Chapter 443
News of the Offering Ritual that took place at dawn spread across the globe at daybreak, and unsurprisingly, triggered an enormous uproar.
Over the course of a single night, more than half of the major cities across China went up in flames and hundreds of millions of people died. But while the scale of the disaster alone was staggering, what truly shocked people the most was that they hadn’t felt the aftershocks from it.
“That all happened in just a few hours...?”
“What kind of nonsense is that?!”
Ever since the appearance of the Towers of Heroes and the Abyss of Demons, humanity’s perception of catastrophes had ballooned to unimaginable heights. After all, all the disasters since then had involved immense powers able to wipe out an entire nation. But because of that, they were always accompanied by global warning signs.
Yet China had collapsed in utter silence? The entire world, which had been buoyed by the possibility of the war ending, was instantly pulled back into the cold depths by the appalling news.
That was why, to calm the nervous confusion, the Heroes Association swiftly sprang into action.
「Our investigation, in conjunction with the UD Group, into the Netherworld has revealed that all those who were lost in this tragedy are expected to resurrect within a month through the Blessing of the Eternal...」
「Around two million people have returned to society over the past few days, with none showing any aftereffects after being resurrected...」
「Those that were granted a chance through the Blessing of the Eternal have been deployed to designated disaster zones to help restore the cities. According to our investigation, the merit they earn from these tasks will allow them to proceed with resurrection faster in a virtuous cycle...」
Although intended otherwise, the Heroes Association’s actions—revealing the truth about the Blessing of the Eternal and actively broadcasting the scenes of devastation in China—only snowballed the confusion already gripping the world.
“W-Wait wait wait... that’s real footage? Not some edited video?”
“My friend’s cousin’s uncle was caught up in that mess, and apparently he really came back to life.”
“I mean... still, come on...”
Although months had passed since the Blessing of the Eternal was introduced to the world, with more than a few people having been resurrected during that time, most people still didn’t trust it.
If even the information messages of something as intuitive as their weapons still had countless gaps, how could they easily put their faith in some unseen suspicious power and toss aside their fear of death just like that?
Unless someone had a screw loose, changing a person’s entire worldview that drastically simply wasn’t possible.
“At first, I was shocked. I imagined the Netherworld would be a dark and creepy place, but the sky was blue, and everything was just... there.”
“I thought everything was over, but then they told me I had another chance. Just that alone made me happy. Oh, and all the undead staff were super kind, too!”
But when millions of testimonials began flooding in at once—from acquaintances, friends, relatives, distant relatives—even the skeptics had begun believing in the Blessing of the Eternal.
Doubt was rapidly vanishing. However, by the time it had, a new question had already emerged across the world.
“Hey... if that’s how it works... doesn’t that mean we don’t need to worry about the Demon Force anymore?”
Sure, people would still die on the battlefield, but eventually they’d come back through the Blessing of the Eternal, right? And the destroyed cities could just be rebuilt quickly with the undead as workers, just like now.
So as long as the Demon Force didn’t develop their own kind of resurrection, if humanity just kept fighting over and over again from now on...
We’ll win regardless of what!
When death, apart from natural causes, lost its significance, triumph was virtually assured. Of course, if the entire planet suddenly exploded or something equally absurd happened, then there’d be nothing anyone could do. But with the Perfect Ones around, disasters on that level were unlikely.
In other words, victory wasn’t just vague optimism now—it was a real, tangible possibility.
Meanwhile, as the world began stirring in excitement once again, the upper leadership of the Heroes Association had quietly started discussing the most delicate issue unknown to everyone else.
“Hmm... things have only just calmed down. If word about the Seven Saints gets out...”
“There’s no point in trying to hide something that can’t be hidden. Wouldn’t it be more productive to talk about how to handle the crimes they previously covered up?”
“Since it’s come to this, how about we disclose all their charges and use them as a lesson? We could also mention they weren’t granted the Blessing of the Eternal. This might even help us manage other heroes down the line...”
“Wait. That might push already anxious high-ranking heroes to defect. We still don’t know the exact conditions of this resurrection system, so we should tread carefully.”
They knew the culprits were the Seven Saints through testimonies from other high-ranking heroes present at the scene. Under normal circumstances, the Heroes Association would’ve released a statement and conducted a follow-up investigation immediately.
