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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 19
The taxi was heading towards the public housing complex on the outskirts of Seoul.
It seemed like we had spent more time at the Gate than I thought, because it was already rush hour when we got onto the highway.
The roads in Gyeonggi Province during rush hour were like a parking lot.
Cars were packed bumper-to-bumper from one end of the road to the other.
I got out of the taxi, wanting to call a helicopter, and started fiddling with my smartphone.
Wolha kept glancing at the rising meter, afraid of the fare.
But that didn't last long.
"Hyung."
"What?"
Wolha leaned back against the seat and then sat up again.
He looked at me with a determined gaze, as if he had made up his mind about something.
The outline of his delicate face was illuminated by the sunlight streaming in through the window.
"Earlier... how did you do that?"
Here it comes.
I tried to put on a poker face.
"Huh? I don't know what you're talking about."
"That executive earlier, he was C-Rank, wasn't he?"
"Nah~ No way. That's not it. That's not it."
"What's not it?! Stop trying to dodge the question."
Even though I used to be strong enough to burn down the horizon with a flick of my finger, but that didn't mean C-Rank was weak.
Even F-Ranks, who were treated like Non-Awakened on 'Star Chatter,' were stronger than professional athletes from before the Aitel era.
A C-Rank could easily slice a truck in half with a single sashimi knife.
Ranks above that were rarely encountered by ordinary people, so General Manager Hwang and his executives we met today were the 'strongest Awakened' that ordinary people could encounter.
I'm sure Wolha and Ilha must have also been through some unpleasant experiences with those guys while working at 'Uri Mining.'
"I was trying not to pry, but it was just too shocking."
"It was just luck. Luck. Hahaha."
"You don't expect me to believe that, do you? Do you think I'm an idiot?"
"L-Let's talk about it at home. The driver's giving us strange looks."
Wolha seemed to have a lot to say, but he toned it down, as if he couldn't help it because we were outside.
His gaze was fixed on my face, unwavering and intense.
"I don't want to go home anymore."
I muttered quietly, just enough for Wolha not to hear.
And my wish was granted in the worst possible way.
Beep!
With a loud alarm, a message from the Aitel System appeared in my vision.
【Warning! Warning! Warning!】
【Rank 4 Gate Outbreak!】
【Finale Story: Hell of Ruin - The Path of Judgment】
"What?"
"Wh-What's that?"
Wolha and the taxi driver panicked simultaneously.
The Gate outbreak alert messages from Aitel were visible and audible even to ordinary people.
Whoosh!
A black sphere expanded towards us from the road ahead.
"Open the door! Open it! Can't you hear me?"
The taxi driver's eyes were already glazed over.
"Damn it!"
Thud.
I kicked the car door, breaking it open.
"Get out!"
I reached out to Wolha urgently.
"The seatbelt's stuck!"
Wolha's seatbelt wouldn't unbuckle, as if something was caught in it.
The black sphere was already right in front of us.
Wolha's eyes shook violently.
I tasted bitterness in my throat.
My Constellation's voice echoed in my ears.
【"Retreat. You can do that, can't you?"】
【"I don't really want to see this kind of side story."】
She was right.
I could definitely escape alone using Flame Arrow and Descent from the Crimson Flames.
For a fleeting moment, a terrible thought crossed my mind.
He's not even my real brother, do I really need to protect him even if it means entering the Gate?
Then Wolha said—
"Hyung, jump!"
He looked at me with eyes as pale as the moonlight, yet as gentle.
Damn it.
How embarrassing.
"Hold on tight!"
I jumped back into the car and grabbed Wolha's hand firmly.
Whoosh!
The black sphere expanded, devouring everything in its path.
The first stage of a Gate outbreak, absorption.
My vision faded to black.
【Absorption complete】
【Time until emission: 06 days 23 hours 59 minutes】
And when my vision returned, what I saw was...
"6 days? It'll take 6 days until emission?"
"We're all dead!"
...the sight of people who had been pulled into the Gate with us, screaming in despair.
A timer showing the time remaining until the 'emission' phase, which would naturally occur even without clearing the Gate, and a blood-red sky.
And a narrow path between crimson cliffs rising on both sides.
* * *
"Wh-What is this?"
Wolha muttered in a daze.
Even he, who was usually quite composed, couldn't easily overcome the fear of being pulled into a Gate.
Meanwhile, Baekya carefully looked around.
'Is this a scenario-type?'
To him, who had climbed the Tower, Gates didn't hold much excitement.
The circular space, enclosed by walls on all sides, was filled with people who had been sucked into the Gate.
There were about 300 of them.
Here and there, some Awakened had white halos floating above their heads.
The scene that unfolded before his eyes was chaos itself.
"No!"
"We're all going to die!"
"Mom! Mom!"
People screamed, clutching their unresponsive smartphones.
Most modern devices were rendered useless inside a Gate.
"Waaaaah!"
