[Chapter 168]
[Still, The Night Passes (6)]
Southern Gangbuk, Hannam-dong.
Eun-ha, who folded his wings nearby, immediately proceeded down the street.
He didn't stop walking.
Because in the previous regression, he had to roam around Hannam-dong area until he was sick of it.
He couldn't remember the buildings that had collapsed due to the monster invasion, but the layout dividing the streets wasn't different from his memory at all.
"Baba, bibi bubi baba bubu?"
"There is such a place."
Dad, where are we going?
Buldak seemed to ask that.
It was as if he was scolding him, asking what on earth he was doing now when the clan members would be fighting for their lives against monsters in Itaewon.
He patted Buldak's bottom and looked around.
This neighborhood is quiet.
Not many corpses are visible, and seeing monsters just walking around, it seems everyone has evacuated.
Originally, Hannam-dong was known for its quiet atmosphere.
It was still the same now.
Only the occasional growling of monsters could be heard, the atmosphere was extremely quiet.
There was no sign of people at all.
Surely the people living in Hannam-dong must have gone up to Itaewon or evacuated to Geumho-dong seeking Tempest Clan's protection.
But Choi Yun-han would be here.
If he evacuated in this chaos, his condition might actually worsen.
Nevertheless, Eun-ha headed to Galaxy Group's main house without hesitation.
Choi Yun-han, the first chairman of Galaxy Group.
He had been staying in bed for some time, half-entrusting group management to his eldest son and withdrawing from the secular world.
An old man who had difficulty even supporting his own body. He was a person fighting a battle between life and death every day.
That's why Eun-ha was certain.
Even if Galaxy Group's people had evacuated, Choi Yun-han would remain here.
"There's no one here either. Are the security devices not working? Well, with mana thickly spread around, electronic devices wouldn't work."
He soon arrived at Galaxy Group's main house.
The inside of the mansion was utterly desolate.
The main gate was left open.
Standing in front of the door, Eun-ha confirmed that the surveillance cameras weren't lit.
He stepped inside the mansion.
─Right Step
He knew the mansion's structure.
Because he had asked Twenty-five to investigate Galaxy Group's main house.
Thanks to this, Eun-ha could look around inside the mansion without getting lost.
According to the information Twenty-five provided...
There was a place to evacuate in case of a terrorist situation on the lowest floor.
Choi Yun-han would surely be there.
Eun-ha went down the stairs.
Basement level 5.
Externally, the mansion was made up of 5 basement levels.
But in the information Twenty-five obtained, there was a hidden 6th basement level shelter.
"I know it's below, but the problem is I don't know the way there..." "Bibi baba." "Then we just break through the floor, what else."
It's below anyway.
There was no need to go to the trouble of finding the secret 6th basement level.
The solution was simple.
Just break through the floor.
Revolver Shot
Taking out Winter Blooming Coldly.
Eun-ha attacked the floor recklessly.
After using magic to break the floor a few times, he encountered a floor made of a different material in the middle.
It must be the material making up the shelter.
If he could just break through this─
─Extreme Piercing Strike
He could enter the secret space.
Eun-ha struck down with his sword with all his might.
The blade made of mana cut through the floor too easily.
Done.
A hole was created.
Eun-ha jumped into the hole.
"Who is it!!" "Is it not a monster!?"
As expected.
There were people inside.
Players who had been on standby after hearing the sound of him breaking the floor pointed their guns at him.
Right Step
Of course, it was useless against Eun-ha.
He took one step.
With that, Eun-ha was able to escape from the people surrounding him.
No, now he surrounded them.
Whoosh
Flames arose.
The flames surrounded the Players.
"I can't let you escape like this. Who knows what you'll do if you go."
Moon Dance
Blocking them from escaping.
Eun-ha took down the Players one by one starting with the one in front.
When he closed the distance, those using firearms were instantly neutralized.
He looked down at the fallen ones.
"Kuk... You, who are you...!"
"The most efficient solution would be to kill all of you..."
""""...!!""""
Eun-ha trailed off.
Fear clouded their faces.
He stared at them intently.
Now their lives were as good as in Eun-ha's hands.
Eventually he─
"─Enough. Just dream. If you're unlucky, you'll dream for the rest of your life, if you're lucky, only today's memories will be erased."
He could have killed them if he wanted to.
Strangely, he was reluctant.
So he concluded not to kill them.
Stygian Eye
Remove their memories with fear.
It was magic that could turn them into Pages if done wrong.
