Chapter 22: What the people does not want

Everything was finished. Changhun’s ‘dogs’ were dumbfounded. They had wished to have a place next to Changhun when he became the most powerful.

‘What am I going to do?’

‘I couldn’t even get any coins because I had to follow Changhun…’

‘What if I kill Yoo Dohyuk while he’s out…’

Many were looking at Dohyuk. He was now lying flat on the ground. It was their best chance, but they couldn’t do it. There was no telling when Dohyuk would stand up and fight back. And the angel standing in front of him was…

-Hey, game’s over everyone!

The angels began clapping to disperse the crowd.

-The tournament is over! It’s now near the end of regional trials! Good work!

With basic stuff complete, the angels would now open the barriers to allow people to travel freely through the regions. The angels began explaining what most people knew while Basil took up the black bag. It was Dohyuk’s sleeping bag.

-Huh? What are you doing?

-I don’t feel like talking so get lost.

Basil glared to the friend who had asked.

-This bastard needs to wake up quickly so I can leave.

-Uh… okay.

Basil spoke angrily as he was annoyed and he put Dohyuk’s body into the sleeping bag.

-At least you’re freed once he wakes up.

-…Yeah. I’ll leave the moment he opens his eyelids.

-Have fun.

The angel left, leaving Basil on his own. Basil then stood beside the sleeping bag. In his hand was the tournament reward for Dohyuk.

“Nngh…”

A moan came from Dohyuk’s mouth. He was almost woke up from the pain when a quick strike hit Dohyuk’s neck. It was Basil who had used his foot.

The pain just enough was made to make him fall back asleep.

-Go to sleep.

Basil spoke while looking in front.

-It’s only until you wake up.

After three days-

“I heard! Should I be proud?”

Jimin was in a cave somewhere in Seoul. This was the woman’s hideout for the one Jimin hated the most.

“My daughter finished the region as the region’s best!”

Yoon Yeojin. It was her mother.

“…I didn’t come to ask you for a compliment.”

She was a bad mother who abandoned her husband and daughter who accepted her even though she had 8 criminal arrests. In her previous life, Jimin did not meet her mother after she left when Jimin was 8 years old. When she met Yeojin, she realized her mother was a witch.

She was a witch of blood magic. She consumed the blood of others to find youth and live with her will.

However, she eventually had to accept the order set forth by the Great Emperor.

“I know. You will come to me for only one thing. You want to know where Yoo Dohyuk is.”

“…”

She was right. The rumor spread fast as Changhun’s ‘dogs’ had spread to all sides that Yoo Dohyuk lived and finished the region trials as a region best.

Yet nobody knew where he was now. That was why Jimin came here. Yeojin would have her ‘crew’.

“Sadly, I don’t know either. I’ve been busy during the past three days.”

Why? The reason was behind her, a big underground cavern. The place was filled with food and other goods that her ‘servants’ that she ‘charmed’ had brought. And there were kids. Kids aged five to twelve. They seemed relieved to have found a hideout.

“What… are they?”

“Poor things. You know how the young ones died last time?”

She added, “These are kids who died without surviving even a month in the past. No memory, no family…”

“I’m not asking that!” Jimin screamed, “What are you going to do with them!”

“I’m looking after them, you see? So that they won’t die. Give them shelter and food.”

“Don’t… you… f*ck with me…”

If they were all dead, deskinned, and were being sucked of their blood, she would have accepted it even if it angered her. Yeojin was a witch. That’s what it should have been.

However, Jimin could see that these kids were relieved.

“You… You who do not give one crap about others…”

“People change. And so did you.”

Yeojin smiled. “Think about the you in your previous life! You… the worthless girl who could only be a burden… but look at what you’ve become.”

And then she shook her head, “But no.”

“It’s good that you changed, but you changed for the wrong man. Dohyuk is not a good man anymore.”

Jimin argued, “He’s still alive. And he’ll…”

“He will. For now. Who said he will die?”

“…What?”

“It’s Dohyuk. I guess he has his skills up his sleeves even without his memory.”

However, that was it.

“But it’s not going to be enough for him to lead the story anymore.”

“He’s stronger than anyone else.”

“Right. Nobody can beat him now, but what if the others group up?”

Dohyuk would grow stronger, but it wasn’t enough. Even if he could defeat a hundred men-

“Think about it. Since when did he become a Great Emperor?”

“…”

The strength of the Phenomenal Nine was not just ‘some’ strength. It was power beyond imagination. Power so strong that it allowed them to reign over the entire continent, but that was long after Dohyuk was called a Great Emperor.