Starting with someone's scream, cries spread like wildfire.
Then, one Awakened shouted in a booming voice.
"Calm down! Everyone. The Hunters will be here soon! You know how good South Korean Hunters are. It's just a Rank 4! Rank 4! They'll shut down this measly low-rank Gate in no time."
People looked towards the man.
The white halo shining above his head looked quite reassuring.
"Don't worry about the notification saying how many days are left until the emission. It's true that we can't get out until then, but the Hunters will come in and clear the Gate before that anyway. Everyone, please stay calm and wait."
He remembered the safety education they taught in elementary schools these days quite well.
Thanks to him drawing attention before the panic fully spread, the atmosphere among the people changed.
"Th-That's right!"
"Let's spread out and sit down for now! Just wait patiently."
"Anyone need water?"
The people, in a display of typical Korean collectivism, naturally gathered and shared what they had.
"Hyung, let's go too."
Wolha, having regained his composure, was about to join one of the groups.
"Wait a minute."
Baekya grabbed Wolha's wrist.
In extreme situations, people were the most dangerous.
Beep.
【Finale Story: 'Hell of Ruin - The Path of Judgment' begins.】
【Walk the path where your sins return to you, cleanse your sins, and clear the Gate.】
【Clear Reward: Certificate of Pardon (Master). Nullifies Proposition-type debuffs.】
Soon after, a notification window appeared before his eyes.
Since everyone could see it, the people stirred once again.
"Path of Judgment?"
"Where are we supposed to walk?"
"Isn't it over there?"
Someone pointed to the path between the cliffs.
The path was narrow, barely wide enough for two people to pass through, and stretched out into the distance.
Blending with the red sky, it was unclear if it even had an end.
Wolha looked at Baekya and sat back down.
A man stood up and said—
"Can't we just walk through?"
As soon as he finished speaking, countless spikes sprouted from the cliffs on both sides of the path.
Swish! Slash! Slice!
At first, it seemed possible to dodge and enter, but as the path narrowed, it became clear that getting stabbed and cut was inevitable.
"Eek!"
The man who had bravely stood up sat back down on the ground.
"How are we supposed to go there?"
Someone shouted, as if voicing everyone's thoughts.
In response, another notification window appeared, as if mocking their desperation.
【First volunteer recruitment in 60 seconds.】
【If no volunteer appears after 60 seconds, this corrupted group will face collective judgment.】
Panic spread among the people once more.
"It's saying we need a volunteer!"
"N-No way! I'd rather die here with everyone than walk that path!"
"A-Awakened! One of the Awakened should go!"
"Like hell! I'm just a porter!"
The timer ticked down, as if mocking them.
【16】
【15】
When it reached below 15 seconds, the walls and floor started to vibrate.
Rumble!
Sharp spikes began to grow from the edges of the floor near the walls.
Scream.
People huddled together towards the center.
One Awakened grabbed a Non-Awakened college student by force.
"Come here!"
The student's friends grabbed the Awakened's arm and clung to him.
"No!"
"Help!"
"I'll report you as soon as we get out! Don't you know Awakened get punished more severely for harming civilians?"
Just as the Awakened, dragging his friends along, was about to push the college student onto the path...
"Stop."
Whoosh!
A Flame Arrow whizzed past the Awakened's face.
Baekya pushed through the crowd and stepped forward towards the path.
"Hyung?"
Wolha tried to grab Baekya's wrist, but Baekya gently brushed his hand away.
"I'll go."
In his mind, his Constellation let out a deep sigh.
【"I knew this would happen."】
'I'm sorry.'
【"Since it's come to this, at least make it a spectacular success. That's the only way to justify the risk."】
'Understood. I'll put on a good show.'
Swish.
Baekya took off his Crystal Coat and handed it to Wolha.
"Make sure you keep this on."
'Let's think positively. It said "clear." It's highly likely that there's a physical object like a button or something beyond this path. If I can destroy it with Law of Light, I can absorb the high-quality mana that sustains this Gate.'
"Hyung!"
Wolha reached out once more to grab his brother's wrist, but Baekya strode onto the path, out of his reach.
"I will face this trial."
An icy silence fell over the crowd.
【The First Judge Appears】
【Name: Hong#@...... (Unknown Error Occurred)】
It was a silence Baekya was familiar with.
He walked boldly down the path lined with spikes on both sides.
'You dare judge me?'
As the path narrowed, the spikes naturally pierced into him, but...
Clink!
They bounced off his Hardened skin.
* * *
Perhaps because of the incident where an Awakened man tried to force a civilian onto the path, the civilians and Awakened were now gathered in separate groups.
Wolha wanted to stay with the civilians, but the wary glances he received made him move towards the Awakened.
A female Awakened spoke to him.
"Is that your brother?"
"Yes."
"He's impressive. What's his rank?"
"...It's a bit complicated."
"So he's got a mess of pluses and minuses, huh."
"...Yes."
