Chapter 115
The Pain of Losing Someone Dear (1)
"Which serpent are you talking about? You know I can't stay here for long."
{Don't worry… the serpent will be wherever you go.}
Persephone snapped her fingers lightly, and in the next moment, a red window appeared before Arthur's eyes.
The crimson light reflected on his features, revealing a scene of a strange land, where two people he knew very well stood.
'Jung Pildu… and Han Sooyoung?
What are they doing here? And where is this place? It can't be… is it?'
{This is the location of the sixth scenario.
What do you think? Would you like to try?
It's a difficult task.}
Arthur smiled calmly, without hesitation or fear, as he looked at Persephone. He had already resolved himself to do the impossible for the sake of the promise he had made.
...
Persephone sat quietly in her chair, staring at the food before her.
It had no taste… no story.
From the heart of the darkness itself, a deep, heavy voice emerged, as though the darkness had chosen to speak:
{Persephone… why did you do this?}
{Oh… my shy dear husband, you finally spoke.}
{I asked you: why?}
{Hades… you are the one who wanted this.}
{And what makes you say that?}
{It's obvious you like this boy.
You usually despise incarnations, but with this child…}
{And why do you think that?}
{Because you didn't kill him the moment he set foot in the Underworld.}
Silence fell.
A heavy stillness, as though time itself had frozen.
{My dear husband…
you were always jealous of Zeus because he has Hercules.
But this child… he has constellations even I cannot deal with easily.
He is interesting.}
She paused for a moment, then added with a faint smile:
{I read your mind a little, my dear.}
{Soon… the signs of the Final Days will appear.}
{Will the Final Days truly come?}
{Perhaps.}
Persephone smiled as she gazed into the darkness.
{You will stay with me… won't you?}
A strange black shadow moved from the heart of the darkness, and two dark hands extended, gently resting on Persephone's shoulders.
She smiled, then turned her gaze back to the screen before her.
It displayed… Arthur.
...
Arthur moved with his eyes closed, walking silently behind the overseer.
After some time—
{We have arrived.
Step forward… and do not look back.}
Arthur removed the blindfold from his eyes.
Before him stood a dark door, deep, devouring light.
The overseer disappeared.
Arthur stepped forward with steady, calm steps.
{You do not seem afraid of what lies behind you.}
"Persephone."
{To find the front… you must find the back.}
"I know.
For everything has two sides.
Without a front, there is no back. Without a past, there is no future.
Without land, there are no humans…
Everything has two ends."
Arthur exhaled quietly.
{I cannot return you to the beginning of the Labyrinth of Worlds, but…
this may help you.}
Persephone's words faded into the air, turning into gentle sparks, then forming a golden circle radiating pure, beautiful energy.
"Brother Arthur…"
"Shin Yoosung? Is that you?"
"Little Shin called you that… can I call you that too?"
Arthur smiled as he looked at the pure energy before him.
"Of course… you can."
The energy moved closer to his cheek, touching it gently, then drifting away.
At that moment…
Arthur felt as if his heart was breaking.
"I'm sorry… I can't bring you back right now."
"Don't exaggerate, brother… my story has—"
"It hasn't ended yet.
Your story isn't over.
All the suffering you went through… I won't let it end like this. Neither I nor my idiot friend will allow it.
I promise."
Arthur calmed himself, fixing his gaze on the pure energy.
Shin Yoosung spoke in a soft, gentle voice:
"I got to know you through this world's memories…
but why?
Why are you kind to me?
Why are you willing to do anything to save me?
It's a strange feeling… I don't know you, but when I'm with you, I feel like I understand everything."
Arthur smiled warmly.
"Maybe… because we are both strangers in a lost time."
"???"
"I promise…
I will come to you as soon as possible, and I will save you no matter the cost."
"Thank you, Brother Arthur."
The pure energy scattered into the air, like light refusing to remain.
{Remember…
you have limited time to save her.
Humans are stories…
and who knows how much of her story will remain by the time you reach it?}
Persephone said calmly.
A glowing gate appeared.
Arthur moved toward it without hesitation and vanished from the Underworld.
---
{Hidden Scenario: Serpent Hunt
Category: Hidden
Difficulty: S
Clear Conditions:
Hunt the target in the sixth main scenario.
Time Limit: Until the end of the main scenario.
Reward:
80,000 coins + Trust of the Queen of Dark Spring
Failure:
Permanent ban from entering the Underworld}
...
"Brother Arthur… wake up."
"Wake up, brother!"
Arthur opened his eyes to the voices of children.
They were… Yi Shun and Shin Yoosung.
{The hidden scenario: Queen of the Underworld has ended.}
{15,000 coins have been acquired as a completion reward.}
|You have completed the hidden mission: Survival and Agreement with the Queen of Dark Spring Persephone.
Reward:
100,000 points + Bracelet of Survival from Catastrophic Punishment + ∆∆∆|
'Looks like the little dokkaebi did his job properly…
but what is "Survival from Catastrophic Punishment"?'
