Ch.72Chapter 72 – Oath

“…So, you’re saying you’re a regressor who came back from a future destroyed by the Four Heavenly Kings, and the people you killed would have become heinous criminals in the future?”

“…Yes.”

“And that’s why you’re trying to kill Shin Jaehyuk?”

“…That’s right.”

“Hmm….”

After listening to the five-minute summary of Kwak Taewoo’s life story, Kim Jaemin wore a contemplative expression. It was hard to believe. But then again, hadn’t he himself been abducted to some medieval fantasy land? After experiencing countless extraordinary events, this wasn’t entirely unbelievable….

‘The effect of magic is absolute. It’s impossible for him to lie. So Kwak Taewoo really is a regressor, and in the future, that guy falls from grace?’

Kim Jaemin glanced sideways at Shin Jaehyuk. He too looked shocked. But it was because he had heard something even more shocking than the fact that Kwak Taewoo was a regressor.

“I, I betray the Lord?”

It felt like being hit with a hammer. He had spent his entire life serving Eloah and living to carry out Eloah’s will. For Kwak Taewoo to say that he would betray his god and serve the evil god Rohim was nothing short of an insult to Shin Jaehyuk. And insults bred anger.

“Stop lying-! You’re just spouting nonsense to escape your current predicament-“

“No, Shin Jaehyuk. Under my magic, lying is impossible. Kwak Taewoo’s testimony is the absolute truth.”

Kim Jaemin interrupted Shin Jaehyuk’s words with a declaration.

“Even assuming Kwak Taewoo’s words are true, why would I fall from grace? What would trigger it?”

He couldn’t think of any possibility. Far from falling, he had regained his past level and even achieved awakening. Though the Lord still didn’t answer his prayers, he didn’t think that regaining his holy power was against the Lord’s intentions. There was no reason for him to make such an extreme choice. It was an impossible story….

Kwak Taewoo paid no attention to Shin Jaehyuk’s reaction. Instead, he knelt pathetically at Kim Jaemin’s feet.

“Now you understand why Shin Jaehyuk must die. His very existence is evil. He’s a murderer who will endanger not just your life but all of humanity…. So please, kill Shin Jaehyuk here and now.”

Kim Jaemin was Kwak Taewoo’s last hope. He begged miserably, throwing away his pride. If he could just kill that hateful Shin Jaehyuk, his pride didn’t matter. It truly didn’t matter. He had to achieve his goal. His regression and his comrades’ sacrifices were all for this purpose….

“I admit I’m a psycho. I admit I’m a serial killer. And I accept all the damage I’ve caused and will accept any punishment. But, but, I don’t care what punishment I receive, just please, kill that bastard. Please, please….”

Kwak Taewoo’s voice now sounded like he was sobbing rather than begging. The pent-up resentment from before and after his regression poured out. Ignoring his pitiful state, Kim Jaemin demanded an explanation from Shin Jaehyuk.

“Do you have anything to say in your defense? Come to think of it, there are several suspicious things about you. You used holy power before it was unlocked in the system after defeating Belial. You can use both mana and holy power simultaneously. And your holy power…. You’re only the second person I’ve seen who surpasses me in pure quantity.”

Kim Jaemin slowly raised his sword and pointed it at Shin Jaehyuk.

“And the first was a woman called a saint in a certain religion. But your holy power exceeds even hers.”

Kim Jaemin stepped closer to Shin Jaehyuk, the sword in hand. He pressed the tip lightly against Shin Jaehyuk’s throat.

“You. What are you really?”

A trickle of blood ran down his neck. As if his mind wasn’t complicated enough, now there was a death threat. Shin Jaehyuk felt cold sweat running down his back. But ignoring that, he countered:

“…What about you? Doesn’t that question apply to you too? Using holy power from the first day of awakening, defeating an S-class boss, using mana and holy power simultaneously.”

Now it was Kim Jaemin’s turn to be silent.

