The Hero Returns - Chapter 200

Grit-

Su-hyeun’s words caused a sudden change in the light burning in Babel’s eyes.

It was him with all the way up to this moment. He certainly acknowledged Su-hyeun’s skills, but not once did he believe that he was lagging behind his challenger. Never.

On the other hand, Su-hyeun had been feeling rather tense. Not because he was scared or anything like that, though. He deliberately psyched himself up just before embarking on the raid of the indigo-colored dungeon, that was all.

But that tension was turning into a problem, instead.

<< I was too tense, and that made my opponent seem bigger than he actually was. >>

History’s first indigo-colored dungeon.

Awakeners who lost their lives in this place.

A tower literally built of human remains, and the existence called Babel who received an unending supply of power from such a structure.

Of course, Su-hyeun would be tense. He never got to personally experience Babel’s might in the previous life, but every single boss creature of an indigo-colored dungeon he knew of were all certifiable monsters, after all.

But this…

Fwooosh-

Craaaack-!

Babel rushed forward, and his fist smashed the ground again. The punch was originally aimed at Su-hyeun’s head.

The giant shifted his head around, trying to locate Su-hyeun’s whereabouts.

Swiiish-

Splaaash-!

A lengthy wound was sliced open, extending from Babel’s shoulder, past his back, and down to his thigh.

The giant wobbled for a moment before he swung that long arm of his one more time. Along with ‘Whoosh!’ of the air being torn apart, Su-hyeun leaped up again.

“This is way too strange.”

Stab. Staaab-

“Keuh-euh…”

Su-hyeun’s sword stabbed several times into Babel’s swung arm.

The attacks were too fast to be seen by the naked eye. The only reason why the arm wasn’t completely severed was down to the sheer toughness of Babel’s physique.

“Is it because you’re too weak, or maybe I’m much stronger than I thought?”

It was probably both.

Babel was weak. No, more correctly, he became weaker. That was because the source of his strength, the tower, was crumbling down around him and he couldn’t receive his supply of additional power.

On the other hand, Su-hyeun was strong. So much so that he wasn’t even fully aware of the extent of his powers.

His Strength stat had reached 98. And then, he even possessed experience and technique that exceeded raw stats, plus Miru’s buffs as well as the effects from the title ‘Hero’ that he had earned recently.

“Well, it doesn’t matter which one it is, you being nothing special won’t change either way,” said Su-hyeun.

“You bastard…! You baaastard…!”

Just as Babel spun around in the direction of the voice and tried to pounce again…

Wobble-

<< Uh? >>

The inside of the giant’s head shook, and dizziness rushed in. This numbing sensation began spreading from all corners of his body.

<< Poison? >>

Although the injected quantity was small, the poison skill’s effect was still enough to make Babel’s body not function properly.

“Physique-wise, you’re excellent. From the natural defense your body possesses, to your innate magic resistance, and even your massive magical energy reserve, too. You’re certainly not lacking in any regard.”

Su-hyeun analyzed all of Babel’s combat potential objectively.

Just as he alluded to, Babel’s physical abilities were unparalleled. When converted into the numerical stat values, then his numbers should be higher than every one of Su-hyeun’s stats by a noticeable margin.

“But you really lag behind in technique. It’s not as if you have the benefit of techniques that can support your superior physical status, either. Well, if this tower was still intact, then such an issue would’ve been resolved to some degree, but…”

Gu-gugugu-

Su-hyeun stared at the tower shaking precariously and muttered to all who could hear him. “As you can see, it’s in this state.”

Using his absolute, overwhelming strength to make up for the problem of the lack of technique—that was Babel’s preferred combat method.

But in the current situation where the infinite power supplied by the tower was no longer available, he couldn’t be called an ‘overwhelming’ opponent anymore.

A man with a lackluster technique, and, even worse, with a strength no better than what Su-hyeun currently possessed—that was Babel in a nutshell.

“Don’t… Don’t look down on me.”

Wuduk, wududuk-

Babel’s body began ballooning up, little by little. He was already thickly-set compared to his height, so his new transformation into an even bigger mass of muscles looked utterly grotesque.

