Ch.146Chapter 146. Revolutionary B

“Over there! Everyone, after them!”

Soldiers were pursuing an intruder crossing the imperial palace.

Having successfully cornered him at a dead end, they began thrusting their weapons without hesitation.

And the target accepted the attacks with his body, not trying to avoid them. As if he actually wanted his body to be mercilessly torn apart.

-BOOM!

With the explosion of his body from the impact, smoke spread in all directions.

As their vision became obscured, one of the soldiers threw his weapon to the ground and shouted in frustration.

“Damn it! Another fake!!”

Unique ability: Perfect Replication.

An ability that creates a clone by completely replicating the user’s abilities and consciousness using magical power. Depending on how it’s used, one could create dozens of troops alone or cause disruption.

Moreover, as long as the original body remains unharmed, clones can be created repeatedly.

In essence, unless the original body is found and eliminated, one would be endlessly violated by clones spreading in all directions.

“The original… where is the original!?”

“Don’t focus on finding the original—eliminate the clones! If even one clone escapes, the Crown Prince will be in danger!”

But the most dangerous aspect of this ability was that clones could do everything the original could do.

Unlike illusions, they could pose physical threats like assassination or combat, so the soldiers tasked with protecting the royal family couldn’t afford to ignore even the clones.

“Protect His Majesty’s chambers!”

“Evacuate the Crown Prince! We must not let the enemy escape!”

The palace turned into chaos in an instant due to the intrusion of such a dangerous entity.

Amidst the commotion, a shadow climbed the outer wall to the rooftop and spread both arms dramatically, making his cloak flutter.

“Everyone, behold!”

The moment they heard that solemn voice, everyone at the scene looked up.

Standing on top of the tower was the Leader of Nihil, a revolutionary organization.

Regardless of whether it was the original or a clone, they knew this was someone who must be eliminated the moment they identified him.

“Though I may appear as nothing more than a vagrant who follows the wind wherever it takes me, I am armed with a secret dagger forged from the grief of the humble citizens!”

His grand speech continued as all eyes focused on him.

Soldiers rushed toward him from all directions, but he didn’t move from his spot, continuing to recite his poem as if expressing that he would never bend his beliefs.

“This dagger shall cut down, destroy, shatter, and crush injustice and corruption like lightning. Solely for revenge… for the merciless vengeance that will someday protect the miserable and righteous, while embracing what lies at our feet as we look toward the light~!”

-Clank, clank!

The sound of armor friction began to echo from all directions.

Armed forces filled the area around the tower, and snipers appearing in the windows all aimed their arrows at him.

A magical dome in the sky blocked his escape route, and soldiers climbing the stairs prepared to target his back—a truly desperate situation.

“Pleased to meet you, followers of the corrupt empire. I am the leader of Nihil, the revolutionary organization that will soon overturn this empire…”

Yet the clone, possessing the same beliefs as the original, continued to speak to them while openly revealing his identity.

“I am ‘Bieup (ㅂ)’.”

With an attitude completely devoid of shame and overwhelmingly dignified.

****

“…Byeongbin, are you still doing that weird stuff?”

“Not Byeongbin, but Bieup.”

“No, you’re Byeongbin. Park Byeongbin.”

“Don’t call me by such a foolish name, my friend.”

The Leader of Nihil responded confidently after his solemn speech.

But no matter how much he denied it, his real name that I knew wouldn’t change.

“Hey… no matter how much you dislike your name, should you speak that way about the name your parents gave you?”

“Aren’t you also always dissatisfied with your own name? Even now, you seem to have a fit when someone calls you Uhyo.”

No, make a proper comparison if you’re going to make one.

I’m asking not to be called by a stupid nickname when I have a perfectly fine name, while you’re asking to be called something stupid instead of your actual name.

“Whatever you say, my conviction won’t be shaken. The letter Bieup is already engraved deeper than my heart, becoming an inseparable part of me.”

“…Don’t bring up convictions about a consonant.”

“Bieup is my conviction, my justice, and my everything… which means Bieup is essentially me.”

