episode_0050

“What are you doing to the kids who have worked so hard and are finally sleeping?”

It was a peculiar old man who dared to say such things in front of the red dragon of the Apocalypse.

Like a dragon that silently stopped Song Chan-seop, the old man who had unknowingly arrived at the end of the world had gray hair that had been neatly styled, and his face bore the marks of the years that had passed.

At first glance, he looked stern, but the wrinkles on his forehead and the corners of his smiling mouth gave him a kind impression.

What made him so unique was none other than his size.

It’s similar to [Neulhaerang], or maybe a little bigger.

His broad shoulders, his thick arms like logs extending down them, and his hands below them had more veins than wrinkles.

Age: 70s? Late 80s? He was clearly an old man, but it was hard to guess his age because of his dignified appearance.

Amidst the red earth, the crimson buildings, the collapsed rubble, the large blood-red dragon, and even the dawning sky was dyed red, only the old man was walking briskly, his face grey.

He was wearing a stylish gray trench coat and a baker’s hat. The black gloves on his hands gave him the appearance of an old gentleman going on a trip somewhere, not the end of the world.

In a world of red monochrome, the old man seemed to have jumped out of a silent film.

The old man walked calmly in front of the dragon of disaster that would overwhelm any brave man.

“Can you wait a moment?”

Then, he passed the dragon, hugged Song Chan-seop and Eun-ha, and boldly turned his back. It was truly an incredible display of courage and bravery.

The red dragon just remained silent as he watched the old man. It seemed as if he was dumbfounded by the old man who dared to come before him without fear, and it also seemed as if he was wary of something.

When Akryong saw Song Chanseop, he was looking at the old man with extreme caution.

“Gannanah, are you here?”

The old man, ignoring the dragon, looked for someone with a soft voice.

It was a warm and considerate tone, as if calling a family member in the love room in the middle of hell.

“Yes, [Chungmugong] sir.”

The one who answered that question was [Heenari] who had retreated far away and hidden herself.

After fainting and coming to her senses late, she shook off Do Hyeon-hak and Shin Il-ho’s persuasion and hurriedly answered the old man’s call.

I fix my clothes, which are disheveled from the fierce battle, and bow politely in greeting.

“How have you been?”

“You’re always so energetic when you’re old. You’re like that… .”

The old man called [Chungmugong] clicked his tongue when he saw [Heenari]’s face. His cheeks were sunken and the area around his mouth was a mess of dried blood, a reddish brown color.

Judging from the fact that the flowing energy was in disarray, it seemed like [Consecration] had been used.

Hong Yoon-ha shrugged her shoulders as if she had unknowingly committed a sin.

In the old man’s eyes, she resembled his mother-in-law in this aspect as well, and her fate was pitiful to see her suffering while burning her lifeline.

I want to tell him to take care of his health, but how can I blame the child who has suffered so much? The old man pretended not to know and acted coy.

“It looks like your grandson was treated badly. His pretty face is now quite damaged.”

“Oh, no.”

“No, he’s a guy who only cares about his mission even if he gets married and gives him great-grandchildren. How frustrating must that clueless guy have been. You’ve had a hard time taking care of him.”

“Oh, sir… .”

Just listening to the conversation, it seemed like the daughter-in-law and her granddaughter were struggling in front of the in-laws. She seemed overly calm and relaxed.

It was not something to be said lightly when the crisis of humanity was right behind us.

But there was a reason why [Heenari] answered the call with a pounding heart and a fearful heart, why she forced herself to stand upright on trembling legs and talk to the old man with the end in front of her eyes.

Wow, it was [Admiral Yi Sun-sin].

The old man standing arrogantly behind the dragon, who raised his forelegs high in the sky, deserved it.

The achievements and fame he had amassed over those long years were by no means insignificant when compared to that of mankind’s worst enemy.

Even though he was a first-generation Awakened who had retired long ago, [Heenari] Hong Yoon-ha could not imagine this undefeated old man being defeated. She did not even want to imagine it.

If it had been true, it would have been a defeat for humanity.

That was the title of [Admiral Yi Sun-sin].

The dragon stomped down with its front paw. The absolute power that could shatter a mountain fell upon the old man and Hong Yun-ha.

“Oh, just wait a minute.”

Boom!

One, out of reach.