"Well, just by looking, he seems to be at least C-Rank, so there's not much to worry about. But…"
Her tone was suggestive.
Wolha made eye contact and asked urgently—
"But...?"
The woman narrowed her eyes.
"This is a Gate with a strong story element. There haven't been any monsters appearing, have you noticed?"
"Yes."
"The notification earlier mentioned something about judgment, and it looks like your brother is blocking the spikes with his skills, right?"
Ilha's figure was now as small as a dot in the distance.
Clang!
The sound of spikes breaking could be heard intermittently.
"But in stories like this, if we don't follow the narrative, it tries to force us to. Your brother's skills seem really good, so that force will be even stronger."
A chill ran down Wolha's spine, and his heart pounded with worry.
"So you're saying he was supposed to get hurt and bleed to clear it?"
The woman replied—
"That's what I think. It would be best if he could overwhelm that force with his power, but... he's not at that level, is he?"
Wolha looked at the path between the cliffs.
'He's okay... right?'
Ilha, who had been progressing smoothly, suddenly stopped moving.
Fear gripped him.
All the good things that had happened to the two brothers lately felt like they were foreshadowing this misfortune.
How many minutes had passed?
Finally, a notification appeared once more.
【Second volunteer recruitment in 60 seconds.】
【If no volunteer appears after 60 seconds, this corrupted group will face collective judgment.】
Wolha's legs weakened, and he almost collapsed.
'No.'
"Hyung..."
The voice that came out between his parted lips trembled so much that he couldn't believe it was his own.
In this hopeless situation...
"Huh? Uh?"
"What's happening?"
"D-Did he fail?"
"No. If even a C-Rank Awakened couldn't succeed, how can we?"
An even greater sense of panic arose among the people than before.
【10】
【9】
Meanwhile, the countdown rapidly ticked towards zero.
Beep.
【Initiating judgment on the corrupted group.】
Once again, spikes shot up from the floor.
Swish!
"Kyaaaak!"
Sharp spikes emerged from the outer edges of the floor.
Long, spear-like spikes erupted sporadically from the walls, targeting the people.
Whoosh!
An unusually long spike shot out.
Its tip was aimed at a man holding a child who looked about seven years old.
As the man shielded the child with his back and crouched down—
Thud!
Wolha found himself pushing the man out of the way.
'Did I catch hyung's meddling habit?'
A bitter smile involuntarily appeared on his face.
He braced himself for excruciating pain.
But he felt no pain at all.
'Huh?'
Wolha touched his chest tentatively.
The coat wasn't even wrinkled, let alone pierced.
'What is this?'
Wolha didn't know it, but the Crystal Coat he was wearing was a Master grade artifact.
It could easily withstand the mid-level punishment process of this Gate.
Whoosh!
But the spear-like spikes continued to erupt.
"Aaaagh!"
Screams grew louder from all around.
The red sky seemed to speak—
Judgment.
Be judged.
All of you sinners, be judged.
You who are stingy, lazy, gluttonous, lustful, angry, envious, and arrogant.
Be judged!
Wolha shuddered at the Gate's malice.
'What kind of judgment is this? Stop talking nonsense!'
At that moment, a man approached him and said—
"Excuse me, could you lend me that coat for a moment? It looks like an artifact."
He was supporting an elderly woman who seemed to be his mother.
"I want to put it on her. Please, I beg you."
Immediately after, a large man roughly shoved the man aside.
"Ugh!"
"Hey! I'll give you 10 million won if I get out! No, 100 million! I'll give you 100 million. Lend me the coat. It's an artifact, right?"
"Artifact?"
"Did you just say it was an artifact?"
"Hey!"
Hundreds of eyes, filled with expectation, anxiety, and desire, focused on Wolha.
The pupils gleamed red, reflecting the light of the crimson sky.
Even for someone as bold as him, it was an overwhelming pressure for a 20-year-old who had been bedridden for so long.
"Th-That's..."
Wolha felt his vision go dark.
'What should I do...?'
Spikes were still erupting from all directions.
Whoosh!
One spike shot towards him, threatening to impale both him and the person in front of him.
Thud!
At the last moment, Wolha squeezed his eyes shut.
Fizzle!
But instead of the gruesome sound of penetration, he heard the sound of ashes scattering.
He opened his eyes.
'Huh?'
The spike was enveloped in white light, burning away as if on fire.
A woman, who had been bleeding profusely from a wound, muttered in a trance.
"...My wound is healing?"
"We're alive!"
"We're alive!"
The injuries of those who had already been hurt were also healing, as if they had never existed.
The blood-red sky cracked, and blue light seeped through.
An Aitel notification appeared in his vision.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
【Finale Story: ‘Hell of Ruin - The Path of Judgment’ has ended.】
【The Gate is collapsing】
Wolha whipped his head around to look at the end of the path.
'Did he succeed?'
He could faintly see Ilha raising his fist in triumph.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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