“Even on the day the first gate opened, you fought imps with composure, without a hint of panic. With movements very accustomed to battle. And now you’ve reached the level of a Sword Master and Archmage…. That’s an impossible level to reach in just a few years.”

Shin Jaehyuk glared at him.

“What exactly are you? <What happened during those 10 years you were abducted?>”

“-!!!”

Kim Jaemin read Shin Jaehyuk’s lips, his eyes widening and mouth gaping. It was the first time he showed such agitation. There was a reason for this. Shin Jaehyuk’s last question was asked not in Korean, but in Eden’s common language.

“You! How do you know Eden’s language..!”

Kim Jaemin’s gaze was now filled with distrust and shock beyond mere caution. It’s not a language system that an earthly being should know. His composure and calm were gone, replaced by urgency.

‘I tried it on a hunch, but such a dramatic reaction…. As I thought.’

It was something Shin Jaehyuk had deduced from Kim Jaemin’s familiarity with Kwak Taewoo’s scroll and its countermeasures, but he hadn’t expected such a jackpot. Shin Jaehyuk realized that the man before him had some connection to Eden.

But Kim Jaemin’s response was resolute. Magic gathered at his fingertips again.

“Right, threatening you won’t make you talk willingly. <Domination>.”

It was the same magic he had used on Kwak Taewoo. However.

Woong-

‘-! The spell failed?’

The attempt was unsuccessful.

‘Does mental domination magic not work on S-class awakeners?’

This was the first time Kim Jaemin had tried to cast a domination spell on an S-class awakener, so he assumed that the S-class mental strength had resisted the spell. Kim Jaemin frowned.

“…?”

When he didn’t feel his freedom being taken away despite waiting, Shin Jaehyuk was puzzled but didn’t miss the opportunity.

‘Did the magic fail? An archmage wouldn’t lack mana… Is it still on cooldown? Whatever the reason, this is my chance.’

Taking advantage of Kim Jaemin’s confusion, Shin Jaehyuk pressed on.

“As I thought. Your missing 10 years are related to Eden, aren’t they?”

“Speak! Who are you! Were you watching my mother during those 10 years?!”

Despite Shin Jaehyuk being bound by magic, Kim Jaemin’s level of caution toward him was raised to the maximum. Looking at his contorted face, Shin Jaehyuk thought:

‘My guess seems right. So Kim Jaemin really was in Eden during those 10 years….’

Hiding his anxious thoughts, Shin Jaehyuk proposed with a composed attitude:

“Let’s make a deal. Release me here. Then I’ll willingly tell you everything I know.”

Kim Jaemin was deeply conflicted. Release Shin Jaehyuk? But what if Kwak Taewoo’s words were true? And what about Skyscraper’s request?

‘But….’

Kim Jaemin was very concerned about the secret Shin Jaehyuk was hiding. Of course, not because he feared the secret, but because of his mother. He suspected that this unidentified person had approached his mother pretending to be an ordinary person and done something to her.

And to Kim Jaemin, his mother was both his sore spot and his most precious person. When it came to matters related to his mother, Kim Jaemin couldn’t tolerate even a one percent risk. Kim Jaemin relented.

“…Alright. I accept.”

“No! No no no! St-op-!!”

Ignoring Kwak Taewoo’s outburst beside them, Shin Jaehyuk demanded:

“No. I can’t trust mere words. Make a mana oath.”

A mana oath. A spell only possible for archmages who have reached a certain level of mana control. It’s making a contract by staking one’s mana. If the caster breaks the contract, their mana load twists, causing them to die in terrible agony.

The effect is absolute, but because the penalty is one-sided and fatal, asking a mage to make a mana oath is extremely rude. Kim Jaemin felt displeased, but since he had no intention of breaking the promise in the first place, he followed the request despite his grimace.

“…I swear on my mana. If you tell the truth without lies to my questions, I will release you.”

A blue light wrapped around Kim Jaemin’s heart. Confirming Kim Jaemin’s oath, Shin Jaehyuk nodded.

“Good. I’ll trust you.”

