from Tae-Jin to resume the chase down the third path, defeating bloodfiends along the way, and arrived at this steel door. However, they were being delayed because no one in the group could break down the door.

[The Blood Barrier is closing off this space.]

A red aura enveloped the door, protecting it with immense mana and Blood Force.

Tigrinus could hear a large number of footsteps approaching them. He shouted, “Growl! We’ll use up all our energy at this rate!”

Behind them was a door they couldn’t break, and in front of them was an endless wave of enemies. They were surrounded.

“Where the hell is that Devil, Cheon Seong-Hwi?!” Wang Chen shouted.

Just then, they heard the sound of slices from afar, and the bloodfiends’ echoing footsteps grew silent. They soon heard one set of footsteps, but the one who appeared was not the one Wang Chen had hoped for.

“Hm? What is with those disappointed gazes?” asked Gerard D’Armont, the white-haired old man in a tailcoat.

The aura he was exuding had become even stronger than before. He had received a drop of blood from Erzsebet Melos after she made a deal with Seong-Hwi, becoming the Daywalker he had desperately wished for. He recalled what Erzsebet had said to him.

“You... are now free. An artist who has lost their creative soul is more useless than lukewarm blood. You have no right to be a Canis of the Melos bloodline. Get out of my sight.”

Because of that, his caliber was significantly heightened, and he was now free of the debuffs Blood Obedience and Porphyria, which he had been suffering from as retribution.

“Dammit, White Devil! You’re good enough! Break that steel door for us!” Wang Chen urged.

“Tsk, tsk, that settles it. What people say about Asians being well-mannered is bullshit,” Gerard grumbled as he clicked his tongue and approached the steel door.

[The Blood Barrier is closing off this space.]

Gerard’s expression soured intensely once he examined the steel door.

“Blood Barrier... Dammit! I can’t break through this. We need Cheon Seong-Hwi!” he shouted.

“What?”

“A continuous supply of blood maintains the Blood Barrier. Small amounts of damage over time cannot break it. We need one powerful blow.” Gerard shook his head and continued, “I am a manipulator who deals in continuous damage. We need a nuker who deals burst damage to break this barrier.”

“Where is Cheon Seong-Hwi, then?” Wang Chen asked.

“He went down the leftmost path,” Gerard replied.

“Growl! He went to Tae-Jin! What a relief!” Tigrinus shouted.

“What do you mean, a relief?! We’re fucked!”

“It’s okay,” said Hector, staring at the steel door as if it were his opponent in a boxing match.

“What?” Wang Chen asked as he turned to him.

“I will break it,” Hector mumbled as if saying it to himself, recalling Seong-Hwi’s words to him.

“It’s not your fault that you couldn’t remember your daughter. Stop torturing yourself. Your daughter would want the same thing. Also, cherish her gift to you.”

I don’t know what you know about me for you to tell me that, but... There has never been a single moment I have not cherished them! Hector shouted inwardly as he pulled out mittens knitted with red yarn.

***

Punch-drunk, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), was the fate of a boxer. It was a form of neurodegenerative disease, common in boxers with repeated trauma to the head. Although it varied in severity, most boxers experienced CTE to a degree.

It could cause acute symptoms like a coma, mental instability, and amnesia, or chronic symptoms like dementia, aphasia, and hemiplegia. Even the legendary boxer, Muhammad Ali, had succumbed to its complications[1].

And I was no exception, Hector thought.

As a sparring partner, a job that involved getting hit a lot, he had also experienced CTE.

But... I could never be forgiven, no matter the excuse! How could I, a father, be forgiven for forgetting the most precious person in my life, my daughter Hailey?!

The complication Hector had suffered from CTE was amnesia, resulting in his forgetting about his daughter, Hailey. As a result, he couldn’t even remember that Hailey had been Lost, much less having a daughter. Hector was also Lost one day, and he began to regain memories about his daughter.

Hector had raised Hailey with as much love as he could give after his divorce from his wife. Hailey was a cute girl with dirty blonde hair like his, but her eyes were even bluer than his.

At first, I thought I was losing my mind.

