Editor: Stomatopoda, Nets,
What happened on that day 10 years ago still came to him vividly whenever he closed his eyes.
.
.
.
Klang!
Manchangsa’s opponent was a boss-class monster.
His sharp claws blew away his proud spear, causing him to slump to his knees as his legs collapsed under the weight of the blow.
The monster’s giant claws flew towards him , whistling as they cut through the air.
He’d had goosebumps all over.
And at that moment , he realized that he was going to die.
At Cypher School , he had thought that he was experienced and prepared. However, it turned out the world overflowed with things that were tougher, more dangerous, and stronger than each other.
He didn’t want to die.
Caaang!
A clashing sound rang out.
“Get up, kid.”
A long wound bisected the face of the man standing in front of me. Instead of blocking the monster’s blow, he gave up his left eye.
The grievous cut drew from the left side of his forehead to his chin. It was deep. Blood gushed out from the wound.
“I’m scared.”
The man reached out his hand, wiping away the flowing blood as if it were nothing.
“I’m scared, and I want to run away,” he added with a grin.
“But you should take a step forward when that happens. If you step back, you’ll be backpedaling for life.”
Machangsa held back sobs.
The waves of the echo grew louder, and before he knew it, he jumped to his feet, grasping the man’s hand.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Kim Sang-hu!”
“You’re the new guardian?”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
The man grinned, and turned around.
“Look carefully, new guardian.”
The man clasped his sword in his hands, pacing back and forth with pent up vigour.
“This is what we do.”
The man started running. Awakened men on all sides ran to follow him. There was a swarm of monsters in the distance. The world was a mess.
Monster invasion!
At the moment of the clash, Machangsa ironically saw a shining path of light.
“Ah…!”
That day was the first day he met Cheon Tae-jung, the captain of the mercenaries.
.
.
.
Machangsa found a village in a woodland area.
“It’s a nice place.”
Nice enough to want to come back to.
Soon his eyes were filled with venom.
His eyes searched everywhere.
Not a single monster could be seen.
This place had to be safe, it was where Cheon Ta-jung would live when he retired.
That’s all he had to do now. He had to pay him back for the life he saved and for the left eye he lost. Machangsa suddenly realized that his vision had become blurred.
Damn it. He curtly wiped the tears away with his sleeve.
It was strange.
There were no monsters.
“Why… aren’t there..?”
It would have been nice if there was a monster. There was nothing to do.
* * *
“Yes. It was a time of great evacuation. ”
Cheol-ho nodded quietly as he listened to Cheon Tae-jung’s story.
“There were no monsters in my hometown yet. I don’t know why, but inexplicably my hometown was quiet. It felt like monsters were avoiding it.”
Cheon Tae-jung continued his story, lost in reminiscing.
“But then I realized that I was an awakened human. I was able to handle the sword perfectly. My physical ability has improved significantly. Also, I felt a strange aura in my heart. There were a lot of awakened people in my hometown. ”
A characteristic of awakening… magic.
“So I led my people to Seoul. At the time we decided that somehow, powerful people would have to stick together to survive.”
It was a good judgment.
“That was the beginning of the Temple mercenary corps. Since then, countless days have passed. A lot of people died–”
Puff… puff.
He sighed, exhaling a breath of cigarette smoke.
“–and many others were born.”
He laughed quietly.
“A lot has happened since then.”
Cheol-ho felt lingering emotions underlying his words.
And so he asked him, “Did you have any regrets?”
He smiled bitterly and nodded.
“Every day was a regret. I– we all– had to be perfect. To protect people. To not kill. At least, to survive until the next day.”
“…”
So people like this really did exist..
Cheol-ho seemed to understand him.
People who have lived the same way could share the feeling. Cheol-ho felt that this man was a real man.
He too was a real man.
He lived for everyone.
Most of the time Cheol-ho spent in this world was like that. So, Cheol-ho was also able to understand how Cheon Tae-jung felt. He wanted to rest now.
