Chapter 520: The Whole Story (7) |
Chapter 520: The Whole Story (7)
This was the inevitable flaw in the victory strategy proposed by the Chief Engineer.
"Of course."
Of course, the two individuals here, who had honed their magic to the limit, were expected to be fine. However, for a creature that had already completed its evolution into a mage, all organs were attuned to the new phenomena; conversely, if mana were removed from the world, they would have no choice but to die. But Kang Changho had made this related argument while fully aware of these aspects.
"But it's fine."
"Wh-what."
"No matter how much the number of awakening cases has increased... even if we broadly include fetal awakeners in the scope, the superhuman population of this planet is at most around 9%."
"._."
"If cutting off just 9% of this massive population makes the whole safe, then there's no better move than this, right?"
But Seonwoo Yeon.
Jung Haseong.
Esther.
Gu Seohyeong.
And even that very young baby Earthling he accidentally met on the street, who looked good in a hat, etc. How could he use a method where he had to lose all those talented mana handlers, including them?
"Was his name Kim Do-yul? It was something like that."
They all had to die a gruesome death by being unable to breathe simply because they had adapted to mana early, and he was expected to accept this plan now?
"Surely that child also looked like he had magical talent. By this timeframe, his body structure might have already begun changing like a mage's."
The Archmage shook his head. He became even sharper than when he was attacked with the hair dryer.
"That won't do..."
"You're making me repeat the same statement two, three times."
As the Archmage quietly objected, Kang Changho likewise observed his opponent without any change in expression.
"If you, Lemming, can't come to your senses like that, I have no choice but to use force in my own way too."
"Do you think you can beat me?"
"I can't beat an Archmage 1 on 1!"
It felt like a battle could break out at any moment. Tension gradually mixed into the atmosphere.
"So I will solve this problem more fundamentally."
Moreover, by the time Kang Changho made this remark, Kim Giryeo's side now blatantly revealed their hostility.
"I don't know why on earth you're protecting such things as primitive awakeners--."
"._."
"But if I were to wipe out this entire Republic of Korea with the operation of a certain device, wouldn't my compatriot's mind change?"
"What?"
"Honestly, which superhuman you've grown so fond of... I really don't know."
It was a conversation that practically forced the assessment of him being a crazy creature.
"My emotional functions are not developed enough to properly evaluate the relationships of others."
[The Dragon's Eye] moved to one side again.
"First of all, the reports on the internet seemed to say you and Seo Esther are on good terms, but..."
"._."
"The Earthling even straightened your tie for you..."
For reference, there was a lot he wanted to say to refute this deduction, but Kim Giryeo held it in.
"Still, since it's better for work to proceed surely, I'm thinking of dealing with the awakeners across the entirety of South Korea in advance."
"._."
"Then the Alphaun in the same position I finally met won't have any reason to oppose my plan, right?"
"._."
"It's obvious, but it's not like I've been avoiding the representative of the [Korea Magic Tower] because I couldn't kill him all this time. Rather, I avoided him because I was afraid I would end up harming humans too easily like this."
But he couldn't just stay still after hearing these words.
"--I am against that kind of aggressive plan, no matter what situation arises."
His tone was ordinary, but Kim Giryeo pressured the master of the house by revealing his magical qualities without reservation. He had drawn up his magic power so that he could shoot magic at any moment.
"You're saying you'll keep opposing it?"
"Yes. Even if Korea disappears from the map, I cannot agree to the idea of killing all primitive awakeners on Earth."
"You're lying, right?"
"Then did you think I'd give you my liver and gallbladder just because I met my lifesaver?"
Kim Giryeo responded in the conversation this state.
"Lemming."
"So now I'm proposing the opposite from my side--just try touching this nation! Then, conversely, I'll erase your very existence from the world..."
But at this point, another anomaly occurred.
"Hmm?"
Crack.
Suddenly, the tip of a peach-colored finger split open. Moreover, this wasn't an ordinary phenomenon caused by dryness.
"A crack formed by an excessive concentration of magic power."
He hadn't even used any large-scale magic yet, so how was his primitive body already collapsing?
"Lemming."
The homeowner answered that question for him.
"Using magic frequently in this domain is not a good choice."
"._."
"...If you've taken such measures, you won't be able to use your power either."
"When the opponent is an Archmage, what's the point of the likes of an Engineer putting up a petty resistance?"
Swish.
Kang Changho explained while holding both his hands up lightly as if surrendering.
"Anyway, as the phenomenon appearing right now shows, my mansion is covered with artifacts that cause an excessive [Concentration of Magic Power]."
"In this case, even my magic will come out several times stronger."
"Yeah. Since it possesses a [Beneficial Enhancement] effect like that, it's hard to guard against, so it's a pretty useful countermeasure against monster mages."
"._."
"If you try to attack someone here, that screwy vessel called Kim Gi-ryeo will be shattered--."
But even though one side was placed in a disadvantageous situation like this, their confrontation unexpectedly didn't last long.
"No, really, if you do that, it'll be bad for your body?"
Crack, crackle.
Because Kim Gi-ryeo had prepared [Telekinesis] even while enduring the damage to his body.
"...I guess I can't just play dumb and push through now that I've been cornered this much."
"Lemming."
