Chapter 939. Gen (18)
I would be able to determine the direction of the situation by crying first, and Kim Hyun-Sung would also make his own conclusions as to why I was crying.
I cried, hoping he’d find the answer, but I was also startled to see him here.
‘Damn it, what the hell?’
What was that incompetent Commander Jin doing? How come he didn't stop him from coming here? Was he contacted by those new recruits? It was highly likely.
Many different thoughts popped up into my head, and the script had taken a turn so suddenly that my mind couldn’t keep up with it.
However, there was a really high chance that those foolish recruits had contacted Kim Hyun-Sung directly. They had to have considered Gen’s actions as a challenge to the Blue Guild, which meant it wasn't strange that Kim Hyun-Sung was contacted about it.
Kim Hyun-Sung knew what the guild meant to me, so I was sure he had emphasized many times to the recruits just how important the guild's honor was. If they had determined that today’s incident was serious enough to destroy the guild’s honor, they probably had no choice but to contact him directly.
‘They had no idea that they were simply digging their own holes... Did Kim Hyun-Sung recognize me through the video that’s being shared throughout Benigoa Net right now?’
How the hell did he even recognize me?
I was convinced that upon seeing the video, he rushed to Jin Cheong and acted like a child before making a beeline for my current location.
Kim Hyun-Sung wouldn't have noticed us if we had tried to get out of here quietly, but the entire city had announced that we were here, so it wasn't strange for him to know about it as well.
In addition to completely destroying the stage that Commander Jin had created, he also took the lead role for himself.
‘Commander Jin is probably disappointed.’
He had to be disappointed by the fact that he couldn't speak his famous lines. I shook my head unknowingly while thinking about useless things like to escape reality temporarily.
And that was when Kim Hyun-Sung’s thoughts filled my head.
[What the heck? His arm is so thin... he's just skin and bones...]
'No, it’s not that bad.'
[What the hell? He looks terrible... Can he even move properly?]
'Do I look that bad?'
His thoughts filled my head in real time, and he started having many thoughts as soon as he held me in his arms. I was crying, and I looked both horrible and weak.
‘I definitely look worse than I thought.’
It was kind of awkward evaluating myself through another person’s eyes, but I was sure I had lost a lot of weight because I couldn't remember the last time I ate a decent meal.
I'd often eat just a little before putting my spoon down.
The situation had improved a bit, but the traces of suffering were still there.
In addition, my fingers were swollen due to the intense house chores that I had been doing these days. I was trying to pretend that I was working hard as well, so I ended up having a lot of injuries from sewing and cooking.
I treated them using holy power, but I had to wrap them with bandages as a way to show them off. I would either stab myself while sewing or cut myself while cooking, as my character background stated that I had never really done such chores.
In other words, I had to be clumsy when it came to cooking and sewing.
‘That’s right, Hyun-Sung. My skin has also become really dry.’
The products that Lee Ji-Hye had sent me gave me really elastic, healthy, and pure white skin, but my current skin had lost all of its moisture. Actually, it wasn’t that bad, but there was a clear difference compared to before this incident.
‘Yeah, I have chapped lips, damn it.’
My gaze looked empty.
It was like I had given up on life, and my gaze seemed to be telling him the hardships I had to endure upon getting kidnapped by Gen. I was sure that Kim Hyun-Sung wouldn't be able to imagine the things I had gone through—the humiliation, the disgrace, and the pain I had to endure.
He wouldn't be able to guess the things I had to experience.
‘Actually, that didn't really happen. It's just that his imagination runs wild at times like this.’
I could tell Kim Hyun-Sung was thinking about every single possible scenario. He was biting his lips hard, and it seemed that he couldn't control his strength right now, as his lips were bleeding.
He was about to remove the blanket on me, but he stopped.
When I saw his expression, I frowned and quickly covered myself. Was it because I didn’t want to show my miserable appearance to the public?
Was it because I didn’t want to show my bedraggled appearance to the denizens because they were looking up to me? I was sure Kim Hyun-Sung felt bad because all he could do was cover his wounded friend using a cursed, tattered blanket.
It had been a while since he saw such a blanket around me.
[Those bastards.]
'Yeah, those bastards beat me up. I have bruises all over me, and I broke some bones as well. They were so violent that they even focused their attacks on my face, so my face would look really swollen.'
Regardless, I was still smiling.
'Yeah, stay strong, Ki-Young.'
'Hyun-Sung, don’t ever forget those bastards. They’re really unforgivable.'
“M-Mr. Ki-Young...” Kim Hyun-Sung mumbled.
“...”
I decided to stay quiet for now.
“Mr. Ki-Young... are you okay? W-What in the world...” Kim Hyun-Sung stuttered.
It sounded like Kim Hyun-Sung was at a loss for words, and he was already overflowing with rage and shame. Now that I thought about it, I had a limp, but I couldn't show him that, as I was in his arms.
“Why did you not call...” Kim Hyun-Sung trailed off.
'Ah, I have my reason for that.'
One of my eyes was injured. I was talking about the gift that the Goddess had bestowed upon me using the bond between Kim Hyun-Sung and me as the primary crafting material. My gold eye was also a symbol that would notify me whenever we were connected, but it had lost its light a long time ago.
I couldn’t open one of my eyes properly.
Actually, my gold eye was just symbolic, but I could use it as a reason why I couldn't contact him.
“...”
Kim Hyun-Sung’s face slowly became grim.
‘Uh.’
The air around me was distorting along with his face. His face was so distorted that I wondered whether it was actually possible for him to make that kind of face. It was only for a moment, but...
‘What the hell? You scared me.’
“I’m sorry,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.
Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m .
“...”
“I’m... I’m sorry about everything,” Kim Hyun-Sung added.