Cheol-ho wanted to tell him that he’d worked hard enough, that he could take a rest now. Live his life the way he wanted to.
“We shouldn’t make mistakes. People die because of our mistakes, people who had dreams and hopes.”
He didn’t speak for a moment.
He had heard the same thing from someone. Oh, yes, that’s exactly what Machangsa had said.
Cheol-ho thought he was very precocious for his age, he guessed he’d learned that from the captain.
But to be so perfect, one eventually would get tired. This person was already tired enough.
However, as a result, it fostered a great next generation.
“You’re going home.”
“Yes.”
Cheon Tae-jung answered him simply, unbuckling the leather armor fastened to him. Under the simple short-sleeved T-shirt he wore beneath, a long scar emerged. It was a scar that had started from the nape of his neck and travelled to his wrist.
His whole body was covered with wounds.
They were the wounds of glory.
Cheol-ho nodded while grinning.
“Then have a meal before you go.”
It was an honor.
He couldn’t believe he would have the opportunity of serving the last meal of a nice guest.
Chen Tae-jung slowly released a pent up breath, relaxing as he began to dine at ease.
He stared at the rice. Then he carefully picked up his spoon, scooping a portion of the rice and some soybean stew into his mouth and chewing slowly.
It was quiet.
Looking at him in the light, his hair appeared even whiter. Cheol-ho watched him eat his meal peacefully without saying anything.
Cheon Tae-jung finished his meal without leaving a mouthful of a side dish. He remained at the table, looking down for a long time with his eyes closed.
At some point, he finally spoke
“Thank you for the meal.”
He stood up from his seat.
Cheol-ho also stood up.
“The bill..”
“It’s a service.”
Cheon Tae-jung looked at Cheol-ho in confusion.
“Our store originally offers services to those who are about to return to their hometowns.”
He burst into laughter.
“It’s a strange shop.”
He then bowed, mumbling.
“I’ve had a good meal. I’ll go look for that immature fellow.”
Cheol-ho shook his head.
“He is already a good guardian.”
“I think so too.”
He paused for a moment, then spoke in a quiet tone.
“Yes, he is. He became a good guardian.”
Cheol-ho knew the guardian was like a son to the man . He hoped they had a good time.
The man opened the store door and stepped out into the night.
Cheol-ho stood at the threshold, watching as the man walked through an alleyway.
Ah.
The moon shone bright.
The moonlight shone, lighting the path for the man.
Yeah.
He really was a good man.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Cheon Tae-jung drove a shabby motorcycle.
An operating motorcycle was a rare relic of the previous era.
Vehicles relying on petrol and oil were becoming less and less common. Maybe this too won’t last long.
But he liked the motorcycle. Thirty years ago, he rode into Seoul on this motorcycle.
And now.
He was leaving Seoul, the same way he came.
Things had changed.
The world had been destroyed, but it was slowly coming back to life.
New buds sprouted on the broken branches.
Now was the time for the new generation to rise.
Whoo-whoo-whoo-!~
The motorcycle picked up its speed. It wove through the broken asphalt roads in the carcasse of what was once a city.
At daybreak.
Familiar landscapes came into sight. His heart sped up as he recalled events of the past.
He slowed down. Hearing screeching sounds coming from the motorcycle engine, he pushed it to the side of the road and stopped it.
He would walk from here.
He started off walking, his anticipation growing with every step, until he burst into a run.
He could see a low mountain ridge.
His heart was overflowing when he recognised the still-green garden. Somehow, he felt like he had returned to his childhood.
He stood at the top of the ridge and drank in the view of his hometown stretching out below him.
His hometown was full of trees, grasses and shrubs.
The sweet fragrance from the plants and flowers filled the air.
He could still see the warm sunlight under the acacia tree.
In spring, flowers bloomed on the mountains. He used to play around behind the mountain. When the sun set , he would return home to put dry firewood in the furnace, and watch the white smoke rise up the chimney.