“Now speak. There’s not much time left before the awakener transport vehicle arrives.”

Shin Jaehyuk took a short deep breath. This was the first time he was revealing his secret since opening his eyes in this world. With a trembling but clear voice, Shin Jaehyuk began his story.

“I remember my life before I died. My life before being reborn on Earth. In my previous life, I lived in a land called Eden, and I was a holy knight who fought against demons all my life.”

***

Shin Jaehyuk continued to explain. How he died, the freezing of holy power, the process of regaining his level. And even his purpose of confirming Eden’s safety.

Though his biggest secret was revealed, Shin Jaehyuk actually felt relieved. It was a secret he would have had to reveal to someone eventually. If that someone was Kim Jaemin, who was called a hero, he might even help him….

“So, in conclusion, the reason you were by my mother’s side was purely coincidental?”

“I don’t understand why the conversation keeps turning to your mother, but yes.”

Still not fully trusting Shin Jaehyuk, Kim Jaemin demanded:

“Prove that all this isn’t a lie. Swear in the name of your god.”

Just as asking a mage for a mana oath is rude, forcing a cleric to swear by their god’s name is also discourteous, but since Shin Jaehyuk had committed the same rudeness to Kim Jaemin, he obediently swore.

“I swear before my Lord, Eloah, that I have spoken only the truth without shame.”

Only then could Kim Jaemin believe Shin Jaehyuk’s story and feel relieved.

‘It seems he didn’t try anything with my mother. That’s a relief. Tsk, I’m sorry I can’t fulfill Skyscraper’s request, but my mother’s safety is incomparable.’

Thinking that, Kim Jaemin organized the story he had just heard.

“By the way, Longino… I’ve heard of you. Weren’t you called the Master Paladin? One of the 12 Heroes.”

“! You know me?”

“Yes. You’re even in history books. How could I not know such a famous figure.”

Tsk, the saint had mentioned him repeatedly when teaching the history of holy spells, the greatest holy knight in history…. If that was the case, that overwhelming holy power made sense. Though the image of the pure saint praised in numerous history books didn’t match Shin Jaehyuk’s image, considering that extraordinary holy power that defied common sense, he had to believe his words.

‘At least he’s not evil….’

Kim Jaemin lowered his guard toward Shin Jaehyuk. He didn’t fully trust him, but at least he was certain that Shin Jaehyuk wouldn’t antagonize him without reason.

“I heard many of your stories while learning holy spells from the saint. They say you could use ‘Divine Punishment,’ the highest holy spell, alone? Now I understand Belial’s death. So it really was you, the unidentified S-class.”

“Yes. And you were in Eden during your missing 10 years! Is humanity in Eden safe? Has Eden not been destroyed?”

Shin Jaehyuk asked urgently. It was his lifelong wish. The man before him held the answer. However, the response didn’t match Shin Jaehyuk’s expectations.

“I don’t know. What might have happened. I spent more days treading the lands of hell than the lands of Eden.”

“Hell?”

“The day I disappeared from Earth as an elementary school student, I was transferred to Eden. The Edenians who summoned me called me a hero and trained me. Following their words, I fought demons across the continent for over a decade.”

“…”

“But those cowards demanded that I protect their land until my death. The land of Eden, which wasn’t even a third of what it used to be. But all I wanted was to return home. So after I reached what I thought was a sufficient level, I crossed the gates of hell on my own to kill the Demon King and return to Earth.”

At the keyword “Demon King,” Shin Jaehyuk recalled the information he had obtained from Li-Tem, Satan’s direct subordinate.

“Could it be… You were the one who killed the Demon King Satan!”

“Yes. That’s right. And I barely returned to Earth from hell through a one-time gate that Satan had left open to spy on Earth.”

Kim Jaemin lowered his sword and sighed deeply.

“Fortunately, the 100 years I spent in Eden and hell corresponded to only 10 years on Earth, so I could meet my mother. I was planning to live the rest of my life comfortably, being filial… But of all things, gates had to open on Earth. Tsk.”

