Chapter 62
Chapter 62: Operation to Rescue Jang Du-sik (7)
Orphan No. 6 in the back alleys of Peran with no name.
In the lawless city surrounded by the Three Kingdoms, the Empire, and the Demon Realm conflict zone, orphans overflowed in abundance.
That's why among the orphans numbering up to 100, only the most capable ones could receive a name from the boss.
"From now on, your name is Jang Du-sik."
Orphan No. 6, who had pacified the back alleys with his two fists, became an adult and received his name.
"Damn it, the boss is such a bastard. We're all the same street rats, so we should take care of each other—"
Crack!
Having received his name, Jang Du-sik immediately ripped out the boss's neck.
"—How is it right to sell the half-decent ones to perverted old men?"
Jang Du-sik glared at the severed head he held up and muttered like that.
"Boss—"
"Call me Brother. Saying boss makes me feel the same as that damn bastard, which disgusts me."
Jang Du-sik became the boss of the back alleys in the lawless city.
However, since he had no education, his life wasn't much different from before.
"Children selling drugs, that's forbidden. Instead, fleecing guys who look rich is fine."
Even so, Jang Du-sik's organization had principles.
Though those principles weren't exactly in a good direction.
'Better than the dead boss's human trafficking and organ trafficking.'
Jang Du-sik genuinely believed he was doing good.
In the world Jang Du-sik had learned from, plundering was the norm, and moreover, far more cruel crimes were commonplace.
In such back alleys, Jang Du-sik's methods were bound to fall behind.
"Brother, it looks like our kids are defecting to other organizations."
Other organizations targeted the weaknesses of Du-sik's gang.
What the guys who originally specialized in human trafficking did after changing their name to Du-sik's faction was merely fleecing commoners.
It must have seemed very easy to exploit.
"Du-sik Brother, would this method work?"
Jang Du-sik, who had ripped out the previous boss's head because he hated seeing fellow orphans being sold off, had no countermeasures.
"Can't we just steal more money?"
"No, Brother. Is it easy to fleece the rich in Peran? Our kids only rob easy marks. The rich come with soldiers or mercenaries..."
"Soldiers? Mercenaries? Can't we beat their armor off with clubs?"
"That's only for brothers like you."
The underworld has its own laws, but Jang Du-sik went against them.
Yet he couldn't move into the light either.
Jang Du-sik didn't know the righteous ways of the light.
"Then wouldn't we just rob people at our level?"
"No, Brother. How many mouths do our kids have? Can we manage with pickpocketing or extortion? We should just deal drugs!"
"Drugs are out of the question. Drugs make people live like drooling idiots, so why would I sell that?"
"Argh, I don't know anymore. Brother! I can't take this anymore."
In the end, even his right-hand man turned away from Jang Du-sik.
Still, Jang Du-sik had good fortune.
The elders in the back alleys and women rescued from brothels took good care of Jang Du-sik.
"Brother Du-sik, let's just catch fish and live together. Over there— if we go to the Garcian Kingdom, they say they accept fishermen as commoners."
"No way! I'm Jang Du-sik! No matter what, I'll find other work, so stop spouting such nonsense."
He left the slums of Peran alone and headed toward the city.
"Hey, what's up with this little punk?"
"What?"
He encountered some strange little punk who was dragging a massive sword nearly as tall as his own one-meter frame.
'If I steal that sword, I can sell it.'
So Jang Du-sik tried to take that sword.
Thus he decided to live as a merchant.
"Drop that. Then I'll let you live."
"Ah— does this conflict zone only have crazy bastards?"
That day, Jang Du-sik got beaten like a troll on a festival day.
Getting beaten in the middle of the city, yet no one tried to help Jang Du-sik.
Even no one tried to stop the little punk.
"......It's that crazy murderer, Erik."
Only after hearing the commotion from those around him did Jang Du-sik realize the little punk's identity.
A legendary existence, like urban folklore—one who beats black mages to death and eliminates all connected to them.
The crazy murderer, Erik.
Why such a notorious name was attached, he came to understand after getting beaten.
Smack!
He slashes with the flat of the blade.
But divine power leaked from the sword, healing him the moment he was hit.
"Pray and repent."
"Ptui! Prayer is bullshit, hey, this doesn't even tickle!"
Jang Du-sik persevered stubbornly.
He refused to accept his predicament of being beaten by such a small punk.
Seeing such Jang Du-sik, the little punk adjusted his grip on the sword.
He had been holding it casually, but now he put strength into it—hefting the greatsword with both hands.
