Resurrection Chapter 13 - Will you be my partner?

Jack-of-all-trades Kim Yitae, despite being a B-rank with seemingly little to offer, was sought after by many raid teams due to his unique resourcefulness. Many thought his skills were overestimated because of his handsome appearance, but in reality, it was the opposite.

As a jack-of-all-trades, he was versatile and could handle the work of ten people alone. With him, any raid spot flowed as smoothly as water. There was even a saying that one jack-of-all-trades was worth more than three healers, so everyone coveted his competence.

However, when Yacha, reputedly the strongest in South Korea in terms of attack power, took him, everyone was bewildered. It was true that Kim Yitae, the jack-of-all-trades, was useful, but he wasn’t someone a group like Yacha would be so fixated on.

Including Yoon Younghyun, no one believed Yacha had kidnapped him out of desperation. Given that the raid leader was practically a lunatic, they assumed Kim Yitae had caused some sort of trouble.

After that, all they knew was that the incident led to Kim Yitae being chosen by the Golden Emperor, but no one knew exactly why such an event had occurred.

But now, witnessing the scene before him, Yoon Younghyun understood.

If his current guess was correct, Kim Yitae hadn’t caused trouble.

Yacha had gone to any lengths to get their hands on Kim Yitae.

A skill like Resurrection, one that could bring the dead back to life, would be something they’d sell their soul to obtain.

Realizing this unknown fact, Yoon Younghyun was still half-doubting.

It had been long concluded that a resurrection skill didn’t exist. To think such a fraudulent skill existed now—it was impossible. It was even more absurd than interfering with time…

Yoon Younghyun, who had been strongly denying it, fell into a state of disbelief.

Not only him, but everyone present widened their eyes as if they might pop out. Kim Mina even raised her hand to rub her eyes.

As the light enveloping Seo Heesoo’s corpse was absorbed and vanished, Seo Heesoo’s body jolted violently, as if electrocuted. Then, with a loud “Hurk,” he took a deep breath and lay back down, writhing.

Beneath his torn armor, his split jacket and shirt parted, revealing bare skin. Astonishingly, the wounds Yoon Younghyun had repeatedly inflicted were gone without a trace. Before long, Seo Heesoo opened his eyes, as if truly revived.

Seo Heesoo blankly stared at the face of the Golden Emperor, Kim Yitae, looking down at him.

In a dazed expression, Yoon Younghyun thought he must have misunderstood something and shouted.

“Right, there’s no way a resurrection skill exists! That’s not really revived. It just looks like it!”

Yoon Younghyun believed the Golden Emperor had created something based on Seo Heesoo’s corpse. He thought it was an undead or a servant-like entity meant to console Kim Yitae. That, too, was a highly advanced skill, but it made more sense than a resurrection skill existing.

At that moment, the Golden Emperor grabbed Seo Heesoo’s neck with one hand, lifted him, and muttered something. Soon, the immense energy the Golden Emperor had been emitting vanished like melting snow, and Kim Yitae’s body collapsed backward.

The possession had ended.

Seo Heesoo, snapping to his senses, hurriedly caught Kim Yitae’s falling body with both hands. Reason and emotion flickered back into his eyes. He embraced the unconscious Kim Yitae tightly with deep affection.

Seeing this scene, Yoon Younghyun’s mind plunged into confusion again.

An artificial lifeform wouldn’t react like that.

Such emotion-driven behavior was impossible for an undead or a homunculus. It wasn’t something a freshly created being, untrained in any way, could do.

Could it be, really?

Did Seo Heesoo actually die and come back to life?

Yoon Younghyun was gripped by profound awe. And soon, he came to a sudden realization.

Determining the authenticity of the resurrection skill could wait.

Securing Kim Yitae was the priority now!

Yoon Younghyun stuffed the scroll back into his front pocket and drew the sword he had sheathed. He roared like a tiger.

“Kill everyone except Kim Yitae! We must secure the resurrection skill!”

His team members, like extensions of himself, instantly understood his intent and scattered in perfect coordination. They had to eliminate all witnesses and obstacles.

While the team members slaughtered the mere onlookers, Yoon Younghyun charged at Seo Heesoo, who was holding Kim Yitae. Acknowledging Seo Heesoo’s swordsmanship skills, he didn’t hesitate and immediately used a skill.

“Thousand Blades, Thousand Changes!”

