From Today, I'm a Player

Chapter 195: Emotion Pt. 5

"No!" Ungnyeo’s cry reached Lee Jun-Kyeong’s ear.

Grit.

Lee Jun-Kyeong bit his lip.

He knew it would be like this. That was why he had hurried so much when he had realized that Sangun wasn’t going to come back to his senses.

–Master… There is no way for Sangun, who has already completed the transformation into a Ruler, to come back…

When Hel had told him that there would be no way for Sangun to return to how he was after searching Elfame’s soul.

I tried to take care of it, but…’

However, there was no way things would have been that easy. Having a glimmer of hope and sympathy for Sangun had made things even worse and caused the worst of scenarios. But he had to try.

‘I didn’t want to make you go through this again.’

He had made Ungnyeo see Sangun die twice. Flames continued to fall as Lee Jun-Kyeong himself had become a spear of flame, plummeting down the sky.

Swoosh!

There was no way for him to stop any longer.

“ROAR!!”

Sangun looked up at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was unable to stop his descent while tears cascaded down his cheeks. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked down as he fell.

‘...’

Suddenly, a thought flickered across his mind. A smile appeared on Sangun’s face. It was a smile filled with hope that it would all finally end and gratitude. At last, the falling spear and Sangun met.

BOOM!!!

With a horrifying sound, Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had become a spear of flame, pierced through the body of the tiger that was as huge as a mountain.

Crack! HISS!!

The sound of something rupturing and flesh incinerating burst out, accompanied by the horrifying sound of bones breaking. As Lee Jun-Kyeong fell through the center of the beast, he could even hear the sound of Sangun’s massive heart beating.

Clench.

It felt like an eternity had passed as he fell through the beast, but in reality, not long after he had pierced through Sangun, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn’t able to hear anything else.

“...”

Not even the sound of Sangun’s heartbeat continued.

Squelch!

Finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong had completely penetrated the huge Ruler of the Mountain. The raindrops poured down from the heavens as they landed on Lee Jun-Kyeong before evaporating.

Hiss…

Having exited Sangun’s body, Lee Jun-Kyeong turned around and looked over at the woman who was running toward them, his entire body soaked in blood.

“...”

With a despondent expression, he could see her looking toward him and Sangun.

Step.

Her steps were unsteady as she slowed down while walking forward. At that moment, Sangun had finally stopped moving. The sound of his breathing had shaken the ground like an earthquake and his roars were coming to an end.

Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself wistfully. ‘You should have said thank you like you did last time, at least.’

He thought back to the past with a bitter smile. Would it really have been better if Sangun had said thank you to him for putting an end to his suffering? At least, maybe a little bit.

‘It may have at least made me feel less guilty.’

Whatever the reason had been, he had still killed his own companion with his own hands. Moreover, this had been a companion that they had gathered around. Even though Sangun had killed their other companions, Lee Jun-Kyeong had still arrogantly said that he would find a way to save the tiger.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to do anything.

Grit.

Lee Jun-Kyeong bit his lip again.

Drip. Drip.

Something flowed down his lips, and it was impossible to determine if it was Sangun’s blood that drenched his entire body or the blood from his bitten lip. At that time, she had finally reached them.

Step.

Her hand began to move and Lee Jun-Kyeong closed his eyes, accepting what was to come. As the one who had been the one to survive at the end of the battle–no, as the one who had killed Sangun, this was something that he had to endure.

“Th…thank you…”

Ungnyeo, whom he had expected to slap him across the cheek, instead hugged Lee Jun-Kyeong tightly as she expressed her gratitude.

“I know…and Sangun must have wanted this, too…”

Although she had been locked up with Odin, she was no fool. Even with the chaotically unfolding situation, there was much that could have easily been predicted.

Drip.

Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel something running down his face again. But this time, it wasn’t blood. No, it was something similar to rain.

“...”

Ungnyeo slowly let go of Lee Jun-Kyeong. Although her expression was one of struggling to hold back her tears, her face was already covered in the pouring rain.

Step.

She soundlessly walked past Lee Jun-Kyeong, approaching the resting place of the divine beast. Completely unable to even think about turning around, Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly opened his eyes.

Rustle.

There was a slight rustling and a limping sound, and before his eyes was a child.

“...”

Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled bitterly without realizing it. Although Sangun had died, he couldn’t help but smile when he saw the boy. That was because as much as Sangun was precious to Ungnyeo, the boy before him was a precious existence to him.

“Fenrir…”

Grit.

Lee Jun-Kyeong bit his lip again at the thoughts that came to his mind. He had killed Sangun with his own hands.

‘Yet Ungnyeo had protected Fenrir.’

The irrefutable feeling of guilt from that contrast completely overwhelmed Lee Jun-Kyeong’s existence. He wanted to run toward Odin immediately, running away from what was before him, but he couldn’t.

Rustle.

Fenrir slowly approached Lee Jun-Kyeong, his body absolutely covered in blood. Even at a glance, it was easy to notice some unusual chains that were wrapped around Fenrir’s body. Lee Jun-Kyeong approached the boy, who seemed to have difficulty even walking.

“Jun-Kyeong…”

“I’m sorry. For being so late.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong cradled Fenrir in his arms, who immediately collapsed in his embrace. He looked down at Fenrir with warm eyes.

“No, you came in time… Jun-Kyeong…” Fenrir said, giving him a small smile as if to reassure him.

“…!”

Then, the boy suddenly got back on his own two feet.

Lee Jun-Kyeong could immediately tell just by holding him for a moment that Fenrir’s condition wasn’t normal. There wasn’t a single part of his body left uninjured, and the traces of torture were evident. It was a wonder that the boy could even breathe, let alone walk.

