Chapter 579
Slice!
The moment a streak of light cut across his chest, Song Cheonwoo felt his vision blur.
‘It’s hot.’
It was a bolt of lightning.
Even an old hero who had once stood at the center of the Great Cataclysm couldn’t withstand that strike.
With trembling eyes, Song Cheonwoo looked down at the sword in his hand.
Just seconds before, it had radiated a fierce aura, but now it was cut in half by something even sharper and more destructive.
Clatter.
The sword slipped from his grasp and tumbled to the ground. Pain rushed through Song Cheonwoo’s entire body, a beat late.
“Khak—”
Thick, dark blood spilled from his mouth, staining the snow. His clothes and armor were split at an angle, revealing his bronze chest.
As the thin red line drawn across his muscles and skin began to burn—
Shaaah!
A torrent of blood burst out like a waterfall.
From his left chest down to his right hip, the wound carved by lightning was deep and would never heal.
Song Cheonwoo felt his strength leaving him and staggered back.
Crunch.
His powerless steps soaked the snow in blood.
One step. Two steps. Three steps. And then—crunch.
As the piled snow collapsed beneath him, Song Cheonwoo barely regained his balance.
Now, behind his back, the massive crevasse yawned wide, waiting.
There was nowhere left to retreat or advance.
‘What a damned fate.’
Song Cheonwoo felt an emptiness in his chest.
Perhaps even now, it was the last of his vitality draining from his body.
He looked up and saw a figure walking toward him.
‘Choi Minwoo.’
The only bloodline of ‘that person’—the one he had always respected and feared. Song Cheonwoo recalled the low voice he’d heard just before facing the lightning.
‘Did you forget whose blood flows through my veins?’
Now, reflected in the old man’s eyes, was someone else who was not here.
A person who remained only in his memories.
Someone whose very presence inspired respect and fear.
Song Cheonwoo realized what he had long forgotten: Chun Taemin’s blood flowed within this young man.
“…Brother?”
Song Cheonwoo gasped the word.
In a vision dyed red, the youth holding the radiant sword looked just like his maternal grandfather.
The deep, sunken eyes seemed to ask why he had betrayed him.
“Don’t come. Stay back!”
With a strained shout, Song Cheonwoo tried to swing his sword—or so he thought.
But his hand was empty, and the hand slashing the air was finally caught in the firm grip of the person approaching.
Whoosh, snap.
Choi Minwoo gripped Song Cheonwoo’s wrist and squeezed. Crack—the sound of bones shifting came with a scream.
“Aaaagh!”
Collapsing to his knees from the pain, Song Cheonwoo was met by Choi Minwoo’s calm gaze.
What Choi Minwoo saw was not an enemy, but an old man.
The radiance of [Hero’s Soul] faded slowly. The outcome of this fight was already decided.
The standing victor quietly declared the result of this fierce battle to the defeated.
“Stop. It’s over.”
Song Cheonwoo’s body froze in agony.
That he had lost—unthinkable. It was impossible, something that should never happen.
But the reality was now undeniable.
His trembling gaze rose. Song Cheonwoo looked up at Choi Minwoo, who now wore a calm expression that made the earlier battle seem distant.
“You… How could you?”
“I wonder.”
Choi Minwoo felt the overwhelming power surging within him.
Something he couldn’t even sense a few months ago, the only gift left to him by his grandfather, unwrapped and returned to him by Jin Taekyung.
Along with the knowledge of how to use it—
“It’s probably… because I was stronger than you.”
But that wasn’t all. Choi Minwoo believed in himself and acted with a righteous heart.
And the sword imbued with a hero’s soul granted even greater strength to its worthy master.
Choi Minwoo looked down at Song Cheonwoo with determined eyes.
“I won. You lost. That’s all there is between us now.”
The old man’s trembling gaze gradually calmed. Blood-soaked lips parted to let out a broken voice.
“Yeah, you’re right. I didn’t expect this outcome.”
“In that, we’re alike. I never imagined things would end up like this either.”
Anger. Hostility. A faint pity for a man who had fallen to rock bottom.
Of all the emotions Choi Minwoo felt toward Song Cheonwoo, the strongest was doubt.
Why. What had driven Song Cheonwoo to do this? He still doubted the story he’d heard.
“Why did you do it? If we’d joined forces, driving out Seok Gojun and taking the Ares Guild wouldn’t have been so difficult.”
At his question, Song Cheonwoo answered in a hollow voice.
“I know. I thought so too.”
“Then why?”
“I had no choice. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
And the person who made that irresistible offer—Choi Minwoo already knew.
“Seok Gojun. Was it all his order? From our alliance until now, everything?”
“His order?”
Blood spilling from his lips, Song Cheonwoo laughed weakly—a clear mockery of Seok Gojun.
“If it was Lee Jeongryong, maybe. But that brat is just a strong fool. I may be a despicable, pathetic old man, but I wouldn’t bow to a child’s order. My alliance with you was my own choice.”
“Then…”
“I told you. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
Staring into the old man’s fading eyes, Choi Minwoo suddenly understood.
What remained for this man, and what was contained in that irresistible offer.
“Your family.”
Song Cheonwoo nodded slightly and spoke.
“I only realized after losing to Lee Jeongryong. I’d forgotten what was truly important.”
He’d lived a hard life.
