Chapter 40. The World After Death, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
Taang! With a clean shot, a middle-aged man grabbed his chest and backed away. The man’s back steps were immediately blocked by a gray wall, and the man fell back against the wall and began to slip to the floor.
Flop! Blood began to gurgle out of the chest of the man that had fallen on the floor. No matter how much he tried to force himself to stop it with his own hands, he could not stop the blood that had burst out.
The man realized then, “… Now I see how it feels to see red HP decrease in a game.”
At the words of the middle-aged man, the man who had aimed his gun at him, put the gun down on the floor.
The murderer and the victim.
It had now become such a relationship, but there has been no vicious atmosphere between the two.
On the contrary, the man who was shot had a bitter smile on his face, and the gunman was shivering. It was not a tremor of anger. It was a tremor caused by an overwhelming feeling, such as regret and confusion. The trembling young man seemed to be out of his mind.
So, it was the man who was shot that said first. “You shouldn’t have done it, if you shoot and regret it.”
“But, but…”
“I’m not hit on my heart, so I can talk to you a while, so why did you kill me, who was forty years old and could not even get married?”
“I, I heard. We… we ruined the world like this.”
“I’ve heard that because of the Mac Guild, the world has become like this and monsters have come to dominate the world, and that if it had not been for the Six Snakes, mankind would have been destroyed?”
The man who was spitting out the words, Jang Sung-hoon, breathed a long sigh at the words.
A long sighing cough was accompanied by red blood. Jang’s vision also turned blurry, as if the lights were out before the movie started in the movie theater.
“… Boss has been dead for over fifteen years. Jun-hyuk, you’ve never seen him before?”
“The first hunter…”
“He was the first and strongest hunter, and he was the one who created the Hunter system and the guild system, and he was the first person who had killed a dragon.”
“But he… the Mayan Calendar—”
“He destroyed the Mayan Calendar, and he lost the chance to turn all this around, to stop the monsters from appearing?”
“Surely, surely I heard that.”
Jang smiled lightly at the young man’s objection. “It’s a lie, but… I’m telling you clearly. If the Mayan Calendar was destroyed or not, if the boss was alive… At this moment we could have been hunters hunting monsters, not saving lives from monsters.”
The young man shook his head in disbelief. “That’s, that’s ridiculous! Then, why did he die?”
“Look… He fought against the Emperor of the Orcs.”
“The Emperor of the Orcs was definitely killed by a nuclear weapon-”
“We fired nuclear weapons, but the Emperor of the Orcs survived. It became a radioactive monster in the world, trying to cover the world with radiation. It was a funny nightmare. Who knew that mankind was going to pay for radiation that way.” Jang, who was spitting out his words, coughed again. Blood was pouring out, but it was not severe. He secretly guessed his body condition.
“… I could talk more, but anyway, someone had to kill it, and the boss went out.”
“So he died of radiation?”
“No, the boss was already dying at that time.” Jang, who was spitting out his words, sighed again. “It was a price because he had eaten so much, a very strong force, and the boss was willing to fight because he was dying.”
“Yes?”
“So someone would see the world after his death, and he thought it would be an opportunity.”
“What? What…”
“Haha! Khuck!” Jang, who was spitting his words, threw up more blood. The amount of blood that he was spitting out was enormous, as if the composure that came after the cough was the calm before the storm.
“Now the real death is before me.” So, he was able to feel that his death was coming.
“I think this is the right time.” The time has come to spit out the last words. “The Manpasikjeok can only calm down the Curse of the Dragon, but the boss will continue to decline. So to survive, he has to eat the immortal Wolf Chernobog in Russia. The only answer is to get the power of immortality. Bogatri’s Great Sword will make it possible.”
“What, what?”
Jang smiled at the surprised man, and said, “This is my message to send to myself.”
5.
– I finish my report. Oh, shit. What a funny! I did not get married even when I was forty years old. I was the same as a eunuch. Wait, wait! Take the words out! Delete the words! Damn it, how do I delete this?-
In front of the voice of the Okjo, which was constantly talking, Kim Tae-hoon started to drip coffee down once again into an empty coffee cup. The room, which was already full with coffee odors, began to fill with the heavy aroma of coffee once again.
