Chapter 164 - Chapter 164

Though the weapon was developed, two major issues remained.

The first issue was that the grade of this itemized antimatter bomb was too high.

This was somewhat expected, so Kwon Jihan had been investing all his experience points into expanding his inventory. Finally, he managed to make enough space to store a single antimatter bomb.

However, the critical issue that remained was that there was no guarantee of safety for the person dropping the bomb.

Kwon Jihan had been planning to enter any dungeon and destroy its boundaries as soon as this safety issue was resolved.

Then, the Great Dungeon revelation occurred… they learned of the existence of the Black Dungeon… and they found Seo Chaeyoon.

While talking about the events in the Great Dungeon, Yoon Seo casually mentioned that he had blocked a dragon's 70-megaton breath. Even in a severely exhausted state from mana depletion, he was able to cast a shield strong enough to withstand that force. Researchers judged that, based on this, Yoon Seo would be able to block a teraton-class bomb as well.

Yoon Seo, after hearing the full story, actively participated in their research. Since there was only one finished antimatter bomb and no chance to test it in real combat, they used a hydrogen bomb instead. The two of them entered a dungeon together to test it. The results showed that when Yoon Seo deployed at 100%, he could block a 1-teraton hydrogen bomb, and his shield retained 99% durability.

If the condition to enter the Black Dungeon wasn't the possession of a 'Gaia Skill,' they could just bring all the shield skill holders with them. Even if the requirement was the Gaia Skill, Jihan could use inside , and Yoon Seo could deploy another shield after using , ensuring their survival in theory.

The duration of maintaining was 50 hours, and while the aftermath of the bomb might last longer, by then the Black Dungeon would already be cleared, and an exit would appear. In a computer simulation, the success rate was calculated to be between 90% to 99%, which essentially meant guaranteed success.

Yet, Yoon Seo was still anxious. Would things really go as planned? The antimatter bomb was as small as a fist—would it truly detonate properly in the field? Would he have enough mana to deploy at 100% by the time of the explosion? Could everything really go according to plan?

And now, in the present.

[Mana: 8700/9999]

To deploy at 100%, Yoon Seo needed 9000 mana.

Although Yoon Seo's mana recovery speed was faster than other S-Ranks, recovering the remaining 300 in the given time was impossible.

The minimum mana required to deploy was 7000, but in that case, it would only be 50% effective. With 8700 mana, he could deploy around 93%. According to the simulation, with at 93%, their survival rate didn't even reach 50%. If the shield's durability wasn't 100%, it would be meaningless.

Yoon Seo wondered where things had gone wrong…

Perhaps he had stayed inside the dragon for too long. Maybe he had lost control for a moment back then. Or perhaps the use of on the leader of Galaxaia was the problem. Or was it the extra use of his inventory? Could those small actions have led to this result?

As Yoon Seo pondered, he came to the realization: "This isn't something that's gone wrong."

That's because there are two choices left in the Black Dungeon.

If the option of 'destruction' didn't exist, even if they had enough mana, he and Kwon Jihan would have had to enter and bet on a 90%~99% chance of survival. But now, with the forced choice left to them, the chance of survival had become 100%. Even if it meant just one survivor…

At first, it felt hollow and disappointing.

He had achieved his revenge and learned the truth. There were so many things he wanted to do after leaving the Great Dungeon. He had a long list of things he wanted to bake beyond just Choco Crack Cookies. There were mountains he wanted to climb with Kwon Jihan. He wanted to give the boy, who awakened at such a young age and never had the chance to look up at the sky leisurely, a chance to experience so many things.

He wanted to be with him.

He wanted to live a vibrant life together.

He was finally starting to feel this way… he finally had the desire to live, and now, at the end, this situation arose, leaving him utterly disappointed.

He resented the fact that after suppressing his rage for so long, losing control just once led to this outcome.

However, upon further reflection… he realized this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

This was Yoon Seo's conclusion.

['Kwon Jihan' uses the skill .] 

['Kwon Jihan' is viewing your system profile.]

Kwon Jihan checked Yoon Seo's total mana. He briefly bit his lip before speaking quickly.

"It's okay, hyung. That's more than enough. The divine gods said they'd help us. There's no need to give up with that much."

Kwon Jihan tried to reassure Yoon Seo with a worried expression. Yoon Seo reached out his hand.

"Riceball, come here."

Peep.

"Why do you need Riceball? What are you going to do? No way. I'll keep holding onto it."

Kwon Jihan covered the little bird so tightly that not a single feather was visible, but Yoon Seo released Riceball and drew a dagger. When Yoon Seo gripped the dagger firmly, Kwon Jihan flinched.

