Chapter 770
“He’s… a Monster.”
The voice faded away weakly, leaving silence in its wake.
And yet Team Leader Choi Minwoo’s final words continued to echo in someone’s ears, as though reverberating endlessly.
‘Monster. A Monster.’
Skeleton King muttered inwardly, chewing over that bitter truth.
Right. He was a Monster.
The greatest and most malevolent enemy in human history.
That was what a Monster was, and he was one who wielded the cursed power of death among them.
Even if he now wore a human form, once the magic enveloping his entire body was dispelled, what would be revealed was nothing more than the skull of a dead man who had defied the fate of mortality.
That alone was the one and only truth.
‘Yes. That’s all there is to it.’
Skeleton King, who had been silently staring down at his two hands, so similar to a human’s, suddenly raised his head.
He saw a young human with a familiar face, yet an expression twisted enough to feel alien.
A human who was stronger than anyone he had ever seen, yet foolish in his own way, and because of that unable to accept the truth right before his eyes.
But if they were to move toward the only possible breakthrough, then that truth had to be accepted and used.
“That human is right. It’s all true.”
“…You.”
Countless emotions were packed into that suppressed voice.
Now he knew the name of that feeling, the one he had not been able to recognize even just a few months ago.
Seeing Jin Taekyung unable to continue speaking, Skeleton King shook his head.
“No matter what you say, this is the only way.”
“…”
“I am a Monster. No reason can justify us being together.”
Of course, some might understand even if the truth were revealed. They might trust Jin Taekyung and accept that Skeleton King was different from the Monsters they knew.
But…
“How many would truly accept that truth?”
Skeleton King pointed toward the tightly shut window.
Most humans living out there were utterly ordinary. That was precisely why they could not help but hate Monsters down to the marrow of their bones.
Because they had lost family, friends, or beloved lovers to Monsters.
Monsters kill humans, and humans kill Monsters.
That chain, forged by the advent of Demon King Asmodeus, was too thick and too sturdy for anyone to break.
Not even for the sake of an exception involving a beloved young hero.
No, if everything were revealed, he could no longer remain the hero he once was.
“Many will condemn you, and Michael Silbert will gain everything. So…”
The end of his sentence gradually faded away. Turning his back on Jin Taekyung, Skeleton King placed a hand on the doorknob and added his final words.
“In front of everyone, annihilate me.”
Thud.
The door closed behind him.
Throughout the silent walk down the corridor, Skeleton King never looked back. The lights shining overhead were bright, but the path laid out before him was dark.
Like that place filled with thick fog and the aura of death.
Like that Gate he had been unable to leave from the moment he first opened his eyes, until one unexpected day, when a human had forced him out of it.
‘What exactly am I? My name? My past? My homeland?’
And now, he thought he knew the answer to the question that had begun haunting him at some point.
He was a Monster.
A cruel and savage Monster devoid of even a trace of reason.
A being born from pure evil, one that could never coexist with humans.
That was the truth. No, it had to be the truth.
Faced with a reality he could no longer avoid, Skeleton King let out a bitter laugh.
‘Damn. Guess I really can never go to a club again.’
But why? A corner of his chest felt strangely relieved.
He was a Monster, a being that should not even possess ordinary emotions, let alone a heart.
That was how it should be.
Even if one has never heard it from anyone else, if you live long enough, you naturally come to understand one thing.
That life is a continuous series of choices, made every moment.
Not every choice is grand. From the moment a person opens their eyes in the morning, they are already confronted with small choices.
Should I get up now, or not?
If I get up, should I shower? Or should I just wash my face and hair and head out?
The choice changes depending on the situation at hand.
If you woke up earlier than expected, you could sleep a little more. If you were worried about being late, skipping the shower might be fine.
However, before making a choice, there was always something that had to be considered.
The consequence that choice would bring.
A consequence one would have to bear personally.
And at this very moment, I stood at a crossroads between choices, unable to bear even one of them.
“This… crazy bastard.”
The curse barely squeezed through my lips.
Whether it was aimed at the one who had already left, or the one still standing here.
Or perhaps at myself, unable to do either this or that.
“Mr. Jin Taekyung.”
My tangled thoughts throbbed.
At that low voice piercing my ears, I quietly closed my eyes.
“You have to choose.”
It felt as though an invisible awl were drilling into my brain.
With every word spoken, the headache only worsened.
“He has already chosen his own path. A sacrifice that only he could decide…”
Grab. Thud!
I don’t know.
When exactly did I open my eyes, and why was I grabbing Team Leader Choi Minwoo by the collar?
Riiip.
The expensive shirt collar crumpled in my grip tore apart, unable to withstand the force. Above my whitening fist, a pair of eyes gazed at me in silence.
“Do as you please. Beat me half to death, break my limbs, or even kill me if you want. But…”
A trembling breath followed, and then his voice continued.
“After that, you must choose. You absolutely must.”
“You know it too, don’t you? Time won’t wait for us.”
At those words, at that gaze, my strength drained away.
The energy that had been boiling through my entire body as though it might explode, the grip filled with immense force, all of it suddenly felt unfamiliar.
I staggered back like a man who had briefly been possessed.
And with a powerless apology.
“…I’m sorry.”
I knew too.
That Team Leader Choi Minwoo had done nothing wrong.
