897

[Chapter 223]

[Miracle]

The Slayer subjugation operation conducted in utmost secrecy.

The operation ended successfully.

Players subjugated the Slayers hiding in Changwon, and Noh Eun-ha defeated <King of Darkness> Baek Seo-jin.

That evening, Fairy Im Ga-eul appeared on all national broadcasts.

[Respected citizens. I have something to tell you belatedly.]

Im Ga-eul began her national address with those words.

She apologized for not informing the citizens about the operation in advance, thereby increasing their anxiety.

However, she added that it was unavoidable to catch the Slayers off guard.

If this operation had caused major damage to civilians, she would have been criticized by the citizens.

Fortunately, there was no damage to civilians during the operation.

To this, citizens didn't mind her apology much.

What mattered was the follow-up.

[We must change what's wrong. From now on, we will walk a long path to properly restore this country. And I will stand at the forefront to change this country anew.]

In this announcement, Im Ga-eul emphasized that she would correct what was wrong.

Accordingly, she said that not only national-level efforts but also citizen-level efforts should be added.

People felt their hearts warm at the words that they would create a new country with their own hands.

[The owners of the country are its citizens. Therefore, I will work with you to create a country truly of the people, by the people, for the people. Within 3 years, I will overhaul this country.]

A firm and confident tone.

People were all captivated by her words.

It was then.

Im Ga-eul ended her speech leaving those words at the point where she judged she had uplifted the people.

[And I will step down from this position, become a citizen like you all, and contribute to this country.]

""""...!!""""

Everyone was surprised.

There was no one who didn't understand the meaning of those words.

Fairy Im Ga-eul's resignation.

It was also something predicted by people who knew the current political situation deeply.

This country is facing a transformation.

Something is about to change greatly.

The world that will unfold from now on will be very different from before.

Overhauling the wrong country.

Im Ga-eul thought that was her last mission given to her.

After that, she entrusts the role of newly leading the country she overhauled to the new Fairy.

The owner of Gift <White Silver>, Im Baek-yeon.

In 3 years, Im Ga-eul intends to step down and pass the position of Fairy to her.

People could understand her intention up to that point.

A truly new world is opening.

People were excited by the fact that they were living at an important turning point in history.

☆

While the citizens were excited, for government officials, it could be said that the gates of hell had opened.

"It's good that IT technology has developed. Officials can now take work home so they can rest, right?" """"...."""

Fairy Im Ga-eul.

She had been working vigorously since her national address.

Her job was to overhaul the country.

Overwork came as a basic.

Nevertheless, unlike the officials, she worked without getting tired.

"How long have I worked as Fairy... I stopped counting after 10 years, but in 3 years I won't be able to work as Fairy anymore."

Work is tough and hard.

But Im Ga-eul was just looking forward to the day when she would finally be freed from Fairy duties in 3 years.

That was why she was working energetically and pushing the officials under her.

"It seems <Index > is in high spirits too, saying he'll hand over the library to <Big Data> and only work a few days a month."

There was one more person like Im Ga-eul.

<Index > Yoon Seong-jin.

He too decided to step down in 3 years and take on the role of nurturing talents like <Big Data>.

He planned to work as an instructor at the academy for the normal operation of the Player Library.

As a result, <Index >'s work processing also became considerably faster than before.

"Urgh..."

Naturally, the people under them had no choice but to work themselves to death.

While citizens were cheering, they were dying from overwork.

They worked from the moment they opened their eyes until they closed them, unable to rest properly.

"J-Just let me rest for one day..."

Controller Yoon I-byeol was also living a life of being worked to death by the two.

She, who was already skinny, had her cheeks become hollow in just a few days.

She had been living with energy drinks by her side like government officials have been doing for some time now.

There was no time for dating.

A few years ago, when Eun-ha suddenly recommended her as controller, dating disappeared from her life.

"...Meeting Eun-ha was a mistake."

Yoon I-byeol would shudder at Eun-ha's name.

She was suffering from work stress to the point of wanting to burn the elixirs regularly sent by Pandora Clan.

<Index > was a devil too.

Im Ga-eul was a devil too.

Noh Eun-ha was a devil too.

"Sob..."

Tears trickled out involuntarily.

But as a controller, she couldn't show tears to others.

She had to compose her emotions and enter the control room to work again.

Walking with her shoulders slumped reminded one of a zombie.

"Uuugh... Just kill me instead. I'd rather go to prison!!"

Yoon I-byeol was still better off.

<Big Data> Mo Ra-yul had been trapped in the Player Library for over 20 days, always being pushed around by rabbits.

Meanwhile, there were quite a few other people living overwhelmed by work.

"Prepare a plan to bring darkness into the light as much as possible... How am I supposed to do that?"

Darkness shouldn't exist.

But if there is light, there is also shadow.

Light and darkness couldn't be divided.

So it couldn't be completely eliminated.

To this, Im Ga-eul decided to remake the country with minimal darkness.