So many people lost their minds in the Mirror World, unable to bear reality, that Hector had thought the same was happening to him. However, he had asked around about information regarding a Hailey Jameson from Nevada, just in case. Then, he found an old woman who knew Hailey. She claimed they had met during the mandatory quest in the Dark Forest.

“She was a kind girl... She took such good care of me, but... the Bollington gang got to her...”

The old woman also mentioned that Hailey used to tell her stories about her father.

“She told me that her father, Hector Jameson... will become a champion and win the Olympic gold medal...”

Hailey Jameson, his daughter whom he loved with all his heart, existed, but was dead.

It’s... my fault, Hector thought.

He experienced immense guilt from belatedly remembering Hailey and learning about her death. However, it was by no means his fault. Only ten percent of people survived the mandatory quest at most. In other words, over ninety percent of people would die. Hector had no way whatsoever to help his daughter when she was the only one who had been Lost at the time.

Not only that, but the Dark Forest was a lawless zone, and the Union did not exist there. It was filled with people who killed without hesitation as long as they could earn Karma. Hailey had simply been among the ninety percent.

Because of that, Hector combed through the Mirror World to track down every last member of the Bollington gang, and once he decided that killing them all had not been enough, he became a Dark Human Hunter.

But that won’t bring you back!

Hector couldn’t believe a father didn’t even know that his daughter had died. To him, that fact alone was far more of a tragedy than his life as an extra—a sparring partner.

Was it... because I had been an extra my whole life? If I had been the protagonist... would God have spared you?

His guilt grew more and more each day to the point that it was on the verge of eating him alive. It was the main reason why he had been unable to perfect his D Weapon. He looked down at the mittens knitted with red yarn, exuding warmth. They were his D Weapon.

[Hailey’s Gloves (Destiny Weapon)

Rank: B(99)

Description: The gift that Hailey Jameson, a forgotten daughter, had given Hector Jameson, her father, on his thirty-fifth birthday. (Rule available.)

Unique Skills: None]

His D Weapon had originally been Sparring Gloves, but his entire world was flipped upside down after remembering Hailey, causing a D Conversion.

Is it really okay... for me to use these? Hector wondered.

He vividly remembered the day when he had returned home late after sparring with a boxer preparing for his pro debut. The young man’s talent was blinding. He was born with a body that Hector couldn’t have. Hector, enveloped in a sense of inferiority, rubbed his swollen left eye as he opened the door to his house when a party popper went off.

“Happy birthday, Dad!” Hailey shouted, greeting him with a radiant smile.

“Hailey! Where did you get that? It’s dangerous!”

“Here, Dad! Ta-dah!” Hailey quickly handed Hector a small box as if to cut his nagging short.

Hector opened the small present box and saw a poorly knitted pair of red mittens.

“What... are these?”

“They’re boxing gloves! You have to wear these when you go to the Olympics! Okay?”

Once Hector saw Hailey’s radiance, he couldn’t bring himself to say that he was only a sparring partner. After all, he vowed to be a champion always when he was with Hailey.

“Okay, I’ll even wear them to the podium. I’ll make these gloves the symbol of a champion.”

“Yay!”

Hector hugged the hopping Hailey and thought, I don’t care if I’m a sparring partner, or a champion... As long as I have you... I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Hailey was his champion’s belt, but Hailey was no longer with him. The champion who had his champion’s belt stolen from him had no choice but to become a sore loser. All that remained was a moron who had forgotten about his own daughter.

“Why the hell are you just standing around, Hector Jameson?!” Wang Chen shouted.

Hector glared at the steel door, enveloped with a red aura, as if it were his opponent, and mumbled, “I can’t accept... that it’s not my fault. It’s all my fault.”

He put his hands into the mittens. He had put them on for the first time since the D Conversion.

“Because it is my fault... I must beg for forgiveness!”

Hector, wearing the red mittens as if they were boxing gloves, assumed a traditional guard.

[Trait: Fatal Blow duration.]

[00:00:06]

[00:00:05]

...

It was almost the end of the third round. There was still a chance for a KO before the bell.

“I WILL BECOME A CHAMPION!” Hector screamed.