He did not have to drink coffee, just with the coffee fragrance alone.
However, he had coffee again, as if that was not enough after he had already had a lot of coffee. In that state, he closed his eyes.
‘If I say this is the afterlife, it is the afterlife.’
He drew a picture of the world after his death in his mind.
‘The monsters are still everywhere.’
After Kim died, it was the Six Snakes that brought order after such monsters, and the world was still overflowing with monsters. The world was dominated by the Six Snakes, and the Mac Guild was the only resistance to those Six Snakes, and I became… the worst villain on the Earth, who had led the world to its end.
In the situation where they set the new order, the Six Snakes began to erase the history of the Mac Guild, and to paint over the colors where they had been erased.
‘After all, Jang Sung-hoon, who led the Mac Guild to the end, was shot by a subordinate who had fallen to the temptation of the Six Snakes.’
The peak was Jang’s death. His closest aide was tempted the Six Snakes, and a single shot became his end. Just before his death, he left a clue about how Kim Tae-hoon could survive.
‘Chernobog and Bogatri’s Great Sword, I think we need to investigate.’
When Kim finished thinking, he opened his eyes. There was no nervousness or shaking in his eyes.
‘Not bad.’
If he said that there was no agitation, it would be a lie. But the situation was not complicated enough to shake him long. The situation was rather simple.
‘Nothing is complicated.’
There was no need to doubt someone new, and what to do right now was also clear. Furthermore, the distinction of the enemy was clear, and the clues were overflowing.
‘There was no loss at all.’
Most of all, the most faithful thing was that Jang Sung-hoon followed Kim Tae-hoon until the very end.
‘I think I’ve earned more than ever.’
‘The fact that there is a man who will work hard for me in the world after my death, means that I have already acquired thousands of troops and horses. Why should there be anguish and distress in such a situation?’
‘Thanks to this, I don’t need to change my plans now.’
Kim smiled lightly and rose up from his seat after the last coffee.
When Kim moved on, left his room, and entered the new room, all the people in the room got up and started saluting.
Kim asked them, “What’s the answer to the declaration of war?”
“None yet.”
“Did the other party confirm the declaration of war?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then send it again.”
“Yes.”
A declaration of war. It was a letter of war, literally, and the contents of it were equally simple.
“And on October 31, as scheduled, we attack Tokyo.” On October 31, 2017, Korea would launch a national offensive against Tokyo, Japan. It was a basic courtesy that the nations had to fight a war. It was also the last courtesy to be used.
“Everyone in Tokyo is an enemy unless Japan surrenders unconditionally.”
‘There is no more courtesy after this. There is only inhumane and more irrational violence than anywhere else.’
But there was no new resolution to that.
“We will keep in mind.”
It was Japan that had pointed the gun at Korea and pulled the trigger first. If their opponent ignored the declaration of war in a situation with justification and courtesy, then they believed they didn’t need to respond. All they needed would be anger.
“Then deliver it to everyone.” At the words, the people in the room moved briskly.
Someone rushed into the room. “Master, this is their reply.”
Kim read the letter in a loud voice that his subordinate had handed him immediately.
“They want a summit match.”
“Yes?” The men reacted in surprise.
Kim explained at the surprise response. “It’s not a notice of a war between nations, but a duel notice that says Musashi and I will bring an end to this with our bare hands.”
“Fighting unarmed?”
“No way!”
There was a violent reaction. It was a natural response to this funny situation, where they had sent a declaration of war and been answered with a duel, they even suggested unarmed combat? It would be better to put a head full of blood in the hungry tiger’s mouth.
However, instead of answering the reaction of his men, Kim took out the letter he had already written in his pocket and handed it to his subordinate. Then he said to his man, who looked puzzled.
“It’s a reply, send it.”
6.
There was a letter in the hand of Matsumoto Kanyo. It was a declaration of war from Korea: Korea would attack Tokyo on October 31, and that the only way to avoid war was the unconditional surrender of Japan.
