Episode 575. Light and Darkness

Gulp.

“For now, I think we should wait and see.”

Park Hwigang said as he held the selfie stick.

At first glance, the situation seemed to have been cleared up.

Barbatos’ curse was gone.

The black energy that had enveloped the area had completely dissipated.

-What was that thing in the sky, Hwigang? CC

-You don’t think it was a Evil Eye?

-Did it look a little different from Evil Eye?

Park Hwigang turned away from the chat and looked at the night sky.

“It’s hard to see it now because it’s hiding in the clouds, but it definitely looks different from a normal Evil Eyes……! I’m not sure if it was captured on the screen.”

That brilliantly shining silver is definitely

“Uh, huh?”

In the middle of a sentence.

The screen suddenly froze.

At the same time, there were murmuring sounds from all over the place.

“This is completely broken, Mr. Director?”

“A malfunction at a time like this? Ah, my viewers……!!!”

“It must be that Evil Eye from earlier?!”

Power, the aftermath of the Objective Eye.

Something that takes away the vision of everyone but itself. If it had been manifested by Barbatos, those who witnessed it would have been blinded, but Barbatos was not the manifester.

Cameras, smartphones, lenses.

Could watch without missing a moment.

“Wait a minute. I’m sure I have a spare air system…..”

It was all thanks to the preparations he had made according to Hoyeol’s teachings.

“I found it! Hoyeol-nim will appear soon, right?”

Park Hwigang breathed a sigh of relief.

The curse was gone.

Hwigang’s camera panned across the now-ordinary Seongseon Middle School.

Unable to hold on to the moment, the chat window is filled with unfounded gossip.

-Guys, I heard that Seongseon Middle School is supposed to be the stronghold of demons? 드드

-For some reason, I don’t want to go to school tomorrow.

-Ah, get out of lunch.

-□T There’s a rumor that Lee Hoyeol is a graduate of Sungseon Middle School???

Park Hwigang is now a professional broadcaster.

It means he doesn’t react to aggro from viewers with no context.

Furthermore.

“Come on, guys, that’s not what’s important right now, is it?””

In this moment, it wasn’t the gossip that mattered.

Before the screen went black.

The angle showed Hoyeol and the corrupted humans face to face.

kkuug

…It meant showing mercy and making someone pay for their eyesight with something else. Nevertheless, Park Hwigang.

Park Hwigang clenched his fists without realizing it.

‘Maybe it doesn’t really matter.’

Corrupted humans are no different from demons.

Unfortunately, that was the conclusion the AAU and the players came to. That’s why Lox has stayed out of the public eye. Even if Lox did realize his pride in hindsight.

‘It is said that both appearance and substance are demons.’

I think about it in that sense.

If it was the usual enthusiasm.

What kind of disposition would have been given to them?

Didn’t you experience that with Lox?

‘No, because it was a different situation.’

The players were superhuman.

That means they have a certain amount of resistance to status abnormalities and corruption.

That’s why Lox was able to realize pride.

‘Because he still had reason.’

But they were normal people.

-But honestly, if it were me, I would rather die.
-They’re not demons, they’re earthworms. That’s f〒〒T
-What are you doing living like that??
-It’s sad that it’s not like anybody else’s job.

Instead of spreading their demonic wings like Lox, they were just lumps of flesh that crawled around like worms. Park Hwigang bit his lower lip because his fists weren’t enough.

“This is a question that can’t have a right answer.”

…

But Park Hwigang was secretly looking forward to it.

He wondered if anyone else but Hoyeol would show up with an answer that he didn’t know.

No, he wasn’t the only one. Everyone was hoping, even though they didn’t say so. They hoped that Hoyeol would create the right answer even when there was no right answer.

‘I know I shouldn’t wish for this.’

I could feel the weight of that vague expectation weighing on his shoulders.

However, Hoyeol was like a single blade of grass caught at the edge of a cliff.

Even as he worried that one day the roots wouldn’t hold.

The moment it was pulled out.

Even though I knew that I would unknowingly ruin the grassroots.

The grassroots have no choice but to hold on until the very end.

“……Huh?”

And then.

“Okay, wait a minute, who’s coming out?!”

“Oh, it’s a person!!”

“That face ……. looks like a corrupted citizen!”

“What are you doing, get the paramedics out here!!”

“Has, has the corruption been lifted?”

This time too, Hoyeol did it.

What he meant was simple.

Once again.

The grassroots were desperately holding on.

* https://pindangscans.com

How did they overcome the status abnormality, [Corruption]?

[Class Quest: To the One Who Will Not Yield to Malice]

Nothing can save one who has fallen into the abyss of malice.

Only you who are willing to jump into the abyss of malice.

Only the demon’s natural enemy.

Hunter of Akshan.

It’s time to go beyond demons and hunt down malice itself.

-Activate Unique Skill, ‘Exorcist’. (Success)

Whatever it is, it’s probably thanks to all the hard work I’ve done.

[Exorcist (Master): Hunt for malice originating from a demon. If successful, dispel all status abnormalities caused by that demon].

Thank you Akshan seniors ……!

Still, Akshan wasn’t without its flaws.

I, Lee Hoyeol, was overwhelmed.

‘I’ve completed my second job change, but where am I even with this?’

Exorcist.

It was a unique skill, a modification of the [Exorcism Ritual], that could negate not only [Possession], but all status abnormalities caused by demons’ malice!

‘Yes, this is what a true natural enemy should have.’

Why, ever since the Ten Thrones had appeared, natural enemy hadn’t been able to show its true colors, unlike the ordinary demons who were burning in hellfire in terror.

‘You died smiling even though you weren’t even a nobleman, you insignificant Ten Thrones.’

In that sense, I’m hoping for another one. Now that I’ve gotten the [Exorcist] upgrade to the [Exorcism Ritual], another class-specific skill would be a shame, wouldn’t it?

