Ch.41Chapter 41 – Rest

「===

The first World Boss has been defeated.

Civilization Military Power Level Up

Lv. 0 > Lv. 1

Providing civilization reward.

-Divine Power

===」

***

Shin Jaehyuk opened his eyes. This wasn’t his home. It was a hospital room. An elaborate private suite for VIPs. Nutrients flowed into his body through an IV needle connected under the sleeve of his hospital gown.

“Huh? Why am I in the hospital?”

“Ah, senior! You shouldn’t move!”

A gentle hand restrained Shin Jaehyuk as he tried to sit up. He laid back down following the guidance of the hand and checked who it belonged to.

“Lee Yujin?”

The owner of the hand that had eased him back down was Lee Yujin. Why was she here? No, more importantly, why was he in the hospital?

Shin Jaehyuk tried to recall his memories from just before losing consciousness. As he concentrated, his drug-hazed mind cleared and memories gradually returned. Ah, that’s right. He had defeated Belial and was on his way home. His phantom pain was so severe that he was returning home in a state of wavering consciousness….

‘Ugh-!’

As he realized this, pain once again engulfed his entire body. Damn phantom pain. Unlike his battered body from his previous life, his fresh 20-something-year-old body wasn’t accustomed to phantom pain after regeneration. With Yujin beside him, he struggled to hold back the groans and curses that threatened to escape.

“They say citizens reported seeing you staggering and then collapsing. There were no injuries, just exhaustion or fatigue that made you faint. Apparently, you can be discharged within a day.”

The perceptive Yujin explained the situation, seeing his confusion.

“How did you get here?”

“The hospital contacted me. They said I was in your recent call history. When I heard you were hospitalized, I was so shocked…”

Her heart was still pounding from the shock of the news. What made it worse was that their last call had been about her tracking a number for Jaehyuk that was located at Munhak Mountain in Incheon. She had been terrified because hours after their call, she saw news about a gate opening near Munhak Mountain.

Worried that something might have happened to Jaehyuk, she had rushed over as soon as she received the call at dawn. Thankfully, he was unharmed. Yujin fiddled with her phone before handing it to Jaehyuk. He checked the screen. Articles uploaded one after another within hours.

「Shocking… Gates opening consecutively in Incheon, what happened overnight?」

「S-rank boss suddenly appearing downtown, how and from where? Holes in the outbreak detection system…」

「Severe power loss! 5 A-rank hunters dead. Korea now has only 18 A-rank hunters.」

「Pillar of light falling for over 10 minutes… A new S-rank hunter appears?」

‘..!’

Startled, Jaehyuk reflexively clicked on the last article. It seemed to be about him. Could his identity have been exposed?

「Pillar of light falling for over 10 minutes… A new S-rank hunter appears?」

「In the video captured by cameraman Oh ○○, who was filming the valiant fight of the late A-rank ice mage Hunter Yeo Dongyeon…

The video shows someone on a high-rise building rooftop, but their exact identity couldn’t be determined… Excited citizens speculate that Korea might be the first country in the world to have two S-rank hunters… While the government hasn’t made an official statement yet, claims like ‘It’s a hidden government agent,’ ‘It’s the government’s secret weapon,’ and ‘It’s a newly awakened S-rank hunter’ are spreading on social media…」

The video played automatically. The quality wasn’t great since it was filmed from the ground. A blurry figure could be seen on the rooftop. It was Shin Jaehyuk himself. Due to the divine light surrounding him, only his silhouette was barely visible, and his face couldn’t be recognized.

‘I got lucky. That’s a relief.’

“By the way, why did you go to Incheon? And what was that location tracking you asked me about in the middle of the night?”

Yujin pressed Jaehyuk. But her voice wasn’t angry or scolding. It was filled with worry, tinged with tears. She lowered her head, not wanting to show her face.

All night long, emergency news had warned about the unprecedented danger of an S-rank boss. They said a dangerous boss had appeared that neither the military, fighter jets, nor A-rank hunters could defeat. She feared that the Munhak Mountain location she had provided might have some connection to this incident….

“…I just went there for a job I was commissioned to do. Don’t worry. I’ve taken care of everything.”

Shin Jaehyuk lied to reassure Yujin. He couldn’t tell her the truth. It was enough for him alone to bear the secret and guilt of this catastrophe….

She flinched. Only after composing herself and rubbing her eyes a few times did she finally raise her head.

“M-more importantly, that boss that appeared in Incheon was supposedly extremely dangerous. I’m glad you weren’t caught up in it.”

The boss message reported by hunters at the scene had already spread on social media. Yujin had also read those dangerous words.

“My goodness, one of the Four Heavenly Kings… That’s the highest rank that’s ever appeared in a boss message! Even that terrifying flame giant that appeared in Gwanak District was just a Border Count, but a Heavenly King! I wonder why such a formidable being appeared in this small piece of land…”

Some claimed that the boss was intelligent and could speak Korean. They were invasion theorists who believed that gates weren’t random natural disasters but systematic military invasions. It was conspiracy theory level speculation.

