Chapter 248

Chapter 248.

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5.

What is a family?

To me, a family clan was not yet a family.

In a way, it was on the path to being family.

A place where those who were not yet family gathered, somehow formed relationships, and somehow worked hard to prevent the relationships that were formed from being broken, each taking on their respective roles.

As long as I’m still the [Grand Chamberlain], no one will abandon me. As long as I’m still fulfilling my responsibilities as [Shadow], no one will abandon me. As long as, as long as, as long as…

That desperation drove us.

Until the day when I became someone’s father, until the day that child became my child, we would work desperately, as we were standing in this position now.

“Uburka.”

As the being who watched over all the children’s efforts, I was called the Family Head.

“Ugor.”

Uburka, who released a lion’s roar towards the plains, looked back at me with a somewhat satisfied face. Hot breath seeped through the gap in Uburka’s fangs.

“The enemy is a warrior who runs at the top of the Tower. He even has some scam items. Therefore…”

“It’s an enemy that I don’t need to go easy on.”

“That’s right. Fight as much as you like until your mind is at ease.”

Uburka grinned.

“That is the order I was hoping for! Family Head! My beloved Daddy!”

Thud!

Uburka rushed toward the enemy, leaving behind the thudding sound of footsteps that shook heaven and earth. If the bodies of the oni were like a train or a banner spear, Uburka’s body was a tram or battleship.

Uburka achieved the charge carried out by the oni army of 9,000 troops, on his own.

“Is there any warrior that will fight me, Uburkaaaa?!”

Uburka roared. With a gasp, the surviving oni slipped and tossed away their spears.

“There aren’t! Any warriors, among the oni! Ahh! No wonder there aren’t! The only thing good about you bastards are the horns on your heads! Kuhahaha!”

The grinning Uburka was like a huge mythical giant, and the oni were not ready to face a myth today.

So, someone stepped onto the path to the oni and faced off against Uburka.

“The 12 Oni Wings! Gather!”

Twelve soldiers, possessed by the Venomous Snake, rushed towards the giant wielding dual swords. Their bodies were severely damaged because they had died before to the Burning Grave. But it was murderous intent that burst from their wounds, not blood.

“We will stop you! Giant!”

“Kill that guy!”

“The oni have not yet been defeated! This is but a minor crisis on the road to victory! Nothing has changed!”

Hearing the timbre of the 12 Oni Wings, Uburka, snorted lightly. Aura was heavily mixed into Uburka’s snort. And that aura alone was enough to fill this place.

“—too weak—.”

Uburka bared his fangs.

When he smiled in his giant form, his huge fangs made him look like a smiling mythical demon. Even the goblin soldiers couldn’t help but shudder.

“I am the Warrior Commander of the Death King Family!”

Uburka laughed.

“The Death King Family, is a family clan that picks up the death lying in front of them! Where is there death without despair, where is there death without resentment?! Our family clan bears all the despair and resentment, only our Death King Family! Therefore, only my Family Head is qualified to lead this family clan.”

Uburka slowly raised his ax.

“We do not stop those whose despair is inferior to ours from running away. We are prepared for those who try to stop us despite having resentment inferior to ours. I am the son of the Death King Family, Warrior Commander Uburka.”

Swooooooooosh!!

“This ax will become your despair!”

Booooooom!!

A huge ax struck the place where the 12 Oni Wings were standing. Smash! The blade of the ax dug into the ground, causing it to crack. It shook. Knocked them down.

Rumble, rumble! Rumble!

Like warriors after receiving a hard blow, the army of the dead flew away lik the dust of the battlefield.

Booom!

As if an earthquake had occurred, the ground in the place where the 12 Oni Wings had been holding out like a fortress caved and crumbled like a dry cookie. It was a monstrous act that occurred from a single blow of Uburka’s ax.

The 12 Oni Wings stepped to evade it, but they were blocked by Uburka’s right palm, and were instead hit by a full swing and struck down to the ground. The limbs of those who tried to escape and fell to the ground twitched and flinched before eventually stopping. They were dead.

[getid]

“Ugor.”

One shot. One kill.

The formation that a great figure like the Venomous Snake had resorted to tricks to make was crushed by Uburka like child play.

However, the Venomous Snake didn’t give up.

“Fall in!”

The Venomous Snake was now possessing thousands of oni soldiers who had been trapped in the Burning Grave and killed.

And the good thing about a single person army was that they could fix a formation in an instant.

“Raise!”

All the Venomous Snakes raised their swords.

“Strike!”

Thousands of Venomous Snakes swung their swords at the same time. Snorting, Uburka lifted his huge ax to block it.

It was as if a group of locusts were going wild against a rhinoceros.

“Huhu.”

Estelle laughed.