With the dagger in hand, Yoon Seo placed his hands on his hips and stretched his body.

Yoon Seo was composed, but Kwon Jihan was not.

"Hyung, please say it's not true."

"I figured we'd eventually end up fighting each other."

"Let's not do this. Please. I don't want to fight you."

"If I try to go in alone, you'll stop me. If you try to go in, I'll stop you. Let's convince each other with strength."

"Ah, come on."

Kwon Jihan bit his lip and drew 'Heavenly Sword.' Instantly, the atmosphere became tense.

There was more tension on Kwon Jihan's face than when he had fought the final boss.

[The God of Life tells you not to fight with family.] 

[The God of Life advises you to persuade each other.] 

[The God of Death is flustered.] 

[The God of Death doesn't know what to do.]

Kwon Jihan lowered his hands, signaling that he had no intention to attack, and quickly spoke.

"Hyung, think carefully about what the most rational and logical choice is. Even with 93% durability, our survival rate is more than 50%. The gods even said they'd help! We'll definitely clear it. Even if we destroy it now, it'll just reappear in ten years. We can't keep sacrificing someone every decade like this."

"In ten years, humanity will be far stronger than it is now. Just as I've experienced."

"You always said you weren't righteous. That you hated sacrifices."

"You protect the weak… I protect heroes."

"You're the hero, hyung! Why won't you protect yourself? Damn it, if you sacrifice yourself for peace, what's the point? We don't need that kind of justice!"

Kwon Jihan lost his composure and shouted.

That was a huge mistake. Seizing the opening, Yoon Seo charged at him. Kwon Jihan turned to dodge and immediately made a run for the black portal. But his body refused to move, as if something had seized it. Kwon Jihan instantly realized it was and used to nullify the skill's effects. But just as he did, a blade flashed before his eyes.

Clang! Clash! Kwon Jihan's sword met Yoon Seo's, the two blades clashing and separating, only to collide again. Throughout the skirmish, Yoon Seo continuously used , manipulating Kwon Jihan's limbs or pulling in nearby objects to attack whenever he thought it might not work.

Kwon Jihan's body staggered backward.

This was inevitable. Although Kwon Jihan had superior physique and strength, Yoon Seo was a seasoned hunter, and more than anything, he was fighting with the determination to cut off one of Kwon Jihan's limbs if needed.

But Kwon Jihan couldn't do the same.

He could heal, but Yoon Seo couldn't.

He had to fight with the resolve to sever one of Yoon Seo's limbs, because it was better than him dying. Yet, Kwon Jihan couldn't muster that resolve.

Kwon Jihan was bound to lose as long as he kept trying to subdue Seo Chaeyoon without causing him any harm.

Thud! A rock controlled by Yoon Seo flew toward Kwon Jihan, who hastily raised his arm to block it. His skin tore, and blood began to flow. Without batting an eye, Yoon Seo charged at him again, and Kwon Jihan defended against the attack using only his brute strength. In the process, the blade of 'Heavenly Sword' grazed Yoon Seo's face, leaving a thin trail of blood running down his right cheek.

"…!"

At the moment Kwon Jihan hesitated, Yoon Seo gathered his magic power.

[Skill has been activated.]

A blue shield formed a dome, trapping Kwon Jihan inside.

"Damn it!"

Without wasting time on futile attempts to break the shield with his sword, Kwon Jihan immediately used a skill.

[Kwon Jihan activates the skill .]

A red light formed at the tip of his sword and struck the shield, causing it to crack. Before Kwon Jihan could break the shield completely, Yoon Seo resorted to his final move.

[Skill has been activated.]

The exit portal, which had been 10 meters away from Kwon Jihan, instantly shifted to right behind him. It was as if Kwon Jihan was now standing directly in front of the exit portal.

had multiple abilities, but the ones Yoon Seo primarily used were 'detection' and 'movement.' 

This time, however, he used 'Shortening the Ground,' an ability that shortened distances by bringing faraway places closer.

Although it was only a short distance, it consumed an excessive amount of mana, so it wasn't typically used in combat. But Yoon Seo had enough mana to spare after creating the .

[Skill has been activated.]

"Hyung, no. Seo Chaeyoon! Please!"

Kwon Jihan unleashed every skill he had, including and , desperately trying to resist the effects of . But none of those skills could overcome Yoon Seo's overwhelming magic. It was a difference in power that Kwon Jihan simply couldn't bridge.

Kwon Jihan's heel was already touching the exit portal.

The portal's force began to pull Kwon Jihan in.