Before the Great Cataclysm, he’d struggled as a breadwinner; during the Cataclysm, he couldn’t leave the battlefield; after, he started another struggle for power. Losing to Lee Jeongryong in political strife reminded him of family’s importance—but with Lee Jeongryong’s death, ambition reawakened and family was forgotten.
“Leaving my place was my downfall. The price of an old man’s late greed.”
“That’s probably right.”
Choi Minwoo’s cold reply swept away the last of his sympathy.
“Because of you and Lee Jeongryong, I lost my only family.”
His tone was cold, but it burned with fire.
Because of two grown men’s ambitions, a child who knew nothing of ambition was left alone.
He had to live, resenting the disappearance of a grandfather before he could even process his parents’ deaths.
“…I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”
“Then you can’t complain if I burn you alive right now, can you?”
The voice from above was not Choi Minwoo’s.
Crunch.
Covered in the yeti’s blue blood, Kim Hwajong stepped forward.
Flames burned in the old butler’s eyes like the fire whip in his hand.
“So it was you, Hwajong.”
“Shut your mouth, you bastard. Do you know how much pain you caused the young master—”
It was Choi Minwoo who stopped Kim Hwajong from lashing out.
At his slight gesture, the butler closed his mouth and stepped back, while Choi Minwoo’s gaze turned to Song Cheonwoo.
“So everything about my grandfather was a lie?”
“I wish it were. But it’s all true. We’ve come too far to turn back.”
While Kim Hwajong frowned, not understanding, Choi Minwoo let out a sigh that was both relief and disappointment.
He was glad his grandfather was alive, but troubled that he’d been unconscious for more than twenty years.
But that could wait. For now, Song Cheonwoo’s fate came first.
– Young master.
Kim Hwajong’s message, carrying pride in Choi Minwoo, anger at Song Cheonwoo, and a trace of hope, made Choi Minwoo shake his head.
He already knew what Kim Hwajong wanted to say.
– Butler Kim, don’t.
– Don’t? What do you mean?
– Give me a potion. I need to heal him just enough so he won’t die.
– But…!
About to protest, Kim Hwajong forced himself to calm down at Choi Minwoo’s steady gaze.
He understood, too. Song Cheonwoo was a vital witness and proof—alive.
He just didn’t want to admit it.
“Butler Kim.”
“Damn it. Fine.”
Handing over a mid-grade potion with a curse, Kim Hwajong made Choi Minwoo raise his eyebrows.
“Did you just curse in front of me?”
“Yes. Why?”
“I’ve heard the stories, but this is so different from what I remember.”
“This is who I am. Back when you were a kid, I held my tongue and behaved so you’d have someone good to imitate.”
“Why not keep it up…”
“You’ll be thirty soon. At this point, learn what you want—or just drink.”
Was this really the man who’d always been by his side?
At the old butler’s grumpy tone, Choi Minwoo smiled wryly and spoke.
“Butler Kim.”
“What? And stop smiling. Don’t do that to your elders.”
“Thank you. For being my only family.”
“I’ve always wanted to say that.”
Unable to meet the butler’s eyes after speaking from the heart, Choi Minwoo turned away in silence.
At the end of his steps, the old man, half-buried in snow and waiting for death, awaited him.
Click.
Uncapping the bottle, a clear, subtle fragrance swept away the stench of blood.
Song Cheonwoo looked at Choi Minwoo with fading eyes as he approached.
“You… plan to let me live?”
“Do you want to live?”
“T-that’s…”
Choi Minwoo felt a surge of disgust at Song Cheonwoo’s hesitation.
“To be honest, I want to kill you. A hundred, a thousand times over.”
“But… my family…”
“I’m sure there’s a way. We’ll deal with that after we get out of here.”
“Make your choice.”
With a look of resignation, Song Cheonwoo nodded.
With cold eyes, Choi Minwoo slowly poured the potion.
Ssshhh.
The milky liquid began closing the wound the moment it touched.
It was a very weak recovery, but for some, it was a final lifeline.
Pop!
Where did that strength come from?
Kicking up snow everywhere, Song Cheonwoo’s battered body leapt into the crevasse with superhuman strength.
* * *
The shocking news that the named monster, [Kraken], had landed in Busan with thousands of Mermen spread quickly.
And Go Sewon was one of the few to hear about it before it hit the news.
‘A monster wave…’
He was only human. Busan was a metropolis of five million people. He didn’t know them, but the thought of so many civilians dying didn’t sit well with him.
‘In this case, I’m glad Jin Taekyung is there.’
Step, step.
Guild members hurried to make way as Go Sewon passed through headquarters.
Striding quickly past, Go Sewon muttered quietly,
“Security team, respond.”
Beep.
A faint mechanical sound came through his ear, followed by immediate replies.
– Team 3. Transmission complete.
– Team 2. Transmission complete.
– Team 1. Transmission complete.
“I’m going to see the VIP, so open Area A and report your current position and headcount.”
Go Sewon planned to get permission to deploy the security team to Busan.
It was partly to save lives, but also to help repair the Ares Guild’s damaged image.
But as the team leaders reported in turn, he frowned.
– All of Team 3. Monitoring the target’s family in London.
– Team 2. All members returned from London, standing by in Area A at HQ.
– Team 1. Nine members. Returned from London, standing by on the 100th floor of HQ.
“Team 1 leader. Say that again. What?”
– Team 1. Nine members. Standing by on the 100th floor of HQ…
“Never mind the rest. Shut up.”