We were watching Uburka gallivanting from afar. Every time the Venomous Snake kicked the ground with a papak, papak sound, pieces of the ground fell like hail, and every time Uburka moved with a thud, the early summer petals shook and flowed toward the plain.

“At this rate, the Warrior Commander will take all the merits.”

“Jealous?”

“No. Because the family head advised me to be true to the role of elder sister.”

Estelle made a prim expression.

Then, with a snap of her fingers, she summoned the [Civilization Store].

+

[Spiritual Descent]

Rank: A

Effect: The Player themself obtains a body and descends.

Price: 10,000 race points

※However, the effect only lasts 5 minutes.

+

“I should also raise my prestige as elder sister, I think.”

“…”

Indeed. So she intended to personally descend rather than obtain a possessed body.

Although I said ‘You can use all of my race points’ I didn’t expect her to take out an item that even Yoo Soo-ha rarely used because of its terrible cost effectiveness.

With a little admiration, I said.

“You can really read my mind.”

Estelle laughed again.

“What’s the point of an Advisor that can’t read the Family Head’s mind.”

I laughed too.

“Fine. My son and daughter want to compete to see who’s better, so I have no reason to refuse. Okay. You have my permission. Try to enjoy yourself until you’re satisfied.”

“Thank you. Family Head!”

Estelle hugged my right arm, then as if she was embarrassed, she moved away with a movement technique.

“Huhu.”

I laughed because it was cute to see my eldest daughter and second son playing together.

“Is it funny?”

Sylvia Evanail, who had been standing in the background this entire time, said as if she was at a loss for words.

“My goodness. Foul play dancing in harmony with foul play. Actually, it was funny when the Advisor started harping on about foul play earlier. After all, aren’t you the OG King of Foul Play who likes to pick at all the loopholes?.”

“I can’t deny that.”

“Congratulations. It’s a splendid debut. The Death King Family will now be recognized as worthy of the name the strongest guild in the Tower. The Death King will become the King who actually controls the Tower. However…”

“However, none of that matters.”

“…”

“That’s what you want to tell me. Sylvia Evanail.”

I wrapped both arms around Sylvia Evanail. The young miss was so small, she could fit in one arm.

Even Sylvia, who would have normally made noise and said [What are you doing?!] or [I will tell Lady Raviel!], was now silent.

“…Family Head.”

In my arms Sylvia Evanail asked with a fearful voice.

“What do you wish to achieve in this war…?”

“There is only one thing that I can show people anytime, anywhere.”

I drew my sword.

“That in this world, there is always a higher place.”

“…”

“Sylvia, use Spiritual Descent.”

“Huh?”

“Use it.”

Sylvia timidly obeyed my words.

With the deduction of another 10,000 race points, Sylvia gained a physical body and descended.

For 5 minutes.

“Hold on tight.”

“Eh? Ehh. Wa- wait a minute. Mr. Kim Gong-ja. No, Family Head. I’m actually getting nervous right now. I’m starting to feel that something outrageous is about to happen, like, if some crazy guy were to jump from this mountain top here to the mountain peak that was pulled from it, which I think is a brilliant act of suicide that would only result in them smashing their head from the sky to the ground. But that’s not going to happen right? Say no, you fuck—.”

I.

Grabbed Grand Chamberlain Sylvia Evanail into my cloak.

Then, taht, I kicked off from the ground— and flew.

Flew.

Like a bird, I soared from the place the mountain peak had been torn from and had become a mere bluff*.(*:A bluff is a cliff, small hill, or other elevation on the side of a mountain or hill, that rises steeply from the ground, usually without trees or shrubs.)

“Kyaaaaaak!!!”

Wrapped in my cloak, Sylvia Evanail began to freak out. She struggled and resisted fiercely, but it was too bad.

“Even if you get away, we’re in the sky. Do you want to just fall from the sky?”

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaak!!! ”

“Do as you’re told. If you fall from here, 10,000 points will go down the drain.”

“Demon! What Family Head, I’m clearly serving an evil god! Aigo, my life! Aigo, Sylvia Evanail! Even serving Satan would be better than this!”

“You should be skilled with aura. Grand Chamberlain.”

“Ehhh? Why are you mentioning aura in this situation! Well, naturally I’m familiar with it!”

“Release your aura. Don’t think too much about it. Just like this, spread your aura while feeling the wind, and fly.”

“What…”

“Come on. I’ll handle the rest.”

“…”

Inside my cloak, a small head moved.

It was hard to see since she was wrapped so well in my cloak, but Sylvia Evanail had definitely nodded.

“Mm.”

And for me, that was enough consent.

“Grand Chamberlain Sylvia.”

“…yes, Family Head.”

“The scene of the first ball you attended as a child, do you remember it?”

“How could I forget? That damned place.”

