Chapter 183

Chapter 183: The Price of Salvation (1)

Bo Geonhwi’s expression soured completely, as though he had tasted something vile.

“Mad woman. Men, show this pathetic girl just how brutal reality can be.”

Following his directive, a brawler positioned at the forefront of the Fire Bell Gang combatants, featuring a prominent, weasel-like snout, bounded forward into an assault.

Observing this, Jeon Rahwa settled into the posture she had meticulously observed and practiced throughout the previous day.

The opening stance belonging to the Twin Snow Yin Cold Art.

While the Twin Snow Yin Cold Art operated primarily as an internal cultivation and meditative discipline, it nonetheless possessed fundamental physical forms and stances.

Bringing her hands together near her chest while sinking into a solid horse stance, she channeled the entirety of the frigid energy she had accumulated since dawn.

Whish!

The weasel-snouted brawler purposely launched a bare-fisted strike rather than unsheathing a blade.

After all, a living captive held double the financial worth.

Even so, a crimson glow ignited across his knuckles.

It was the signature basic technique of the Fire Bell Gang, known as the Red Fire Palm.

Reacting on instinct, Jeon Rahwa drove her own palm forward to intercept his incoming right fist.

Smack-

A subtle yet piercingly cold yin breeze kicked up, crashing head-on into the burning internal energy of the Red Fire Palm.

Sizzle- Bang-bang-bang!

In an instant, a cloud of vapor hissed into existence and detonated sharply in the air between them.

“Argh!”

The leading Fire Bell Gang brawler staggered backward violently, his hand entirely coated in white frost.

“This… this wench actually practices martial arts?”

“……!”

Bo Geonhwi along with the rest of the Fire Bell Gang combatants widened their eyes in disbelief.

It was shocking enough that someone who used to be a slave possessed martial cultivation.

Furthermore, judging by that single exchange… the internal technique she utilized appeared remarkably sophisticated.

‘Could it be she was never a slave to begin with?’

He recalled hearing rumors of similar occurrences.

Instances where an unrecognized Spiritual Root bloomed later in life, elevating an individual from servitude and allowing them to be taken in by an established martial artist.

Even so, the assault had already commenced.

Wouldn’t any potential complications vanish the moment this girl was eliminated anyway?

There was absolutely no reason to retreat at this stage.

“Curse it! Everyone, strike simultaneously! Execute the Red Fire Bell Formation!”

Bo Geonhwi lost no time in ordering the tactical layout they had drilled countless times.

The five members of the Fire Bell Gang, including the leader himself, instantly maneuvered into specific strategic coordinates encircling her.

The geometric pattern they assumed mirrored the calligraphy character for fire.

This was the mobilization of the Fire Bell Gang’s signature five-man cooperative assault tactic, the Red Fire Bell Formation.

Swish!

The moment the layout clicked into place, Bo Geonhwi lowered his hand in a chopping motion.

Immediately, every Fire Bell Gang operative thrust their palms forward, converging their collective fiery internal energy upon Jeon Rahwa simultaneously.

“The fiery execution commences!”

Right at that critical juncture, as the massive convergence of thermal energy shaped like the fire character closed in to incinerate Jeon Rahwa.

“In that case, your sentence is decapitation.”

“……?!”

Where had he come from?

A figure clad in dark attire materialized like an apparition directly beside Bo Geonhwi.

The stranger’s stare possessed the chilling intensity of a frozen midwinter lake.

That presence alone caused their swirling flames to sputter as though they might vanish entirely… yet the coordinated strike was already locked in.

The judgment had already been passed.

Snap!

Bo Geonhwi’s throat was instantly crushed by the newcomer’s open palm.

“For turning away from the path-”

Hummmmm, slash-slash-slash-slash!

The remaining four assailants were decapitated simultaneously as scattered metal fragments on the ground rose into the air, spinning rapidly to sever their necks.

“You have brought this retributive chalice upon yourselves.”

The individual was, naturally, Dong Bongsu.

The pronouncement he delivered was nothing more than a mandatory ritual.

Ding-

【Main】The Salvation of Jeon Rahwa

【Relationship】The Price of Salvation

An extended hand of assistance can give rise to unforeseen bonds.

This, too, constitutes a thread of your path, and destiny may place a ‘fresh obligation’ upon your shoulders.

Presently, the marks your convictions have carved into this world have come back to shape your fate.

The path forward is yours to determine.

․ Ensure the protection of the youngsters Jeon Rahwa rescued.

․ Eliminate the trackers/survivors targeting the children (5/5)

․ Following the elimination of the trackers/survivors,

1. Protect: Formally instruct the youngsters and integrate them into the ‘Faith’.

2. Entrust: Place them under the care of an allied group or community.

3. Abandon: Dissolve all ties and disregard their plight.

├─ Progress: 99%

└─ Reward: History +1, Trust slightly increased

Stripped to its core, it was the resolution of an objective that had abruptly materialized.