'No, you have nothing to apologize for.'
“I’m really... really sorry. I—”
“I-It’s fine, Mr. Hyun-Sung,” I said, interrupting him.
“I-”
“I knew you’d come,” I told him.
I was honestly hoping you wouldn’t come.
“If I... came sooner...” Kim Hyun-Sung muttered.
“And this is my fault... so you don’t have to apologize for anything,” I said.
“Please... please hold on a little longer,” Kim Hyun-Sung begged.
That was when I heard a loud voice...
“Let go of his hand.”
Ah, right. He was here as well. Obviously, I flinched upon unconsciously recalling how this dirty kidnapper had been playing around with me.
I could still remember the suffering I had to withstand in that deserted, moldy room where we had to eat pig porridge every day. And I could still remember how I struggled against the dirty, muddy water that flooded that room every day.
There was also that moldy blanket...
“I said let go of his hand,” Gen repeated.
“...”
“I told you to let go of his hand!” Gen shouted.
“Is it him?” Kim Hyun-Sung asked.
“What?”
“Is he... the culprit behind why you look like this?” Kim Hyun-Sung asked.
It’s a long story, so... I’ll just cry for now.
Gen revealed a desperate look and spread his wings.
Our Hyun-Sung unsheathed his sword while biting his lips.
Gen was definitely strong—he was stronger than an ordinary human being, as he had received Benigoa’s power. He had also been desperately honing his sword techniques, and he was overflowing with talent as well.
He was so talented that he was transferred to the Vatican, and he had grown powerful upon receiving a ton of resources from the Vatican. Overall, Gen was powerful.
‘Unfortunately, our Hyun-Sung is stronger.’
Low-altitude flight seemed to be his specialty, as he charged at Kim Hyun-Sung and flew so low to the ground that I thought he'd collide with it.
Kim Hyun-Sung took a stance and got ready to attack.
‘It’s been a while since I saw him fight.’
BOOM!
A thunderous boom echoed as Gen was blasted several kilometers away, eventually crashing into a building.
‘Shit. This is why I didn’t want to call Kim Hyun-Sung.’
Kaboooooooooom!!!
Of course, Gen didn't fly several kilometers away without colliding with anything. Every single building unfortunate enough to collide with him crumbled almost immediately.
‘Uh...’
Boom!
Gen didn’t seem to care about the roads or the buildings as he stepped out into the open.
“Mr. Lee Ki-Young!” Gen screamed, stretching his hand out toward me, but he was blasted away again.
BOOM!
The city was destroyed in an instant.
‘I’m sorry, Commander Jin. Damn it.’
Had he expected this to happen?
The city was so empty that I couldn't see even a single ant.
The civilians and troops were evacuated.
There were some people around, and I could see that they were trying to control the situation, but they couldn’t even approach the two.
Of course, I didn't really think that they wanted to stop the two. Actually, they could stop them, but it was more like they couldn’t do it. They were aware that this was out of their hands at this point.
‘They’ve given up on the city.’
The famous landmark of the city—a large tower in the city center—collapsed to the ground upon getting split into two by Kim Hyun-Sung's sword.
Gen desperately fought back Kim Hyun-Sung.
Even the temple in the city was destroyed, and I was sure that it was only a matter of time before the city was reduced to a wasteland.
Even the city walls were in the middle of a collapse...
I was glad that Jung Ha-Yan wasn't here, but the damage was really extensive.
I felt like I was watching children fighting on top of a sand castle. Actually, the two couldn't even be compared, as I was sure that this sight filled people with more despair than watching a sandcastle fall apart upon getting stepped on.
— Damn it! Lee Ki-Young, you bastard! Damn it!
"Are you watching, Commander?"
— Damn it! What are you...
"I told you to take care of Hyun-Sung, didn't I? And you couldn’t even do that? You’re so incompetent... What can you even do? Do you really think I can put you in charge of projects with how incompetent you are?"
— You crazy fool! Do you really think that you’re in the position to say that?!
'Stop it, man, I'm already having a headache.'
I muted the communication channel and focused on the fight between Gen and Kim Hyun-Sung.
‘What should I do?’
BOOM!
‘I’ve grown fond of him since we lived together for quite a while, after all. He’s still kind of useful as well.’
“Ahhh!”
‘Should I just cut ties with him here? I guess he's pretty embarrassing to associate myself with.’
Craaaaaaack!
‘Do I still need more information about the dungeon? Still, the least I can do is bring Gen to court so he can maintain his honor until the end. It might be better to send him off painlessly and with his honor intact.’
“Bastard!” Kim Hyun-Sung shouted.
“Someone like you... will never know his pain... Kgh!” Gen yelled.
'Uh...'
Kabooooooom!
'Ah.'
Craaaaaack!
“Kgh!”
Boooooooooooooom!
'You’re going to kill him, man...'
Kim Hyun-Sung was no longer using his sword. At some point, he had let go of his sword and was just beating Gen to a pulp. It was like I was watching Cha Hee-Ra—no, it was more like I was staring at Doom Hyun-Sung.
I checked to see if he had a tail and if his expression had become icy cold, but there wasn't anything like that. Kim Hyun-Sung was just displaying what pure violence looked like without using any of his skills.
He was just taking his anger out on Gen, and his one and only goal was to inflict as much pain as possible on Gen.
Gen was resisting, but it was pretty much useless.
His Endurance had to be pretty high, as he was doing a great job withstanding Kim Hyun-Sung's attacks, but the fact that he was still alive despite such a beating made him appear really pitiful.
“W-Wait...” I muttered.
'You’re really going to kill him at this rate.'
Kaboooooooom!
“Bastard!” Kim Hyun-Sung shouted.
Crack!
“P-Please stop, Mr. Hyun-Sung!” I shouted.