Seo Heesoo, who had buried his face in Kim Yitae’s neck, snapped his head up. While holding Kim Yitae, he spun his body and swung a magic sword he had somehow picked up.

Thinking Seo Heesoo’s movements would be sluggish while carrying Kim Yitae was a mistake. As Yoon Younghyun relentlessly pressed Seo Heesoo, he was stunned to find his attacks repeatedly thwarted.

He was using a skill, yet Seo Heesoo was parrying every attack with pure swordsmanship. As the skill’s effect wore off, Yoon Younghyun’s movements halted.

At that moment, Seo Heesoo’s eyes blazed like embers.

Kim Mina shouted sharply.

“Watch out!”

Yoon Younghyun flinched and dodged. Instantly, something like a glowing rope grazed his cheek.

As he turned, he saw Kang Cheoljun standing with a long whip. The team members who should have dealt with him were all bound and writhing on the ground.

Kang Cheoljun spat out the blood in his mouth with a “Ptoo!” and glared at Yoon Younghyun.

“If you planned to kill me and take Kim Yitae, you’d better revise that plan.”

Yoon Younghyun hesitated at that moment.

Seo Heesoo put something in his mouth.

Yoon Younghyun instinctively looked at him. What Seo Heesoo had in his mouth was none other than a teleportation scroll. Yoon Younghyun reflexively reached for his front pocket, but it was empty.

As Seo Heesoo tore the scroll, a blinding light erupted, and the two figures vanished. Yoon Younghyun lunged to grab them and teleport along, but he failed.

His hand grasped only air, and Seo Heesoo and Kim Yitae disappeared without a trace.

‘Huff… huff…!’

I was running frantically. In one hand, I gripped Levatein, and in the other, I held Heesoo hyung’s hand tightly as I dashed forward.

The sky above was dark, as if covered by inky clouds. An even darker abyss writhed and reached for us.

A foul stench emanated from them. Their torch-like eyes and razor-sharp teeth occasionally glinted with an eerie light. A cacophony resembling mocking laughter or screams echoed faintly.

In a demon lair that felt like hell incarnate, I was desperately running to get Heesoo hyung out.

After being chosen by the Golden Emperor and becoming an A-rank magic swordsman, I dove into the demon lair where Heesoo hyung was said to be trapped without a second thought.

Back then, I was solely focused on the fact that I could save Heesoo hyung, but now I realized I might have miscalculated. Perhaps I should have trained more, honed my skills, and upgraded my abilities before coming.

My magic use was clumsy, my swordsmanship lackluster, and I had to rely on Levatein’s power multiple times. As a result, my self-inflicted forearm was covered in blood, and my mana was depleted. At this rate, far from saving Heesoo hyung, I’d end up trapped in this damned lair alongside him.

I regretted my recklessness but soon changed my mindset. I couldn’t leave Heesoo hyung in this horrific place for even a minute or a second longer. If I had regrets, it should be for not rescuing him sooner.

I resolved that even if I couldn’t escape the lair, I’d ensure Heesoo hyung got out. After all, I had the resurrection skill, Resurrection.

This skill, which I never imagined could exist, could perform the miracle of bringing the dead back to life. Vowing to save Heesoo hyung and get him out with this skill, I ran until my heart felt like it would burst.

How long had I been running like that?

‘Huff… huff…’

Amid my ragged breathing, something felt off.

Why was it so quiet?

I turned around in confusion and gasped in shock.

What I was holding wasn’t Heesoo hyung.

It was a stranger shrouded in darkness.

When the pitch-black face grinned, its lips stretched wide, revealing stark white teeth. A long tongue slithered out from between them, licking my cheek.

‘Aaaagh!’

I screamed in terror and struggled, but somehow both of my hands were now restrained, not just one. Something unidentifiable roughly pushed me down, and I collapsed.

My entire body was engulfed by a searing hot figure, and a fire blazed up somewhere in my lower abdomen. Shuddering from the excruciating pain, I screamed until my throat tore.

“Aaaagh! Aaagh!”

“Yitae! Yitae!”

Someone repeatedly slapped my convulsing face. The sensation snapped me back to reality, and my darkened vision cleared.

Shivering, I lifted my eyelids. Against a backdrop of a gloomily swirling sky, I saw a face looking down at me. Seeing that face, drenched in cold sweat, I moved my lips.