Chapter 9: Ch 9

The world always goes through changes, however one thing that doesn’t change is the balance of the world.

As there are ugly and beautiful, poor and rich, dumb and smart; there will always be a balance between those two. The world is filled with equilibrium and nothing can change that.

It is unfair. Unfair to be born differently. Unfair to meet those expectations. Unfair to be judged like a book’s cover. It is unfair. That’s the natural balance of the world.

***

Seong joined in the massacre, already deciding on what he’ll do. 

He hardened his eyes while flicking his knife. There was one training method that was done over and over again as if to hypnotize him.

Shooting cutouts of people to get them used to killing, in this case he had a knife instead of a gun. Either way, he was conditioned to kill.

Seong continued to push and stab his way through, slowly crumbling the walls of people until he got in the middle of the chaos. The most bullied and the victim-turned maniac, was in the center. 

He took notice of Seong quickly, beckoning for a one on one with him.

“Hyung, it’s been a while since we last sparred, right?~”

“It has.”

“Then can I ask for a for the last time?~”

They scoffed as Seong got into position, they bowed as a sign of courtesy,”Take care of me, hyung.”

—Clashhh!!!

The soldier promptly dealt with the heavy blow as Seong projected his attacks swiftly. But then Seong caught a knife coming from behind him.

Someone made a surprise attack, however, it gave him more of an advantage. He snatched the knife from the person as he kicked them away, at the same time, the soldier came from behind.

“Kuek!”

Seong had just briefly dodged a lethal attack, but it still left a gash near his neck. The soldier picked up a fallen knife on the ground, both he and Seong were better as duel-wielders.

They rushed at each other, exchanging blows and clashing against each other.

—Slash! Swoosh! Shhiikkk!!!

They battled tirelessly with trembling hands as they were out of breath, they aimed at each other’s throats but they blocked it with their knives.

“Ughh, just die already!!!”

The soldier went into a craze, pushing Seong away and desperately thrusted his knife at him, he choked on air as tears of frustration welled up in his eyes.

“Don’t cry, you’ll only lose focus.”

“Shut up!”

The soldier’s attacks became visibly more erratic and pathetic rather than precise. His manic screams blared Seong’s ears as Seong accurately parried all the attacks.

“You experienced it too, but I had it worse! If you were me, would you want to continue to live like that?!”

Seong stayed quiet as he attempted to apprehend him, but he missed the timing.

“Do you want to be told how much little meaning you hold?! Do you want to be beaten for every little mistake?!”

—Slash!

“Do you think everything would turn back to normal if we finished our terms?! Do you think I can live normally?.. Happily even?!”

—Shhhikkk!!!

“Nothing will change..!”

—Clashhh!!

“So all I can do is kill them… Make them pay to what they’ve done to me.”

—Shhhk!

“Permanently…”

The soldier’s movement slowed, Seong seized the moment to strike his hands.

—Slash!

The soldier yelped as he snapped out of his delusion, he looked at the incision made from his palm almost reaching his forearm. His blurry eyes were clear once he clenched his bloody fist.

Facing Seong with one knife this time, he looked at him dead in the eyes.

“Do I not deserve sympathy?” He didn’t give Seong time to answer,

“It’s alright, because at least I’m not letting more people experience what I have been through.”

Rushing in with one knife, his attacks became more sharper, as if he wasn’t going all out before. As he couldn’t get through Seong’s defense, he aimed for his legs.

Seong moved away but he didn’t notice that the soldier had also aimed for his hand, knocking the knife out of it. 

They moved relentlessly amongst the chaotic crowd, focusing on just their battle and nothing else. 

The both of them exclaimed grunts and signs of frustration, trying to force each other to backdown. Then finally…

—Swooshhh!!!

Seong had finally disarmed him. He continued to slash at the soldier, slicing him across the chest. 

“Ack!”

The soldier was about to run until Seong twisted his arm and stabbed him in the back.

“Kuek!..” The soldier stumbled but held his posture, after panting for his blood to calm down he spoke,

“… I lost… Again.”

Seong jerked the wedged knife out of him, leaving blood to gush out.