He would then come up to the podium and tell the world that he dedicates his victory to his daughter, Hailey. He stomped on the ground as if to smash it. He leapt, floating like a butterfly, and swung his fist forward to sting like a bee.

[Activating Skill: Straight Punch.]

The orange light of Straight Punch enveloped Hector’s fist, but the Akasha Messages did not end there.

[Commencing rule establishment of Destiny Weapon: Hailey’s Gloves.]

...

[Ability established.]

[Activating Unique Skill: Champion’s Punch.]

The orange light around Hector’s fist began to turn as gold as the Olympic gold medal.

“HAAAAAHHH!” Hector shouted, his face distorting due to the immense air pressure from swinging a straight with all his might.

An enormous boom sent a massive blast of air backward.

“Growl! You crazy human!” Tigrinus shouted, shocked by the sudden, immense wave of mana.

“Urgh!” Sang-Sik grunted, protecting his face from the blast of air with his arms.

“Did he do it?!” Wang Chen wondered, trying to look beyond the dust cloud.

“That attack... is dangerous,” Gerard mumbled in admiration.

Rocks fell from the air as the dust cloud cleared. Hector was panting heavily, and the skin of his right arm had been completely ripped off, dripping with blood. The heat generated by the impact was so hot that drops of his blood evaporated as soon as they hit the ground, becoming black smoke. Beyond Hector was a giant hollow space, the steel door nowhere in sight.

“Sons of bitches!”

“Tsk.”

“Grrrrr!”

“Looks like we’ve come to the right place.”

They were met with over a thousand blood tanks resembling sea anemones. Since dozens of humans were restrained in each blood tank, there were easily over ten thousand humans. This was a blood collection site—in other words, a giant blood farm.

The tens of thousands of humans, heavily malnourished from having too much blood extracted from them, stared at the destroyed entrance.

“W-who are you?”

“W-what is... happening out there?”

“Are you... Cani? Humans?”

“We have come to rescue you all! I am Ma Sang-Sik, a member of the Union’s intelligence division!” Sang-Sik shouted as he stepped forward.

More people began to lift their heads after hearing Sang-Sik.

“The... Union?”

“Rescue?”

“For... us?”

“I-is that true?!”

Their lifeless eyes began to regain their vigor, filling with hope.

“Growl! You did all the work, only for the Union to take the credit,” Tigrinus said as he approached Hector, who was controlling his breath.

“It... doesn’t matter,” Hector mumbled with difficulty as he stumbled.

Tigrinus supported him as he snorted, “Keh! You’re exactly like Tae-Jin.”

His whiskers twitched. Of course, it was a compliment.

***

It’s not bragging if you can back it up.

Muhammad Ali

***

[Activating Unique Skill: Symbol Embodiment.]

[Regenerating Crown, one of the symbols of No.2 The High Priestess]

[Torah, one of the symbols of No.2 The High Priestess]

[Ace of Cups]

[Two of Cups]

...

[Eight of Cups]

Seong-Hwi activated every healing skill he had. The Regenerating Crown appeared over Tae-Jin’s head, and the thirty-six Cups poured silver water, their healing capabilities amplified by Torah, on Tae-Jin. Thanks to that, Tae-Jin’s critical condition due to Exploding Blood had more or less stabilized.

“Urgh...Mmm,” Tae-Jin groaned as he opened his eyes, feeling the water cooling his heated body.

The scenery around him was rapidly changing, and he could hear rapid footsteps. Seong-Hwi was carrying Tae-Jin on his back and racing through the long hallway.

“Are you finally up, you fucking moron?” Seong-Hwi said.

“You...”

“You seriously haven’t changed one bit. You, Leo, and Hector have always been a pain in my ass. The three of you always stuck together and did shit that almost got you all killed,” Seong-Hwi mumbled.

“What are you... talking about?” Tae-Jin asked.

“None of your business,” Seong-Hwi replied, picking up the speed once he confirmed Tae-Jin had woken up.

“Heh!” Tae-Jin chuckled.

“What’s so funny? Is it so hilarious that you became human charcoal? Huh? I could’ve grilled some steak with you.”

“No... it’s just... the opposite situation... as back then.”