“Then, recall it.”

I prepared my aura.

“As you recall, in every direction— just let your aura scatter.”

That moment.

“Ah…”

An exclamation came out of my thick cloak.

Golden Silk’s aura was golden.

Brilliant and splendid, a color that seemed to promise the glory of childhood. As she let out her aura, Sylvia Evanail was able to half-forcefully swim in the sky, and soon, it became billions of golden flower petals that scattered across the plains.

Slowly.

Golden maple leaves drifted across the plains. Tuk, golden ginkgo leaves scattered. Shining brightly, golden flower petals and buds of all the flowers the young miss loved and cherished, hydrangeas, lilacs, moth orchids, roses, lilies, peonies, all flowed to the ground.

Infernal Heavens Formation.

Extra Law.

Golden Chaos Flower Garden.

“…”

That was the longing Sylvia Evanail had as a child.

Sylvia Evanail stared down blankly at the flower garden that her aura had created in an instant. Forgetting that she was still flying in the air, she simply looked down at the landscape that had been shaped by her life.

“Family Head, you…”

“I think it’s beautiful.”

I said.

“We all can fail. We all made mistakes that we shouldn’t have. However, even so, if you look back, you’ll find that your origin is beautiful.”

“Look.”

I pointed down.

One of the oni warriors, not a Venomous Snake, but one who had managed to escape the Burning Grave, carefully picked up one of Sylvia’s golden flowers. The warrior treated it as if it was the greatest treasure, then, hurriedly, before anyone else could see it, they turned and fled.

There weren’t many, but several of them fled like that. The meaning of this battle. The history of this war. The resurrected corpses and descending myths. There were those who were more enchanted by the beauty that miraculously appeared before their eyes than all those irrationalities and illogicalities, so much that they decided to throw everything they’d ever had aside and run away.

“You are not nothing. Sylvia Evanail.”

“…”

“You are my Grand Chamberlain.”

Tuk.

After a long flight, we landed on the ground.

It was the mountain peak that Uburka had torn off of and smashed into the middle of the battlefield, and the Venomous Snake and oni army split and passed through.

Standing on the two parts of the mountain peak that had been beautifully split, I looked around.

“You asked what I wanted. Grand Chamberlain.”

“…yes.”

“I want to show how much a mere person can do.”

The countless golden petals sculpted from aura dyed the plains gold.

There, the oni possessed by the Venomous Snake fought hard. However, Uburka’s ax shattered them, and Estelle’s cuts severed their limbs.

When a soldier, who had already died, died once more, blood splattered from their wounds onto the lovely golden roses.

“Here.”

Kim Yul slowly opened his mouth.

“Is already a different world.”

That’s right.

The purpose of the Infernal Heavens Formation was never to destroy the enemy.

It was the most insignificant of all the purposes, and it was embarrassing to even mention it.

“Is this the landscape the Family Head wanted?”

“Right.”

To show a different world to the living people.

To show them different landscapes, different scenes, and consequently, different dreams.

“A fight for supremacy between the oni and the goblins. The pride of their races. The wounds. It is so important that it occupies most of the weight in their hearts. That resentment. I’m very aware of it.”

However.

“Nevertheless, there is more to the world than that.”

I looked at an oni who was running away with a golden rose in his hands.

“I don’t know about that oni warrior, nevertheless, I can imagine their life somewhat.”

Here now, there were individuals who became soldiers because it seemed natural.

No one was allowed to retort, no one even prepared a retort, so someone accepted it as their path, like a fish swimming in the water of a great river.

However, one day, one glorious day, if a golden rose that seemed out of this world was to slowly, gently, fall to someone’s feet.

“It might just be a coincidence, but the moment they decided to run away with the flower petal, it was already fate. Now, that child is no longer a soldier. They are not even an oni whose heart has become black after repeated defeats. They are an artist fascinated by the golden rose, who intends to pick up a sculpting knife or paint brush to express it. That fellow has finally found their destiny.”

I looked behind me.

Sylvia Evanail was staring at the golden plain and the back of the deserter fleeing from the golden plain as if she was drunk.

Kim Yul had been staring at my face from beginning to end.

“There is no such thing as fixed fate.”

“…”

“A small coincidence, a fleeting miracle, is enough to create the temptation to make a person live as a person. We don’t want to live life if it feels like fate, we only want to live life if it is tempting. Do you understand, Shadow? We will give everyone climbing the Tower the [desire to live a little longer].”

“…right.”

Kim Yul nodded.

“There is no hypocrisy or lies in the Family Head’s words. I at least know that much.”

I reached out to Kim Yul, and as if he was expecting it, he gently took my hand.

“Because the Family Head has already made me want to live a little longer.”

Kim Yul descended.