“…You’re strong, hyung. Better than I could’ve achieved, haha.” He paused briefly to breathe,

“I should’ve just…Hah, just…”

He was losing too much blood, his mind became fuzzy.

“At least I can die without any regrets. I… I don’t think I could’ve continued to live normally if I finished. I’m already too far gone…”

“…”

“Hyung, I hope you live a long time.”

“Are you trying to curse me?”

“What? Haha, no… You have a good life waiting for you, you didn’t give in like I did…”

“…”

“Live, no, survive. Whatever situation you’re in, survive…”, the soldier bit his quivering lip,

”To be honest, I don’t wanna die. I’m scared. I still have so many things I want to do, I want to see my family, but I… I- haha… Never mind. At least I can say this.”

The soldier lifted his drooping eyes to look at Seong,”Goodbye, Lee Su-Bin-hyung…”

His body went limp, Seong—no, Lee Su-bin laid their body on the floor gently, closing their eyes with his fingers,

“I’ve been born crazy, I’m used to it.”

The battle between his group and the riot had begun to die down, a majority of the rioting members have been injured but his side also suffered. 

Lee Su-Bin treaded through the bodies, stepping closer to someone he knew very well. His superior, who was face-down drowning in blood, was dead as well. 

Lee Su-Bin dropped his knife onto his superior’s hand, letting it stab through cleanly.

—Clshiik!

“Atleast you did well in bringing him down with you… Take it as a token in death.”

The incident was well reported as it had come out; the perpetrators were trialed, people like Lee Su-Bin were pardoned due to self defense, and the families of the deceased were compensated.

Even when being stabbed, his superiors never repented. Lee Su-Bin didn’t think that the riot’s course of action was effective enough.

It only justified their twisted ways of thinking, like a person knowingly poking a sleeping bear. 

If the animal were actively trying to protect itself from a person, the person wouldn’t take their actions into accountability and blame it on the animal’s nature.

Simply ignoring the issue and believing their own delusions.

***

It had turned dark again, the hunger games was about to begin.

“Are you going to sit back today too?”

“Yeah, I don’t want to go.”

“Don’t you think that’s wasteful?”

“Since their your team, they’re stronger than me.”

“Psh. Whatever.”

And with that, Hyun-Woo left. But was Seong really going to sit back?

‘Psh, No. I don’t have a choice.”

His stomach began to growl again. It was strange, he didn’t eat anything yesterday, yet he didn’t feel hungry until now.

Seong hadn’t bathed, yet he doesn’t feel disgusting. And this place’s mana had a weird flow to it, as if time itself were intertwined within it.

‘Maybe something in the novels like… Preservation Magic?’ 

Except the problem was that it didn’t affect his growling hunger, his other necessities were put on hold instead. 

“Tch. How troublesome.” 

He continued his long strides until he stopped near the edge, he needed to get front row seats to a fight to use as reference. For now, he needed a way to manifest his mana without nosebleeds.

—Wishhhh!

As Seong leapt from the platform, the wind picked up. Seong could basically fly in any direction.

—Tmp.

Landing on one of the lower platforms quietly, he cautiously looked around. The platforms changed its design completely, as if it were a new biome or dimension. 

The platform was densely packed with black  trees that weeped across the floor, neon colored fungus faintly lit the surrounding area. The trees’ drooping branches wrapped around its enclosure from time to time. It was like this whole thing was breathing.

‘What a mismatch this is.’ Sticking out like a sore thumb, Seong pondered over taking off his earring.

‘My clothes wouldn’t change, and my eyes wouldn’t help either. I need to hide my identity right now.’

—Tmp, tmp, tmp.

Footsteps drew near as Seong concealed himself in a tree, a man walked under him. He was about to pass until he looked up in Seong’s direction.

‘..!’ 

“So it was right…”

‘What?’

A message popped up before him,

[Due to your lack of confrontation, we’ve told him your location ;) —One of the Greats.]

‘What the-!’ 

—Ziiing!!!

A lightning bolt flashed by, singeing a part of his cheek. Seong jumped behind to another branch, he grazed his burnt cheek and clicked his tongue.

‘You’re going to make this face scarier!’

He continued to dodge the bolts of lightning by using the trees to evade them, zigzagging through the gaps, a message popped up.

