Chapter 1033
Episode 248: Welcome to Laprarosa (Part 2)
People could sense it instinctively.
If the figure standing on the balcony above decided to leap, within mere seconds, over ninety percent of the crowd gathered below would lose their lives.
Whether stranded on a deserted island or not, even the children clutching their parents’ hands somehow understood this on a primal level.
Reality itself was slipping away.
The existence of someone wielding such immense power was beyond comprehension, even when witnessed with their own eyes.
A giant who defied all logic, all categories, all standards.
No one in the crowd had ever seen anyone like her before. Not even those who had endured the reign of the Tyrant God, nor those who had witnessed the brutal might of the Demon Realm or the Red-Eyed Tribe. Ban was a force unlike any other.
Normally, they would have trembled in fear.
No, they wouldn’t even have been able to tremble—they would have frozen in place, unable to open their eyes or breathe, slowly suffocating. Just facing Ban alone, if she willed it, would have meant certain death.
But now, the opposite was true.
The crowd drew boundless faith from her presence. As long as she existed, it seemed impossible for this world to be engulfed in flames again.
Because Ban was unmistakably one of Jin’s people. Brothers who Jin had risked everything to free.
“Half a millennium ago, I tried to raise this place—Laprarosa—to the highest heavens. I sought to prove that the strongest and brightest beings in this world were the Mingwang Tribe, by eradicating all those called gods with our power alone.”
Ban paused, recalling the faint but unforgettable memories of that day. The burning hearts of brothers who had survived but could no longer see the world haunted her.
“It was foolish. I don’t clearly remember why we wanted to kill them, or how we came to harbor such feelings. But the reason my brothers and I were defeated back then is clear.”
Because we only thought of ourselves.
A confession and repentance, five hundred years in the making, echoed through Laprarosa.
“We only cared about ourselves. Though our cause wasn’t entirely unjustified, fundamentally, we fought for ourselves alone. We wanted to prove our strength, and our way was to conquer the world. Doesn’t that sound familiar? Embarrassingly, we were no different from the enemies Jin has dealt with all this time.”
Among the crowd, members of the Mingwang Tribe bowed their heads. Ban continued in a calm voice.
“On the other hand, Jin has always fought differently. He’s always protected the weak, taken responsibility, and tried to save lives. That very stance opened a new path for us.”
Jin felt a pang of regret.
‘Brother Ban’s sudden grand speech is a bit overwhelming. I should’ve asked what he planned to say beforehand and tried to stop him…’
Since his return, Jin had achieved countless feats. People trusted and relied on him as the world’s guardian.
But Jin always thought about this: the great tragedies shaking the world now didn’t exist before his return.
Guilt, indebtedness, responsibility. Jin believed these were the feelings he naturally had as a Returner, and that he was simply doing what he must.
—The deaths along your path are not your fault. They belong to those who shaped you into what you are. But when you reach the end of that path… perhaps you won’t be crushed by so many deaths. There must be a reason you gained the power of regeneration the moment you became Changseong.
—So don’t collapse under guilt, Jin. You must never fall, for you are the one who will return life to those who died before, those who die now, and those who will die in the future.
Suddenly, the words Ayula spoke before vanishing came to mind. The encouragement left by the God of Hope echoed within, comforting Jin.
“From now on, our Mingwang Tribe will follow that path. Protecting the weak, taking responsibility, saving lives.”
The eyes of the crowd shone. They didn’t clap or cheer, but the overwhelming emotion swelling in their chests threatened to spill out through their eyes.
“You may trust me. You might think that with me and my brothers here, the world will never again be in danger. But that’s a mistake. No single person, no single group, can do everything alone. That was proven half a millennium ago. Therefore, you must fight too.”
Ban slowly scanned the people gathered below.
“I mean endure your own lives. To fiercely proclaim your existence in this world. The power of one exceptional individual who can topple mountains with a single strike can be erased more easily than you think. But erasing the lives of countless people without a trace is nearly impossible.”
