The moment I saw the message floating in midair, a single thought flashed through my mind.
“Reward points.”
Without hesitation, I shouted out immediately.
“Go Yeon-ju…!”
My voice came out weaker than I expected, strained and barely audible, but thankfully, Go Yeon-ju quickly came running.
“Soo-hyun…!”
She looked at me with a deeply sorrowful expression, then squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away. It was clear she understood how serious my condition was, but now was not the time to hesitate.
I forced my hand up and pointed to the right with my index finger—the direction of the city.
“Unni! Oppa is…!”
Just as I worried she might keep looking away, a familiar voice called out to her. Now that I thought about it, someone had been soothing my throat and pouring me potions all along—it must have been Kim Han-byul.
After a moment, Go Yeon-ju opened her eyes at the call, turned her head toward where I was pointing, and showed a puzzled look.
I struggled to speak.
“This way… Atlanta…”
“Soo-hyun?”
“Leave… the battlefield…”
“…Are you telling me to abandon the battlefield right now?”
Even though I only said a few simple words, Go Yeon-ju understood immediately. I nodded once, closing and opening my eyes slowly to confirm.
“Soo-hyun! What are you saying right now?”
Go Yeon-ju shouted, her face full of disbelief. She must have interpreted it as me telling her to run away. I felt a bit frustrated but shook my head slowly.
“Not running away… Go Yeon-ju, you need to go to Atlanta…”
“That’s impossible. No, I won’t do that. I’d rather stay and fight with you…!”
“Achievement… reward…”
“…What?”
When I finally managed to say “achievement reward,” Go Yeon-ju’s words faltered.
What I truly wanted to say was for her to rush to Atlanta and claim the achievement reward.
Since we found the tower’s signpost earlier, Atlanta was really close now. Considering Go Yeon-ju’s top speed, she could get there and back quickly.
If a user acting on exploration rather than desertion discovers Atlanta—even if it’s just Go Yeon-ju alone—the entire expedition party receives the achievement reward. And that means, above all else, ability points would come rolling in. With those points, I could raise my health and finally achieve the third awakening of Hwajeong.
Not long after, I saw a flicker of understanding in Go Yeon-ju’s eyes.
“So… you’re saying I should go to Atlanta now and claim the achievement reward?”
Since she was a user summoned before the Barbara raid, she must have grasped what I wanted. She also knew how much impact even a single ability point could have at this level.
“B-but…”
Still, hesitation lingered in her expression.
“Please…!”
So I urged her with all the desperation I had.
I was truly grateful for her, but this was the only plan I could think of right now. The earlier battle made it painfully clear: with my current user stats, there was no way I could beat the Hell Grand Duke. Even if I miraculously recovered and fought a second round, the outcome would be the same.
I was clutching at straws.
Did she read the sincerity in my expression?
“…Alright.”
Biting her lower lip, Go Yeon-ju stood up resolutely.
“I’ll go. I will. So please, don’t die.”
She glanced down at me briefly, then turned and sprinted off in the direction I pointed.
“Don’t die,” she said, and within seconds, she was nothing but a dot disappearing into the distance. I could feel her terrifying speed as she ran, probably gritting her teeth with every step.
Even after sending Go Yeon-ju off, I couldn’t relax. The moment I checked the four messages still floating in the air and faced the harsh reality, I felt like I was plunging into a deep abyss. Though I had briefly found hope in the ability points, the situation remained mercilessly unchanged.
Objectively, things had improved and would continue to improve.
Je-gal Hae-sol’s magic ability had reached 101 points, and the rank of “Unyielding” had risen. Once Go Yeon-ju discovered the city, I could push my health to 101 points.
But when I thought about it coldly, I couldn’t shake the question: “So what?” I had tried to find a way to fight back, but I knew this situation was far from easy.
If the enemy had been Kushan Thor, I might have clenched my fists, thinking I could win.
But the current opponent was the Hell Grand Duke. Honestly, even if I achieved Hwajeong’s third awakening, I didn’t believe I could win. That was the instinctive feeling I got from our brief encounter. The Hell Grand Duke, who matched me in strength, had likely surpassed the third awakening and reached an even higher level.
In other words, no matter how much I struggled, I was facing an unbeatable foe.
A half-hearted awakening wouldn’t cut it. The desperate voice of Hwajeong telling me to run away earlier now echoed painfully in my mind.
“……”
Suddenly, a flash of light and a bone-chilling explosion came from ahead.
Actually, the roaring sounds had been going on for a while. Though I was lying down and couldn’t see, I could sense what was happening.
I heard Gong Chan-ho shouting at the top of his lungs, the crackle of lightning, loud blasts, the sound of liquid dripping, and the roar of the Hell Calamity Fire burning… Screams and overwhelming flows of magic power kept coming at me every second.
I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to hear any of it. I wanted to cover my ears too.
“I told you to run away…”
Or maybe running away wouldn’t have helped at all.
That thought made a bitter laugh escape me.