And he said:
"Is that so? Then pray that you die in one hit."
With the little punk's innocent voice, saying such vicious words with such an adorable face while beating him...
Smack! Ugh. Whack!
An unending barrage began.
Without a word, the little punk maintained his expressionless face while beating Jang Du-sik.
"P-please save me! I-I'll serve you as Brother—!"
After getting beaten for over an hour, Jang Du-sik's momentum broke.
"Brother? Bullshit"
That's when it happened.
Just as the little punk was about to bring down his sword.
"Oof! Erik!"
A white-haired woman with long hair fluttering struck the little punk's head with a chestnut.
Boom!!!
"Ugh."
A huge sound and shockwave erupted, and Jang Du-sik rolled across the ground from the aftermath.
When he came to his senses.
"Oh, such pure energy."
The woman who appeared to be the little punk's mother was looking down at Jang Du-sik.
Her appearance was more suited to a girl than a mother, but there were many young mothers here.
Jang Du-sik naturally assumed she was Erik's mother.
"Really, how did you teach this kid?"
Jang Du-sik's broken momentum came back.
He had the mind to demand compensation.
"If you're the kid's mother, shouldn't you teach them basic things? Just beating people like this out of nowhere—"
The woman's eyes sharpened.
An eerie and indescribable atmosphere filled the air.
She asked:
"Do I look like the kid's mother?"
***
"I got beaten that badly back then."
"Is that so?"
Erik was filled with anger.
After burning all the Gnolls surrounding them with divine power and using [Divine Heal] on the dying Jang Du-sik, he asked what had happened.
"Well... Thinking back to that time, I think Sister Riferoze beat me more."
Jang Du-sik brought up his childhood memories for the first time in a long while.
For Erik, it was a somewhat awkward topic, but since it was Jang Du-sik, he just listened silently.
"Whew. Du-sik, so is that all you know about getting beaten as badly by the Gnolls?"
Jang Du-sik getting beaten a lot was the conclusion of the conversation.
There was no explanation of what happened on the 5th floor of the Labyrinth, what the Imperial Army was doing, or what became of the adventurers gathered here.
Erik demanded a more detailed explanation again.
"How would I know that? I'm already having a hard time escaping with these stragglers."
Hmm.
His trapezius muscle twitched, but Erik endured it.
'Du-sik has integrity, at least.'
He recalled the wounds he had seen on Jang Du-sik before he was healed.
One arm was severed, a leg was mangled, and his eyes were deeply gouged, with one eye blinded.
Yet the bundle he carried on his front remained in perfect condition.
"This is what you told me to collect."
That bundle contained items for Erik.
How could he get angry seeing such loyalty?
"You went through a lot. Thank you, Du-sik."
The bundle he received was soaked with Jang Du-sik's blood.
So Erik recited his gratitude calmly.
'If there is a god...'
He had taken Jang Du-sik's head away.
But in return, he must have given him the supreme loyalty and righteousness.
In such emotion, Erik immediately opened the bundle.
That's when Jang Du-sik asked Erik with a start:
"Hey, Brother. Are you leaving those stragglers to die?"
He didn't think Erik would treat the Possessors with the same care as him, but still, he hoped they'd save their lives at least...
Erik didn't even pay attention and was checking items.
"Du-sik, what do you think would happen if I used Divine Heal on them?"
"Wouldn't they burn to death?"
"Elixirs are needed to cure Possession, but how would I find an Elixir here?"
"Hey, don't you have Elixirs stashed somewhere?"
"Already sold them all. Used some too."
Just as Jang Du-sik went through tough times, Erik had also endured a difficult battle.
He consumed massive resources fighting off the descended Calamity-class Demon.
'Possessors really are inconvenient.'
He had supplemented his funds from the Elf Kingdom in a pinch, but couldn't obtain recovery potions.
No, he hadn't thought to prepare them.
Since Erik had divine power, potions and elixirs were inefficient items for him.
"Du-sik, there's a saying that humans always find answers."
Erik pulled out a bunch of bottle-shaped items from the bundle, a faint smile gracing his lips.
"Why are you grinning like that over a liquor bottle?"
Jang Du-sik felt puzzled seeing Erik's characteristic beaming smile that appeared when he profited greatly.
'What the hell is he planning...'
His demeanor didn't seem like he was abandoning the Possessors, but he didn't seem particularly interested in saving them either.
[Level Up Elixir] × 40
One way or another, Erik had a clear plan.
Wasn't this why he had sent Jang Du-sik into the Labyrinth?