Ban wasn’t spinning empty words to comfort the powerless.
She spoke with stark realism. Words that could resist the history manipulation of Zipl.
“A thousand years ago, I taught the first head of Runcandel. Even then, Zipl twisted history as they pleased. They erased what they wanted, and people forgot. But what they erased were only a few events and records. Even at their peak a thousand years ago, Zipl couldn’t erase everyone’s lives.”
The power of existence.
A thousand years ago, Runcandel resisted Zipl’s historical manipulation based on the power of existence held by Temar.
To Ban, the power of existence was a kind of focal point. No matter how great one person’s power was, it was useless without the people gathered within it.
Like the many who followed Temar, believed in him, and relied on him.
Now, the Barmel Union had to stand against historical manipulation centered on Jin.
“If we are erased, you remember and seek us out. If you are erased, we remember and seek you out. We cannot win against the dark shadow of history manipulation without solidarity. But if we unite, we will surely triumph.”
People nodded.
And now, they looked not at Ban, but at Jin. Just as Ban’s first appearance had overwhelmed them with indescribable power, they now saw the ‘power of existence’ radiating from Jin.
“Of course, the best course is to end Zipl before they complete their history manipulation. In fact, their ability to manipulate history isn’t yet a serious threat. The same goes for Kinzello, the Sun God Cult, and Ganesto. It’s best to finish them before they achieve their goals. Now that the Barmel Union’s military might is overwhelming, that’s entirely possible.”
In terms of sheer force, no faction could match the Barmel Union anymore. Even if the Red-Eyed Tribe or the Demon Realm, both destroyed just a week ago, suddenly returned, it wouldn’t change.
“Therefore, this moment is both the introduction of the Mingwang brothers to you and my final warning to our enemies as the head of the Barmel Union.”
Millions had gathered. Humans, beastmen, demons, dragons—every race living in the mortal realm had at least one representative inside Laprarosa.
Among them were surely enemies, spies hiding in the crowd, watching Laprarosa.
The Union made no attempt to stop such reconnaissance. On the contrary, they wanted those spies to see everything clearly and leave.
To witness with their own eyes how strong the Mingwang Tribe was upon liberation, how Luna defeated Simat and truly became Changseong, and how powerful the Barmel Union was now.
They didn’t even consider mass-casualty terror attacks. Any spy attempting such an act would be caught before succeeding. It was impossible to carry out a successful attack without being detected by Ban, Jin, Luna, Murakan, and the other superhumans of the Union.
Above all, if civilians at the festival were harmed, the Union would immediately lead all forces to crush every enemy faction. Nothing would be more burdensome to the enemies. The mighty Red-Eyed Tribe had been wiped out just days ago.
“You have one week.”
Killing intent burned in Jin’s eyes. To those who trusted him, it was a beautiful sight; to his enemies, pure terror.
“Kinzello and the Sun God Cult, surrender within one week. If you do, I promise you the minimum dignity of a fair trial.”
Of course, even if they surrendered, there would be no mercy in punishment.
“If you do not surrender within a week, you will suffer horrors beyond your wildest imagination. You will collapse at a speed you’ve never known and never rise again. Surrender is the most dignified end you can choose.”
Jin only offered surrender to those two factions.
He had no mercy for Zipl and Ganesto.
“The thousand-year enemy of Runcandel, Zipl, and the despicable traitor group Ganesto will be wiped out. However, low-level pawns and hired hands used and discarded like expendables may plead for mercy from the Barmel Union. If their crimes aren’t too heinous, after investigation and punishment, we will let them live as humans, not dogs.”
A heavy silence followed. It seemed even the spies hidden among the crowd swallowed dryly at Jin’s words.
Then Jin smiled gently at the crowd.
“That concludes the speech prepared by Brother Ban and me. Now, everyone who came, please enjoy Laprarosa to your heart’s content before you leave.”