The most common scientific theory explaining gates was that “interference between parallel worlds and Earth’s dimension caused monsters from other worlds to flow into Earth.” The boss messages were a function that translated the identity of monsters so humans could understand. Of course, no one could explain what the status window really was.

Shin Jaehyuk pondered the question Yujin had casually thrown out.

‘Yujin has a point. Why choose Korea as the summoning site? Why not somewhere with a larger population like China or India-‘

“Hmm…”

As his expression grew serious, the atmosphere between them became awkward. Yujin couldn’t bear the heavy silence. She tried to lighten the mood with a joke.

“This time it was Belial, so next time we might see bosses like Lucifer or Satan, right?”

‘Summon-What?’

A shock like being hit by a hammer overwhelmed him. What had he just heard? These were words that shouldn’t be heard on Earth.

Lucifer, Satan.

Names of the Four Heavenly Kings and the First Demon Lord.

‘How does Yujin know those names?’

These two words plunged Shin Jaehyuk into astonishment. It wasn’t easy for Shin Jaehyuk, whose mental age was that of an elderly person who had been through thick and thin, to be so flustered. A single question filled with confusion, excitement, fear, and bewilderment burst out impulsively.

“-How do you know those names?! The names of demons!”

“Huh?”

Yujin tilted her head in confusion. Isn’t this common knowledge? For a moment, she didn’t understand what his question meant. Then, thinking he might be joking, she laughed lightly.

“Ah, I see. Are you teasing me for being a Seoul National University student who only studies? Thinking an otaku like me wouldn’t know such things? Lucifer! Satan! They’re demons that frequently appear in subculture! They even get moe-fied according to otaku tastes. Along with other Christian demons.”

***

Even after Yujin left, Shin Jaehyuk couldn’t sort out his confusion. Doubt and bewilderment rose like smoke grenades, clouding his mind.

“How could I have forgotten this?”

Yes, that was it. Belial, Belphegor, Mammon, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Satan. All the famous demons of Eden that he knew were also famous beings on Earth. Demons from Christianity, the religion with the most believers among humanity.

These demons were regular antagonists in various creative works. Sometimes they were even portrayed as allies. Shin Jaehyuk had seen and read countless such animations and comics.

Their existence was clear evidence that there was some connection between Eden and Earth.

But how had he failed to recognize this obvious evidence until now?

He had even read the Bible thoroughly during his orphanage days, searching for clues about Eden. After reading everything from Genesis to Revelation, he had thought “I found no clues”….

Ziiing-

Suddenly, the sound of the hospital room door opening cut through his jumbled thoughts. Someone rushed in.

“Jaehyuk! Are you okay?”

“Sister Seongha? How…”

She should be working at the church at this hour. It was an unexpected visitor.

“I heard from Harin and came in a hurry… Are you really okay?”

Hong Harin? She was a childhood friend from the orphanage, the same age as Shin Jaehyuk. Jaehyuk was taken aback by the sudden mention of her name.

“Hong Harin? Why her all of a sudden?”

“She called to say you collapsed and were hospitalized here. She said she’s busy but will visit you a bit later.”

She examined Jaehyuk carefully before letting out a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness… I thought you were seriously injured.”

She hugged Jaehyuk and stroked his hair. As her warm hand caressed the back of his head, his consciousness became hazy. The warmth of her embrace provided the most reassuring comfort. Enough to make him forget all his recent worries….

“By the way, I heard you awakened? The doctor said mana was observed in your body.”

Awakening! Only then did Shin Jaehyuk snap back to reality. He recalled what had happened at dawn. After regaining consciousness in his mental world, he had been too focused on defeating Belial to check, but he was sure a status window had appeared. Was it the effect of awakening that had regenerated his limbs and restored his divine power?

“Ah, that’s right…”

Status window, he muttered quietly. A system of laws incomprehensible to the insignificant human brain recognized the promised three syllables and displayed a status window in his field of vision.

「 ===

《Name》 Shin Jaehyuk

《Level》 784

《Achievements》

<Master>

<Slayer of the Four Heavenly Kings>

<Divine Blood>

<Agape>

<One Watched by Fate>

<Chaos Origin>

<■■>

《Civilization Military Power》

Lv. 1/5 (10.21%)

=== 」

‘..!’

It was a strange status window. Level 784? An unprecedented figure for someone who had just awakened. Typically, the level right after awakening was within the range of one’s age plus or minus 10. Even high-ranking hunters were no exception to this rule.

Even S-rank hunters who diligently fought demons had known levels in the 500-600 range. Though it was a state secret and couldn’t be known precisely, they were certainly lower than Shin Jaehyuk’s. His previous life’s attainment must have influenced his level determination.

Moreover, the achievements section was excessively full. Achievements that were difficult for ordinary hunters to obtain even one of. Shin Jaehyuk had seven of them.