It smelt like rice cooking.
He laughed. It was such a leisurely rural neighborhood. He would lie in the yard and stare blankly up at the smoke disappearing into the sky…
“Ah.”
It was his hometown.
Finally, he was back in his hometown.
The house where he used to live was still there. Everything was intact in the village. Only the people had disappeared.
There were collapsed buildings everywhere, but there were no signs of monsters either.
Cheon Tae-jung reverently touched the gate of his house. Remembering the years gone by, he pushed the rusty gate open and stepped inside.
He was back.
Without saying anything, he laid down in the garden.
It was cozy and soft.
Suddenly, it occurred to him that the heavy burden on his shoulders had finally disappeared.
He smiled up brightly at the sky.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Far away.
In the huge valley between the mountains overlooking the village, Machangsa leaned back against his motorcycle.
“…take care of yourself.”
Machangsa stretched out his thumb and index fingers of both hands to form a square shape, and looked through the frame at the village.
“Good luck, old man.”
This place was safe.
He checked everything. It was where his old man lived, so of course he came by first.
If it was not safe , he would be the first to run and inform him.
Machangsa turned around.
After a moment of dazed hesitation, he started the motorcycle.
“Leave it to me. I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry about it,” he said to himself, as if he were determined to convince himself.
Vrroomm!
The motorcycle disappeared into the distance.
Now there was silence in the mountains. Only the occasional sound of birds chirping broke the calm rustle of the wind.
A bird sitting in a tree launched itself into the air, flying upwards.
The bird flew freely through the sky above the village, and landed on a branch.
The bird was chirping happily, before something caused it to fly away in shock.
Flutter flutter!
Five fists of fire were fired into the air.
The owner of the flames liked being soft.
Being soft was not harmful, so he thought it was a friend.
As he had recently become the new owner of the mountain, the owner thought to himself ;
He liked this newcomer very much.
Editor: Stomatopoda, Nets,
What happened on that day 10 years ago still came to him vividly whenever he closed his eyes.
.
.
.
Klang!
Manchangsa’s opponent was a boss-class monster.
His sharp claws blew away his proud spear, causing him to slump to his knees as his legs collapsed under the weight of the blow.
The monster’s giant claws flew towards him , whistling as they cut through the air.
He’d had goosebumps all over.
And at that moment , he realized that he was going to die.
At Cypher School , he had thought that he was experienced and prepared. However, it turned out the world overflowed with things that were tougher, more dangerous, and stronger than each other.
He didn’t want to die.
Caaang!
A clashing sound rang out.
“Get up, kid.”
A long wound bisected the face of the man standing in front of me. Instead of blocking the monster’s blow, he gave up his left eye.
The grievous cut drew from the left side of his forehead to his chin. It was deep. Blood gushed out from the wound.
“I’m scared.”
The man reached out his hand, wiping away the flowing blood as if it were nothing.
“I’m scared, and I want to run away,” he added with a grin.
“But you should take a step forward when that happens. If you step back, you’ll be backpedaling for life.”
Machangsa held back sobs.
The waves of the echo grew louder, and before he knew it, he jumped to his feet, grasping the man’s hand.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Kim Sang-hu!”
“You’re the new guardian?”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
The man grinned, and turned around.
“Look carefully, new guardian.”
The man clasped his sword in his hands, pacing back and forth with pent up vigour.
“This is what we do.”
The man started running. Awakened men on all sides ran to follow him. There was a swarm of monsters in the distance. The world was a mess.
Monster invasion!
At the moment of the clash, Machangsa ironically saw a shining path of light.
“Ah…!”
That day was the first day he met Cheon Tae-jung, the captain of the mercenaries.
.
.
.
Machangsa found a village in a woodland area.
“It’s a nice place.”
Nice enough to want to come back to.
Soon his eyes were filled with venom.