Either way was fine.
He would just do what he could do.
After that, he continued manipulating the memories of people he encountered.
"Is it here? Not a raccoon, he was hiding really deep." "Babibu."
Thus he arrived in front of the room where Choi Yun-han was hiding.
He tried to open the door.
At that moment─
"─I don't know who you are or where you're from, but come in for now."
A voice was heard from beyond the door.
☆
The 10 groups that took the lead in rebuilding the world after the destruction.
Evaluations of their actions and character varied depending on the era and person.
However, if the chairmen who cultivated their groups amidst destruction were to be described in one word, they were counted as great men anyway.
Great men who revived the collapsed economy.
Choi Yun-han was the first person mentioned among those 10 people.
"I've made many enemies in my lifetime, but I never imagined I would have made an enemy of someone so young." "..." "Or perhaps you're a descendant of someone who holds a grudge against me."
Choi Yun-han, the first chairman of Galaxy Group.
Though he was no longer chairman.
His eyes shone brightly despite lying in bed wearing all sorts of devices.
To the extent that he welcomed without fear the person who came to kill him.
Eun-ha, who approached him, kept his mouth shut for a while.
"─No, sir."
"No? Then did I directly wrong you? I'm sorry, but I have no memory of you."
"Neither." "Is that so? Then why have you come to kill me?"
Eun-ha answered politely.
Choi Yun-han asked as if it wasn't a big deal.
"Because if you die, sir, a succession dispute will arise."
"...Now I see it wasn't that you held a grudge against me. You held a grudge against my group, not me."
Eun-ha raised the gun he had been holding since entering the room.
It was a weapon he had taken after taking down a Player just before.
Choi Yun-han didn't waver even seeing the trigger pointed at him.
"But you've come to the wrong place. I'm just an old man who's stepped back now. Even if you kill me, what you want will never happen."
"..."
"If you were thinking of causing a succession dispute, you should have gone to kill my children, not me. You've come to the wrong address."
Just calmly.
Choi Yun-han said, laughing heartily.
As he said, he was now just an old man with no power.
The current chairman of Galaxy Group had long ago solidified a firm support base.
So as Choi Yun-han said, even if Eun-ha killed him, no significant changes would occur.
─Yes, that would have been the case originally.
Nevertheless, Eun-ha sought him out.
Choi Yun-han's assumption was only possible in peaceful times.
In other words, it was just a bluff.
"Monsters have invaded Gangbuk. When this situation is resolved, many things will probably change."
"This guy... You think very quickly. There was a reason you came to kill me as soon as monsters invaded."
Many people will die.
And they will lose many things.
Destruction will make it so.
Then after the destruction passes, how will people move?
They will move to create a new world again.
It actually happened that way in the previous life too.
"Using this incident as an excuse, people who have had to suppress their desires until now will see the crisis as an opportunity and come out into the world." "..."
Just like great men like Choi Yun-han.
People improved their circumstances by turning crisis into opportunity, and as a byproduct, revitalized the world.
For the next few years.
There will be a pioneering boom in Gangbuk devastated by monsters.
New dungeons will appear.
New buildings will be built.
New companies will emerge.
A pioneering boom will blow through Gangbuk.
The people who will most sensitively detect such signs are those in politics and business, and Players.
They will become the new vested interests in the process of rebuilding Gangbuk.
And so─
─Many groups will suffer from succession disputes.
People who had given up on succession.
Those who had inevitably suppressed their desires wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity.
Do they need to have the whole group? Couldn't they create their own group with the businesses they currently have and the businesses they will create from pioneering areas?
They will think that way.
It's division.
As divided groups emerge from groups, the total number of groups will increase, but the influence each group has will decrease that much.
"That's an excessive idealism. Do you think they really have no thoughts?"
Then Choi Yun-han, who read Eun-ha's thoughts, opened his mouth.
To this, Eun-ha replied.
"They'll have thoughts. Because they have thoughts, they'll fight among themselves." "..."
"After defeating enemies, what remains is determining who will receive more credit. So how could there not be fights?"
Eun-ha smiled bitterly.
Choi Yun-han seemed not to understand.
But he recalled memories from before the regression.
At that time, contrary to Choi Yun-han's expectations, the world showed aspects reminiscent of the Warring States period as groups divided.
"Unfortunately, the world won't become as you think. At least the group I cultivated won't become like that. My children have already endorsed Tae-bong as chairman..."
"Do you really think so?"
"..."
Choi Tae-bong, the current chairman of Galaxy Group.