Master, Slayer of the Four Heavenly Kings, Divine Blood, Agape, One Watched by Fate, Chaos Origin, and the last achievement that was blinded out. The status window was excessively unfriendly, as often complained about on the internet. While he could guess what some achievements meant, he couldn’t even understand the meaning of others. He needed more detailed explanations.

‘Huh?’

Suddenly, he knew what he could do. A strange knowledge that had existed somewhere within him taught him what to do in this situation. So he did it.

“Oh.”

“Wow, Jaehyuk. Are your pupils turning blue?”

As mana rushed to his eyes, a blue light ignited in his pupils. It was his awakened ability. Insight. The eye that penetrates the truth of the world was activated.

The status window displayed slightly less unfriendly information.

「===

《Achievements》

<Master>

– When movement embodies reason, it becomes nothingness; when nothingness embodies art, one becomes a master.

(Applied weapons – Spear, Shield, Mace)

<Slayer of the Four Heavenly Kings>

– An ant that brought down an elephant.

<Divine Blood>

– One who carries a sacred part.

<Agape>

– When God looks down upon you, you also look up at God.

<One Watched by Fate>

– There are only two types of humans who receive a child’s attention: those who have not yet gone mad, and those who already are.

<Chaos Origin>

– Harboring two energies in one body.

<Un■>

– (Unrevealed)

===」

‘Even with the skill, it doesn’t explain the effects of the achievements? Is my proficiency too low? Or maybe there are no effects to begin with…. And what’s “unrevealed”?’

It was still full of incomprehensible content, but he could roughly guess the context in which he had acquired the achievements. That alone was a sufficient achievement. After all, others couldn’t even see the description of achievements, let alone their effects. Perhaps as his level increased and his skill proficiency improved, he could obtain more information….

Yu Seongha carefully asked Shin Jaehyuk, who was deep in thought.

“Um, can you tell me what kind of ability it is? Is it rude to ask…?”

Rude! Shin Jaehyuk was startled and waved his hands.

“No, no, of course I’ll tell you, sis. It seems to be an ability to check information about others.”

“…Information?”

Shin Jaehyuk used his insight on Yu Seongha. He could see her status window. She seemed slightly tense about being examined by an unknown ability.

「===

Name: Yu Seongha

Level: –(Unawakened)

Achievements: –(Unawakened)

===」

Since Yu Seongha was unawakened, only minimal information was displayed.

“Ah, yes. Since you’re unawakened, only your name shows up.”

“Oh… I see.”

Only then did Yu Seongha laugh softly, fidgeting with her fingers. She seemed strangely relieved.

“That’s an amazing ability. Being able to see others’ status windows.”

“Hmm… Is it?”

Would this ability help in combat? Shin Jaehyuk pondered for a moment. It seemed quite useful. By spying on an enemy’s achievements, he might discover their specialties or weaknesses. Given the diversity of demons as vast as the age of hell, an ability that could provide valuable information without risk at first encounter was welcome.

“Well. Not bad.”

Shin Jaehyuk nodded.

Yu Seongha, who had been watching her brother’s cute behavior, clapped her hands.

“Ah, right! I almost forgot.”

She rummaged through her handbag and handed him something.

‘What’s this?’

It was a poetry collection. A book compiling works from various famous poets. Scanning the table of contents, he noticed many themes related to love and confession.

“Why a poetry book?”

“A get-well gift! You’ve always liked poetry. I thought you might be bored until Harin arrives, so you could read this in the meantime.”

“…Thank you. Sincerely.”

His chest warmed with a wave of emotion. Shin Jaehyuk expressed his gratitude to convey his appreciation. It wasn’t just thanks for the poetry book. It was also a thank you for the words of comfort that had kept him from giving up on life during the worst moment that had come at dawn.

‘She has no way of knowing how much those words helped, but still… I wanted to tell her.’

Yu Seongha checked the time and gathered her belongings. She gave Shin Jaehyuk one last tight hug before standing up.

“Alright… I should get going to work now. When you see Harin, tell her thanks! She’s the one who secured this hospital room for you.”

Bye-bye-

Yu Seongha waved as she left the VIP hospital room.

Watching her disappear as the automatic door closed, he leaned back heavily on the bed. His muscles still tingled with mild pain. It seemed difficult to make it home like this.

Above all, he didn’t have his bag. Had he lost it during the battle? His wallet and smartphone were in it, and without them, he couldn’t pay for the hospital bill, let alone a taxi fare. He had also been carrying his mace just before losing consciousness, but now it was nowhere to be found.

“The hospital might be keeping it… I’ll have to wait for Hong Harin.”

Shin Jaehyuk surrendered his body completely to the soft mattress and opened the poetry book. The beautiful verses calmed his mind and body. For now, he wanted to forget all his problems and focus on reading. He had finally succeeded in defeating one of the Four Heavenly Kings, so he deserved to enjoy this gift….

For the first time in a long while, a smile appeared on the paladin’s face. A very long while.