Chapter 188: 188

Chapter 188

I had already passed this place with the lion statues many times on my way to the Gyeonghoeru field.

[Entering the Path of Harmony, where heat energy and cold energy converge in harmony past the King’s Road.]

From the very first moment, this place had always emphasized harmony. It wasn’t something I had ever consciously thought about, but my body was apparently cognizant of ‘harmony’, because the method to restore it sprang to mind.

I spoke to Senia, who was streaming in a half-transparent state.

“I broke this place’s harmony by taking the Millenium Lava.”

“…”

Senia didn’t respond. She was murmuring something under her breath, but I couldn’t understand the words. She was doing her job right now, and I would do mine.

“In that case, I need to re-establish harmony.”

I had the Millenium Lava. I was absorbing the heat ki exuded by the Millenium Lava and refining it into my own energy.

From the Fire Giant’s violent flames, to the Blackfire Bow’s black flames, Athenae’s clean flames, and now, the Millenium Lava’s blank-slate flames, all of these experiences built me up, teaching me how to turn those flames into mine.

“I’ve already absorbed as much heat ki as I physically can.”

“…”

Senia diligently streamed.

[The ‘Giant of the Sunset’ is watching you.]

So I gave a little lip-service.

“This is a terribly magnificent energy. Fire ki is an incredibly pure and beautiful energy that makes humans burn red-hot.”

[The ‘Giant of the Sunset’ is deeply touched by your words.]

[The ‘Giant of the Sunset’ has sent you a 300 Coin sponsorship.]

It was merely a pittance of Coins. But what I wanted wasn’t Coins or items from the Giant of the Sunset.

“Since I’ve broken the harmony of the Millenium Lava and Millenium Ice Water…”

“…”

I walked towards the lion statue that was spewing the incredibly cold Millenium Ice Water.

“This is my karmic retribution.”

“…”

“I will extract the cold energy of the Millenium Ice Water.”

Only then did Senia ask me a question.

“You were able to collect the Millenium Lava because you had the Fire Bowl. How do you intend on getting the Millenium Ice Water?”

“I have the Fire Bowl.”

“What do you mean?”

“I filled the Fire Bowl with Millenium Lava.”

“Yes. All the Guardians saw it as well.”

‘They must think there’s a chance I’ll die here.’

No one would spend real money on a game character that was about to be erased. That was probably how the Guardians felt right now. But on the other hand, if I were to clear this place without dying—

‘An even greater reward would follow.’

With that in mind, I said a few more things to make the situation clearer and better for Senia to film.

“The process of filling the Fire Bowl with Millenium Lava…”

I tapped my eyes.

“I saw it. The flow of the energy. The sequence of events. I watched it all, from start to finish.”

“…”

“Since I’ve seen it…”

My body began to shiver uncontrollably.

“I can do it.”

Millennium Ice Water flowed from the lion statue. My body felt frozen solid. The further I strayed from the ‘Path of Harmony’ and the closer I got to the Millenium Lava, the more pressing my fear of death became.

“Since I’m an Observer.”

[The ‘Nameless Observer’ happily observes.]

I knew what kind of ability my Observer’s Eye had.

-Action Duplication: Copy the actions of an observation target (currently cannot be used).

My observation target here was the Fire Bowl.

‘I can’t use the skill.’

But I could recreate its effects with effort, like I’d done time and time again. It was like that for another of my powers, ‘Future Sight’, and for my recently acquired ‘Eye of Investigation’. I was able to accomplish all of them with Eye of Perception’s ‘intuition’.

‘Though it’ll be clumsy and unrefined compared to a skill.’

Even so, I could pull it off with my perception and physical ability. The Nameless Observer wasn’t just observing, but observing ‘happily’. That meant I was Playing in the right direction.

“But you don’t have a vessel to store it,” said Senia.

“The vessel…”

I couldn’t get all the Millenium Ice Water. I would die trying. No, I would be frozen solid before I could even begin and meet my end along with this place. I didn’t have an inkling of desire to end my story that way.