[Is it too much for you? :0 —One of the Greats.]

‘Agh! Stop mocking me!’

—Boom! Boom! Boom!

The thunderous shocks excavated the ground and trees, one of the stricken trees began to fall over.

“..!” 

Seong dodged through the gap, levitating in the air for a bit only to twist his body to dodge another attack.

As he landed, he shot golf ball-sized pellets from his fingers.

—Tang! Tang! Tang!

The pursuer evaded the bullets, shooting his own electric bullets right back at Seong. 

—Bam!!

Seong shielded himself with mana, binding the electric currents together, the electricity ferociously began to grind against the barrier. 

“The gods have favored me this time, kid.” The man grinned while clenching his raised hand.

The currents flow began moving faster, as if it were a saw blade, it began to saw through the barrier. The power felt unstable as it flashed relentlessly.

‘Wait, this-!‘ 

Seong tried to forcibly chuck the chaotic orb away, however it was stuck like glue. He decided to choose one fair choice in his mind,

‘If I’m going to go like this, I won’t let you go either!’

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Seong drove his foot back, pushing the ground with all his strength, he forced his mana into his feet. Then when it began to strengthen his legs, Seong launched himself like a rocket towards the man.

—Fwoooshhhh!!!

“Eh?” The man was momentarily taken aback until Seong moved in an instant, the man quickly raised his arms to stop Seong.

“Ugh!” Both of them grunted from the sudden collision.

—Bzzzb, Ggrrrzzzpp!!! SSHHAAA!!!!…

The orb couldn’t hold up to the currents sharp, rapid speed; the electricity started to sap out and cling onto Seong’s hands.

“AHHH!” The lighting began to electrify him, as if it were stabbing his insides continuously. He wanted to end this quickly.

The orb kept getting bigger and the light only became brighter, Seong closed his eyes shut. The orb began to lose shape but it still couldn’t fully release itself, he let one of his hands free and felt around the floor, picking a hard object up.

Seong then opened one of his eyes and fiercely swung the object at the target.

—DUNK!!!

“AAGGHH!!!”

—DZZUUUU! SZZUUUUU!!!!

It hit the man on the temple, Seong was able to take a good step back before the orb flashed white.

—KABOOOOMMMM!!!!

•••

—Rumble… Rumble… Rumble…

The air felt suffocating as the surroundings shook.

“What was that?” Hyun-Woo turned towards the sound.

Above him, a huge array of light beautifully clustered into clouds.

“That is… An explosion?..” 

The explosion was so powerful that you could feel the atmosphere shake even though it was so far away, just what could be going on up there?

“I’ll have to ask Yun Chan-Woo about it.”

•••

“Hah…Hah…Cough, hah…” Seong coughed up blood, his limbs were trembling.

“I… Survived?..” 

Before it had exploded, Seong had put up a mana barrier to protect himself, however it was proven worthless as it had broken upon impact.

…Or it wasn’t so worthless as Seong survived.

“But… It hurts! Kuek!” He spurted blood again, it seemed all of his bones were broken as he couldn’t move. He could still feel the lighting race through his flesh.

[How disappointing. :( —One of the Greats.]

‘Get out of my face!’

[However, you survived such an incredible explosion. You still deserve a reward, albeit small. -_- —One of the Greats.]

‘…’ 

A blue cloud enveloped his body, Seong tried to fumble around but couldn’t as the cloud went inside his nose. It messed with his insides and made him choke up blood.

“B-Blegghhhh!!!!” 

‘This-how is this a reward!? It hurts!!!’ 

But Seong soon realized that he could move his body, it was being healed.

[It’s disappointing. You could’ve gotten something greater. d3d— One of the Greats.]

Seong huffed,

‘Ah, now that I think about it, I didn’t see a number pop up… How are they still alive? Are they getting the same treatment as me? Or is it because his attribute is lighting?’

Seong waited for another message to pop up, but nothing ever came. He eventually propped himself up to move.

—Crack! Pop! Crackle!

Seong stiffly hunched over,”Ughhh…” All of his bones cracked loudly as he readjusted himself. 

“Where should I go?..”

—Rumble~

‘Ah…’

***

Seong loitered around cautiously, he grumbled as his hunger had started to swell.