His eyes searched everywhere.
Not a single monster could be seen.
This place had to be safe, it was where Cheon Ta-jung would live when he retired.
That’s all he had to do now. He had to pay him back for the life he saved and for the left eye he lost. Machangsa suddenly realized that his vision had become blurred.
Damn it. He curtly wiped the tears away with his sleeve.
It was strange.
There were no monsters.
“Why… aren’t there..?”
It would have been nice if there was a monster. There was nothing to do.
* * *
“Yes. It was a time of great evacuation. ”
Cheol-ho nodded quietly as he listened to Cheon Tae-jung’s story.
“There were no monsters in my hometown yet. I don’t know why, but inexplicably my hometown was quiet. It felt like monsters were avoiding it.”
Cheon Tae-jung continued his story, lost in reminiscing.
“But then I realized that I was an awakened human. I was able to handle the sword perfectly. My physical ability has improved significantly. Also, I felt a strange aura in my heart. There were a lot of awakened people in my hometown. ”
A characteristic of awakening… magic.
“So I led my people to Seoul. At the time we decided that somehow, powerful people would have to stick together to survive.”
It was a good judgment.
“That was the beginning of the Temple mercenary corps. Since then, countless days have passed. A lot of people died–”
Puff… puff.
He sighed, exhaling a breath of cigarette smoke.
“–and many others were born.”
He laughed quietly.
“A lot has happened since then.”
Cheol-ho felt lingering emotions underlying his words.
And so he asked him, “Did you have any regrets?”
He smiled bitterly and nodded.
“Every day was a regret. I– we all– had to be perfect. To protect people. To not kill. At least, to survive until the next day.”
“…”
So people like this really did exist..
Cheol-ho seemed to understand him.
People who have lived the same way could share the feeling. Cheol-ho felt that this man was a real man.
He too was a real man.
He lived for everyone.
Most of the time Cheol-ho spent in this world was like that. So, Cheol-ho was also able to understand how Cheon Tae-jung felt. He wanted to rest now.
Cheol-ho wanted to tell him that he’d worked hard enough, that he could take a rest now. Live his life the way he wanted to.
“We shouldn’t make mistakes. People die because of our mistakes, people who had dreams and hopes.”
He didn’t speak for a moment.
He had heard the same thing from someone. Oh, yes, that’s exactly what Machangsa had said.
Cheol-ho thought he was very precocious for his age, he guessed he’d learned that from the captain.
But to be so perfect, one eventually would get tired. This person was already tired enough.
However, as a result, it fostered a great next generation.
“You’re going home.”
“Yes.”
Cheon Tae-jung answered him simply, unbuckling the leather armor fastened to him. Under the simple short-sleeved T-shirt he wore beneath, a long scar emerged. It was a scar that had started from the nape of his neck and travelled to his wrist.
His whole body was covered with wounds.
They were the wounds of glory.
Cheol-ho nodded while grinning.
“Then have a meal before you go.”
It was an honor.
He couldn’t believe he would have the opportunity of serving the last meal of a nice guest.
Chen Tae-jung slowly released a pent up breath, relaxing as he began to dine at ease.
He stared at the rice. Then he carefully picked up his spoon, scooping a portion of the rice and some soybean stew into his mouth and chewing slowly.
It was quiet.
Looking at him in the light, his hair appeared even whiter. Cheol-ho watched him eat his meal peacefully without saying anything.
Cheon Tae-jung finished his meal without leaving a mouthful of a side dish. He remained at the table, looking down for a long time with his eyes closed.
At some point, he finally spoke
“Thank you for the meal.”
He stood up from his seat.
Cheol-ho also stood up.
“The bill..”
“It’s a service.”
Cheon Tae-jung looked at Cheol-ho in confusion.
“Our store originally offers services to those who are about to return to their hometowns.”
He burst into laughter.
“It’s a strange shop.”
He then bowed, mumbling.
