Chapter 173 – Epilogue – [End]

Flames continued to spread, encroaching upon the surrounding field of vision. Seo Yun gestured toward a cluster of flames in one area. The flames seemed to be sucked toward the point she indicated, gathering and transforming into a fiery whirlwind.

A whirlwind of fire hundreds of meters high began to sweep through various points of the enemy lines.

The sight of the fire whirlwind swallowing an entire artillery emplacement was spectacular. It was not only a magnificent spectacle but also a move that dealt significant damage to the enemy. Skeletons around it were swept up into the whirlwind, soaring high before shattering into tiny, blackened bone fragments that scattered like ash.

At this rate, she began to hope she could safely finish off all the enemies from within the flames.

“Groooooooaaar!”

From ahead, the agonized scream of a Troll echoed. Its massive body housed equally massive vocal cords, and its cry reverberated across the entire battlefield.

Turning her gaze in that direction, Seo Yun was startled, her eyes widening in shock.

Something seemed to have flown in and struck the Troll.

Something was embedded in its enormous upper torso, and from the gaping hole it created, blood gushed out like a crimson waterfall.

Judging by sight alone, one might have thought a missile had been launched. But it wasn’t a missile.

What was still lodged in the Troll’s massive upper body, visible to Seo Yun’s Soul Sight, was a blazing soul. A soul that could reach the Celestial Realm whenever it wished.

In game terms, it was an Epic Level Centaur.

‘That bastard, could it be…’

On the Troll’s body, the Epic Level Centaur clung like a mountain goat on a cliff. It pulled out the weapon that had been impaled in the Troll’s body and moved its legs. Kicking off the Troll’s body with its hooves, it shot down to the ground as if launched.

The next moment, the Troll’s colossal frame tilted and collapsed, crushing dozens of Skeletons beneath it. The fallen Troll writhed, bleeding, unable to move again.

If it were Seo Yun, she might have felt pride in having just felled a formidable monster and taken a moment to admire the cloud of dust raised by the falling giant body. However, the Epic Level Centaur seemed utterly uninterested in the enemy it had just defeated. It didn’t even glance at the fallen Troll.

Its attention was directed toward the flames, toward her.

The Epic Level Centaur stomped the ground. Its body vanished from Seo Yun’s sight, followed by the sound of wind being torn apart.

Perhaps because of that, it felt chilling.

Soon after, three heads with messy, overgrown beards came tumbling through the wall of flames ahead, rolling to a stop at Seo Yun’s feet.

They were the heads of Centaurs. Those who had hesitated, unable to enter the flames. It seemed their lord had been the one to separate these three heads from their bodies.

Within the flames, a crimson silhouette flickered, and a massive Centaur revealed itself before Seo Yun.

It was a muscular Centaur with a long, flowing beard. Its appearance was suspiciously reminiscent of a confused blend of Chinggis Khaan and Guan Yu by the creators of the Immortal Kingdom. The heroic human upper torso was attached to a blood-red, muscular equine body.

It was the Centaur Great Khan.

Despite having charged through the flames, neither its clothing nor its horse tail showed any signs of burning. There was no need to confirm that the armor it wore was enchanted with a Fire Resistance Spell.

“Oh?”

The Great Khan looked her way. He stared intently at her face, which boasted a Charisma score of 10, and opened his mouth.

“You—”

And Seo Yun flicked her sleeve. A Fireball flew out and exploded on his face. The heat didn’t manage to scorch his head, but it delivered an impact roughly equivalent to a light jab.

In other words, it meant the Great Khan’s head shook slightly. The only damage he suffered from taking a direct hit from a Fireball with grenade-level power was just that.

Perhaps because of that, he didn’t even seem particularly angry after being hit.

The Great Khan’s lips twitched as if he still had something to say, but Seo Yun didn’t want to hear it. Whatever he was about to say was bound to be disgusting, so there was no point in listening.

“Shut up.”

As she said this, Seo Yun took a step back. The Great Khan moved his hooves, taking a few steps toward her.

Seo Yun swung her Flaming Sword fiercely, threatening to prevent him from getting any closer.