However, they didn’t do so. Because the death of the Sacred Craftsman, the one who had been backing the Seven Saints previously, had also been confirmed. Now, it wasn’t just any crime—it was a case too dangerous to handle lightly.
What the hell happened in China?
Please don’t let it be what I’m thinking...
When they first heard the news, the Association’s top brass assumed the Seven Saint had lured Li Kenxie’s disciple, Caden, and used him to kill Li Kenxie. But then they heard that Se-Hoon and his companions were the ones who put a stop to the entire incident. Naturally, their thoughts all simultaneously shifted to the Black Tower incident.
What if—just what if—the Sacred Craftsman had lost control and gone on a rampage, just like what happened with Wurgen? The first time could be brushed off as coincidence. The second time, however... and considering that the incident once again involved a Perfect One powerful enough to wipe out humanity...
We might need to prepare for something bigger.
Is it time to prepare for what comes after the war?
The heads of the Association all went silent, each mulling over the end of the war and the change that would inevitably follow.
***
“Phewwww...”
Gregory let out a deep sigh, now fully aware of what had happened.
I had expected things to turn out like this to a certain degree... but still. This situation sure isn’t easy.
A Perfect One, who had once been seen as humanity’s hope, had sacrificed hundreds of millions for his own goals. Sure, one could frame the situation as a side effect of becoming a Perfect One, but that didn’t make it any less serious. It couldn’t just be brushed aside.
This is why he asked me to wait a bit...
Gregory knew. He was only able to maintain his composure because he learned about it after the incident had concluded. If he’d been told immediately after, he might’ve lost control and done something rash.
Taking a deep breath to clear his head, Gregory turned to look at the man sitting quietly in front of him.
“So... what do you want to do, Mr. Lee?” asked Gregory politely, now speaking in his official capacity as the leader of the Heroes Association.
“At first... I thought it’d be better to cover it up a bit—like Wurgen suggested. But Li Wen said we should reveal everything.”
Although it was a choice that could bring not only himself but even her daughter under public scrutiny, Li Wen didn’t even hesitate. He wanted the truth to be made known.
“He said that no matter the reason, a sin doesn’t just vanish; and since he had also benefited from that sin, it’s only right to live his life atoning for it.”
It was a choice that could define the rest of his life, yet Li Wen didn’t waver. Just like back then, when he publicly condemned the Seven Saints’ tyranny while everyone else kept silent, Li Wen continued to live as he always had. It was only natural that he made such a choice now.
“Because of that, I also believe it’s best to reveal the whole truth.”
“...Are you serious?”
Having assumed it would be handled the same way as with Wurgen, Gregory couldn’t stop himself from asking again.
Only for Se-Hoon to nod in response. “Yes. That way, the others will become more cautious, too.”
“!”
Gregory’s eyes widened, then he soon adopted a more solemn expression.
Even now there were murmurs that if the Blessing of the Eternal applied to the Tower of Heroes, more people would attempt the climb. Of course, very few would ever reach the top—but just in case something unexpected happened, Se-Hoon was suggesting it would be for the best to share related information ahead of time.
The problem is... the spread of mistrust.
Once people learned that even the Perfect One had the potential to turn against humanity, those who had long feared them would likely begin to make their move. Humanity had the upper hand, but the conflict with the Demon Force remained unresolved. To get to the end, Gregory was determined to prevent any internal discord.
“Hm...”
For that end, Gregory wasted no time and began contemplating how he could minimize the shock—which was read by Se-Hoon.
“Oh, I’m not planning to announce everything just yet,” he added.
“Sorry? Then what do you mean?”
“It’s not confirmed yet, but...”
Se-Hoon began explaining the plan for what lay ahead, and as Gregory listened, his eyes widened more and more.
“Is that really true?”
“It’s still just a hypothesis. But considering what’s happened before, I think it’s worth trying.”
Despite Se-Hoon’s cautious tone, his eyes held a quiet confidence.
And upon seeing that, Gregory thought for a moment, then nodded.
“If that’s the case, it could definitely help lessen the impact. I’ll do my best to keep public sentiment calm until everything’s ready.”