'Which catastrophe is the system referring to?
Since I arrived in this world, I've faced three catastrophes:
the young dragon Agniel,
the Question Catastrophe Myung Sang,
and the Flood Catastrophe Shin Yoosung.
And I've never heard… of something called survival from a catastrophe.'
While Arthur was lost in thought, he suddenly felt something imprinting onto his left hand.
He paused, then looked at it.
There was a small, beautiful tattoo, blood-red in color, imprinted on the back of his hand.
Two horizontal lines that did not meet, and between them a delicate engraving of a small star. Inside the star were words in an incomprehensible language, their letters strange, as though they belonged to no known system.
Arthur extended his hand and touched the tattoo carefully…
but nothing happened.
'Maybe I'll understand later.
My system has never given me anything useless… not even once.
It might be a lifeline for a future event—who knows.'
{The constellation Miraculous Narrator looks at the tattoo ∆∆∆∆ with a small smile and disbelief.}
"Do you know what this is?"
Arthur spoke, but no message came in response.
He sighed quietly, then shifted his gaze to the other messages floating before him.
{The constellation Master of Wine and Ecstasy congratulates you on your safe return.}
"You damned bastard…
you threw me into Tartarus Prison, for heaven's sake!
I had to fight those damned overseers because of you!
Is that your idea of a favor?!"
Arthur spoke loudly, anger mixed with exhaustion as he stared at Dionysus's message.
{The constellation Master of Wine and Ecstasy requests reconciliation.}
{10,000 coins have been sponsored.}
"Bastard…"
Arthur smiled faintly.
Even though Dionysus had thrown him into Tartarus Prison, he had taken nothing from him in return.
On the contrary…
he had given him real help.
That was why anger was not the dominant feeling, but a quiet gratitude Arthur did not voice aloud.
'If not for Dionysus… I wouldn't have been able to enter the Underworld in the first place.
That bastard is the only one reckless enough to send a living human there.'
"You're awake, Arthur."
Arthur raised his head at the voice and saw Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung standing nearby.
"Then… let's go."
"Go where?"
"Ah, right… you were asleep when it happened."
"What happened?"
Kim Dokja approached the group, a calm smile carrying a hidden meaning on his face.
"The announcement for the new scenario has arrived."
He said it while looking directly at Arthur.
{Survivors are requested to gather at Yongsan Station.}
Everyone moved toward the station.
It was crowded with people, large numbers standing close together, all staring at a massive display screen floating in the air.
The screen showed the same place Persephone had revealed to Arthur.
In that scene, a young man with Japanese features was fighting monsters with astonishing ease, a calm smile on his face as if the battle were nothing more than a game.
At that moment—
The sixth main scenario appeared.
{Main Scenario Six – ????
Category: Main
Difficulty: ????
Clear Conditions: ????
Reward: ????
Time Limit: ????
Failure: ????}
As the scenario appeared, unrest spread among the people.
Murmurs rose, and faces filled with anxiety.
Nothing was shown…
only question marks.
Arthur remained standing beside Kim Dokja, both of them watching the screen with strange calm amid the chaos.
"This scenario can only be carried out by a specific group of people."
The voice came from behind, low and calm.
Arthur and Kim Dokja turned at the same time.
Kim Dokja recognized the man immediately.
"You…"
"It's the first time we meet face to face.
A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Arthur… and Mr. Dokja."
"The Neutral King…"
He was one of the candidates who had sought to seize the Absolute Throne in the previous scenario.
"My name is Jeon Eden.
But everyone calls me the Neutral King."
Jeon Eden raised his hand to shake Kim Dokja's.
"I'm Kim Dokja, and this is—"
Before he could finish—
"Ah… you're Arthur.
I was truly impressed by what you did that day, when you shattered the Absolute Throne."
Arthur smiled calmly and shook his hand.
"What did you mean when you said this scenario is meant for specific people?"
"Ah, so you don't know.
According to the information provided by the low-level dokkaebi who appeared this morning…
participants in this scenario will be selected only from volunteers."
"Volunteers?"
"Yes.
This scenario requires only a small number of volunteers,
and those who do not participate will not be punished."
He paused briefly, then continued:
"It may sound unbelievable…
especially after all the suffering everyone has gone through in previous scenarios."
Kim Dokja began thinking deeply, while the others exchanged glances.
Suddenly, a voice called out to Jeon Eden from afar.
"Ah… I'm late. Well then, let's go."
Jeon Eden moved, while Arthur and Kim Dokja remained in place.
"You two as well…
should come with us."
He said it while gesturing to them with a small smile.
"What?"
Jeon Eden looked at Arthur, his tone becoming more serious.
"The ruler of the collapsing world…
this is the world created by Mr. Arthur and Mr. Kim Dokja."
Then he added:
"The remaining kings…
are waiting for your arrival."
---
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