“I’ve had a good meal. I’ll go look for that immature fellow.”
Cheol-ho shook his head.
“He is already a good guardian.”
“I think so too.”
He paused for a moment, then spoke in a quiet tone.
“Yes, he is. He became a good guardian.”
Cheol-ho knew the guardian was like a son to the man . He hoped they had a good time.
The man opened the store door and stepped out into the night.
Cheol-ho stood at the threshold, watching as the man walked through an alleyway.
Ah.
The moon shone bright.
The moonlight shone, lighting the path for the man.
Yeah.
He really was a good man.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Cheon Tae-jung drove a shabby motorcycle.
An operating motorcycle was a rare relic of the previous era.
Vehicles relying on petrol and oil were becoming less and less common. Maybe this too won’t last long.
But he liked the motorcycle. Thirty years ago, he rode into Seoul on this motorcycle.
And now.
He was leaving Seoul, the same way he came.
Things had changed.
The world had been destroyed, but it was slowly coming back to life.
New buds sprouted on the broken branches.
Now was the time for the new generation to rise.
Whoo-whoo-whoo-!~
The motorcycle picked up its speed. It wove through the broken asphalt roads in the carcasse of what was once a city.
At daybreak.
Familiar landscapes came into sight. His heart sped up as he recalled events of the past.
He slowed down. Hearing screeching sounds coming from the motorcycle engine, he pushed it to the side of the road and stopped it.
He would walk from here.
He started off walking, his anticipation growing with every step, until he burst into a run.
He could see a low mountain ridge.
His heart was overflowing when he recognised the still-green garden. Somehow, he felt like he had returned to his childhood.
He stood at the top of the ridge and drank in the view of his hometown stretching out below him.
His hometown was full of trees, grasses and shrubs.
The sweet fragrance from the plants and flowers filled the air.
He could still see the warm sunlight under the acacia tree.
In spring, flowers bloomed on the mountains. He used to play around behind the mountain. When the sun set , he would return home to put dry firewood in the furnace, and watch the white smoke rise up the chimney.
It smelt like rice cooking.
He laughed. It was such a leisurely rural neighborhood. He would lie in the yard and stare blankly up at the smoke disappearing into the sky…
“Ah.”
It was his hometown.
Finally, he was back in his hometown.
The house where he used to live was still there. Everything was intact in the village. Only the people had disappeared.
There were collapsed buildings everywhere, but there were no signs of monsters either.
Cheon Tae-jung reverently touched the gate of his house. Remembering the years gone by, he pushed the rusty gate open and stepped inside.
He was back.
Without saying anything, he laid down in the garden.
It was cozy and soft.
Suddenly, it occurred to him that the heavy burden on his shoulders had finally disappeared.
He smiled up brightly at the sky.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Far away.
In the huge valley between the mountains overlooking the village, Machangsa leaned back against his motorcycle.
“…take care of yourself.”
Machangsa stretched out his thumb and index fingers of both hands to form a square shape, and looked through the frame at the village.
“Good luck, old man.”
This place was safe.
He checked everything. It was where his old man lived, so of course he came by first.
If it was not safe , he would be the first to run and inform him.
Machangsa turned around.
After a moment of dazed hesitation, he started the motorcycle.
“Leave it to me. I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry about it,” he said to himself, as if he were determined to convince himself.
Vrroomm!
The motorcycle disappeared into the distance.
Now there was silence in the mountains. Only the occasional sound of birds chirping broke the calm rustle of the wind.
A bird sitting in a tree launched itself into the air, flying upwards.
The bird flew freely through the sky above the village, and landed on a branch.
The bird was chirping happily, before something caused it to fly away in shock.
Flutter flutter!
Five fists of fire were fired into the air.
The owner of the flames liked being soft.
Being soft was not harmful, so he thought it was a friend.
As he had recently become the new owner of the mountain, the owner thought to himself ;
He liked this newcomer very much.