The apartment-sized forepaw, along with the old man’s lightly reproachful voice, was blocked by something unseen, and bounced back as high as it had been lifted, making a loud noise.

[Heenari], whose face had turned pale at the sight of death pouring down before her eyes, eventually stumbled.

Even with my strong faith, the horror before my eyes was difficult to bear.

“I don’t think you can hold out for long, so I’ll just get to the point. The reason Gannan called you here is to tell you to run away with your grandson and this sister.”

“Have you two met before, sir?”

A loose smile appeared on the old man’s lips as he recalled memories of last spring.

Because, along with my sister, a gloomy blacksmith came to mind.

“We have a good relationship.”

The old man gently placed Song Chan-seop and Eun-ha, whom he had been holding in his arms, next to her, then disappeared for a moment and reappeared immediately. This time, he was holding Woo-joo, who had been rolling around in the distance, on the verge of death.

“I can’t let you die here. I swore to my benefactor that I would risk my life to save you.”

“Elder, how about… .”

Hong Yoon-ha opened her lips briefly and then bit them hard.

“Everyone will soon be out of breath… .”

She could imagine the desperate fight Song Chan-seop, Eunha, and Woo-joo must have been waging against the beast while she was unconscious.

Their condition, seen from that close, was dire and serious. All three were dying, the only difference being the speed.

Hong Yoon-ha’s [Prohibition Order], which can delay death, is limited to two people at most.

Even that had already been used once, and it was impossible to do it again with my current state, where my mana recovery was still low. Even if I had some spare mana, there were only three of us: Song Chan-seop, Woo-joo, and Eun-ha.

There was no way to sustain the lifeline of these people.

The fact that she couldn’t save the heroes in the midst of an urgent situation and that she had no choice but to watch the man she loved walk away made Hong Yoon-ha’s heart ache and her hands and feet go numb. She felt the pain pouring down from her chest to the ground.

Barely holding back her tears, she opened her mouth.

“It’s too late.”

“Hehehe, don’t worry. It’s not too late.”

The old man smiled broadly, denying Hong Yun-ha’s desperate words.

“Because I decided so.”

The old man’s words were filled with a certain spirit and strength.

Hong Yoon-ha, who vaguely noticed it, looked down at the groaning heroes next to her. As if those words were not an empty promise, their breathing, which had been panting, returned to a steady state.

The wound did not heal, but the blood flow stopped, and the poison from the extradimensional particles flowing through the organs disappeared.

The hands and feet that had been frozen cold due to excessive bleeding and hypothermia were starting to feel warm again. Those who had suffered such severe injuries that it would not have been surprising if they died at any moment were actually improving.

A miracle from God? [Unique Skill]? Her short doubts were driven away by a long and deep joy in the incomprehensible situation that no one could believe except the old man who had been swearing.

You can live! If you’re still breathing, you can be cured somehow!

In a situation where it felt like a rope had been lowered from the sky, Hong Yoon-ha simply lowered her head repeatedly.

“Thank you! Thank you so much, sir!”

“What, you should go now. You seem like a very hasty guy.”

As expected, the red dragon was gaping at the rude and unpleasant guy who had dared to flick off its forepaw.

At the end of it all, a terrible aura gathered, a cursed breath that corrupted the land.

As Hong Yoon-ha quickly walked away after looking at the patients, the old man’s voice was clearly heard in her ears.

“You don’t have to go far. There’s a [Warp] point I used near the Dongsan Bridge in the northeast, so look for it. Including the Chids behind them, you should be able to easily ride back with about ten people.”

With those words the old man jumped up.

It seemed like they were planning to engage the dragon at the firing line so that [the Suicide Squad] could escape safely.

Several of the dragon’s heads glanced at the moving [Heenari] party, but soon they looked away and focused all their attention on the old man.

Through his experience trampling and breaking countless dimensions, the Dragon of Apocalypse has learned that now is the time to pay no attention to those small and insignificant things. The most dangerous thing is the old man who jumped up alone.

Seven breaths poured out simultaneously from their respective locations toward the old man.

[Hee Na Ri] As Hong Yoon Ha became a dot in the distance and disappeared, the kind old man, who had no more worries or concerns, immediately transformed into [Admiral Yi Sun-sin] and smiled warmly at his enemy.

“Now there are only two left.”