At that, the Great Khan laughed. He didn’t say anything, but his expression seemed to convey:

‘You want to fight? A little girl like you, against me?’

And Seo Yun, who had no intention of engaging in a one-on-one duel with an Epic Level Warrior, took a few more steps back.

The Great Khan’s laughter grew louder. It was a smile as if he were looking at something cute.

Then, as if teasing her, the Great Khan slowly approached before suddenly stomping the ground. His long arm shot out as if trying to grab her.

It was precisely at that moment that a Barbarian Warrior’s roar echoed.

“Get—out—of—here!”

Arnold, who had charged through the flames, swung his Greatsword. The storm accompanying his ferocious movement whipped Seo Yun’s hair about.

And the Great Khan immediately twisted his upper body, skillfully countering. He brought down his halberd, pressing down on Arnold’s Greatsword.

A deafening crash, like artillery shells colliding mid-air, rang out. Seemingly strained by the force, Arnold dropped to one knee, but only for a moment. He sprang back up with a roar.

“I said—get—out—!”

Arnold and the Great Khan began to clash in earnest. True to his Barbarian Warrior nature, Arnold let out desperate roars, mobilizing every expanded muscle to swing his Greatsword in all directions.

In response, the Great Khan, whether trying to maintain an emperor-like composure or simply having the upper hand, wielded his halberd with concise, swift motions. Each time the two monstrous weapons collided, fierce winds and shockwaves erupted, shaking Seo Yun’s body.

Seo Yun watched Arnold roar once more.

To Seo Yun’s knowledge, Arnold’s Greatsword was an item that absorbed impact, preventing him from being overpowered even when clashing with enemies possessing superior Strength to its wielder. Such a powerful Artifact allowed him to fight overwhelmingly even against the Frost Giant, who surpassed him in both weight and raw strength.

Yet even with such an item, he was being pushed back. The Great Khan lightly brought his halberd down twice before swiftly swinging it sideways, severing Arnold’s ear and sending blood flying. Arnold, unable to mount a single counterattack, struggled, retreating repeatedly.

There was no need for fresh astonishment at this scene. She already knew that the Centaurs’ Great Khan was a monster with 12 Strength and 11 Dexterity. For an Epic Level Centaur who was also a Vampire, such Ability Scores were to be expected.The Great Khan swung his halberd down once more. Just as Arnold gritted his teeth to block it, another silhouette flickered within the flames.

“Huaaah—!”

With a cry that was either a kiai or a roar, Han Siwoo burst forth from the fire. He did not halt his charge. Han Siwoo’s lightning-wreathed sword was aimed forward. Its tip stabbed like lightning towards the hind leg of the Centaur Great Khan.

However, the Centaur Great Khan possessed an Agility of 11, enough to even catch bullets. Not only did he easily block the attack from behind, but he also successfully counterattacked.

The scene was so brutal that Seo Yun almost closed her eyes for a moment.

Thud…

A sound like an artillery shell exploding rang out, and Han Siwoo’s breastplate was kicked away by that hind leg kick. As the breastplate crumpled, Han Siwoo was sent flying backward.

But it was not a futile, failed attack. Because in that moment, a chimpanzee had been silently charging, waiting for its opportunity.

“Got you, you son of a bitch!”

It was Gaeulbi. Having hidden in the flames and watched for her timing, she leaped out the moment Han Siwoo was knocked down and pounced on the Great Khan.

And true to a Martial Artist, she latched onto the Great Khan’s body.

Watching Gaeulbi clinging to the Great Khan’s back and choking his neck, Seo Yun thought. What was that technique called? A rear naked choke? A rear naked choke?

Seeming to have a bit more trouble breathing, a look of bewilderment surfaced on the Great Khan’s face, which had been composed until just moments ago. Perhaps because the Great Khan’s neck guard was too thick to choke him properly, Gaeulbi was now pulling, trying to wrench his head back.

The Great Khan thrashed his body, trying to shake Gaeulbi off, but she wouldn’t fall. And the Great Khan had no spare hands to peel her off.

“Look at me—not her—!”

Arnold let out a kiai and charged.