“The second world will move more quickly. No one’s going to waste time like before.”

There was no time for the King to come back. The people would not want that anymore.

“Ten years, or maybe at a much faster rate. There will be a new ruler. One who has a group of trusted followers. A queen.”

“Queen?”

Jimin suddenly realized what she was saying.

“You…”

She glanced at Yeojin and the children.

“Yes. I will raise them with love.”

She claimed to raise them with the love that she did not even give to her own daughter, but she was going to get payment for the price of affection.

“Those children will look at me as a merciful mother. They’re young, but they have potential.”

No ‘charm’ or brainwash was needed. These were just ‘children’ wanting to follow their ‘mother’.

“And there’s more?”

“Of course. I have met many more.”

She counted them out, “I can’t have the ones with too many memories. They won’t consider me as a mother.”

And those with useless Natures or those who only wanted their own parents were discarded, “But, they are still with me. Forever.”

Their blood was now part of the witch’s blood.

“…!”

Part of the ground where Jimin stood was destroyed.

“Ooh.”

Yeojin reacted quickly also. Her servants moved up to defend her, and Yeojin’s eyes became bloody red.

“Crazy b*tch. I’ll kill you right now.”

“Yeah, we can do that. But is it okay for you? You might win, but you won’t be in one piece after this fight. Won’t it become a problem in your quest to search for your man?”

“…”

Jimin stopped, but it was for a different reason. The children were crying.

“Good thinking.”

Yeojin cackled.

“You wouldn’t want those poor things to lose their mother again, would you?”

“…I won’t ever see you again.”

“Oh, cold words.”

Yeojin said, “I wish you find a better man but… you won’t listen. I guess ugly ones never forget even after they become pretty. Don’t you think so?”

“…”

“I mean, think about how perfect your competitors were back then! You didn’t even stand a chance!”

Jimin turned her back.

“I hope you succeed this time. I’m serious!”

She spoke as Jimin walked out of the witch’s cavern. Her tears welled in her eyes, but all she really wanted was to see Dohyuk again.

-You slept for so long.

Dohyuk opened his eyes. It wasn’t enough rest, but he was hungry and thirsty. He didn’t feel any pain anymore in his body; it felt a bit heavy, but that was it.

-Wake up. You slept for 96 hours.

Basil was looking down at him. He then realized he was in the sleeping bag as he rose up. However, he didn’t remember crawling into the sleeping bag.

“Who…”

-Who cares. Get up!

Basil shouted.

-Don’t waste my time! I wasted four days because of you, you bastard.

Dohyuk brought himself outside of the sleeping bag and stretched.

“My body…”

Changed. There was something different about himself.

“Statu…”

He tried to speak, but something was thrown at him.

-It’s your reward for the tournament.

-Listen carefully as I will only say this once. Four days have passed and nothing has happened.

“Nothing happened?” Dohyuk asked back.

-But all the barriers that divide the regions are now gone. It’s time for people to travel around and find each other. You wasted your time.

“…”

Dohyuk closed his eyes for a second and concluded.

“Not the worst.”

-What?

It was bad that he was knocked out for four full days, but as long as the angels did not do anything yet, he wasn’t behind. Also, he had that much sleep and he still didn’t feel all that well. It means he needed more sleep.

“Ugh…”

He then felt pain from the back of his neck. It was as if he had been kicked only a while ago.

-….What will start now will be worse.

And the angel left him. Dohyuk then called up his status.

<<Ability>>

-Strength: 102(+2)(D)

-Stamina: 83(+7)(D)

-Agility: 85(+2)(D)

-Magic: 2(+3)(F)

-Endurance: 91(+5)(D)

-Charisma: 35(+3)(E)

The most intriguing thing was his Strength points.

“…100.”

He had slept that long, so it had to have changed. Dohyuk then began to work; he glanced around as he wrapped up the sleeping bag.

“I wondered why it was so quiet…”

He was on top of the tall pillar-like ground, about the size of a small room. Did he move into a new place while sleeping? As Dohyuk looked down, he knew it was the ground that had changed. He was on the highest part of the ground and there were different levels of the ground below that were like blocks. The closest land was over ten meters from here, but Dohyuk had a quick and safe way to move down in his head.

After he prepared to leave, he unpacked the gift.

“Hmm?”

It was a small object. It seemed it would be of help, but the name was as follows:

<<Compass of Tyrant – B+>>

The direction it pointed to was not just a direction.