Eun-ha smiled hearing Choi Yun-han's words.
The succession dispute happens late. It only broke out belatedly after the Uijeongbu recapture war ended, and he was devoured by that Choi Jung-hoon bastard.
Would Choi Tae-bong's siblings really have no desires at all?
No, that's not the case.
Eun-ha could assert.
Although their succession dispute was just a very small spark, no, they probably committed such acts after falling for Choi Jung-hoon's instigation.
In the end, they moved according to their desires and caused a succession dispute.
"─They're just watching you now because you're alive, sir. But when you pass away..."
"..."
"Won't those people's reins come loose?"
It was like that in the previous life too.
After the Second Uijeongbu Recapture War, around that time Choi Yun-han passed away.
And Galaxy Group unexpectedly engaged in a succession dispute.
To be precise, Choi Jung-hoon purged people who could be threats to his position.
Now is just the right time.
Choi Jung-hoon is in seclusion on Jeju Island and not engaging in external activities.
So we need to cause a succession dispute now and weaken the group's influence before Choi Jung-hoon becomes chairman.
In the previous life it was a purge.
In this life it will be a succession dispute.
Gangbuk destroyed by monsters.
Choi Yun-han's death.
It will make people who have only been watching explode.
"Yes, that could happen. But don't underestimate my son. Do you think he would just stand by and watch his position being threatened?" "..."
"And there's Jung-hoon too. Yes, now that I look at you, you seem to be around Jung-hoon's age."
Nevertheless, Choi Yun-han laughed.
His gaze turned to Eun-ha.
It was an unwavering gaze.
"That guy is a monster. You won't be able to do anything about that child. If you wanted to ruin Galaxy Group, you should have gone to kill that child, not me! Hahaha." "I know that well."
Choi Jung-hoon, direct descendant of Galaxy Group.
Eun-ha knew his capabilities.
He was an enemy, and dangerous.
Nevertheless, he couldn't kill him.
What I want isn't for Galaxy Group to completely disappear. It's to weaken their power to the point where they have to bow their heads to the Fairy Government.
Choi Jung-hoon's management skills were excellent.
Choi Jung-hoon, Han Seo-yeon, Yu Do-jun.
And some other direct descendants of business groups.
They will develop the destroyed world in an even better direction than now.
So rather than killing them recklessly, he had to take strategies to persuade or weaken the groups.
That was why Eun-ha couldn't kill Choi Jung-hoon even while considering him an enemy.
Therefore─
─He kills Choi Yun-han.
Eun-ha gradually applied force to the hand resting on the trigger.
"I did think I might die today. But I thought I would die being eaten by monsters, I didn't know I would die by someone I don't even know."
"..."
"It's fortunate in a way. Dying by gunshot will be much less painful than being eaten by monsters."
Breathing with difficulty.
Choi Yun-han raised the corners of his mouth.
"Before I die, let me give you one piece of advice, though I don't know who you are."
He opened his mouth.
Eun-ha decided to listen to his last words.
"Until I reached this position and even after reaching it. I have killed countless people. But now I've ended up in the same situation as them."
"..."
"So let me advise you like this."
Power doesn't last ten years.
Power is impermanent.
Choi Yun-han said, laughing.
"You have the same eyes as me. You have the same eyes as Jung-hoon."
"..."
"You're probably aiming for a very high place too. And to achieve that, you won't hesitate to use any means necessary, just like you're doing to me now."
"..."
"Yes... go ahead and climb as much as you want. Climb and climb, until there's nowhere left for you to climb, what do you think will be waiting?"
There's only one thing.
So listen carefully.
Choi Yun-han said as if enjoying himself.
"Then you'll only be able to look down at the people climbing up from below. And when those guys finally reach where you are!"
Cough.
Choi Yun-han coughed up blood.
He continued speaking.
"You too will become like me. Just as you're pointing a gun at me now, someday you'll be in the same situation as me." "That... I'm already prepared for it."
Choi Yun-han spoke as if cursing.
Eun-ha smiled bitterly.
It was something he had been prepared for since deciding to change the future.
He would not die comfortably.
He had given up on that long ago.
Instead─
"So enjoy this moment now. Every moment you're alive is happiness, so enjoy it to the fullest before you die!"
─He would be happy while he was alive.
That's how Eun-ha had made up his mind.
It wasn't different from Choi Yun-han's advice.
"─Yes, thank you for the advice."
Bang.
Eun-ha pulled the trigger.