“Don’t you dare look down on me!!”

Gu-wuwuwu-

He was the symbol of pride. He was a man who thought that, with the only exception of himself, no other human being was needed and built a tower made out of living people.

The fact that someone had disparaged and looked down on him was a completely unacceptable insult.

That was why Babel felt this uncontrollable rage from Su-hyeun’s words, his eyes, and his expression.

Pah-ahk-!

Fwooooosh-

Babel’s large hands pounced on Su-hyeun’s head. It was still a direct, straightforward attack, just like before.

But Su-hyeun’s response was completely different this time.

[Immortality.]

Rumble-!

CLAAANG-!

Two fists collided. Not a sword, but an actual fist.

Babel flinched in shock when Su-hyeun blocked his punch. Even if he was below his opponent in terms of technique, he believed that, as far as physical strength was concerned, he was still far superior.

But now…

<< He blocked it? >>

He thought that Su-hyeun wouldn’t block the punch but dodge it, instead. And this careless attitude was to blame for his slow response to Su-hyeun’s sword flying in.

Splaaaash-!

“Keuk…”

A lengthy sword wound extending from his chest right down to the thigh area was cut wide open. There were already plenty of smaller wounds on his body, but this new cut was different from all of them.

<< It’s deeper. >>

The injury was so deep that Babel’s innards threatened to spill out.

This was his first time—the first time that the thoughts of possible death had crept into his mind.

His first time thinking that he’d be defeated by another man.

<< I’m going to lose? >>

Grit-

He gnashed his teeth.

His pride was wounded. He couldn’t accept the thought of being weaker and lower than someone else.

“Uwaaaaah-!”

Ruuumble-!

Babel strengthened his legs, then his hulking figure pounced forward.

Thud-

For the first time during the fight, Babel’s hands managed to reach Su-hyeun’s body. He shoved the latter in the chest and continued to powerfully dash forward.

“Uwaaaah-!”

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM-!

Su-hyeun’s body flew backward while destroying several pillars of the tower. Babel continued his dash and rammed his opponent straight into the wall.

BANG-! Crack, crumble-

Spliiit-

Su-hyeun’s body was buried deep into the tower’s substantial wall, causing it to crumble. The tower already in the state of breaking apart shook even harder than before.

Boom, ka-boom-!

Tumble, rumble-

The impact was forceful enough to rock the entire tower.

Babel was confident.

<< It’s over. >>

Unfortunately, it didn’t take all that long for his confidence to flip on its head.

“As I thought… Your strength is something else, alright.”

Sliiice-

Drop-

Babel stared at his own severed hand, fallen to the floor.

<< Uh…? >>

His confusion lasted only for a second.

Swiiish-

That burning sensation from his wrist came from his neck, as well. Babel urgently raised his remaining hand toward his throat.

He felt something warm and moist on his fingertips. A chilling thought raced in his mind and Babel desperately grasped his neck.

“Even then, that’s all you have.”

<< Just… when? >>

Squeeze-

Babel wondered to himself while holding his neck tighter.

Just when did he get cut?

Su-hyeun had definitely been caught by his barrage and was currently buried in the wall.

<< Could it be?! >>

Babel’s eyes opened wider.

<< When he was being rammed into the wall?? >>

Su-hyeun had been focusing on severing Babel’s hand and neck rather than escaping from the giant’s attacks.

In the end, he succeeded.

Babel sensed his strength gradually fade. He abandoning his hand on the ground and gripped his own neck.

Meanwhile, Su-hyeun slowly raised his body from the rubble of the wall and wiped the blood off his mouth.

“Keok, ptooey.”

He spat out the blood pooling in his mouth.

“You thought you were the best, didn’t you?”

“I… am…”

Even in the end, Babel still had that disbelieving expression on his face.

Still not believing that someone had managed to defeat him, that there was another ‘human’ even stronger than he was.

Not one opponent had been stronger than he was, so Babel never bothered to learn any techniques, and he simply relied on his raw strength to suppress everything. And that very arrogance brought about this result.

“The emotion of pride has managed to kill the most number of people to this day,” said Su-hyeun.