“…is me.”

I reached for the cascading Millenium Ice Water.

* * *

Translator – Lei

Proofreader – Ash

* * *

To put it in terms of the result, I came really, truly close to death.

[Intermediate Administrator Senia has used a ‘Pause authority’.]

[Intermediate Administrator Senia has closed her channel.]

I was sprawled out in the ‘Path of Harmony’ right now, barely alive. The moment I accepted and absorbed the cold ki, I nearly blacked out.

“Player Kim Hyukjin. Are you insane?”

“I’m not insane.”

“You say that, but just now, you were almost frozen solid, consciousness and all.”

“But I didn’t freeze.”

“You were just lucky.”

“Do you really think that?”

“…”

My body was still stiff. I needed to thaw out a bit more.

“Luck is definitely a thing. But don’t you think whether one can bend that luck to their benefit or not is a part of their personal competence?”

“There must also be morons who die while testing that competence.”

“You remember when Vela was grabbed in the throat by that guy, right?”

“Of course I do.”

‘That guy’ referred to the Demon King. Back then, Vela used an interesting innate ability called ‘Last Thread of Consciousness’ to hang onto consciousness.

“That innate ability. I can imitate it.”

“Even though you nearly died trying.”

Something suddenly struck me as odd.

“But why are you mad?”

“Me?”

Senia’s wings fluttered. She got to her feet in a huff.

“I am an emotionless angel.”

“But you’re mad.”

“…”

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“Ah. Is it because you’ll no longer get to enjoy the big profits you have now if I die?”

“I’m not mad. Make no mistake.”

Anyone could tell she was mad. In any case, my body loosened up a bit. The heat of the Millenium Lava in the Fire Bowl rapidly thawed my body.

“Don’t worry. I don’t intend on dying, and I won’t die in the future, either.”

“If you die, I will seek 300x the penalty for contract violation.”

“How? I’ll be dead.”

“Repay me, even in death.”

“And how exactly should I do that if I’m dead? If I die, it’s over.”

“I will wring the money from you even if I have to chase you to the very ends of hell.”

Senia was acting a little odd today. Why did she choose to use a Pause and even close her channel at this particular moment? Was it a good moment for a cliffhanger?

“All’s well that ends well.”

“The process was reckless.”

“That recklessness should have made for even more dramatic footage.”

I used my body as a vessel to take in and neutralize the Millenium Ice Water’s energy, forcibly correcting the faltering balance of yin and yang. For the Guardians, it must have been an extremely dramatic and fun scene.

“Closing your channel like that… prevented you from getting proper sponsorships, didn’t it?”

“Is that important right now?”

“It is. Your success is my success. You have to do well for me to do well. At least when it comes to Playing, you and I are on the same boat, and we’ll be forging ahead together in the future as well. What are you saying right now, Senia?”

Why was she being such an amateur?

“Well, no use crying over spilled milk,” I said. “Reopen your channel in a little bit. And edit it to make it look like I made a dramatic recovery.”

“I really cannot understand you.”

“How so?”

“What drives you to such desperate lengths? Is that kind of footage and streaming important even in a situation like this?”

What was she going on about now? Well, it was true that I was desperate. Because I was determined to live. Because I had resolved to live and be really happy with my family. Because I wanted more than anything to forge my own future.

“Does anyone need a desperate reason to want to survive?”

“That’s not what I mea—”

“And if we’re splitting hairs, it wasn’t that desperate.”

“…”

“I believed it was sufficiently possible. That I could certainly overcome this trial with my strength.”

“…”

“Of course the footage and stream showing that is important. That’s the reason you and I are working together. Why we signed an exclusive contract. Why we’re operating in tandem.”

“Of course. It’s solely because of the exclusive contract. Naturally.”

And then, Senia suddenly went back to transparent mode, no notice, no nothing. Why did an angel whose emotion organ wasn’t just atrophied, but downright vestigial, seem enraged?

