How A Mythical Holy Knight Lives As A Villain (Novel) - Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Discord
Tremble.
Gu Seong-Hoon’s eyes shook.
It was as if he couldn’t process what had just happened.
“Even if you never joined hands with demons,”
Gu Seong-Hoon collapsed.
“There are always humans identical to them.”
Thud!
Gu Seong-Hoon fell to the ground.
KWAANG!
The Resonance of Ratna barrier shattered completely.
In the same instant, all the linked sealing barriers broke at once.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
“Go Johan-!”
As expected of the so-called elite, the Association’s White Agents rushed at Go Johan.
KANG!
But before they could get close, Go Min-Ji’s twin swords crashed in, knocking the Association agents out of the way.
“Johan!”
Shin Soo-Kyung, Go Jae-Han, and Go Woo-Jin were no different.
On the other side, the Sanctuary Alliance was rushing forward as well.
“…!”
The faces of the Association members turned ashen pale.
The resonance barrier was destroyed, Gu Seong-Hoon was dead.
And all by a single strike from Go Johan.
In this situation, to stand against the sanctum and Sanctuary Alliance was-no matter what anyone said-suicidal.
Grit.
But they were Association members.
In the world of players, they had a duty to uphold order and discipline.
“We must fight as if we’re all going to die here.”
Amid the tense standoff, the person who seemed to be the White Agents’ leader spoke.
“We can’t back down now.”
“…Understood.”
Deciding right and wrong could wait until later.
Right now, they had to punish the one who had committed an irrevocable crime before their eyes.
GOOOOH!
Just then.
“Don’t forget that feeling.”
“Johan?”
“Now…”
Go Johan pushed past Go Min-Ji and stepped forward.
“What?”
“Deciding what’s right or wrong comes later.”
As if reading their very thoughts.
“To punish what’s unforgivable, that resolve.”
Could he really read their minds?
“No, your eyes tell me everything.”
No, it was just the gaze in the Association members’ eyes, the kind Go Johan had seen countless times before-eyes he’d once worn himself.
“Johan.”
“I’m fine.”
Go Johan spoke to Shin Soo-Kyung.
“Please step back.”
He also addressed the Sanctuary Alliance.
Unlike Shin Soo-Kyung, who refused to sheathe her sword easily-
Swish.
The Sanctuary Alliance put away their weapons and withdrew at Go Johan’s command.
“Hey!”
“…Noona, please.”
“Think hard.”
Go Min-Ji called after Johan’s back.
“No matter how confident you are, your opponent is the Association… It won’t be over quick.”
Even in her sharp tone, her worry was plain to hear.
“It’s okay. I don’t intend to trouble any more people here.”
Go Johan approached the White Agents.
Flinch.
Their bodies shook, but they didn’t step back.
“Mother, I’ll be alright.”
“…Johan.”
“Everyone, thank you for worrying about me.”
He honestly hadn’t expected things would go this far.
“And I’m sorry.”
If he’d understood what family meant, if he’d known it would be like this, maybe he would have acted differently.
Slowly-
Go Johan stretched out his hand.
“You see this in movies sometimes, don’t you?”
Go Johan spoke to the White Agents.
At that, the White Agents let out awkward chuckles despite themselves.
The villain who just ripped apart Kim Do-Ha and pierced Gu Seong-Hoon’s heart now stood there, face and eyes like those of a twenty-year-old youth.
“…Shit, maybe he really is possessed by a demon, or something.”
“I surrender.”
“…Thank you.”
However, the White Agents could only accept it.
“With so many eyes watching, we won’t put handcuffs on you just yet. Anyway…”
Heh.
If Go Johan wanted to use force, their prepared restraints likely wouldn’t hold him anyway.
“Then… Player Go Johan.”
The White Agents formed a circle around him, announcing formally.
“You are under arrest for the murder of Viren Guild Leader Kim Do-Ha, Viren Guild members…”
The list of charges went on.
“…and the murder of Association President Gu Seong-Hoon.”
Click, click, click!
Even this entire process, everyone could see.
*
*
*
Deep within the Korea Players Association headquarters sat the Black Room, a place hidden from public knowledge.
Dozens of layers of barriers made up a completely black, independent space.
It was like a gate of its own.
After the Emperor Incident, it was created at all Associations worldwide to contain the worst criminals.
The so-called Emperor-world rank number one-had gone mad one day and committed a massacre.
To capture him, nearly thousands of top-ranked players had been mobilized, and they had finally succeeded.
But there was no way to contain such a being.
“Here it is…”
The Black Room.
The Emperor’s place of exile.
It was built by each Association-a space to detain the worst criminals within their sphere of influence.
“Black Room…”
Even among the Association’s staff, very few knew the true nature of the Black Room, and even fewer had ever set foot inside.