‘To me.’

That was the only light …….

‘Then please take care of yourself next time, seniors.’

Please, next time, I will earnestly pray to this one and only Akshan junior that you give me [Natural Enemy] a higher compatible class unique skill…!

‘By the way.’

Just as there were special conditions for the [Exorcism Ritual], there were special conditions for the [Exorcist], but this time I was able to be free from those conditions. Because Barbatos was not in perfect condition.

‘Everyone will be okay.’

I thought of Hyunmin and the others whose names I could barely remember. The ones who were neither human nor demon, who had been turned back into their true selves from lumps of flesh.

To put it bluntly…….

Grandfell, I have nothing to say even if you ridicule me. I, Lee Hoyeol, have not completely come to the end yet. I couldn’t face Hyeonmin and the others as if nothing had happened.

Moreover.

‘In front of reporters gathered in Seongseon Middle School……? Absolutely not.’

But, as I said, it remained clear.

No one else’s.

Hyunmin’s voice said.

-“Yourself…”

As I’ve said many times, I don’t easily trust the words of others, but for that moment, I had no choice but to believe. The system message that never lies said so.

I look at the status window.

[Titles: The Last Adventurer, The Noble One, The Transcendent, The Dark Dragon, The Heavenly One, The Master of the Ten Thrones, The Great Master of Anomaly, The Savior of the Black Veil, The Light]

Since when.

It was ringing in my head.

The 《Voice》 was no longer audible.

[You have acquired the title, ‘The Light.’]

Ever since that message came to me.

Before, I might have been mistaken.

The light is a ‘Ray of Light in an Infinitely Deep Darkness’.

I thought it might refer to our Grandfell.

But no.

‘No, I was mistaken.’

Yes.

It was a little hard to say it with my own mouth, but I think the ‘ray of light’ was referring to me. If you ask me if I’m trying to spoon-feed Grandfell now, instead of being able to grasp the subject, which is my specialty.

I would say.

‘Do you think anyone would be happy with a title like this?’

I’d feel overwhelmed too ?!!

But as if the system message wasn’t enough, the power of Barbatos, the light of the Objective Eye, shone upon me. It means that objectively, that one ray of light recognized that it was me, Lee Hoyeol ……!!!

I swallowed a sigh inwardly.

‘One is an infinitely deep darkness. The other a ray of light?’

I will reflect on this, Grandfell.

You’re not the only one to blame, I had ridiculous tinnitus myself.

Grandfell, I guess that was frustrating for you too, right?

…..

‘That’s why the blackening ended arbitrarily.’

[Understanding of Darkness] Understanding of Grandfell proportional to skill level.

Grandfell is like an onion that never ends.

But at least I’ve gained 70% understanding.

I could guess Grandfell’s intentions now.

‘Okay, I’m not going to leave it to you anymore.’

Light and Darkness.

So we’re inseparable, aren’t we?

So, it means that we should move forward by leading each other.

‘Of course, compared to you, I am lacking.’

Why, isn’t the title on a different level?

Compared to the infinitely deep darkness.

I’m just a ray of light.

But I promise you one thing, Grandfell.

‘You’ll never be clouded again.’

Once you realize that I am the light.

I, Lee Hoyeol.

It was a moment when I was in the form I had been in for the first time in a while.

Jiziiiing.

Anyway, I’m not as noble as you…

No, I can’t be as noble as Grandfell.

My phone vibrates as soon as I try to pretend to be cool.

“!”

…..

A text message.

I checked the sender and gasped.

It was the first text I’d received in decades.

[From: Kim Hyunmin]

It was a message from a friend.

There was nothing troubling in it.

He apologized for not seeing me for a long time and felt like he had caused me trouble.

He said he’s always wanted to say sorry.

He said he would understand even if I didn’t reply.

Grandfell blurted out.

“It’s against formality not to answer.”

Actually, I have no feelings left for you, Hyunmin.

No, to be precise.

Because it wasn’t there from the beginning.

‘Not with Choi Changwoo or the others.’

I didn’t want to pretend to know.

Wouldn’t that be the same for that guy too?

So I simply replied.

-That’s difficult.

No, I’ll misunderstand you again if I say this.

Pisik.

I suppressed my laughter and added.

-There is a limit to sharing memories with concise text.

To translate the Grandfell way of speaking.

After we settle down, we can meet and talk.

Or we should make a phone call or something.

‘Of course, that’s not going to be easy.’

That’s a nice way of saying it.

If you ask Hyunmin if there’s anything behind him, there’s no way.

It’s all because of this damn historical drama tone ……!

‘Anyway.’

That should clear things up.

It was time for a slow, serious internal dialog. As usual, the initiative was on my side. Now, Grandfell, you’ve definitely said that at some point, haven’t you?

‘I don’t really remember.’

Anyway, you said that a ray of light was very important.

Well, I found out that light was me.

For the first time after awakening, I, Lee Hoyeol.

It’s clear that he wants to talk to me from ‘A’ point of view.

“You tell me honestly.”

The power of the Ten Thrones.

I, too, am using my powers.

The power I use and the power Grandfell used were obviously different.

‘If what I’m using is skill-based power.’

What Grandfell uses is a real power.

The name is the same, but the structure, effect, and power are completely different.

As proof, I had no idea how to move the Objective Eye.

So I was asking.

How did you use that?

‘You’re going to suddenly shut up like this?’

Anyway, do you only do this when you’re at a disadvantage, Grandfell?

The treatment of a ray of light.

Hey, is this okay?!

It’s still shining.

He looked at the light.

Grandfell thought.

‘Now that you realize you are light.’

He smiled.

‘I was able to leave.’

For only then was there light and darkness.

‘By your side.’