Still with his head being pulled back, the Great Khan swung his halberd mightily. The difference in Strength was evident; Arnold was pushed back as if repelled, but without losing his fighting spirit, he charged at the Great Khan again.

Meanwhile, Seo Yun approached Han Siwoo, who had fallen earlier and hadn’t gotten up. She cast a Healing Spell on his body.

She didn’t ask, ‘Are you okay?’ It was obvious just by looking that he wasn’t. Instead, she asked this:

“Can you keep fighting?”

“I… can.”

Han Siwoo got up. Gripping the sword hilt he hadn’t let go of even when he was knocked down, he charged towards the enemy.

And so, the Great Khan, his movements dulled compared to before due to Gaeulbi clinging to him, fought against a Level 15 Warrior and a Level 19 Barbarian Warrior. And he didn’t seem to be losing ground at all.

Rather, the Great Khan seemed to find this situation quite interesting. Glancing sideways and confirming that what was clinging to his body was a pretty woman, a relaxed smile rose to his lips again. Seeing this, Seo Yun seethed.

We’re fighting with all our might to survive. That bastard who invaded for no reason…

She suppressed the anger boiling up inside. There was no need to get truly angry.

There was a time she had loathed such game-like beings. In the past, she had been furious that mere creations from a game had leaped into reality and harmed people. She had loathed not only the game monsters but all other game elements as well.

Now, after considerable time had passed, she didn’t feel that way. There was no need to waste emotions on anger and loathing.

Take that Great Khan, for instance. That immense power was simply made that way, and that vicious desire for conquest was also simply made that way. There’s no value in getting angry at his evil deeds, nor in feeling awe at his divine power. Just as one would overcome a natural disaster like a typhoon, one simply needs to overcome it.

Having lived about ten years in this changed world, Seo Yun now knew this fact.

Seo Yun just calmly, fitting for a Spirit 9, coolly watched for an opportunity. She didn’t even deliberately use an Attack Spell to threaten the Great Khan. So that bastard would only think of her as a Priest girl who’s a bit good with fire magic. So he would feel she wasn’t a threatening presence.

Then, the opportunity she had been waiting for arrived.

A terrifyingly loud sound, a sound that made eardrums ring, reverberated. From the sky above.

Even the four locked in fierce combat froze at that sound. They all looked up simultaneously, and Seo Yun also looked up.

A split aircraft carrier came into view. Immediately after, a ‘Boom—!’ sound; the aircraft carrier exploded.

She once saw a novel describe an explosion in the air as ‘like a flower blooming in the sky.’ In this case, should it be described as ‘a sun blooming in the sky’?

“The Sun Ship won…”

What had split the aircraft carrier was the Sun Ship that had rammed its side. Behind the explosion, the Sun Ship shone brilliantly.

As fire and metal fragments fell from the sky, the Sun Ship’s forward hull plating opened. Having achieved victory in the aerial battle and no longer being hindered, it was finally deploying its decisive weapon.

From the fully opened forward hull plating of the Sun Ship, a massive Small Sun was revealed. Light had already gathered abundantly.

From that sky, a pillar of light struck the Mortal Realm.

As the pillar of light incinerated the Centaur forces, that light spread across the ground.

It was as if a flashbang had detonated over the entire battlefield. A tidal wave of sunlight. Sunlight that pierced even the wall of flames blinded the eyes of everyone present here.

And, uncharacteristically for a Barbarian Warrior, utterly silently, without letting out any roar, Arnold charged. The Barbarian Warrior’s passive skill must have allowed him to see the enemy even while blinded by the sudden flash.

The greatsword Arnold swung advanced, aiming for the Great Khan’s neck. In this moment, the Great Khan, even with his Agility 11 Ability Score, could not react. Because the sunlight had melted the eyes of him, a Vampire.

The greatsword reached the Great Khan’s neck.

A scream erupted from the Great Khan’s mouth.

Seo Yun saw the thick leather guard covering his neck split, the flesh inside tear, and blood flow from it.

As Arnold was flung backward by the Great Khan’s convulsive hoof kick, Seo Yun advanced.