Everything he said was true. It was simply the only answer that could break through this situation.
If Skeleton King had not chosen sacrifice with his own will, Team Leader Choi Minwoo would not have said a word either.
Because he was that kind of person.
A man with the morality not to force sacrifice upon someone else, even though he had already known the only answer through cold and rational judgment.
Some might call someone like that a hypocrite, but at least I wouldn’t.
Just as it was for me, Skeleton King was not merely some Monster that Team Leader Choi Minwoo could dismiss as something to be killed and disposed of.
‘Even if it were him who had to make the sacrifice, he would’ve been the first to propose it as the solution.’
Unlike me, he was a born leader.
If the choice had belonged to him instead of me, he would not have avoided it.
He might have suffered alone, but he would not have cowardly turned his back on the truth.
‘Damn it.’
Time does not wait for us.
As I recalled Team Leader Choi Minwoo’s words, another world that was waiting for me briefly flashed before my eyes.
Murim.
If the login function had not been blocked because of the Main Quest, if I could have spent far more time there thinking this over, then what choice would I make?
No, even if I were given enough time, would I really be able to choose at all?
‘And could I even bear the consequences?’
Until now, I had fought countless battles.
I had struggled to survive, and I had fought to protect my people.
But now, at the end of the two paths before me, only pain remained.
If I did not sacrifice Skeleton King, this world would fall into Michael Silbert’s grasp. And if I did sacrifice him like this… I felt I myself would not be able to endure it.
Yes, at some point, without even realizing when, Skeleton King had become my friend.
A comrade and a friend who had fought beside me.
A being I could not sacrifice just for two words like ‘greater good.’
‘I have to annihilate him. And with my own hands, in front of everyone.’
A shabby trick like pretending to annihilate him with the Inventory would not work. Michael Silbert was not careless enough to fall for that.
Even if I proved that I had complete control over Skeleton King, the situation would not change.
To humanity, Monsters were a taboo scale that must never be touched.
Hadn’t decades of experimentation already proven that Monsters could never be tamed?
Skeleton King was an unprecedented being, and there are certain truths that are rejected the moment they become known.
‘In the end… there’s only one answer.’
I closed my eyes.
And after countless worries flashed through my mind like bolts of lightning, I suddenly opened my mouth.
“Team Leader Choi Minwoo.”
He, who had been silently waiting for my decision, answered.
“Speak.”
“Is there any chance that the approval for the World Hunter Federation’s re-establishment could be overturned?”
“Why bring that up all of a sudden…”
“Just answer me.”
I opened my eyes as I spoke firmly. Team Leader Choi Minwoo, who had been staring at me with a complicated expression, finally answered.
“The possibility of that approval being overturned is virtually nonexistent.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because the World Hunter Federation has now become indispensable. Because of the current situation, where magical power levels are rising by the day, and because it is the only way to extinguish a spark that has already been lit.”
“What if something happens to me or that bastard in this situation?”
His eyes shook violently.
Not long after, Team Leader Choi Minwoo, having understood what I meant, shouted sharply.
“Mr. Jin Taekyung!”
But I had already chosen.
Not the first path, and not the second either.
But the third.
That dark path filled with thorns.
Right.
The very center of all this. Kill Michael Silbert.
“You can’t!”
“There’s no such thing as can’t. It’s just difficult.”
I replied calmly and continued without pause.
“If what I’m about to do succeeds… then you need to move, Team Leader Choi Minwoo. Magic Johnson will help with everything he has.”
“Stop. Stop this.”
“Chuck Hagel. Pai Chen. Prince Felix too. Gather the support of the S-rank Hunters and the nations we’ve built good relations with so far, and seize control of the re-established World Hunter Federation.”
“I don’t want to hear this! And on top of that, how could I possibly…”
“It’s the path your maternal grandfather once walked. If you imprint the weight of the name Cheon Tae-min onto people, it’s enough to aim for it. If that seems unreasonable, then pushing Magic Johnson forward is also an option.”
I added with a grin.
“Well, you’re smart enough, Team Leader. You’ll probably figure it out on your own.”
“Still, just in case, let me add one more thing. Even if the head called Michael Silbert is cut off, the body will remain. It would be better to root those bastards out completely and wipe them all from…”
Swoosh.
A chilling sound suddenly echoed, and I shut my mouth.
A single sword blocked my path.
Team Leader Choi Minwoo, who had drawn [Hero’s Sword] at some point, glared at me with a hardened expression.
“You cannot go.”
“Hmm. You probably can’t stop me.”
“There’s no such thing as can’t. It’s just difficult.”
As Team Leader Choi Minwoo threw my own words back at me, I took a step forward.
“Right. I was planning to rough you up once anyway, so this works out well.”
“What do you…”
“Who doesn’t know we’re close? If I leave after beating you half to death, it’ll arouse less suspicion.”
Grind. Sizzle!
Team Leader Choi Minwoo gritted his teeth and ignited a brilliant Aura. The powerful force concentrated along the blade rippled as it stirred up a violent wind.
Crack. Whoosh.
A tremor spread through the building.
And the fierce wind, already turned into a whirlwind.
“You really do have talent. You’ve grown a lot.”
And the moment I smiled calmly and was about to take another step.
Bzzzzz.
A faint vibration from somewhere pierced through the tension flowing between us.