The aura from the Shadow’s hand and mine mixed together.

Infernal Heavens Formation.

Extra Law.

Fake Desert Beneath the Roof

The wind blew.

The wind was Kim Yul’s aura. It was the wind that rolled across the roof of the school and scattered the sand in the schoolyard. Looking down, the grass on the plain had become grains of sand. With the smell of dying sand, the wind blew forlornly.

“Right.”

Kim Yul nodded.

Just like the day when he stood on the roof and looked down at the schoolyard— just like that time, Kim Yul stood atop the split mountain peak and looked down at the sandy plain.

“I wanted to stick my head into that fake desert.”

“…”

“Whenever I went onto the roof and looked down, everything beneath my feet was like a desert. Maybe there is spring water somewhere to moisten people’s dry throats. I wasn’t sure if there was an oasis. However, it was clear that the spring water would soon dry up, the sight of millions of hungry ghosts clinging to each other and fighting for a few drops of water, I didn’t want to bear it.”

Kim Yul smiled.

“That’s why I threw it away.”

“…”

“However, even a rotten desert could be beautiful if it had rolling petals.”

In the Infernal Heaven landscape created by me and Kim Yul, Sylvia Evanail’s golden flowers were still being carried by the wind.

It was such a magnificent scene so mysterious it made one breathless.

The wind blew endlessly across the sandy desert, and golden roses, golden lilies, golden hydrangeas, and golden chrysanthemums rolled in thousands of directions, or were slowly carried by the wind.

“…”

Kim Yul didn’t stop smiling.

He spoke in a whisper.

“If my life is as dry as a fake desert, I just need to wait for the petals to enter my desert. That is something I didn’t know in my childhood. At that time, I didn’t know that a vast desert could attract a bunch of flowers, or that a bunch of flowers could attract a vast desert.”

Kim Yul looked at me with a smile.

“Thanks. Family Head.”

“…”

“I’m happy that your flower language and the class president’s flower petals entered my desert, because they are beautiful.”

At that moment.

Booooom!

In the place where Uburka and Estelle were fighting. A place where Kim Yul’s wilderness was covered by the Golden Silk’s golden flower petals.

On the battlefield, the Venomous Snake’s possessed bodies began releasing sharp aura one after the other.

“Why…”

Among them, there was one individual who released a particularly sharp aura.

Their hair was a mess. Their horn had been broken at some point, proving that they were an oni warrior that had been defeated before. From their small stature and thin skin, it was clear to see that they were a soldier who had survived on this battlefield with nothing but their rage and will.

“Why..!”

Behind the warrior, the Venomous Snake hovered like Bae Hu-ryeong.

With anger.

“Why are the kids I take care of…!”

The Venomous Snake’s possessed bodies stomped in unison. Boom! The bodies that had died twice and could no longer be possessed were sent flying.

“Even now, even then! Death King…! Why?! Why can’t the children I take care of, like the kids you take care of…”

The Venomous Snake’s eyes blazed. The rage became hatred. The aura took on a grotesque form, and his dark purple light in his eyes burned.

It was a scene I’d seen before, on a certain snowy field.

‘Disharmony.’

It was the same as when my teacher was not yet my teacher.

It wasn’t difficult to figure out the reason. The [multiple possession] itself gnawed heavily on the user’s mental power. Splitting yourself into hundreds and thousands, inserting them into the possessed bodies, and manipulating them all. It was never something that could be done soberly.

“Even then! It was like that even then, Death King! Even then…!”

What period was the Venomous Snake referring to?

I wanted to ask, but it seemed that the opportunity to get a sane answer had already passed. Rampaging aura surrounded all of the Venomous Snakes.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Suddenly, someone grabbed my hand.

“Everything will be alright.”

It was Estelle.

When had she returned to my side?

Estelle smiled softly and squeezed my hand, as if to tell me not to worry.

“Isn’t that the Family Head’s companion?”

“…”

“Just give him a smack and tell him to come back. Family Head. Just do it like always.”

Right.

“You’re right.”

I nodded.

In the place where Estelle’s palm and mine touched, aura began to resonate. Estelle was the child who watched me learn the Infernal Heavens Demonic Art from beginning to end from the closest place. When it came to the understanding of the Infernal Heavens Demonic Art, few people could compare to Estelle.

Because of that.

Ttuk.

Tududuk, tuk… tuk…

Tuduk, tudududuk, duk, tudududu…

Rain.

Rain… on the battlefield, on the plain, on the fluttering golden rose petals, on the sand in the wind. Red rain fell on the fake desert covered with thousands and tens of thousands of flowers.

Fall rain.

Infernal Heavens Formation.

Extra Law.

Gracefully Raining Grief of Heaven

Rain fell.

(TL: I understand nothing…)

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