"It might be an idea that no one else would understand, but yeah. That's right. Actually, I don't want to lose any more Korean acquaintances."
"To the point of risking magic power..."
"Of course, the population of this world is plentiful enough that 90% would remain even without the awakeners."
"._."
"Still, the ones I've formed bonds with will be hard to be recreated exactly the same even after eons have passed, right?"
"._."
"It's unreasonable to hope for DNA structures to overlap naturally. Even if you create a plausible lifeform through genetic manipulation, you know that strangely, the exact same result doesn't come out, right?"
"I know."
The alien scholars exchanged opinions.
"So I want to keep the entities I like alive as much as possible, and maintain this life too."
"You care about the well-being of something as insignificant as an Earthling?"
"Because they are insignificant, I can't give them up all the more!"
"._."
"Now that I've regained my freedom, paradoxically, I've become very obsessed with small goals."
Clap.
Kim Giryeo said that and held out his hand.
"So it's about time you, our Chief Engineer, changed your mind too."
"Hmm."
"If we put our heads together from now on and slowly deliberate, there will definitely be other means to oppose the Alphaun phaulans besides that."
"I got it, so first of all, that attack magic you're casting right now..."
"For the record, if you talk nonsense again about killing all the Earth awakeners and whatnot, I'll crush your brain regardless of you being my savior, so consider yourself--."
What followed was a fierce threat. Kim Giryeo fully read his [Telekinesis] magic so that he could crush Kang Changho's lungs at any time.
But there was no occasion for him to properly display his skills.
"Fine. I lost."
The compatriot surrendered refreshingly.
"I will discard the plan I originally proposed."
Moreover, the remark of acknowledgement came out faster than he expected.
"Lemming. If your will is truly like that, I won't stop you anymore."
"._."
"So hurry up and cancel the magic you just cast. A vessel capable of holding a soul like yours must be quite precious on Earth, no?"
I appreciate the concern, but.
He's too submissive.
It was a situation where he couldn't help but feel suspicious.
Swish.
So after Kim Giryeo withdrew the magic he had cast, he immediately asked a question. By the way, what was the reason he needed my power so much that he even considered blowing up the Republic of Korea?
"Was there also an element he couldn't give up while living on Earth?"
It was a sentence he brought up, thinking how much he must have wanted to eliminate the Gates to act like that. But if for some reason, Kang Changho didn't answer his colleague's question for a long time. Even though his hair had dried a long time ago. And the inside of the house had truly become a mess.
"I just..."
The other party looked at the floor without setting his gaze on the surrounding scenery. And with a shadow cast over his face, he finally muttered a word after a long time.
"I'm lonely."
The other party's expression was still unseen.
"In the early days of coming to Earth, I didn't think you would additionally succeed in reincarnating."
"._."
"I had released all sorts of restrictions, but the period of working like a slave was so long. Actually, at first, I thought the Archmage would take their eternal rest there."
"For most cases, that's an accurate prediction."
"But after finishing those calculations and being dropped into the middle of these aliens—Earthlings—I started feeling strange at some point."
"I understand a little."
"So I would have even... tried to have a conversation first, even if that workplace superior I loathed so much suddenly appeared in your form."
"Oh my."
"That's how glad I was to see someone of my own kind."
Swish.
Kang Changho slipped one hand into the pocket of his bathrobe.
"We are people who met after overcoming probabilities as vast as the grains of sand in the Ganges. Could trying to stop the Archmage's foolishness truly be a wrong thing to do?"
Kang Changho continued speaking evenly.
"I was not wrong."
"._."
"You're the one who's wrong, Lemming."
He even spat out typical arrogance fitting of an Alphaun, but Kim Giryeo merely nodded quietly and listened attentively to these words.
"But then again, it's absurd for me to die just for the sake of finding a conversation partner."
"Hmm."
"I won't interfere much with whatever the Archmage does from now on."
"What?"
"Of course, I'll have to give some help for my own safety, but at least know for sure that I won't sacrifice myself for Earthlings."
"._."
"Don't tell me you can't even grant this request to leave me out of dangerous matters."
No. He could understand that much. The blind man willingly accepted the proposal brought up by his compatriot. By shaking his head, he expressed that it was fine if the other didn't actively interfere in future plans.
He's right."
However, as the situation settled, other worries also surfaced belatedly.
"It's definitely me who's strange for saying I'll protect the Awakener population this time."
Kim Giryeo reflected on his memories with the person named Kang Chang-ho. An orbital fracture injury... Getting caught in an unfair contract... Or etcetera.
Honestly, no matter how much he searched, there were few good experiences. Nevertheless, Kim Giryeo had changed his evaluation as soon as he heard the other party's new introduction.
By the way, how has that man been living all this whole time?"
One way or another, the owner of this mansion had saved his enslaved compatriot. Kim Giryeo came to view the Awakener in front of him favorably in his own way. Actually, because his benefactor had suddenly appeared as a corpse, he didn't have the chance to properly ask about the intentions hidden behind that good deed, but.
"Should I take this opportunity to ask what he was thinking?"
Kim Giryeo thought he needed to have an additional conversation with the Engineer.
"Ah, right."
But while he was organizing his words, the homeowner brought up a sentence first on his own.
"Then I'll assume we've safely exchanged our opinions on coping with the Gates. From here on, I have something to s