What a weirdo.

Of course, there are many oddballs among Heroes as a species, but this guy’s concept was on another level compared to others.

His speech was dignified and his attitude gentlemanly, but for some reason, his obsession with the single consonant “Bieup” bordered on madness.

If he could change the font of his words, he’d probably change everything with ㅂ to a formal script. Damn Bieup fetishist.

“…Well, I suppose that’s just like you.”

While his eccentric side seemed ridiculous, I felt somewhat at ease as I continued watching him.

Even though he had become a rebel and completely severed his connection with me, I realized through this nonsensical conversation that the person himself hadn’t changed.

“Have you been well all this time?”

Hero Park Byeongbin.

Despite holding the position of a Hero, which easily leads to arrogance due to excessive rewards, he was someone who wanted to maintain horizontal relationships with everyone around him.

Unlike the consistently taciturn Taeyang or Jaseong who was difficult to approach due to being senior, he was in some ways like a “friend” with whom one could easily exchange trivial banter.

“Haven’t you heard news about me from time to time?”

“Yes, there’s hardly anyone more famous than you in the empire.”

Though I didn’t actively search for information, I carefully checked whenever I came across any.

Newspapers, influenced by the imperial court, portrayed him as a heinous villain, but probably not many people would fully accept such descriptions.

Everyone in this empire gathered here because they had no choice, not because they found fulfillment in living for the corrupt leadership.

“Your work seems to be progressing smoothly. Seeing how you infiltrate the imperial palace as if it were your own home.”

“Hehe, if I appear relaxed, it means I’m doing well. After all, one who stands before others should never show a disheveled appearance.”

Park Byeongbin slightly laughed and adjusted his mask.

For some reason, there was a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Despite casually infiltrating the imperial palace and feeling his support growing day by day.

“Yet despite feeling that, you don’t seem particularly happy to see me.”

“…That’s because I’m not a revolutionary.”

If the reason is that he anticipates we’ll be at odds, that would be correct.

I quietly raised my weapon toward him and asked firmly.

“You’re targeting Vivian, aren’t you?”

“Yes, that charming woman with two Bieups in her name is one of the targets of this infiltration.”

His Bieup obsession is still unsettling, but this time I couldn’t dismiss it as a joke.

His oddity was limited to his fanatical obsession with a single consonant.

In all other aspects, he operated seriously and meticulously, which is why he became the leader of the revolutionary army and gained so much support.

“Since you’ve entered the imperial palace, you must have heard about her? That she created the opportunity to bring people from other worlds to this one.”

Such a person was now targeting Vivian, who was collapsed beside me.

The woman who had elevated people like me and him—otherworlders—to become the hope for humanity’s salvation by bringing us to this world.

Moreover, she had the potential to summon even more powerful beings if her research was completed.

“…If that research is completed, the empire’s tyranny backed by power will become even worse than it is now.”

Yes, that’s reason enough for someone who rejects the imperial leadership to target her.

As I took a step forward revealing this, the magical current surging from my weapon intensified.

“Yet you still intend to protect her? Even though you too must know that humanity in this world is heading in the wrong direction…”

“You seem to be mistaken about one thing—I’m neither on the empire’s side nor on yours.”

-Swoosh!

The weapon in my hand swung forward, and the magical energy honing its blade began to burn more sharply.

This in itself proved that I wouldn’t back down from showing hostility, even toward an old acquaintance.

“No matter how terrible your workplace is, you can’t burn it all down… Isn’t it too much to expect a commoner who just started climbing the ladder of success to join a rebellion with no way back?”

While I could have looked the other way due to our past connection and my dissatisfaction with the empire, ultimately I couldn’t become a revolutionary and had to prioritize my personal circumstances.

And right now, Vivian was closer to me than my old acquaintance.

As I was gradually figuring out what kind of person she was, I couldn’t let her come to harm.

“…Yes, it’s foolish to ask someone with something to lose to participate in change.”

He too seemed to understand my position and showed no signs of trying to persuade me.