“Ungnyeo…she saved…me…”

Lee Jun-Kyeong momentarily thought about laughing because Fenrir's pronunciation was getting increasingly clearer. Fenrir walked forward with an even more trustworthy expression,

“So, I’ll save her this time…”

“Sob…sob…”

A wailing voice of despair came from the side of the massive corpse of Sangun with every sob driving through Lee Jun-Kyeong’s heart like cold steel.

“Ungnyeo…” Fenrir said, approaching her and hugging her.

Ungnyeo didn't even pay attention to Fenrir, only sobbing.

“Do you trust me…?” he said.

Only at Fenrir's sudden words did Ungnyeo look over at him.

“Do you trust me…?” he repeated once again.

It was only then that Ungyneo came to her senses and answered him, “I trust you.”

“Then…step…back…”

“Huh…?”

“This…might be a little strange…but do you still trust me…?”

Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn’t figure out what the chains wrapped around Fenrir’s body were, or how they had gotten him out of there in the first place. Still, he realized that it was more important to be focused on the situation right now rather than trying to figure out what they were.

Ungnyeo took a step back while wiping her tears. “Yes. Okay, I’ll step back.

Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel a bond between her and Fenrir. Then, Fenrir spoke to him as well.

“Jun-Kyeong…”

He made an unspoken request.

“Okay.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong resolved that he would do whatever Fenrir asked. His Familiar must have suffered so much for all this time, and he was also the one who might be able to save him from this mire of guilt.

Furthermore, Fenrir had always been faithful to him. If it was his request, Lee Jun-Kyeong would do anything.

After hearing Lee Jun-Kyeong’s positive answer, Fenrir slowly turned his head and looked over at the massive Sangun, lying on the ground like a mountain. Then, he opened his mouth with a grotesque sound.

Crack!!

In his place was a boy that wasn’t quite a boy anymore with white fur…

No, a blood-stained wolf opened its mouth.

–Avert your eyes, Ungnyeo.

At the same time as he sent a voice into her head, Fenrir stuck out with his massive teeth.

Crack!!

***

“You brought a lot of vermin,” Odin said, his cold voice cutting through the rain.

Although Odin was the one covered in blood and spitting out words venomously as if he was cursing, the situation on the side of Zeus and Olympus wasn’t much better.

“...”

Zeus hadn’t only brought Athena to Korea. He had brought the other Heroes as well, the Pillars of Olympus.

“How are all of you holding up?” Zeus asked.

Even Heroes such as Poseidon and Hades had been incapacitated by Odin’s attack. To be frank, it was only because they were at the level of being Pillars of Olympus that they had only been injured and were able to escape death. All of them had been forced to fall back and drop out of the battle.

However, Zeus still laughed. “Why do you talk so much for a dying old man?”

Although his allies had been wounded, none of them had died. On the other hand, at this very moment, he was about to catch Odin, who was an enemy who had a long and storied history with him that was stained with hatred.

Zzzt.

The bolt in Zeus’ hand started to flicker, the turbulent mana and current bouncing through the raindrops surrounding them, connecting them into a web of electricity. Suddenly, a light so bright it was nearly impossible to open one’s eyes occupied the sky.

“Stay away, Athena.”

Although he was always playful, in the rare moments Zeus was serious, his orders were one that had to be followed unconditionally.

“Understood.”

This was because only by following them would one be able to survive.

Zeus became even more serious as he and the bloodied Odin faced each other.

“I guess you didn’t receive any strength from that bastard you call that being?” Zeus asked Odin as he scowled.

“A fool who knows nothing,” Odin spat in return.

“Your ignorance will ruin everything.”

“Ignorance you say…”

Zeus’ current of lightning was still circulating around them. Odin tried to prepare for Zeus’ next move, but he knew if he even lifted a finger, he would become incinerated whole by the web of lightning.

Zzt!!

“I will see it through to the end, you fools.”

Odin smiled even while in the midst of danger, light streaming out from under his eyepatch.

“You vermin who don’t have a single care in the world about truth or the reality of the world. Even if you survive and live in this world, only destruction awaits you at the end.”

Odin continued to spew out words like curses and clenched one hand.

Grit.

Odin was never someone who could be even thought of to be inferior to Zeus. No matter how much Zeus pushed the Hunter, Odin was someone whom Zeus would always have to be on edge around.

“...!”

Gungnr appeared in Odin’s hand. However, Zeus’ preparation had been more thorough. Having clashed with that being, he had learned that Odin belonged to that being’s faction. Thus, he had known he would have to do more than he had originally expected.

“So, I tried my best.”

CRACKLE!

The current of electricity bounced more and more from droplet to droplet, beginning to burn hotly, as if it would swallow everything. In the sky, thunder and lightning clashed and roared, gathering in the hands of Zeus.

BOOM!

It was a massive amount of force. It was so vast and powerful that it seemed able to pierce through any mountain and evaporate even the oceans, causing the very world to tremble.

Gungnir and Thunderbolt.

The two masters of Authorities glared at each other, no emotion lost between the two. There was only an intent to kill. Finally, the two Authorities began to fly toward each other.

CRACK! BOOM!

A green spear and blue lighting shot forward.

“...!”

“...!”

ROAR!

And, a spear of red flame appeared. It had intervened between the colliding Thunderbolt and Gungnir. However, it was already too late for either Zeus or Odin to take their blows back.

BOOOOM!

Something that seemed like the big bang, a primordial explosion that had brought about the existence of the universe, engulfed the province of Gyeonggi-Do, and a huge white light overtook the land.

After a while, two voices rang out simultaneously in disbelief.

"How…”

"How…!”

At the center of the explosion stood Lee Jun-Kyeong, completely unharmed.

“...”