Seo Yun spread her wings and kicked off the ground. She had enhanced her body’s Strength with a Spell. Compared to that amplified Strength, her body was small, so it shot forward as if launched.

The Great Khan was ahead. The torn guard and the neck bleeding.

Into the wound Arnold had created, she thrust the Burning Sword deep.

There was a sensation of something piercing. She clearly heard a gurgle and the sound of air passing through. And the Great Khan did not scream. With his throat pierced, he couldn’t.Without letting go of the sword plunged into that body, Seo Yun remained suspended in the air for a moment.

Gaeulbi’s voice reached her.

“Did we… kill him?”

At that very moment, the Great Khan’s body vanished. Along with it, Seo Yun and Gaeulbi, who had been clinging to him, fell simultaneously.

Han Siwoo muttered, seemingly dumbfounded.

“What? Why did he disappear… Was it a clone?”

Seo Yun was also flustered but forced herself to speak calmly.

“No, I think a Return Spell activated. There are a few pieces of Equipment that activate automatically when your life is in critical danger, right? Something like that…”

“So we didn’t kill him? He’ll go back and get healed?”

Han Siwoo asked, his voice thick with frustration.

Gaeulbi shook her head.

“No… It’s fine.”

She probably didn’t need to say it. Siwoo would have realized it too.

Seo Yun felt a fullness seeping into her mind, the sensation of an immense Soul, shared among many yet still overwhelmingly large, permeating her head. A massive gain of Experience Points.

The Great Khan was dead. That was certain.

“Was it Pygma Mule? Or maybe, since we just stabbed his neck, he just…”

“He might have returned to a healing station only to find it already destroyed. Pygma Mule is probably sweeping through there by now.”

“Anyway, he’s dead…”

Seo Yun nodded and got to her feet. She had no time to savor the triumph of defeating a powerful foe or the pleasure from the Experience Points.

Focusing her Spirit, she poured strength back into the fires surrounding them, which had begun to wane. A scorching heat spread, and another fiery whirlwind sprang to life.

Meanwhile, from ahead came a thump, thump sound. It was the noise of Paladins descending from the Sun Ship.

Along with them, Player Warriors charged. As Battle Golems thundered across the ground in their assault, familiar voices raised a unified cry.

“Long live Happy Village—!”

The battle was over.

It was their victory. There had been quite a few casualties, but still far fewer than expected, making it a victory that could almost be called an overwhelming triumph.

“This is all thanks to the Angel. Personally…”

One person after another gathered around Seo Yun, praising the ‘Archangel who personally slew the Great Khan,’ but Seo Yun ignored them. It wasn’t an act of being cool; she was simply too busy Healing the wounded and Resurrecting the dead.

Priests from the Church of the Hearth also came to assist their Angel.

It wasn’t until night fell that all the work was finished.

“Have something to eat.”

A Priest offered a rice ball, and Seo Yun didn’t refuse. A few years ago, she would have declined, saying she wouldn’t waste such ‘luxurious food’ meaninglessly, but these days, there was no need for that.

Farming was going quite well lately. Considerable time had passed, so much of the ash that had blanketed the sky had fallen to the ground. Nowadays, sunlight filtered through the sky reasonably well. With a bit of Magic Spell to raise the temperature, it was even possible to grow rice.

Meanwhile, Seo Yun wasn’t the only one receiving praise.

Seo Yun spotted Mage Troll, who had returned to his original size. Fortunately, he hadn’t died, and people were gathered around him, chattering excitedly. It seemed his transformation and rampage earlier had left quite an impression.

“Despite his usual appearance, he’s normally such a quiet and dignified person, you know. I had no idea he could fight so ferociously. Thanks to him—”

“This Troll is truly a gracious person. He’s helped enable trade of goods from various regions for a long time, and when Skeletons invaded, he sent Golems everywhere to help.”

“Wow, he really is a gracious person.”

“An incredibly gracious person! He’s done so much. There are many lesser-known achievements among them. For example, he took care of and taught students.”

“He took care of and taught students?”

“Well, after the world ended up like this, there were students who went on a school trip and got stranded, unable to go anywhere, right? That’s when this Troll Sir appeared and protected both the teachers and the students, saving hundreds of lives.

