Vol 2. 32: Dragon Devouring Ghost Blade, and His Brother II (7)
"Transcendent!"
Although Min-kyung screamed, I didn’t feel the need to deal with her any longer. I was a little relieved by Hyung’s presence, but I still wasn’t in the mood to be considerate of a stranger whom I wasn’t close with. I stated, "Sunbae, I'm sorry but..."
"You're sorry but?"
"Please leave. I have something I want to say to Hyung."
"..." Min-kyung looked at me with a confused expression. She looked like she couldn’t understand her own reaction, since she didn’t vent her anger right away. Of course, she was stopped by the atmosphere between us.
After pondering for a moment, I said, “Well, yeah. I think this is what you want to hear.” I nodded. “I am not a transcendent. Are you happy now?"
"..." Min-kyung looked flustered.
However, I simply spoke the truth. I killed Duke Howard who was a Martial Arts-type Transcendent, destroyed a planet, and smashed the battleships flying through the universe. I did all those things, but my sheer capability and ability were still extremely low. It was lower than Min-kyung, who was in front of my eyes.
"Dae-ha, she's still a princess-nim."
"It's fine. It's not that important of a matter." I shook my head in resignation. The reason why I followed Kyung-eun, without any particular resistance, to the Lee Family was because I realized the situation on Earth. I found out that my house, my father and even my brother were missing. I also wanted to get my whole body together. I did not follow her out of a sense of belonging to the Lee Family. "Anyway, once again, could you leave for a moment? It's been a while since I met my family and I'd like to talk to them."
I thought it was a perfectly doable request. Just like what Hyung said, weren't we family? However, Min-kyung shook her head. Somehow, she looked at me with an extremely vigilant gaze. She said, “No can do. Yeong-min is currently standing at an important crossroad in life. He's not in a situation where he can be distracted by household chores."
"Household chores?" I froze, but the corners of my mouth naturally went up. Did she perhaps know? What would happen if our 'household chores' weren't done properly?
The Lee Family might think that they were in a huge crisis since they faced an invasion from the Zhu family. However, this would only happen on an off chance and was mostly a great misconception. The Lee Family's real crisis was when I was attacked by the unknown bandage trio.
historical
In actual fact, that wasn't just a crisis for the Lee Family, but for the whole of mankind. It was a crisis that could lead to extinction.
Perhaps the collapse of mankind, foreseen by the Great Wizard Zenon ho Kyprios, was because of me. It didn't occur to me that he would have predicted the future 'just' because of a low-rank transcendent such as I, but there was no other reason for the sudden destruction of humanity, which had a somewhat balance of power.
"Phew." I calmed myself down with a low sigh. Then, I said with a smile, "Then we'll leave."
"N.O."
"..." I gradually became irritated. Why couldn't she understand what I was saying? I then spoke in a calm voice, "Lee Min-kyung."
"Wait! Time out!!" Hyung came in between me and Min-kyung. When I looked at my brother questioningly, I could see him taking a deep breath. "Whoo, phew, hahhh..." It was a given for me, but even Min-kyung opened her eyes wide as she saw that sudden behavior of his.
Then, Hyung, who was breathing deeply while receiving our weird stares, looked at me with an expression that suggested that he had made up his mind. "Let's listen together."
"What?"
"All you want to say to me."
"..What?" I automatically frowned. What did he mean by listening together? It was too hasty. Did he even know what I was going to talk about when he made that suggestion? Could Hyung even imagine what I was about to say? Who I was, what condition I was in, what kind of power I possessed and what I could do.. However, the moment I was about to refuse, I looked at Hyung's eyes and hesitated.
With eyes that were somehow determined and unwavering, Hyung said, "It is as expected, huh. There is something incredible going on."
"...Hyung." At that moment, I knew from the bottom of my heart that my brother wasn't just going to leave her here. He wanted to be honest. He did not want to deceive her.
My brother bowed his head. His voice, his expression, and his attitude revealed his sincerity. "I'm sorry, but I swear it. I'm not trying to get you involved. I don't need your help with anything. I don't mind even if you watch from the sidelines. It's just... I'm just..." His face was flushed red. "I just want to be honest with her."
"..." I gaped. I was speechless because I was dumbfounded. "No, that's, aigoo.. Oh my, oh my God." As I lamented unknowingly, I groaned and cradled my head. If hyung came out this way, then even I couldn't do anything about it.
"What the.. What the hell are you talking about?"
As Min-kyung, the only person present who could not grasp the question, asked, I answered with a sigh, "It's a matter of great importance. About the Lee Family, no, I am faced with the outrageous crossroad of the unknown future of mankind."
“What? Humanity?" Min-kyung had an expression that seemed to say she did not understand it at all, even though I explained it kindly.
However, unlike her, Hyung immediately understood. He had a serious expression on his face. "That's it?"
"That's about it, Hyung."
"Wow, I thought it would be unusual, but.. Then I'll have to start talking first." Hyung, who was smiling bitterly, looked back at Min-kyung. "Min-kyung, secure the surroundings."
"What? We're currently far enough though."
"Do it for me."
"...Wait for a while then." Min-kyung, who couldn't overcome hyung's gaze, pouted. Seeing that I couldn't hear anything, it seemed that they were using telepathy.