[Divine Body - 69/100]
By using the Level Up Elixir to achieve Divine Body and burning the 10 billion Gold he obtained from the Elf Kingdom to open the 4th Tier Divine Power.
'Divine power will definitely work on Possessors too.'
Just like he had partially healed Janson's scar.
His body had been torn to pieces in the aftermath, but this would be resolved by achieving Divine Body.
Literally, he would gain a god's body.
Pop!
With those thoughts, Erik unhesitatingly opened a bottle of elixir.
"Hey, there's a goblin urine smell—"
Jang Du-sik beside him started grumbling, but Erik paid no mind and poured the liquid from the bottle into his mouth.
[Divine Body - 100/100]
Thus he reached.
[You have achieved Divine Body.]
Erik's own enlightenment, and the catalyst to transcend to the next realm.
Whoooosh!!
Following Erik's breath, divine power rippled from all directions.
A golden mist erupted from his pale skin, beginning to illuminate the Labyrinth brilliantly.
'Feeling almighty.'
Erik's entire body was filled with indescribable fullness.
If he faced the Calamity-class Demon again, he felt he could beat it to death with his bare hands.
Immersed in such feelings.
"Hey, Brother! Smoke is pouring from those Possessors' bodies!"
Jang Du-sik shouted urgently.
Erik turned his head to see that the overflowing divine power was burning the Possessors.
[4th Tier Divine Power]
[Gold Possessed: 1,230,506,500]
Erik quickly manipulated his status window and opened the next stage.
In an instant, 10 billion Gold—equivalent to 100 billion won in Earth currency—vanished.
Instead.
[4th Tier Divine Power has been opened.]
With a clear line of text, Erik's consciousness disappeared beyond.
***
―Your temple.
―Your divinity.
―Your world.
A space filled with golden divine light.
'All of this is mine.'
It was the same space, yet what he felt was different.
This space was entirely his own, or rather, it felt like his own body.
As Erik felt the divinity filling all around him.
―Now create your faith.
The Labyrinth's voice uttered new words.
'Is the next stage becoming a god?'
In the status window, a new realm [5th Tier Divine Power] had appeared, and its meaning was clear.
―Surpass the three gods who have left this world and build supreme faith.
True to Erik's expectation, the Labyrinth's voice left meaningful words.
Why does the Labyrinth maintain silence within the Labyrinth but speak here?
Many questions remained, but there was no one to answer them.
'Always just says what it wants to say and disappears.'
An alien energy entering Erik's divinity-filled space.
It had completely vanished.
This space was like his body, so that was certain.
'Since it's the Labyrinth's voice, I'll know its identity someday.'
Erik put aside problems he couldn't immediately resolve and turned his attention to what was easier to handle.
His golden eyes directed toward the temple placed above the clouds.
'Three familiar presences.'
Three Possessors were spouting nonsense at the temple entrance.
"We did everything that Erik bastard told us to do, and he lets us get eaten by that damn bastard and die? That makes sense?"
"......Nishida, watch your language. Obviously, this place is related to Erik the director."
"Park Chang-ho, you too. Are you a hopeless fool? You got bossed around like a dog and got bitten by a mad dog and died, and you still want to defend that bastard?"
"O-older brothers. Stop fighting!"
Should he save these bastards?
For a moment, Erik had that thought.
'But I should save them anyway.'
Especially Nishida Ryo must be saved no matter what.
After tasting the [Level Up Elixir], Erik felt a bit of affection for the Possessors.
"Ugh. Nothing but hardships in this damn other world."
"That's true. If I'd just not played Continental Online, ah, I would've won a gold medal and gotten exempt from military service..."
Erik was the type to unconditionally accomplish what he set out to do, with an unyielding nature.
Yet seeing those Possessors, his heart wavered like a reed.
'Should I save them or not?'
They bickered with each other, saying this and that, then united in lamenting their fate.
"Actually, I like it better here?"
"Is that so... I guess you would like it."
"I wish I'd possessed a body like Park Chang-ho instead of this fat body."
"Hey, I used the Appearance Change Ticket to return to my original form."
Seeing Kang Pung-ho becoming a woman and being happy, and them bickering over appearance...
His head spun.
Erik wielded his power directly.
Boom!!
A heavy vibration occurred, and a semi-transparent golden staircase appeared between the cloud where Erik was and the temple.
"Huh......?"
"W-what, E-Erik Director?"
"Erik?"
The three Possessors widened their eyes in surprise as Erik strode up the stairs toward his temple.
"You sure enjoy talking bad about me."
With that single, casually dropped word, the three Possessors turned deathly pale.