● ● ●

Only a brief moment prior to this.

Eastern Road, the remnants of the Seven Star Immortal Society.

『Hero’s Aura Lv.1』

『Light of Faith Lv.1』

Was it a persistent aura?

Or perhaps a usable ability capable of dealing supplementary harm to Corrupted Entities?

Dong Bongsu did not require an extended period to arrive at a conclusion.

Click.

He selected the ‘Y’ option corresponding to one of the choices.

Chime-

『Light of Faith Lv.1』

The designation of the ability flickered briefly across the Hero’s Road Hologram before fading from view.

[The Participant has advanced ten paces along the path of a Hero.]

[The Participant has acquired ‘Hero’s Aura Lv.1’.]

— Your choices are always held in the highest regard.

Nevertheless, remain ever mindful.

The decisions you accumulate will ultimately dictate the ultimate condition and horizon of this world.

The Hero’s Road Hologram dissolved into a cluster resembling drifting fireflies, reassembling itself within the [Skill] interface.

Moments later, the inscription [Hero’s Aura Lv.1] solidified.

All at once.

Hummmm-

: Area of Effect: A 15-meter boundary surrounding the Hero. A clear, membrane-like dome expanded outward from Dong Bongsu, stopping at a radius of precisely 15 meters. Concurrently.

: All friendly targets within the boundary: Offensive Power +5% / Defensive Power +5% / Affliction Resistance +10%

: All hostile targets within the boundary: Offensive Power -5% / Defensive Power -5% / Critical Evasion -10%

He could explicitly sense a mysterious surge of strength merging into his body.

‘The phrasing ‘friendly targets within the boundary’ applies to me as well.’

Yet the instant that realization struck, the clear dome contracted rapidly, ultimately dissolving back into Dong Bongsu’s lower core.

※Passive effect, automatically triggers upon entering an engagement.

Entering an engagement.

To put it differently, the What is Hero system required a formal recognition of active combat before [Hero’s Aura] would manifest in reality.

‘This grants me another ‘anticipatory detection mechanism’ that should pair exceptionally well alongside the [Spiritual Eye]…?!’

Hummmm-

His chain of thought broke.

The pressure field that had just receded suddenly surged back into existence, blanketing his immediate surroundings.

Dong Bongsu immediately deployed his Super True Qi Field while projecting his sensory perception outward in all directions.

Yet currently, not even the vibration of an insect could be detected anywhere near the broken structures.

Why then?

The What is Hero framework had never exhibited a malfunction up to this point.

It possessed no motive to deceive him, nor was it engineered to provide false readings.

Click.

He began systematically reviewing every element of the user interface.

It required very little time to identify the catalyst behind the activation of [Hero’s Aura].

【Main】The Salvation of Jeon Rahwa

【Relationship】The Price of Salvation

An extended hand of assistance can give rise to unforeseen bonds.

This, too, constitutes a thread of your path, and destiny may place a ‘fresh obligation’ upon your shoulders.

Presently, the marks your convictions have carved into this world have come back to shape your fate.

The path forward is yours to determine.

“Heh, heh, heh.”

A low, involuntary chuckle escaped his throat.

To think he had failed to foresee a development of this nature.

Progression was by no means a benefit reserved solely for his own person.

In reality, every single individual was perpetually evolving, transforming, and forging ahead.

The only variables lay in the magnitude, the pace, and the acceleration of that growth.

Crucially, such progression could manifest within his ‘Retainers’ at any given moment.

“The path forward is mine to determine, is it.”

Dong Bongsu opened the [Minimap] without delay, pinpointing the location of the blue marker.

A precise coordinate along the Western Road was immediately flagged.

In that very heartbeat, Dong Bongsu’s physical form dissolved from the site of the ruins.

● ● ●

Having disposed of the low-level enforcers from the Fire Bell Gang, Dong Bongsu flicked the residual crimson drops from his hand-blade before shifting his attention toward Jeon Rahwa.

“Allow me to ask you once more.”

Jeon Rahwa kept her gaze cast downward, seemingly too self-conscious to meet his eyes.

“I instructed you to dedicate yourself entirely to mastering your martial disciplines, yet here you are initiating conflicts?”

“…I ventured out in an effort to assist you in recovering your past.”

“And the result? Did you uncover anything of substance?”

“Ah, as a matter of fact, yes.”

At that, she lifted her chin to look squarely at Dong Bongsu.

Her expression radiated genuine earnestness.

While Dong Bongsu lacked a fundamental comprehension of what true earnestness felt like, he could recognize it as ‘a specific orientation of sentiment or regard’ directed toward him.