The warriors surrounding us have stepped back, Captain-nim.
'Well, actually, it wouldn't have mattered if the Stealth Field was opened.'
Not needing to ignore it even though he cared, Hyung sat on an antique chair that had been prepared on one side of Hyangwonjeong Pavilion without saying anything much. Then, Hyung, who faced me while seated in front, started talking. "Remember the first day you met me?"
"I remember," I said. My father adopted hyung when I was five years old. I could still recall the day when Father came in while hugging a cute child, who looked like a doll, without any prior indication. My father told me that hyung's biological mother and biological father were killed by a serial killer in front of his eyes. News of that particular serial killer was a big issue in society at the time, and father saved hyung before the serial killer tried to kill him too.
"That's right, it's just like what father said. But there's something he didn't tell you."
"What is it?"
"The fact that I killed everyone in the group of serial killers who killed my biological parents."
"Hmm." I wasn't really surprised. Of course, I did not shun him. Was there a need for me to feel that way toward a single murder after coming this far? Moreover, he killed all the murderers who killed his biological parents. Although I might not have known the law and justice, at least I knew that I had no reason or qualification to reprimand him.
Then, hyung continued speaking calmly. Perhaps my attitude slightly lightened the burden he carried on his shoulders. "I was born with the energy of the Heavenly Killing Star. From birth, I am destined to call forth death and destruction and slaughter people."
He was born at the end of a nebula. He's an extremely rare origin ability user.
"The murderers were beings from the parallel world. They wanted to take me there and use me as a Killing Machine, despite not even knowing what a real Heavenly Killing Star was." Hyung then went on to say that Father appeared when he finally killed all the murderers. It was the moment when he was about to turn into a demon by the immensely concentrated bloodlust. He said that father completely captured the Heavenly Killing Energy and sealed it deep in his mind, though he wasn't sure what method had been used to do so.
It was an irony of fate. Father's actions led him to successfully put away the bloodlust that was great enough to annihilate the heavens. He then added, "Of course, even if that was so, it was impossible to seal it forever. The Heavenly Killing Star is a star of fate. If I forcefully avoided it, a restraint would be invoked. That was why I went into the Tower every night."
"Tower?"
When I expressed my doubts, Min-kyung, who remained still, said, "It's the remnant of an Unnamed that’s embedded in the deepest recesses of the parallel world. It's a danger zone with only two to three percent rate of survival..."
"It's also where Min-kyung and I met."
"..." I was momentarily lost in thought. After thinking for a moment, I said, “So.. What you mean to say is that you have been dating every night?"
"T-That's..." Hyung scratched his head, feeling awkward. He soon shook his head and continued, "Anyway, that was how I lived. I woke up in a warm and comfortable house during the day, went to school, and met my friends. Then, I killed people at night and went through the ordeal. I persevered through a lot of crises. I also met good people, as well as trashy villains and violent monsters." His expression was complicated, accurately indicating that he had been through too much to explain it in short and concise sentences.
"Until when did you go to that tower? Do you have to keep going in the future?"
"Not really. When father left and our house disappeared, I finally reached the 100th floor."
Whoooosh----! When my brother raised his right hand, a bloody energy surged forth in an instant. The moment I saw it, I knew it was the materialization of bloodlust that was reminiscent of death. It was the Heavenly Killing Energy. He then said, "I obtained this power."
It felt like a story straight out of a shonen manga. Born with a special destiny, fought in a special space, fell in love, and finally conquered their fate. It was that kind of story.
"Did I summarize it too much?"
I also smiled as I saw hyung putting on a bitter smile. "No, it's good enough." Then, I gave an order in my mind, 'Genie, can you make it so that only I can see you here?'
I can manipulate the Stealth Field so that it will allow observation in a limited area. At the very least, you will be able to see the entire ship inside the island where the pavilion is located.
'Please do so.' After saying so, I got up from my seat. I went down the stairs and left Hyangwonjeong Pavilion just like that. Hyung and Min-kyung hesitantly followed me even though they were flustered by my unexpected move.
"What the? Where are you going?"
"I'm not going far. I just need to see the sky." I looked back at the couple who fit right in the Hyangwonji Pond that was behind them. I could see Min-kyung looking at me with an incomprehensible expression, as well as Hyung who had a nervous expression. "Since you did the same, hyung. I'll summarize it for you too."
If I talked for a long time, I could print out four books. However, if I were to summarize it, it would be settled in a single line. I said, "Genie, reveal yourself."
As per your order, Your Majesty the Emperor.
The image of Genie appeared next to me. The last words I spoke were said out loud so that everyone could hear it. Hyung and Min-kyung flinched at the sudden appearance.
"..What is this? There weren't any signs of it."
"No, more than that, what's with that outfit? Furthermore, an Emperor?"
When they were flustered, the sky lit up. Wiiiiingggg-----! A huge body of a ship appeared to seemingly cover the sky. Shaped like a giant bird with wings, the battleship which was over 30 kilometers from the wingtips to the ends of the ship exuded an overwhelming presence. It was the Terra-class battleship, Albatross, which even the Leonhardt Empire had less than 20 units of.
"I left the Earth and became the Emperor of a Great Empire, gave it up, and came back." I laughed at the two of them, who were simply overwhelmed and couldn't stop gaping. "Did I summarize it too much?