Though the weapon was developed, two major issues remained.

The first issue was that the grade of this itemized antimatter bomb was too high.

This was somewhat expected, so Kwon Jihan had been investing all his experience points into expanding his inventory. Finally, he managed to make enough space to store a single antimatter bomb.

However, the critical issue that remained was that there was no guarantee of safety for the person dropping the bomb.

Kwon Jihan had been planning to enter any dungeon and destroy its boundaries as soon as this safety issue was resolved.

Then, the Great Dungeon revelation occurred… they learned of the existence of the Black Dungeon… and they found Seo Chaeyoon.

While talking about the events in the Great Dungeon, Yoon Seo casually mentioned that he had blocked a dragon's 70-megaton breath. Even in a severely exhausted state from mana depletion, he was able to cast a shield strong enough to withstand that force. Researchers judged that, based on this, Yoon Seo would be able to block a teraton-class bomb as well.

Yoon Seo, after hearing the full story, actively participated in their research. Since there was only one finished antimatter bomb and no chance to test it in real combat, they used a hydrogen bomb instead. The two of them entered a dungeon together to test it. The results showed that when Yoon Seo deployed at 100%, he could block a 1-teraton hydrogen bomb, and his shield retained 99% durability.

If the condition to enter the Black Dungeon wasn't the possession of a 'Gaia Skill,' they could just bring all the shield skill holders with them. Even if the requirement was the Gaia Skill, Jihan could use inside , and Yoon Seo could deploy another shield after using , ensuring their survival in theory.

The duration of maintaining was 50 hours, and while the aftermath of the bomb might last longer, by then the Black Dungeon would already be cleared, and an exit would appear. In a computer simulation, the success rate was calculated to be between 90% to 99%, which essentially meant guaranteed success.

Yet, Yoon Seo was still anxious. Would things really go as planned? The antimatter bomb was as small as a fist—would it truly detonate properly in the field? Would he have enough mana to deploy at 100% by the time of the explosion? Could everything really go according to plan?

And now, in the present.

[Mana: 8700/9999]

To deploy at 100%, Yoon Seo needed 9000 mana.

Although Yoon Seo's mana recovery speed was faster than other S-Ranks, recovering the remaining 300 in the given time was impossible.

The minimum mana required to deploy was 7000, but in that case, it would only be 50% effective. With 8700 mana, he could deploy around 93%. According to the simulation, with at 93%, their survival rate didn't even reach 50%. If the shield's durability wasn't 100%, it would be meaningless.

Yoon Seo wondered where things had gone wrong…

Perhaps he had stayed inside the dragon for too long. Maybe he had lost control for a moment back then. Or perhaps the use of on the leader of Galaxaia was the problem. Or was it the extra use of his inventory? Could those small actions have led to this result?

As Yoon Seo pondered, he came to the realization: "This isn't something that's gone wrong."

That's because there are two choices left in the Black Dungeon.

If the option of 'destruction' didn't exist, even if they had enough mana, he and Kwon Jihan would have had to enter and bet on a 90%~99% chance of survival. But now, with the forced choice left to them, the chance of survival had become 100%. Even if it meant just one survivor…

At first, it felt hollow and disappointing.

He had achieved his revenge and learned the truth. There were so many things he wanted to do after leaving the Great Dungeon. He had a long list of things he wanted to bake beyond just Choco Crack Cookies. There were mountains he wanted to climb with Kwon Jihan. He wanted to give the boy, who awakened at such a young age and never had the chance to look up at the sky leisurely, a chance to experience so many things.

He wanted to be with him.

He wanted to live a vibrant life together.

He was finally starting to feel this way… he finally had the desire to live, and now, at the end, this situation arose, leaving him utterly disappointed.

He resented the fact that after suppressing his rage for so long, losing control just once led to this outcome.

However, upon further reflection… he realized this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

This was Yoon Seo's conclusion.

['Kwon Jihan' uses the skill .] 

['Kwon Jihan' is viewing your system profile.]

Kwon Jihan checked Yoon Seo's total mana. He briefly bit his lip before speaking quickly.

"It's okay, hyung. That's more than enough. The divine gods said they'd help us. There's no need to give up with that much."

Kwon Jihan tried to reassure Yoon Seo with a worried expression. Yoon Seo reached out his hand.

"Riceball, come here."

Peep.

"Why do you need Riceball? What are you going to do? No way. I'll keep holding onto it."

Kwon Jihan covered the little bird so tightly that not a single feather was visible, but Yoon Seo released Riceball and drew a dagger. When Yoon Seo gripped the dagger firmly, Kwon Jihan flinched.