“It might take some time, so please proceed carefully.”
“Understood.”
With that, Gregory sensed that the conversation had reached a natural end and stood from his seat.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave for today. Please contact me the moment it’s finished.”
“Take care.”
Gregory nodded politely, adjusted his sunglasses, and exited the cafe.
Then, once he was gone, Se-Hoon let out a quiet sigh.
“So many things to do...”
Strangely enough, it felt like dealing with the Perfect Ones required more effort than fighting the Demon Force.
Actually... that’s probably true.
The Demon Force were mere enemies, meaning defeating them ended things there. The Perfect Ones, however, were his allies and living laws of the world. With them, he had to be careful not to let anything go awry.
Recalling the week he had spent holed up in the workshop conducting research and verification, Se-Hoon gently rubbed his eyes.
This is exhausting.
Perhaps it was the stress, or perhaps his tension was finally fading now that things were reaching an end. Feeling a weariness that had been growing more pronounced lately, Se-Hoon quietly closed his eyes.
As he rested, a memory from a now distant past resurfaced.
“If you’re feeling mentally drained, it means your synesthetic mindscape is muddled and soft. If you don’t want to yawn your way into the grave, keep training Soul Honing nonstop.” His master’s sleepy voice as she lazily lay on a couch, puffing on a cigarette, rang in his mind.
Back then, all Se-Hoon could think was, “Where did she sell her conscience to come up with that?” But looking back, he thought that what she had said wasn’t entirely wrong. Ever since he mastered Soul Honing, he really hadn’t felt mental exhaustion—aside from moments of near death.
That means...
Was his current mindset really that disordered and soft? Feeling the change in his synesthetic mindscape more clearly in recent days, Se-Hoon fell deep into thought before shaking his head.
Never mind. The rest can wait.
He couldn’t afford to make a decision about anything, not his changes nor Meirin’s whereabouts. For now, he needed to solely focus on the task at hand.
Resolving himself, Se-Hoon teleported to the central plaza of Babel.
Whoosh!
He arrived at a wide-open space with no buildings in sight, just a pure white tower that stretched up to the limits of the sky. Pausing, Se-Hoon looked up at the Tower of Heroes once, then walked toward the entrance.
“How long do you think it’ll take?” Ludwig asked, walking in step with him after silently appearing.
“Not very long. This time... I feel like it’ll be my last visit there.”
“Does it? If that’s what your intuition is telling you, I’ll trust it.”
The two fell into silence, just walking. Then, after a while, Ludwig broke the silence.
“Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”
“I can’t say that I don’t.”
Through Li Kenxie, Se-Hoon had learned how distorted the Perfect Ones were—and how dangerous that was. Naturally, that made him wary of the other Perfect Ones as well.
Again, though, that was something to be set aside.
“At this moment, though... I don’t know what to ask.”
The Golden Ring, the Tower of Heroes and the Abyss of Demons, the Perfect Ones and Harbingers of Destruction—both blessings and curses were present. Black and white, once thought unchangeable, had started blending into a murky gray.
Having been swept into it all, Se-Hoon found it had become hard to define anything clearly. That was why, rather than try to set a standard now, he decided to first learn what he hadn’t understood before.
“Can I ask you once I’ve sorted out my thoughts?”
“Of course. You can ask me whenever you like,” Ludwig replied, giving him his usual soft smile, quietly cheering him on.
And after glancing at that smile, Se-Hoon looked ahead again. The entrance to the Tower of Heroes was now in sight.
“Well, then... I’ll be going.”
“Stay safe.”
Receiving Ludwig’s farewell, Se-Hoon stepped into the Tower and the surrounding scenery instantly shifted with a wave of distortion.
Fwoosh!
Flames engulfed everything he saw, creating a world akin to a burning hell.
Se-Hoon slowly looked around. And then, sitting casually in the middle, he saw someone.
The black hair streaked with gray and the martial robe that looked like it had been dyed in blood—the man he had come to find. Realizing who the middle-aged man was, Se-Hoon approached.
“Unfamiliar faces are now showing up, huh?” the man indifferently muttered.
The identity of the man was someone familiar: Li Kenxie, who hadn’t conquered the Tower of Heroes yet.