<King of Shadows> Han Chang-jin.

He was in a situation of being worked by her day after day in that process.

Han Chang-jin had to live with a gloomy face at the instruction to bring darkness into the light as much as possible.

His already gloomy atmosphere became even gloomier.

"I want to meet Eun-ah after a long time..."

Han Chang-jin couldn't even dream of dating.

Moreover, other Twelve Seats also had to move busily.

Noh Eun-ah, Jin Pa-rang, Ryu Yeon-hwa had to run around busily.

At this point, Han Chang-jin suspected.

"Could this be Eun-ha's scheme to separate me from Eun-ah... No, it can't be. Right?"

Today too, Han Chang-jin left for a distant place to manage darkness.

Other Pandora Clan members had to be called for various duties.

Relatively free clan members were those who were injured and receiving treatment like Noh Eun-ha.

However, they too couldn't avoid the flow of becoming working slaves.

Im Baek-yeon was the same.

Thud

For the past few days, Im Baek-yeon had been living and eating with Im Ga-eul.

Im Baek-yeon, who had become almost like a ghost of the Blue House, blinked at the documents thrust before her eyes.

"What... is this?"

No, please don't let it be.

Her pupils trembled.

She gave Im Ga-eul a desperate look.

Im Ga-eul smiled gently at Im Baek-yeon who was trembling with anxiety.

"What else. It's work you have to do today. It's better to do the handover early... It's the country you'll lead from now on, isn't it better to see directly from the side how it will change?"

"Sob..."

A devil was smiling in front of her eyes.

It was impossible to escape from Im Ga-eul's clutches.

Im Baek-yeon had to look through all these documents today too, swallowing her tears.

"Fairy, if you work just a little more..."

"No, it's not possible. But don't worry. When I step down from the Fairy position, I'll do Cocoon maintenance work. It's fortunate that you won't have to go around the country, right?"

"..."

Im Baek-yeon couldn't answer.

Those words sounded just like telling her to only work in the Blue House without going out anywhere.

"I'm looking forward to that time. I can just travel around the country with Sang-jin oppa while incidentally infusing mana into Cocoons. I should ask <Star-Counting Witch> later where's good to travel."

"...You're bad."

"Then you should quickly find a successor too. Isn't that how it works?"

Im Ga-eul hums a tune.

She checks documents quickly while enjoying herself.

Her work processing speed is amazing.

Im Baek-yeon glanced at Im Ga-eul and sighed.

☆

The world was more bustling than ever.

The elation of creating a new world with their own hands was making people overflow with vitality.

Really, something is changing.

Although that change is still insignificant, just a small step.

Nevertheless, Eun-ha sensed that the small step people had taken would greatly change something in the future.

It was a change that would work positively.

Thanks to all disasters disappearing.

The reason they were able to overcome those disasters was because of the sacrifices of many people until now.

It's not because of me.

I must never forget that there was help from other people.

Eun-ha recalled the faces of people who had died in disasters so far.

He decided not to forget gratitude towards them by being intoxicated with pride.

Holding that feeling in his heart, Eun-ha passed through the streets while hiding his presence as much as possible.

People restoring cities destroyed by several disasters could be seen everywhere.

"I wonder what today's snack will be? I hope it's not the rice balls we ate yesterday... I'm really grateful for the university students nearby making them, but the taste is hit or miss so it's hard to eat."

"Hey now. Isn't it a bit much for someone who ate several rice balls with sugar saying they were delicious to say that?"

"When those kids ask if it's delicious, should I bluntly say it's not?"

"Ah, speaking of hit or miss, I heard the ones made by Pandora Clan are really hit or miss too. They say you might end up in the hospital if you eat the wrong one..."

Their faces were full of vitality.

It was a sight protected by himself and his comrades, other people, and those who had left this world.

Making them grasp even a thread of hope, not falling into despair.

In fact, that's essentially what they had been doing for years.

Therefore─

─If even a thread of hope exists, I can't give up like this.

Eun-ha didn't want the people who had made them hold hope to fall into despair.

He wanted their dedication and sacrifice to be rewarded somehow.

That could be said to be the reason he was going to meet Twenty-five now.

Eventually, he entered the building where he usually met Twenty-five.

"Ah, you're here?" "You must be tired from working. Is everything prepared?"

"Yes, this way please. I've prepared it in that room."

Twenty-five was already there.

Eun-ha followed his guidance and entered the room at the very end of the corridor.

There was a coffin in the center of the room.

Eun-ha opened the coffin lid slightly and examined the corpse inside.

"..."

Red-dyed hair.

A rough face.

And a man with a mechanical arm.

It was <Yama > Kang Hyeon-cheol.

"You don't know how hard it was to smuggle him out. If I had made a mistake, I could have run into Blaze Clan members and gotten into a fight."

"Yes, thanks to you. I won't forget it."

Twenty-five joked beside him.

Eun-ha told him he did a good job and fully opened the coffin.