‘Why couldn’t they have ended my hunger?..’

—Boom!!!

‘An explosion?!’ Seong quickly hid.

“AHHHH!!!” 

“Just die already!”

Two people were fighting afar, the familiar flashing light reached all across the forest. A man with white glowing veins savagely chased a woman with a large hammer.

—Zing!!! Zing!!! Zing!!!

Lightning zoomed across the field, the woman swung her hammer head down.

—CRUSHHHH!!!!

The ground jaggedly sprung up and disrupted the electricity, absorbing the currents. The woman swung in circles, crashing and bulldozing through the trees, it seemed like her veins were bulging as she tried to restrain the heavy hammer.

“I don’t have time to waste on you!”

“Then why are you chasing after me, you jerk!”

“You went after me first!”

“Because I thought you were some ugly  beast!”

They bickered while destroying the terrain, Seong watched with a stone face hoping they wouldn’t reach him. Eventually, the battle was coming to an end.

The man jumped into the air and turned into a human lightbulb, the lightning began to spark furiously and demolished the ground. The woman aggressively smashed the ground and flung boulders of dirt towards him.

—Crack! Crumble! Crr!

“Do you think lighting would be effective against the ground?!”

—Crumble! Crack! Crackle!

“Don’t you know water could even destroy a rock?!”

“Yeah but, that’ll take years.”

“Not if it’s with enough force!”

The boulders exploded into ash, the man was about to ignite the woman until…

“Yes but, it needs to have proper aim.”

“..!”

The woman appeared behind him, all he could see was the colossal-sized hammer head heading his way.

“Ah…”

For some reason, he couldn’t move. His eyes, his body, and the hammer head; everything went by so slowly…

—CRRUSHHHH!!!

Seong watched as the man’s face got smashed in, the way it compressed itself like a crushed can was extremely disturbing. 

‘Is that an ability, or just brute strength?..’

Well either way, it’s not safe.

—SPLAATT!

And with that, the body of the man that was under the hammer head, was crushed…

[2.]

***

—Rumble, rumble~

Seong sighed, his stomach was just like a pestering child. A series of numbers poured from the sky earlier, up to seven have been killed, that means eleven are left.

—Rumble~

“Ughh…”

—Tmp, tmp.

‘Oh look who decided to show up.’

Hyun-Woo with a disgruntled face approached him, walking at a pace of a man late for work.

—Whoosh!

‘Eh? Is he pissed?’

“Yun Chan-Woo.”

“Mhmmmm~”

Hyun-Woo gave a weird look, shaking his head to disregard it,”You saw that explosion, right? You felt it?”

“Who didn’t?”

“You know what was going on?”

Seong pretended to think,“…It looked like a storm.”

“Huh.” He nodded his head, scoffing slightly,”Told them to stop doing that.”

‘Why is he asking about it?..’

Hyun-Woo cocked an eyebrow, clicking his tongue,”You’re interested, aren’t you?”

“If that’s what I look like…”

“Do you think he’s still alive?”

“…No?”

“Expected that, I was planning on banding them all together and then killing them all with his ability.” Hyun-Woo sighed,

“But he’s hot-headed, there’s no point in figuring out his mood swings.”

“How would you band them together? With your authority? I’m pretty sure they’ll be more driven with the gods’ gift more than anything.” 

“Build trust individually, then lead them somewhere.”

‘You’re a crap strategist. Wouldn’t they know what you’re really like?’

“I guess I’ll have to plan something else.”

”Did you get anyone?”

“No.”

—RUMBLEEE~

“Mmf…” Both of them looked at each other, sympathizing over each other’s pain.

***

A couple of days went by, but the number of people killed decreased immensely—only one or two came up. 

—Grumble, rumble, grr~

Seong winced in pain,”There’s still a lot of meat left.”

Seong salivated while imagining any kind taste on his stale tongue.

‘So what of human empathy? We have to kill each other anyway.’

—Grr~

Was this what all the gods wanted? Everyone to turn crazy as they are driven mad by hunger? Everyone to turn into raving beasts just for entertainment?

—Grumble~

“…Fine, I’ll bite.”

What kind a beast Seong will turn into, will depend on his mentality.

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