00933 A Poisoned Chalice, Part Two
Before long, the encirclement didn’t just break—it completely fell apart. The enemies, stunned by Kim Su-hyun’s overwhelming power, scattered in all directions, fleeing for their lives. After all, with the four women who had arrived late joining the fray, resistance was futile. Thanks to that, the allied forces, which had been on the brink of annihilation, finally caught a brief breath—though they were still deep in the heart of the battlefield.
In the end, only about two hundred people were rescued. That meant the formation had shattered and scattered to pieces. The only small consolation was that among the group were a few mercenary clan members.
“Clan Lord!”
Someone came running, breathless. At the brief glance, Kim Su-hyun’s heavy breathing suddenly stopped.
“User…?”
His robe was filthy, tattered like a rag, and his face was smeared with soot. Both hands were soaked in fresh blood, droplets falling steadily. Without even asking how he was, it was clear from his battered appearance that he had been through hell.
“You’re safe. That’s a relief. Truly a relief.”
“No, User Shin Jae-ryong, are you alright? Your wounds…?”
“I’m fine. But my comrades…!”
“Your comrades?”
“I’m sorry. I tried to hold on, but somehow I got separated… Ugh!”
“……”
Despite looking like he could collapse and die at any moment, Shin Jae-ryong’s concern was for his comrades. Kim Su-hyun nodded gravely and raised his hand.
“Do you know what happened to An Sol after he was shot?”
His unusually calm tone brought a strange sense of relief to those listening. Shin Jae-ryong blinked blankly, then suddenly remembered and continued.
“An Sol… I don’t know. The moment the black-haired woman descended from the sky, User Jegal Hae-sol barely managed to shield An Sol and used his warp ability.”
The black-haired woman was likely Thanatos. In other words, just before death, Jegal Hae-sol rescued An Sol and escaped. Whether he survived was still uncertain, but knowing Jegal Hae-sol’s intelligence, he must have prepared something.
Kim Su-hyun, momentarily relieved, scanned the battlefield again.
The situation was still dire. Even now, allies were dying pointlessly somewhere out there. Objectively, turning the tide here was impossible. The balance had tipped too far while returning with the Zero Code.
Soon, the two brothers’ eyes met. At the same time, a deep conflict flickered across Kim Su-hyun’s face.
No matter how chaotic the battlefield, leading this group in retreat wasn’t difficult for Kim Su-hyun. With Mar, who could summon an elemental legion, escape was quite possible. Besides, Kim Yu-hyun and Han So-young were here.
Having such crucial people to protect amid this chaos was nothing short of a blessing. Kim Su-hyun knew this better than anyone.
Right. Now that we have the Zero Code…
Might as well close my eyes and slip away quietly, then return to Earth without anyone knowing.
“……”
After a moment, a long sigh escaped Kim Su-hyun’s lips. He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand and spoke softly.
“Let’s retreat.”
“What?”
Shin Jae-ryong was startled, and Kim Yu-hyun’s eyes flickered. It was an unexpected statement. Of course, given the current situation, retreat was the best choice, but a pang of guilt washed over them. Did Kim Yu-hyun want things to end like this? They could have withdrawn sooner, avoided unnecessary losses, or stopped fighting so hard.
But for seven long hours, they had waited for Kim Su-hyun to appear, stubbornly holding their ground until it came to this. As an older brother, how could he abandon his only younger sibling?
Then Kim Su-hyun approached with a subtle smile. Kim Yu-hyun flinched. Though his expression was tightly controlled, his eyes blazed fiercely.
Drawing close, Kim Su-hyun pulled something from inside his robe—a small, beautiful blue orb.
“In the name of the First Successor, I hereby designate User Kim Yu-hyun as the successor of the Zero Code.”
『User Kim Yu-hyun. Successor status confirmed.』
With a clear mechanical voice, the orb emitted a pure light. Kim Yu-hyun’s eyes widened.
“No way…?”
“Yes. This is the Zero Code. Keep it safe. You must never let it be taken.”
Saying that, Kim Su-hyun slipped the Zero Code deep inside the opposite side of his robe. Kim Yu-hyun didn’t immediately understand the gesture.
Before he could say anything,
“And listen carefully.”
A heated voice followed.
“I’m going to stay here and rescue the remaining allies, drawing the enemy’s attention. I can fly with my wings, so I’m much more mobile.”
The strange intensity in his voice was louder than usual, as if he wanted everyone here to hear.
“So you, brother, take these people and get out of here immediately. Don’t think about anything—just get as far away as possible. Understand?”
“W-what?”