“This… can’t… be…”

The grip on the neck was finally gone, and Babel spat out his last words.

“…Possi… ble…”

Tumble-

Babel’s head tumbled to the floor.

Su-hyeun looked down on the giant’s head rolling towards his feet and quietly murmured. “It’s the same for you, too.”

Step, step-

Su-hyeun took Miru and exited from the tower by pushing open the massive gates. And just as he reached some distance away…

Gu-gugugu-

The tower rocking precariously crumbled completely. The walls gave in and the floors began collapsing on top of each other.

The tower built by a man to reach the level of a supreme-ruler, a symbol of pride and also, of humanity’s sinful act.

The structure came crumbling down.

* * *

Inside a large luxury sedan, where its ceiling sparkled like the night sky.

“The indigo color, is it…”

Gordon Rohan, riding in this sedan, heard the news from Ashlyn and turned his tablet on to check the articles online.

The news related to the indigo-colored dungeon appearing in South Korea had already spread to the rest of the world. Since the first one had made its appearance, it naturally meant that the second and the third would eventually pop up soon, as well.

“Kim Su-hyeun’s gone inside.”

Gordon Rohan saw the article stating Su-hyeun had gone inside the dungeon and put the tablet down next to him.

“Turn the car around, please. We’re going back home,” said Gordon, looking somewhat deflated.

Ashlyn sitting on the back seat alongside him saw that reaction and asked him. “What’s the matter? You seemed to be interested in it a second ago.”

The appearance of an indigo-colored dungeon. After hearing that news, Gordon Rohan actually became interested in a dungeon, a first in a really long time.

He had already raided three of the six blue-colored dungeons that showed up almost simultaneously throughout the world. This indigo-colored dungeon that appeared in the middle of his quest had all the potential to become the tastiest, greatest icing on the cake.

“Sure, I was interested. I was even thinking of heading off to Korea, too.”

“But now?”

“I mean, it’s over now, right? Kim Su-hyeun already went inside.”

If it was a dungeon that he could raid solo, then there was no way that Su-hyeun wouldn’t be able to raid it solo, either.

Gordon Rohan was certain that the indigo-colored dungeon was as good as cleared out the moment Su-hyeun decided to have a go.

Ashlyn chimed in. “Now this is an unfamiliar sight, you acknowledging someone else to this extent.”

“Well, he did beat me and all.”

“Didn’t you say you’d beat him next time?”

“Next time, is it? I wonder about that.”

Back when Gordon first tasted defeat at Su-hyeun’s hands, he told Ashlyn this—that it’d be different next time. That he’d regain his position as the best in the world.

He murmured, “Will it really be different?”

“What are you talking about?”

Gordon didn’t reply to Ashlyn’s question.

More correctly, he couldn’t. The last vestiges of his pride didn’t allow him to make the reply, that’s why.

<< I don’t think it’ll be different next time. >>

It took him a really long time to accept this. This judgment of his didn’t come from an emotional place, but a rational one.

<< Indigo color, is it? >>

While looking at the scenery rushing past outside the car’s window, Gordon Rohan sunk deep into his own thoughts.

The sky above was refreshingly clear, which didn’t really match the current situation.

It felt as if only a couple of years had passed since the blue-colored dungeon first appeared in the world, yet an indigo-colored dungeon had shown up already.

<< I simply thought that the era was going through a change, but… >>

Six blue-colored dungeons had appeared simultaneously throughout the world. And then, an indigo-colored dungeon had appeared right afterward.

Many people had lost their lives during this incident. Some were murdered because of wrath, and gluttony forced some to resort to cannibalism after food ran out.

If it wasn’t for the Paragon Guild responding as quickly as it possibly could, a far greater number of people would’ve lost their lives by now.

<< Maybe I’ve been wrong all this time. >>

The theory of the apocalypse, the eschatology.

Gordon Rohan wasn’t a fan of such an endlessly-gloomy term like that, but now, he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

He continued to stare outside the car’s window and organized the complicated mess in his head, before slowly closing his eyes.

The era wasn’t changing.

It had already changed.