"But was there a need to go this far? You could have explained to the government and Blaze Clan and received the body."

Then Twenty-five added.

Twenty-five was aware of what Eun-ha was about to do.

He was trying to revive Kang Hyeon-cheol with the power of the Dawn Sword that destroys causality.

People who had formed connections with Eun-ha now knew well the power of this sword.

"You never know. I'm not sure if this will really work either."

But the Dawn Sword wasn't omnipotent.

Destroying the cause to change the result was an extremely abstruse principle, and in a way, a power that defied the laws of nature.

It was very difficult to handle, and the price for it was considerable.

The results I can change are only those where I clearly perceive the causality. And it must be the most recent result.

So I'm not sure if I can revive <Yama >...

Currently, the results Eun-ha could change had to meet several conditions.

One, Eun-ha himself had to clearly perceive the cause and result.

One, he could only definitely change the result by destroying the direct cause.

When a truck killed a cat, the direct cause of the result of the cat's death is the truck.

The person driving the truck only indirectly influenced it.

So to definitely change the result, the truck must be destroyed so it can't function.

If the driver is killed─

─Variables would occur and we wouldn't know if the cat would come back to life. Even if that person dies, variables could occur where another person could drive that truck and kill it.

Meanwhile, another condition was that the result must be the 'most recent state'.

A cat died.

After that, the cat's leg was cut off.

At this time, the result that can be changed with the Dawn Sword is restoring the cat's leg to its original state.

The cat's death doesn't change.

With my current power, I can't change previous results. In fact... I'm not sure if it will be possible even if I become better at handling the power.

All living beings die.

Death is an unavoidable fate.

The Dawn Sword is a truly transcendent sword that changes even that fate.

It was also a sword that denied the right to death in a way.

So Eun-ha sometimes wondered if this sword should exist in the world.

Nevertheless─

"─We should save people we can save."

Eun-ha decided to go against the natural order that humans shouldn't interfere with.

It was something he had resolved to do since reviving his father, no, since obtaining the myth called Revival.

Although it might be an insult to dead people, he decided to boldly insult them.

"Is that Halphas's soul stone?"

"Yes, that's right."

Then Eun-ha took out the soul stone he had been keeping in his bosom.

It was Halphas's soul stone that killed Kang Hyeon-cheol, received from Mok Min-ho.

Min-ho heard what Eun-ha was trying to do and readily handed over the soul stone.

I wanted to save <Thunder God> too, but there's nothing I can do since even his corpse doesn't exist and disappeared.

As for <Yama >... I'm not sure how it will turn out either.

Through Precise Memory.

Eun-ha was able to access the memory that Kang Hyeon-cheol died to Halphas and got a mechanical arm from <Puppeteer >.

As a result, results were overlaid.

The result of Kang Hyeon-cheol's death was overlaid with the result of getting a mechanical arm.

I know the chances of failure are high.

So Eun-ha knew that what he was about to do was close to impossible.

That's also why he didn't tell <Holy Mother> or Blaze Clan members.

Nevertheless─

─I still can't give up.

For <Holy Mother>'s sake too.

For this country's strength too.

Eun-ha intended to drag Kang Hyeon-cheol back from beyond the Yellow Springs even if he had to grab him by the collar.

He didn't want to let Kang Hyeon-cheol rest comfortably in the afterlife alone while some were grieving and others were working to fill the void.

 Dawn Sword

So he couldn't give up if there was even a small possibility.

Eun-ha infused power into the Dawn Sword and destroyed Halphas's soul stone.

───!!

The Dawn Sword responds.

The result changes.

The mana that destroyed Halphas's soul stone soon divides into several branches and surges.

Then it begins to gather towards Kang Hyeon-cheol in the coffin.

And so─

"─Huh?"

"...Did it succeed?" "...Looks like it."

An impossible miracle occurred.

Kang Hyeon-cheol sat up abruptly in the coffin.

He looked at Eun-ha and Twenty-five.

"Where is this? And what's with these clothes? I don't like white clothes..."

Although the mechanical arm didn't disappear, the result of death was destroyed.

Eun-ha burst into laughter watching him try to grasp the situation, not even knowing he had died.

"Never mind that, just go and apologize profusely to <Holy Mother>."

"What? Did I do something wrong?"

"If you don't apologize, you might die from <Holy Mother>'s beating this time?"

"Huh? What are you talking about, really?"

As Eun-ha assured.

Kang Hyeon-cheol almost faced death again when he went to meet Park Hye-rim.

"Y-You bad man! Get out! Get out I say! Are you happy coming back to life like this!? How can you laugh right now!?"

"Calm down! You might lose the ba-Guhek!!"

Park Hye-rim, who had been lying in bed, saw him enter the hospital room with a grin and flew into a rage, throwing everything within reach.

There was even a fruit knife among those things.

"Still, welcome back."

Afterwards, it's said that Park Hye-rim calmed down somewhat and clung to Kang Hyeon-cheol, crying loudly.