[The Pause has been dispelled.]

[Channel #19207 has opened.]

Senia’s channel was reactivated.

[The ‘Nameless Observer’ is satisfied by your observation.]

[The ‘Giant of the Sunset’ breathes a sigh of relief.]

[The ‘Whispering Devil’ is regretful.]

Because of Senia’s mistake, I missed out on my chance for sponsorships, too. It was a shame—it would have been nice if she would have directed and shown the scene properly.

‘That bus has already left the stop.’

I fixed the Path of Harmony. Now, I had to leave the Gwanghwamun Dungeon. Like I was originally planning, I could leave if I cleared the Gyeonghoeru field.

[You have pioneered the Path of Harmony, where heat energy and cold energy converge in harmony past the King’s Road.]

Oh? The notice was different. The original notice had ‘entering’, not ‘pioneered’.

[Entering the Path of Harmony, where heat energy and cold energy converge in harmony past the King’s Road.]

But now, it was ‘pioneered’. Pioneer. The word was familiar to me—I had a title called ‘Pioneer of Victory’.

[Determining whether you have an ability related to pioneering.]

[The ‘Pioneer of Victory’ title has been confirmed.]

And then,

[A hidden title effect of ‘Pioneer of Victory’ has been triggered.]

[Pioneer of Victory]

A glorious title given to one who pioneered a new domain and seized the first victory in a new domain.

All party members +20% EXP

Stacks with other titles.

Stacks with other effects (buffs/debuffs).

Amplifies all title effects when in a field pioneered by the Pioneer of Victory.

[Entering the ‘Purified Gyeonghoeru’.]

[The ‘Purified Gyeonghoeru’ is a field pioneered by the Pioneer of Victory.]

[Pioneer of Victory’s (4) effect applies.]

I entered the Gyeonghoeru, but it wasn’t the same field I knew.

‘Purified Gyeonghoeru?’

It was clean. It felt as if the massive Korean-style pavilion was floating atop a clear lake. The building was in immaculate condition, and an elegant grace settled over the field. That was how my Observer’s Eye interpreted it.

‘I don’t see the Polluted Lifeforms.’

Then how was I supposed to clear this place?

‘The lake is incredibly clear and clean.’

The water that should’vebe swimming with Carnivore Mermaids was so clear I could see the bottom. Its clarity gave the impression that it wasn’t very deep. Scattered lotuses floated placidly on the surface.

The clear, limpid lake. The beautiful lotus clusters atop the clear water. And the Gyeonghoeru towering proudly above it all.

As I stood there taking it all in, I felt it.

‘It’s dizzying.’

The water was particularly dizzying. It was incredibly deep. So deep that it was unfathomable, that my eyes right now could not even begin to guess its depths.

‘Treasures.’

In those deep depths, I saw treasures. They were sparkling, as if to call me in.

‘And countless artifacts.’

They were all submerged in the water. It felt like I could just jump right in and fish them up.

‘No.’

No. I could tell.

‘That water is no ordinary water.’

Scientifically speaking, you might be able to call it water. I knew what it was.

‘Snow Leaden Water.’

Water that was as pure and crystal clear as snow, but as heavy as lead, far heavier than regular water.

‘Water so heavy a human can’t escape it with their own might.’

It looked like clear water, but jumping into it would be like jumping into a sludgy swamp. Monster hunting wasn’t the clear condition for this place.

‘I see… the sailboat.’

Far in the distance, a sailboat was coming over the horizon towards me. There was definitely something on that sailboat, a fixture I had paid little attention to when clearing the Gyeonghoeru field before. I had seen it many times over the course of my many Gyeonghoeru clears, but there hadn’t been anything special about it.

Now, it was making an appearance. Even without any wind, the sailboat surged towards the pavilion at a fairly quick clip.

‘The answer is inside.’

The sailboat came close, and I heard a notice.

[The ‘Purified Gyeonghoeru Scenario’ is beginning.]

____

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