In Korea, the Black Room had never been opened-until now.
“I’d only heard rumors. This is my first time seeing it.”
Now, a villain incarcerated there had appeared.
“….”
Kim Da-Yeon, head of the Association’s investigation division, could find no words for the sight.
It was like a small room floating in a space cut off from reality.
Inside, a man was bound in bizarre restraints, even his eyes covered.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Hwang Cheol-Ha, head of enforcement and a senior White Agent, spoke.
Nod.
Kim Da-Yeon only nodded.
She had no courage to lie to Hwang Cheol-Ha, nor any reason to hide the truth.
“Why do you think you’re here?”
Hwang Cheol-Ha asked.
“No need to be afraid. We have no intention of doing anything to you just because you know Go Johan.”
He scratched his head.
“In truth, we couldn’t even if we wanted. Even now, the sanctum is pressuring us to hand over Go Johan or provide proof that he’s safe.”
It was true.
…The sanctum’s power was so great that, even above the Association, they had to listen.
“Lawmakers and politicians are in chaos too. Of course-they all nearly died that day, didn’t they?”
If Go Johan’s hands had landed on Geo, Viren, and the Association president only…
Gulp.
A massacre that could have shaken all Korea might have happened.
“The strange thing is, some politicians have sided with the sanctum. Even the Prime Minister.”
Sanctum.
“That’s why.”
Hwang Cheol-Ha continued.
“You’re the person in charge of Go Johan’s case. The sanctum requested it, and we decided it best.”
“Oh.”
Finally, Kim Da-Yeon understood.
Go Min-Ji, who knew her well, had designated her as a trustworthy figure.
At the same time, she was to interrogate Go Johan and ensure his safety.
“Should I call that lucky, or unlucky?”
Hwang Cheol-Ha scratched his neck.
This incident was just too big.
The media was in an uproar, and not just Korea, but the whole world was watching.
Kim Da-Yeon only felt the scale of things growing ever larger.
The power of Go Johan-still hidden from the world.
‘If they make a move…’
Wouldn’t everything get overturned?
“Anyway, here’s what you need to know: this button.”
“A button?”
“It’s linked to the Black Room. If you press it-”
Hwang Cheol-Ha’s eyes grew sharp.
“The Black Room is sent somewhere truly isolated from the world.”
“…What does that mean?”
“I don’t really know. It’s something made by the World Association. Just know that, if pressed, Go Johan’s existence is erased from this world.”
Gulp.
“Nervous?”
“…I’d be lying if I said no.”
“Be nervous.”
Hwang Cheol-Ha looked at her coldly.
“A lot is riding on your hands. You knew the late President Gu well. You know better than anyone-Go Johan has more secrets than anyone sees.”
With that, Hwang Cheol-Ha left, as if passing on the last responsibility.
“One more thing: Russia has armed its nukes, and many of the world’s top rankers are trying to enter Korea.”
Just a moment.
“I’m sure there are plenty more we cannot even track. Do you realize what that means?”
Hwang Cheol-Ha smiled grimly.
“You’re at the center of the storm, and that button will decide a lot.”
And that was it.
Afterwards-
“Huff… huff…”
Kim Da-Yeon had to lean against a panel to stop herself from collapsing from nerves.
‘Upheaval.’
Yes-the world was in turmoil.
Recent news said that entire guilds disappeared overnight, some conglomerate heads were found hanged, and more…
And-
“…Go Johan.”
She guessed Go Johan was at the heart of it all.
“What are you, really?”
Kim Da-Yeon, frightened, stared at the monitor showing the Black Room.
*
*
*
“Ivan!”
Russian defense minister Mikhail shouted.
Next to him stood Nikolai, the nominal current president.
“This is madness!”
Mikhail raged.
On Ivan’s order, Russia’s twenty nuclear submarines had armed their nukes.
“The Association said they’ll expel you, Ivan!”
Ivan, long the hidden power and a member of Russian intelligence, truly held the country’s reins. Even Nikolai beside him was one of Ivan’s men.
“You! And he! Both mad!”
Mikhail screamed.
“Did you not see the footage? He did that in full view of the world! Even Russia wouldn’t do something like that!”
Then-
“Nikolai.”
Ivan called the president’s name.
“….”
Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
Mikhail collapsed, lifeless.
“A pity. He was a useful man, but…”
Ivan’s eyes turned red.
“It’s a shame for him that, not being a player, he could only see so much.”
Temple’s leader, grasping Temple’s reins, approached Ivan.
Sloth and Greed had shown him.
“That this is the path to Russia’s glory.”
Those former presidents who blathered about overcoming hardship with war against neighboring states-
“Nikolai. You haven’t answered yet. What do you think?”
To restore Russia’s glory, all evil must be purged.