Chapter 68: The Unyielding Resolve

-Second-Generation Awakened Ones

The life of Shin Sunggwak, a second-generation awakened one, was nothing short of tumultuous.

“Ten years ago, no one could have imagined the world would become what it is today.”

The gates, mysterious threats, and the monsters they unleashed.
To combat them, awakened ones were dispatched beyond the gates.

Humanity had to give its all to survive, but in the process, the rights of these awakened beings, mere weapons in the eyes of the world, were trampled without mercy.

We will no longer bow to the unjust pressures of the government! I, Park Ji-o, will create a world where awakened ones can live with dignity!

Please, sir, just this once… We’re soldiers too. We’re only following orders from the state. Please, I beg you… Guh!

Thank you, Sunggwak.

Thanks to you holding the front, we managed to send in the special forces and force the ruling party leader into unconditional surrender. You did what needed to be done.

Every night, Shin Sunggwak would recall those memories, as if to reassure himself he had done no wrong.

“So many died. And so many were killed.”

The revolution for the rights of awakened ones, led by revolutionary Park Ji-o, who became the second president of the Awakened Association, clashed fiercely with the political forces intent on suppressing them through military might.

Only after countless soldiers and awakened ones perished in the bloody struggle did they bear the fruit of their sacrifices.

“With the blood of the fallen, the Association seized power. The guilds gained recognition for their efforts, receiving administrative zones and flourishing greatly.”

Under the banner of revolution, the Myeongho Guild deployed all its forces: three A-class awakened ones and twenty B-class awakened ones.

The prolonged civil war finally ended with the ruling party leader and veteran lawmakers surrendering, compounded by the military’s repeated failures to counter monster attacks.

Public sentiment shifted decisively in favor of the awakened ones.

“It’s been a peaceful ten years.”

The awakened ones, through the Association, established their own information network and administrative system, specialized personnel for gate deployments, and laws and regulations to protect themselves from rampant crime and death. As a result, gate closure rates and overall performance soared.

With the stability restored from monster threats, the national economy and societal development also began recovering, paving the way for modern-day Korea in 2050.

“Of course, such a peaceful era also brought dark secrets to light.”

Shin Sunggwak filled a glass with single malt whiskey, its faint fruity aroma blending with the sound of ice clinking in the glass.

He motioned toward the sofa across from him, inviting the attentive intruder in the shadows to sit.

“Come, have a seat. You’ll need it to see what’s coming.”

If they were afraid, they could turn around and leave.

But before the words even needed to be said, the sound of quiet footsteps echoed as the intruder made their way to the sofa.

In the dimly lit room, the bluish light radiating from the whiskey bottle atop the stand cast an eerie glow.

Only after sitting opposite Shin Sunggwak did the mysterious figure see his face clearly.

“Mana sickness,” Shin Sunggwak said, his voice calm yet laden with meaning.

“It’s the reason strong awakened ones, one after another, have retired and become old relics of the past.”

His cracked skin, resembling a parched, cracked field, and the rigid, metallic texture of his hand gripping the glass, gave him the appearance of someone afflicted by a rare, severe disease.

“This is the fate of hardened-type awakened ones whose abilities make their bodies more durable. The mana we once thought could help us conquer the world now binds our very lives. We call this the endpoint.”

“To recover from the endpoint, there’s only one solution: to level up.”

“But as your level rises, the experience required increases exponentially.”

“…”

“And to gain experience, you must use mana. But when an awakened one who has reached the endpoint uses mana, their sickness worsens, and their remaining lifespan shortens. It’s an endless cycle of decay.”

For the first time, Shin Sunggwak’s face was shadowed by profound regret.

“This power should’ve been reserved solely for fighting monsters. Instead, we squandered precious time battling our own kind, time we should have spent climbing higher.”

“…”

“And you? How much time have you wasted in that body of yours? Can you even estimate how much time remains before the endpoint catches up with you?”

“…”

“You’re tight-lipped, aren’t you? Even after hearing the story of a veteran in the field, you say nothing. Are you really planning to fight me to the end?”

Shin Sunggwak realized it then.

Just as his younger self had stood firm for the righteousness of the Association, refusing to bend to external pressure or compromise…

This nighttime visitor, too, had no intention of turning back.

“If a fight is truly unavoidable, then I suppose I’ll have to oblige.”

He exhaled deeply, as though releasing all the air from his lungs in one long sigh.

A massive wall of mana surged toward Hae Eung Eung like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf her completely.

BOOM!

The floorboards splintered and the ceiling cracked apart. Tables and chairs were flung violently as if they were mere toys.

The wall pressed forward, intent on crushing her under its immense weight.

But Hae Eung Eung’s blade shimmered with a razor-sharp aura.

With three diagonal slashes, precise and swift, she severed the mortar-like connections between the bricks of mana.

Crash!

A triangular hole appeared in the towering wall of malevolent energy.

The severed center, where the flow of mana had been disrupted, crumbled like sand under her charge.

‘It’s a clever technique, I’ll give him that,’ she thought coolly. ‘But it lacks the density and endurance of internal energy. Once the connections are severed, it collapses all too easily.’

Her sharp eyes, keenly observing every movement, spotted Shin Sunggwak through the crumbling remains of the wall.

“Impressive,” he said, his tone even. “For someone so young, breaking through my wall even once is an accomplishment worth praise.”

“…”

“Of course,” he continued, a faint smirk forming on his lips, “I can always create more walls whenever I wish. Still, managing to break one is no small feat.”

Even before the dust had settled, another wall began to form.

This time, it was larger, thicker, and far more ominous.

Hae Eung Eung steadied her grip, ready for the fight ahead.

The tension in the air thickened, the dimly lit room now a battlefield where neither combatant would yield.