And it wasn’t just about protecting them and feeding them—he made sure the teachers continued educating the students so they could keep learning. Later, he even gathered university professors to teach them more. The seeds of learning weren’t uprooted from this land…”

“Goodness, there’s no other benefactor like this, is there?”

People were continuing their praises for the Troll when they suddenly grew flustered.

After listening silently, the Troll abruptly stood up from his seat.

“Where are you going?”

At someone’s question, the Troll replied briefly.

“I have something to attend to.”

With that, the Troll vanished. He had used Teleportation.

“What’s going on?”

They were openly praising him, so why is he acting like this? Could it be that he couldn’t bear the embarrassment from the shower of compliments?

As people looked on in bewilderment, Seo Yun glanced at her Bracelet. The Bracelet was originally connected to its owner, the Troll, allowing her to sense his location.

“I’ll be back in a moment.”

Saying so, Seo Yun spread her wings and flew toward the place where she felt the Troll’s presence.

When Seo Yun found the Troll, he was sitting perched on the peak of a small mountain.

His expression was blank, hardly as if he were admiring the scenery. Seo Yun sat down behind him and asked,

“Why are you so downcast? It’s a joyous day.”

Without turning around, the Troll replied,

“It’s also a day when many people died.”

Seo Yun was about to say that still, far fewer had died than expected, but she stopped herself. It wasn’t that she was worried she might come off as Gaeulbi if she made such a remark that trivialized human lives.

The Troll muttered softly. It seemed like he was talking to himself so others wouldn’t hear, but to ears with 12 Health points, it was clear.

“Because of me.”

Seo Yun immediately rebuked him.

“Because of you? Thanks to you literally putting your body on the line to fight this time, far fewer people died.”

“Because of me?”

“Yes. Because of you, many people survived.”

“If you express it as people surviving because of me, that’s like a guy who caused a car accident, killing half of a family, boasting that he saved the other half. It’s like calling an ambulance for the surviving half and acting like their life-saving benefactor.”

It was understandable what he meant. It was a situation where people died fighting the Centaurs, monsters from the game. So, he who turned the world into this state was essentially the one who killed them.

“Are you still wallowing in self-blame like that?”

“Shouldn’t I be?”

“Don’t do it.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Try to smile a little. You know your disciples are all grown up now, working hard, right? I met a few of them, and they all said that only now, at this age, do they realize how grateful they are to you, Troll Sir. Back then, they mistreated you, saying you were ugly and antisocial, but now they say they feel terribly sorry.”

“Sorry, my foot. What I did for them was a measure that falls short of even calling it ‘taking responsibility for one’s actions.’ Who was it that killed the parents who should have protected them in the first place?”

“Still.”

“Moreover, I never revealed that I’m the root cause of all this. If I had disclosed that it was all my doing, I wouldn’t have been able to function as a high-Level Mage, and… I was afraid of being hated. But now, it seems being hated would have been better. Hearing praises doesn’t make me happy; instead, it turns my stomach, only fueling my guilt more.”

“I roughly understand how you feel, but cheer up a bit. I’ll say it again—don’t blame yourself too much.”

“Do I look like I won’t blame myself?”

The Troll raised his voice as if annoyed, then lowered his eyes as if feeling guilty.

Seo Yun said,

“I met Pygma Mule last time. I thought of you and asked him something. About Avatar Bodies.”

“Why that?”

“I asked about the relationship between the Avatar Body and the Mage’s original body. What the Avatar Body considers the original body to be. It happened that the Pygma Mule I met was an Avatar Body, and that guy said Avatar Bodies see the original body as someone they must eventually kill.”

“Because if the original body dies, its Soul is absorbed by the Avatar Body, allowing the Avatar Body to be reborn as the original. In the Immortal Kingdom novel, there was a plot where an Avatar Body tried to become the original by killing the Mage. So?”

“According to that great Archmage’s view, Mages and Avatar Bodies are strangers. By that logic, the Troll Mage who brought the world to this state and you, his Avatar Body, are different people, strangers. So…”

“The sins committed by that Troll Mage aren’t the sins of you, his Avatar Body?”