Shin Jaehyuk could now understand Kim Jaemin’s excessive attachment to his mother. She was the only hope that had sustained Kim Jaemin through those terrible hundred years.

At the same time, Shin Jaehyuk gained hope from Kim Jaemin’s story. According to Kim Jaemin, Eden had not been destroyed until about 90 years ago. Moreover, considering that the Demon King’s death would have weakened hell’s offensive, there was a good chance that humanity in Eden still survived….

As the unnecessary conversation dragged on, Kim Jaemin brought attention back to the matter at hand.

“By the way, the transport vehicle will be here soon. Go now. As promised, I’ll keep your identity a secret.”

Kim Jaemin said as he released the bind magic on Shin Jaehyuk. Shin Jaehyuk had also mentioned making a contract with Park Jugwan. It meant they were essentially on the same side.

‘The more allies I have to protect my mother when I’m away, the better. Especially an S-class holy knight who can instantly heal most wounds. There are far more advantages to joining hands with Shin Jaehyuk than with Skyscraper.’

As Kim Jaemin was nodding, thinking it was a wise choice, Kwak Taewoo, whom the two had forgotten, interrupted.

“W-wait! If you let him go like this-!”

“Ah, right. You were here. What should we do with this one?”

The problem of Kwak Taewoo, which had momentarily disappeared from the two men’s thoughts due to the enormous amount of information they were processing, resurfaced.

“If we leave him and he gets caught, he might reveal your secret or identity… Troublesome.”

“Kim, Jae-min-!! I’ve seen the future! Kill Shin Jaehyuk here! Otherwise, you’ll die-!!!!”

Kwak Taewoo repeated the claim he had been constantly making, with a hoarse voice. Kim Jaemin turned to Shin Jaehyuk with an exasperated expression.

“Are you going to kill me?”

“Kuk, you’re not a demon, why would I be crazy enough to kill you? Can I even kill the slayer of the Demon King?”

Shin Jaehyuk chuckled. He had neither reason nor means to kill him. They both knew that. Kim Jaemin looked down at Kwak Taewoo with a “see?” expression.

“I can’t believe this-! He’s a fallen one! How can you believe the words of humanity’s betrayer!”

“That’s what he says?”

At Kim Jaemin’s interjection, Shin Jaehyuk sighed. Then he swore.

“I promise before the name of the Lord. As long as you, Kim Jaemin, do not betray me first, I will never kill or betray you.”

The oath infused with holy power took form. A sacred constraint bound Shin Jaehyuk’s spirit. Formless and odorless shackles. But for a cleric, it was a yoke that could never be removed.

“This… can’t be….”

Kwak Taewoo looked genuinely surprised. Kim Jaemin grinned. It was the first smile they had seen. A smile confident that he had gained a complete ally.

“Huh. You regressed to prevent my death? Congratulations. You’ve achieved your goal. Now what should I do with you, who has served your purpose… Kill you?”

Shin Jaehyuk intervened.

“Wait. Information about the future is invaluable. If we keep him bound with your magic for now….”

No matter how much of a murderer targeting his life Kwak Taewoo was, he was an important figure. A regressor. He could be of great help in formulating future plans to deal with the Four Heavenly Kings.

However, Kim Jaemin seemed uncomfortable with Kwak Taewoo’s existence.

“The domination spell is designed for interrogation, so its duration is short. Besides, I think we’ve heard enough about the future? And he’s heard too much. If we let him go, he’ll spread our secrets.”

As he completed his sentence, Kim Jaemin became convinced of his own argument. And Kim Jaemin was also confident in his power. The confidence that he could break any of the Four Heavenly Kings with his own strength, without needing a regressor’s information. He raised his sword high.

“Even if we throw him in prison, he’ll somehow escape and only aim to kill you again. It’s better to kill him now. The dead tell no tales.”

“W-wait-“

Before Shin Jaehyuk could finish saying “stop,” Kim Jaemin struck his sword down like lightning toward Kwak Taewoo’s neck.