Seong-Hwi smirked, understanding what Tae-Jin meant. “You must be talking about what happened in Forestis.”

“Yeah... back then... You were the one... who was half-dead.”

“I had no choice, but you chose this. Did you seriously think I wouldn’t notice?” Seong-Hwi said in a serious tone.

He could tell just from the traces of battle. He was certain Tae-Jin had risked his life to stop his opponent.

“Hehe... I need to become... a man with... a cool back,” Tae-Jin said.

“You and that back of yours... Next time, just run away. I would have.”

“Don’t... lie. You’re... no different... from me.” Tae-Jin chuckled and continued, “You had... no choice? Pfft! No... I’m sure... you chose to... We haven’t... known each other... for long... but you’re... easy to read.”

Seong-Hwi remained silent. Tae-Jin was right. He had also put his life on the line and ingested the Fruit of the World Tree of his own accord. He had done so to grasp his and humanity’s destiny. He was no different from Tae-Jin. It was only right for Seong-Hwi to be added to the troublemaker trio.

Whenever Jurie saw Seong-Hwi, Leo, Hector, and Tae-Jin together, she had always said, “Are you guys D’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers or something?”

Of course, Seong-Hwi was D’Artagnan.

“Stop talking and focus on recovery,” Seong-Hwi said as he raced along the wavy corridor, guided by the Blood Force that had been bothering him since earlier. “Here it is.”

He arrived at the source of the Blood Force, a steel door protected by a red aura.

[The Blood Barrier is closing off this space.]

“What a sloppy barrier,” Seong-Hwi said as he approached the door and placed Rust of Ruin over the Blood Barrier.

The dark red rust instantly spread throughout the red aura, destroying it after only a few seconds. As he was about to destroy the steel door as well with Rust of Ruin, Bulgasal’s trunk sprouted from his hoodie pocket.

Pwoo!

“Okay, you can eat it,” Seong-Hwi permitted.

“Eat up, Bulgie!” cheered Echo, who had become Bulgasal’s roommate.

Pwooooo! Bulgasal energetically replied.

The silver-grey trunk extended from the hoodie pocket and touched the steel door, instantly sucking it up. Waves of wind blew from beyond where the door used to be. Seong-Hwi walked forward and looked at what was inside.

“Is that...” Seong-Hwi trailed off.

“A... giant?” Tae-Jin blankly mumbled, looking beyond Seong-Hwi’s shoulder.

A single overweight individual filled the giant hollow space. He was easily over a hundred meters tall, and his face appeared considerably young despite his massive stature. The horn on his forehead was curved, and he had three closed eyes.

“Yeah, that’s a giant,” Seong-Hwi mumbled.

The individual who was larger than the fifth-grade angels, the Dynameis, was a giant, a race known to have a very small population in the Mirror World. However, the giant was unconscious, restrained by chains thicker than wyrms, a superior species of dragon.

Not only that, but thick hoses the width of telephone poles were stuck on various areas of the giant’s body, extracting his blood into a giant brass tank.

“Those crazy... fucking... vampires... They’re taking... the blood of... a giant!” Tae-Jin mumbled in shock. He looked around, but no humans were in sight. “This path... was a bust. The third path... was the right one.”

“Not necessarily,” Seong-Hwi replied.

“What?”

“Isn’t that right, Gargantua, the Glutton, seventy-seventh in the world ranking?” Seong-Hwi asked as he turned around.

Footsteps sounded after a momentary silence.

“So, you’ve known all along, nameless Recorder. I suppose a B-rank stealth skill had its limits,” Gargantua remarked.

“Your presence is just that overpowering. It’s nice to meet you. I am Cheon Seong-Hwi of Underground,” Seong-Hwi said to the man who approached from behind them.

The man with grey skin had a striking resemblance to the restrained giant.

“Cheon Seong-Hwi... I believe I have heard of you before,” Gargantua said. He then shifted his gaze to the hollow space beyond Seong-Hwi, and his eyes, barely visible from the layers of fat, widened. “Ahhh! Pantagruel! Daddy’s here!”

1. Muhammad Ali died due to complications of Parkinson’s disease, which may or may not have been caused by head trauma during his boxing career. ☜