With the dagger in hand, Yoon Seo placed his hands on his hips and stretched his body.

Yoon Seo was composed, but Kwon Jihan was not.

"Hyung, please say it's not true."

"I figured we'd eventually end up fighting each other."

"Let's not do this. Please. I don't want to fight you."

"If I try to go in alone, you'll stop me. If you try to go in, I'll stop you. Let's convince each other with strength."

"Ah, come on."

Kwon Jihan bit his lip and drew 'Heavenly Sword.' Instantly, the atmosphere became tense.

There was more tension on Kwon Jihan's face than when he had fought the final boss.

[The God of Life tells you not to fight with family.] 

[The God of Life advises you to persuade each other.] 

[The God of Death is flustered.] 

[The God of Death doesn't know what to do.]

Kwon Jihan lowered his hands, signaling that he had no intention to attack, and quickly spoke.

"Hyung, think carefully about what the most rational and logical choice is. Even with 93% durability, our survival rate is more than 50%. The gods even said they'd help! We'll definitely clear it. Even if we destroy it now, it'll just reappear in ten years. We can't keep sacrificing someone every decade like this."

"In ten years, humanity will be far stronger than it is now. Just as I've experienced."

"You always said you weren't righteous. That you hated sacrifices."

"You protect the weak… I protect heroes."

"You're the hero, hyung! Why won't you protect yourself? Damn it, if you sacrifice yourself for peace, what's the point? We don't need that kind of justice!"

Kwon Jihan lost his composure and shouted.

That was a huge mistake. Seizing the opening, Yoon Seo charged at him. Kwon Jihan turned to dodge and immediately made a run for the black portal. But his body refused to move, as if something had seized it. Kwon Jihan instantly realized it was and used to nullify the skill's effects. But just as he did, a blade flashed before his eyes.

Clang! Clash! Kwon Jihan's sword met Yoon Seo's, the two blades clashing and separating, only to collide again. Throughout the skirmish, Yoon Seo continuously used , manipulating Kwon Jihan's limbs or pulling in nearby objects to attack whenever he thought it might not work.

Kwon Jihan's body staggered backward.

This was inevitable. Although Kwon Jihan had superior physique and strength, Yoon Seo was a seasoned hunter, and more than anything, he was fighting with the determination to cut off one of Kwon Jihan's limbs if needed.

But Kwon Jihan couldn't do the same.

He could heal, but Yoon Seo couldn't.

He had to fight with the resolve to sever one of Yoon Seo's limbs, because it was better than him dying. Yet, Kwon Jihan couldn't muster that resolve.

Kwon Jihan was bound to lose as long as he kept trying to subdue Seo Chaeyoon without causing him any harm.

Thud! A rock controlled by Yoon Seo flew toward Kwon Jihan, who hastily raised his arm to block it. His skin tore, and blood began to flow. Without batting an eye, Yoon Seo charged at him again, and Kwon Jihan defended against the attack using only his brute strength. In the process, the blade of 'Heavenly Sword' grazed Yoon Seo's face, leaving a thin trail of blood running down his right cheek.

"…!"

At the moment Kwon Jihan hesitated, Yoon Seo gathered his magic power.

[Skill has been activated.]

A blue shield formed a dome, trapping Kwon Jihan inside.

"Damn it!"

Without wasting time on futile attempts to break the shield with his sword, Kwon Jihan immediately used a skill.

[Kwon Jihan activates the skill .]

A red light formed at the tip of his sword and struck the shield, causing it to crack. Before Kwon Jihan could break the shield completely, Yoon Seo resorted to his final move.

[Skill has been activated.]

The exit portal, which had been 10 meters away from Kwon Jihan, instantly shifted to right behind him. It was as if Kwon Jihan was now standing directly in front of the exit portal.

had multiple abilities, but the ones Yoon Seo primarily used were 'detection' and 'movement.' 

This time, however, he used 'Shortening the Ground,' an ability that shortened distances by bringing faraway places closer.

Although it was only a short distance, it consumed an excessive amount of mana, so it wasn't typically used in combat. But Yoon Seo had enough mana to spare after creating the .

[Skill has been activated.]

"Hyung, no. Seo Chaeyoon! Please!"

Kwon Jihan unleashed every skill he had, including and , desperately trying to resist the effects of . But none of those skills could overcome Yoon Seo's overwhelming magic. It was a difference in power that Kwon Jihan simply couldn't bridge.

Kwon Jihan's heel was already touching the exit portal.

The portal's force began to pull Kwon Jihan in.