In technical gaming terms, was this what one would classify as affinity with a subordinate?

“Your identity used to carry quite a bit of weight, you know?”

“What exactly are you referring to?”

“High School Student.”

Quite unexpectedly, a familiar designation slipped from her mouth.

Yet Dong Bongsu was immediately capable of reconstructing the broader context of the situation.

Simultaneously, a fragmented piece of Kim Rae-won’s shattered perceptions snapped into alignment, firing across Dong Bongsu’s cognitive pathways.

『High School Student Kim Rae-won』

The specific moniker by which that individual was recognized within this domain.

Noticing the faint shift in Dong Bongsu’s demeanor, Jeon Rahwa stepped closer and suddenly took hold of his hand.

“Oh? You recognize it?”

“Indeed. It feels like a title I have encountered previously.”

“In that case… are you truly that specific High School Student? One of the Three Monsters?”

“I cannot say for certain. It might simply be a piece of information I absorbed elsewhere.”

“I suppose that makes sense. No matter how I evaluate it, your physical age and Kim Rae-won’s timeline do not align. He would be forty years old at the absolute minimum by now.”

“One can never be certain. Perhaps I underwent a process of physical rejuvenation?”

“Haha. Rejuvenation of that scale is virtually impossible to realize through conventional martial paths.”

“And how did you come across that absolute rule?”

Jeon Rahwa wavered for a brief second.

Then, letting out a soft breath, she confessed.

“I was told. By an individual.”

An individual.

The moment the word was spoken, Dong Bongsu was able to reduce the pool of suspects to six, or perhaps seven, candidates.

“Information gathered from those wretched fools, I take it.”

“Yes, precisely. They truly are wretched fools. Setting aside the fact that they possess considerable might.”

“Regardless, you can permanently remove one of those wretched fools from your tally.”

“Did Bukgung Ri truly meet his end?”

“I am uncertain. Whether he perished or simply ceased to exist in this space.”

“……I understand.”

He could detect a profound wave of disillusionment radiating from Jeon Rahwa.

She truly was a fascinating subject, broadcasting her internal states with such vivid clarity.

“Well, it is simplest to treat him as deceased. If he is nowhere to be found, he is dead.”

“Ha. What sort of reasoning is that?”

“What do you mean? It is perfectly logical.”

Indeed, such a conclusion would be far more advantageous for that individual as well.

Should he ever materialize before me once more, he might view me as a ‘place to rest,’ whereas I would simply classify him as ‘prey’ once again.

“In any case, the High School Student’s actual name is Kim Rae-won?”

“Yes, that is what was communicated to me.”

“Dismiss it.”

“What do you mean, dismiss it?”

“Did I not clarify previously? I possess no genuine attachment to my misplaced history. If it slipped away, there must have been an adequate justification, or perhaps the absence itself represents a continuation of that history.”

Jeon Rahwa studied Dong Bongsu intently before pressing her lips together in a slight pout.

“Dismiss it, you say? Did you not previously designate me as your beacon?”

“What of it?”

“I… have now designated you as my beacon instead.”

“……”

“Regardless of your personal perspective, I intend to continue seeking out your history. Do not even attempt to dissuade me.”

“I shall not block you. That remains an endeavor for you to pursue on your own terms.”

“…This concerns your history, not my own.”

“Correct, it is my history. Not yours.”

Concluding that exchange, Dong Bongsu finally redirected his attention away from Jeon Rahwa, focusing instead on the ten pairs of cautious eyes observing him from her shadow.

He evaluated every single one of them.

The underlying catalyst that had drawn him to this precise location.

【Main】The Salvation of Jeon Rahwa

【Relationship】The Price of Salvation

An extended hand of assistance can give rise to unforeseen bonds.

This, too, constitutes a thread of your path, and destiny may place a ‘fresh obligation’ upon your shoulders.

Presently, the marks your convictions have carved into this world have come back to shape your fate.

The path forward is yours to determine.

․ Ensure the protection of the youngsters Jeon Rahwa rescued.

․ Eliminate the trackers/survivors targeting the children (5/5)

․ Following the elimination of the trackers/survivors,

1. Protect: Formally instruct the youngsters and integrate them into the ‘Faith’.

2. Entrust: Place them under the care of an allied group or community.

3. Abandon: Dissolve all ties and disregard their plight.

├─ Progress: 99%

└─ Reward: History +1, Trust slightly increased

A projected interface hung directly over the features of the youths.

Along with the paths to choose from.

[A pivotal decision regarding ‘The Price of Salvation’ awaits your resolution.]

[ 1 / 2 / 3 ]

If the previous scenario demanded the selection of a power.

This moment demanded a decision regarding the ultimate path of these youths.

Protect?

Entrust?

Or Abandon?