Kim Yu-hyun asked in disbelief. Kim Su-hyun was basically saying he’d handle things alone and that they should escape without worrying about him. But even with the Zero Code entrusted to him, there was no way Kim Yu-hyun would just accept that.
Kim Su-hyun knew that too.
So—
“That’s why…!”
Thwack.
“Wha—ugh!”
Before Kim Yu-hyun could shout, Kim Su-hyun struck him hard in the abdomen.
Thwack, thwack.
Not once, but twice, three times, hitting the same spot repeatedly. For a moment, Kim Yu-hyun’s face registered disbelief, then his body went limp. Those watching gaped in shock. How could Kim Su-hyun knock out such a vital asset in the middle of a crisis?
But then Kim Su-hyun summoned Haeryuma and lifted Kim Yu-hyun onto its back. Quick-witted users realized what Kim Su-hyun’s earlier shout had meant and understood the choice he had made.
“Mar, User Go Yeon-ju!”
Even now, Kim Su-hyun called out two names. The chance of escaping this battlefield unscathed was near zero, but with these two, the odds improved dramatically. Mar’s elemental legion was as powerful as a thousand demon troops, and Go Yeon-ju could probably get at least Kim Yu-hyun out safely, even in unforeseen circumstances.
“W-wait!”
Trying to sit Kim Yu-hyun up quickly, they were met with fierce resistance from Mar.
“Mar, do you understand the situation?!”
“I can’t! No! I absolutely refuse!”
“Are you saying you want to stay? To abandon your comrades?”
“You want Father to be left alone! I’d rather stay behind myself!”
Mar screamed in protest, but she couldn’t overpower Kim Su-hyun. Forced onto Haeryuma’s back, she began to sob loudly. Kim Su-hyun smiled faintly.
“Why are you crying? I’m asking you for a very difficult and important favor.”
“But…!”
“Please. You know by now that I care for my brother more than my own life.”
“I care about you too, Father…!”
“Don’t be childish. I’m doing this because I’m confident I can get out alive. But if, by some chance, I die again… I won’t be able to bear it. I might go mad and follow you in death.”
“Ugh… sob…”
The phrase “again” lingered, but Kim Su-hyun was sincere. His voice was quieter than usual but clear.
“So you must protect your brother and escape safely. For my sake.”
At last, Mar fell silent. Kim Su-hyun raised his hand as if to encourage her, but then, sensing a sudden surge of ominous energy from all around, he slammed Haeryuma down.
“Go! Now!”
Whooshing!
Reading his master’s will, Haeryuma let out a powerful cry and streaked across the fire-ravaged battlefield like a beam of light. Watching the distant dot of Haeryuma and the allies following behind, Kim Su-hyun gave a bitter smile.
But there was no time for sentimentality.
Suddenly, dragon wings unfurled from his back, and Kim Su-hyun soared high into the air.
From this height, the battlefield shrank beneath him. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he accelerated his flight.
Even as he scanned below with sharpened vision, Kim Su-hyun kept glancing back, as if reluctant to leave.
In truth, if he turned now, he could catch up quickly. But to abandon everyone except his brother and Han So-young—even under the pretense of protecting them—he hesitated deeply.
He wasn’t trying to play the hero, nor did he want to be called one.
It was just—
Kim Su-hyun’s mind kept replaying An Hyun, who had fought desperately, vowing to wait until his brother came out.
How much time had passed?
Suddenly, a flicker caught Kim Su-hyun’s eye. Most of the allies were being overwhelmed or scattered, but there was one place that was different.
The group was small—only about thirty or forty—but despite being tightly surrounded on all sides, they fought fiercely, relentlessly pushing forward toward some unknown destination.
They were a mercenary clan.
Judging by their behavior, it was clear they still hadn’t realized Kim Suhyun had emerged from the Law Realm. There was only one reason they were struggling so desperately to secure the altar amidst the chaos.
Kim Suhyun’s body came to an abrupt halt. Then, with a powerful thrust into the air, dozens of blazing swords materialized in an instant, spewing pure, radiant flames.
“…!”
Meanwhile, Ahn Hyun, who had just driven his spear into a low-ranking demon, looked up in stunned silence as the brilliant light suddenly bathed the sky.
And then—
Whoosh, whoosh!
The fiery swords rained down like a torrential downpour, blanketing the heavens.
“Hyung…?”
Spotting Kim Suhyun charging fiercely through the storm of blades,
“Hyung…! It’s hyung!”
Tears welled up and spilled over as a sob caught in his throat,
“It’s hyung! Hyung’s here!”
And yet, his cry was filled with overwhelming joy.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Heheheh. Kim Suhyun is unstoppable!
Unleashing the unstoppable!