“Roughly, yes? Lately, you’ve been mingling a lot with people, and unlike the original body, you don’t even stutter when you speak. Doesn’t that make you completely different people?”

The Troll shook his head slightly.

“The Immortal Kingdom Spellbook also had this setting. Regardless of how the Avatar Body feels, since the Avatar Body and the Mage’s original body contain the same Soul, they are clearly the same person, even if they share different memories.”

“So, you believe the existence of the Soul guarantees the identity of the person?”

“Is there any need to believe? Souls really exist now, don’t they? Since Souls came into being according to the Rulebook, the identity of the Soul must also be interpreted according to the Rulebook.”

“Right. If you truly consider all of that as things you yourself committed… try thinking of it this way. Anyway, you did commit sins, but in return, you gave people something precious.”

“What?”

“When the game was overlaid onto the world, the existence of Souls also became certain, right? That’s something the Troll did. To put it differently…”

As the Troll stared blankly at her, Seo Yun continued.

“You gifted Souls to people. You gave them to people.”

“What kind of…”

“You didn’t just destroy everything; you gave something. Not just Souls, but Magic and many other things that didn’t exist before.”

The Troll looked at her with a dumbfounded expression, then narrowed his eyes.

“I don’t understand why you’re so desperate to defend me. Didn’t you say before that you wanted to beat up the guy who made the world like this?”

“I did.”

“You expressed more anger than anyone about the fact that people died meaninglessly because the world ended up like this.”

“I did. Actually, I’m still angry.”

“Then why?”

Seo Yun scratched her cheek and said.”Because today is a good day. Whether you’re a sinner or not, I wish we could rejoice together. Even if you keep saying ‘I’m a sinner, I don’t deserve forgiveness,’ no one will be happy, and we’ve suffered together to the point of death…”

But the troll didn’t seem convinced by those words. The troll didn’t offer any opinion or force a smile, but simply kept quiet with lips sealed.

So Seo Yun kept talking.

“I feel I must say it again—today really is a good day. We defeated those horse-headed monsters and finished off their Great Khan, so the Korean Peninsula will be peaceful for decades now. If things stay like this, only good things are left for the world. So please, be happy just for today.”

And then, a crimson radiance pierced her eyes. Seo Yun stood still for a moment, watching the dazzling light source rising above the horizon.

It was sunrise. The sun began to shine above the horizon.

It was proof that an immense amount of ash had truly fallen from the sky. The people down below seemed to have seen that scene too. Even from this peak, their cheers could be heard.

Seo Yun smiled.

“Look.”

Only then did the troll’s mouth open. He asked,

“Will that sun rise tomorrow too?”

“Why ask that? Of course it will. Why, do you think it won’t?”

“It might not rise.”

“Why not?”

“I suspect that sun god… might be showing off a special event for people to see. Finally defeating a long-time nemesis, so to console us, he shows a splendid scene. As a result of him using his power like this, tomorrow he might not be able to perform some miracle, and the sun might not rise…”

“You worry too much.”

“Anyway, will the sun rise tomorrow too?”

To the troll’s question, Seo Yun answered immediately.

“It will rise.”

“How do you know?”

“Because the sun always rose yesterday, and a year ago too. It was just hidden by the ash, that’s all. So that pompous sun god didn’t do anything.”

Though her eyes stung from the sunrise light, Seo Yun spoke without averting her gaze.

“It’s really all over. Master.”

At the title ‘Master,’ the troll’s eyes widened. It had probably been a very long time since he’d been called that.

“I…”

“What do they call it in TRPG? A session? A campaign? Anyway, the game certainly didn’t proceed smoothly. There were all sorts of troubles, and there were many times when the Master and players blamed each other, faces flushed, but somehow…”

Seo Yun continued.

“The game is over.”

The still-rising sun was half-hidden by the layer of ash, then surged higher, once again emitting a brilliant radiance. Because it was dazzling, Seo Yun closed her eyes, opened them, then smiled softly.

“Good work, Master. Thanks to you, I enjoyed it well. Now go home and rest properly.”

The End