As if he had already anticipated that this situation would inevitably occur before coming here.

“So don’t resent me. I won’t resent you either.”

-Flutter!

Soon his cloak spread open, and countless clones identical to him began to appear in its place.

Their attire, as well as the daggers and throwing weapons in their hands, indirectly showed that their capabilities were comparable to the original’s strength.

-Swoosh!

But even if facing an army, I wasn’t at a disadvantage.

As soon as the clones were created, I quickly leaped forward, created weapons and threw them. The clones’ bodies, pierced by the weapons, convulsed briefly before beginning to swell.

This was the result of the magical power within the clones expanding.

I had already observed that when his clones received significant physical impact, the vessel containing their power would crack and lead to an explosion.

He also used this to his advantage by placing powder throughout his clothing, spreading smoke when his body exploded as a distraction.

-BOOM!

As expected, white smoke spread in all directions.

But it wasn’t difficult to locate my opponent.

The memories of battlefields I had traversed were far more confusing and overwhelming than having my vision obscured by mere smoke.

In a situation where there was only one human presence despite limited visibility, it was easier to track the enemy than in a place full of presences.

-THWACK!!!

With an axe swing, I struck the guy trying to retreat from his position.

Unable to create a clone or otherwise respond in time, he staggered after being hit by my axe.

“…Just as I thought.”

Immediately after those words, BOOM! His body exploded.

Cutting through the resulting smoke with my blade, I held my breath and directed my gaze toward the top of the tall bookshelf on the side.

“I thought I’d have a chance to climb higher, but you’ve become unrecognizably stronger since our time together. At this rate, you’d be considered top-tier even among Heroes.”

As I directed my gaze there while holding my breath, I saw Byeongbin clapping on top of the tall bookshelf.

Damn, was the one confronting me from the beginning a clone?

“I’m glad the rumors about you defeating the Red Knight weren’t false.”

“You bastard…!”

He had landed right where Vivian had collapsed.

From the beginning, he had provoked me to charge at him and put out a clone first, intending to secure Vivian.

“Don’t think too harshly of me. I’m now in the heart of enemy territory… when confronting an enemy, one must exercise the utmost caution, wouldn’t you agree?”

Saying this, the damn guy casually held his throwing weapon to Vivian’s neck.

The sharpness of that weapon showed that he was taking the situation seriously.

“…Are you planning to kill her?”

“I plan to take her with me because she has value. However, unlike me who only needs to be alive, even the loss of one of her fingers would be sensitive to you.”

So if I didn’t want him to cause further harm, I should back down quietly.

With such an implied threat and the dagger moving closer, I felt my heart gradually filling with urgency.

“So put down your weapon. I’d like to avoid fighting you any further.”

-Creak.

The hand holding my weapon aimed at him gradually tensed.

Along with this, the quietly surging magical current escaped from my body, but with Vivian held hostage, I couldn’t dare direct it at him directly.

“…Hey, Park Byeongbin.”

“Call me Bieup.”

“You do realize you’ve crossed the line this time, right?”

But I couldn’t let him take Vivian either.

When I expressed my intention not to back down, he also began gathering mana in his dagger, making its blade even sharper.

“You’re stating the obvious. From the moment I became a traitor, I’ve long since crossed the line…”

-Woong!

A vibrating sound interrupted his words.

At that distinctive sound of physical force generated by mana, his body stiffened and his gaze turned toward the source.

The location was right beside him.

What existed there was a “cluster of spirits” with semi-transparent forms, clearly possessing consciousness and physical substance.

“What is this…?”

“What, did you think you were the only one who could play around with clones?”

Although they lack the judgment to move independently, they actively demonstrate enough learning ability to perfectly mimic my actions.

In other words, if I, at a distance, swing a mace forward, the spirit cluster will also strike him in the same posture.

“This…!?”

“Too late, man!”

-THWACK!

His body was sent flying by the mace strike and tumbled to the ground.

Despite the impact, his body didn’t explode.

“…Ugh!”

The groan escaping his lips indicated that the one who had taken the hit was indeed the original.