It was plain in many ways, and the use of the words and sentences in Japanese was also flawless. Even a young child could understand the contents of this declaration of war.
‘It’s the worst.’ It was the worst, since Matsumoto Kanyo could easily predict what Musashi would answer when he saw the contents of this letter.
“Captain Matsumoto, the Lord calls for you.”
And now it was time to check on his predictions. Matsumoto gave a long sigh as he realized, ‘It was not the heavens that saved the lord. He, the monster of Joseon, deliberately saved the lord.’
He really recognized what the worst thing was.
“It’s a war.”
Musashi was fine. There was no sign that he nearly died a few days ago. The secret was the bottles with the long snouts beside him. They were filled with Waters of Therapy to the brim.
The first secret was to drink the healing water made by the power of the relics, and the second secret was to fill up the powerful recovery items obtained by killing the monsters. The last secret was the anger he had now.
“I saw the letter. Kim Tae-hoon declared war on us. There will be no surrender.”
Musashi, who had everything away by Kim Tae-hoon, could no longer afford to see anything else. Now there was only a life to kill Kim Tae-hoon. That was why Musashi was more energetic than ever.
‘As the racehorse runs toward the finish line, it is the fastest and most energetic.’
Of course, Matsumoto Kanyo had no power to stop such a Musashi. And there was no reason to stop it. “Lord, suggest a duel, not a war.” He just turned the direction.
“Duel?”
“This is war, but the times have changed. We don’t have to use bullets. I think it’s right to end with a summit match.”
“Do you want me to fight him alone?”
“Yes.”
“Why should I?” Musashi’s expression was cold.
“Because I have no doubt of your victory.” Matsumoto Kanyo answered him calmly, and the answer relaxed the hard expression of Musashi.
“Yes, it is you who understands my heart and will, and you are right.”
“However, what’s bothering me is that the Kusanagi is in his hands…”
“It doesn’t matter, because the Kusanagi is like a double-edged sword. The moment he lifts the Kusanagi, it will be the moment he dies, and he won’t use the Kusanagi against me, either.”
“But just in case, you have to ask for a duel of empty hands.”
“Is it because I lost the Kusanagi?”
“It’s a fight that will decide the fate of a country, and it’s not good to have something to argue about.”
“What if he avoids the duel?”
“No one is afraid of a dog with its tail down. By the way, no matter how much they prepare for it, it is not enough against Tokyo. In Tokyo is our entire power. He may have provoked this with that in mind, and he is thinking of a duel, not a war.”
“Kim Tae-hoon, does he have the confidence to win against me?”
“It seems that he has the capacity and ability.”
“Of course, you’re right,” Musashi nodded and gave him a quick glance. Matsumoto Kanyo nodded in his eyes.
“Then I’ll prepare a duel notice.”
“Show me when you’re done. I’ll sign it myself.”
“Yes.”
Matsumoto Khan, who came out like that, immediately painted a picture in his mind.
‘If he accepts the duel, we will use the lord as bait and put in all our power and take Kim Tae-hoon down.’
Matsumoto Kanyo had no intention of having a legitimate duel.
‘If it makes the lord angry, that’s all.’
Rather, he was trying to kill Kim Tae-hoon by putting all the power into the fight using the opportunity of the duel. He didn’t mind if it became a disgrace and shame in the history books.
‘History is written by the winner, anyway. When Kim Tae-hoon dies, Korea loses all the cards it has.’
As Matsumoto Kanyo thought, history would be written around the victorious. ‘If we win, the shame of the day will remain a very clever and great tactic, an operation and deception, not a disgrace.’
So, at this moment, Matsumoto Kanyo had to worry about only one thing: to assess Kim Tae-hoon, who would be caught in the trap.
‘It is important to measure his strength. We have to think that Kim is as strong as the Eight-tailed Fox.’
At this moment, Matsumoto Kanyo began to worry about Kim Tae-hoon being at the same grade as the Eight-tailed Fox.
A reply came in while Matsumoto Kanyo was worried about it.
[Acceptance of the Duel; the place is the Asagiri Jamboree Golf Club, east of Mt. Fuji]