Suddenly, a wave of regret washed over me.
I thought we had made it.
I thought we had finally reached Atlanta.
I thought if I just tried a little harder, I could go home.
But…
“What on earth… have I been fighting for all this time…?”
I didn’t want to give up yet. I wanted to try anything, somehow. But the situation was already reaching its end.
The cruel gap between hope and reality was suffocating.
Who would have thought I’d feel that helplessness again—the feeling of being utterly powerless?
“No matter how much I think, I can’t find the answer…”
Then.
Tap!
Suddenly, a drop fell on my forehead. I opened my eyes slightly, wondering if it had started raining, and felt my gaze sharpen. Another drop slid down and hit my forehead.
No, it wasn’t rain or water.
It was a tear.
Kim Han-byul was crying, one hand covering her mouth.
But no sound came from her sobbing. She seemed to be holding back, her throat trembling with silent sobs. Tears streamed down her cheeks, past her chin, falling relentlessly. Her eyes were filled with unmistakable sadness and fear.
Why was Kim Han-byul crying?
What had she seen to make her cry like that?
“…Ah.”
Sensing my gaze, she suddenly lowered her head and met my eyes. Her trembling lips caught my attention.
“O-oppa…”
Kim Han-byul called me in a shaky voice.
“Oppa… oppa…”
She called me again, lowering her head even more, almost touching her nose to mine. Then, looking me in the eyes, she whispered.
“The word you asked about earlier… Amor Nuntios…”
Huh?
“Amor Nuntios?”
It was such a random phrase that I tilted my head in confusion. A few days ago, I’d asked what it meant and only got a glare in response.
But Kim Han-byul didn’t seem to care. She just stared at me quietly for a moment, then spoke softly.
“It actually means ‘love message.’”
…What was she talking about?
I looked up blankly, and her beautiful eyes shone with determination.
Before I could even process her words, her lips parted.
“So… I think I’m in love.”
Love?
My head spun, and my mind went blank.
But Kim Han-byul didn’t stop.
“No, I love you.”
“……”
“Yes. I love you.”
“……”
“I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you at the rite of passage.”
“……”
She repeated the same words three times. My mind became a chaotic mess. I wondered if I had misheard, but no. Despite the occasional sob choking her voice, the words “I love you” were clear and unwavering—as if she was determined to say this no matter what.
“Why all of a sudden…?”
I didn’t know what to say. Especially now, when my life was hanging by a thread, a confession like this felt so out of place.
At that moment, Kim Han-byul slowly lifted her head. The face that had been so close, close enough to feel her breath, gradually moved away.
She spoke.
“You’re wondering why I said this all of a sudden…”
She looked at me with tear-filled eyes and gave a sad smile.
“Because… if not now, I don’t think I’ll ever get another chance.”
Only then did she say,
“Oppa. I’m sorry.”
Only then did I realize something was off. Just moments ago, the deafening noise had suddenly fallen silent. Not only that, but I could sense someone striding purposefully from ahead.
“They’re here.”
I didn’t even need to see to know what was happening. The footsteps I heard meant the Hell Grand Duke had successfully silenced every user who had dared to attack him.
At that moment, I felt the ground gently press against the back of my head. Kim Hanbyul was slowly getting to her feet. Her trembling hands disappeared into her sleeves as she pulled out a handful of jewels. Then, step by step, she began moving forward.
I could only watch her.
“Ha, Hanbyul…”
My body was still useless. I couldn’t even sit up straight, let alone stand properly. There was nothing I could do.
Yeah, I…
“…damn it.”
Helplessness washed over me again, and a curse slipped out without thought.
Then—
Just as a wave of inexplicable disgust made me start scraping at the dirt, Hwajeong’s voice cut through the silence.
‘Hwajeong?’
Her tone was sharp, almost like a command. It even sounded angry.
“Want to live, or want to save others?”
At first glance, they sounded similar. But those two questions carried a huge difference.
“Well…”
I didn’t know why she asked, but if I had to choose, it was obvious.
“I want to save them.”
That was my answer, spoken silently in my mind.
Ding!
『User Go Yeonju has discovered a city on the continent of Atlanta!』
『Congratulations…』
『The ancient Atlanta…』
『As a reward for discovering a city in Atlanta, all users participating in the expedition will receive GP…』
Suddenly, multiple messages appeared in the air all at once. But among them, only one caught my eye.
『As a reward for discovering a city in Atlanta, all users participating in the expedition will receive 1 Ability Point (Free Point)!』
At last, a single straw fell right before my eyes.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
I apologize. I finished writing this chapter around 4:06 AM yesterday, but when I tried to update it, Joara was undergoing maintenance. I wasn’t aware of the scheduled downtime beforehand, so I was quite flustered. (From what I understand, maintenance started at 4:00 AM and ended around 8:00 AM.)
I sincerely apologize to all readers and ask for your understanding. (__)
P.S. For the next chapter, I’ll recommend a BGM. I’ll post it in the comments section before the update.