Resurrection Chapter 69 - Save Heesoo Hyung

The White Goddess, who enjoyed being revered, loved those who could attract more followers. Those with handsome features, noble conduct, and outstanding abilities like Heesoo hyung attracted followers just by existing, but ordinary people were not like that. They needed something that could draw public attention and evoke admiration.

At that time, the place on everyone’s lips was Dungeon 666, where the Demonic Lair was located. It was a newly discovered place deep in a valley, with scenery that was both mysterious and beautiful. Despite that, its survival rate was low, and it had swallowed up numerous hunters in a short period of time. As they hadn’t even been able to secure a minimal activity area, the government was considering closing the dungeon.

It was then that the apostles who craved the White Goddess’s favor brought up the idea of pioneering that dungeon. It didn’t take long for that to transform into a great expedition to spread the fame of the White Goddess far and wide.

Not only the apostles of the White Goddess, but also Awakeners who wanted to serve the White Goddess, hunters who wanted to get a piece of the action, and even normal people who wanted to awaken. With the added sponsorship and participation of various corporations, an expedition of unprecedented scale was formed.

I still vividly remember the atmosphere of that time. It was as if a festival was being held. All sorts of people had gathered, excited at the thought of exploring the unknown world of the dungeon and obtaining the wealth derived from the White Goddess’s power and the dungeon’s resources.

It was a strange thing. To think that everyone was so happy, as if they were going on a picnic, while entering a dungeon so dangerous that its rank hadn’t even been assigned.

A crowd of about 3,000 people set foot in Dungeon 666. And not long after, that place turned into hell.

Because few people returned alive, it was unclear what had happened inside. Most of the returnees were not in their right minds.

The only ones who were relatively sane were the apostles who had the White Goddess’s protection, but they were extremely tight-lipped. The only thing they said was a single phrase: ‘Seo Heesoo has fallen.’

I thought that Park Sigyeong, being an apostle of the White Goddess, might know about what happened then, even if he wasn’t on-site. I couldn’t bring myself to ask Heesoo hyung, who was the person involved, and I didn’t think it was that important, but seeing Park Sigyeong, a sudden curiosity arose.

Park Sigyeong was silent for a long time before he spoke.

“I don’t know the details either. But the story about Mr. Heesoo falling is distorted. It’s not like he was abandoned by the White Goddess for committing some evil deed in the Demonic Lair as people think.”

“I know that much. That’s a rumor that came out because the goddess’s apostles, whose powers had weakened, resented Heesoo hyung…”

“Mr. Heesoo was the one who refused.”

At the unexpected words, I asked back.

“What?”

Park Sigyeong hunched his shoulders and continued.

“I heard that in the Demonic Lair, for some reason, Mr. Heesoo refused the White Goddess. That’s why the apostles said Mr. Heesoo had fallen. Because at a time when a stronger protection than ever was needed, he let go of the White Goddess himself.”

It was a story I had never considered. I propped my chin on my hand and fiddled with my lips, organizing my thoughts.

For what reason on earth would Heesoo hyung refuse the White Goddess, who had bestowed her infinite favor upon him?

If there had been a call from a more powerful god than the White Goddess, that would be another story, but seeing as he was trapped alone, unable to escape the Demonic Lair, that couldn’t have been the case. He wasn’t serving any god before he met the Ulfheðinn.

Lost in my questions, I looked at Heesoo hyung, who was still continuing his push-ups with one finger.

👑

Needless to say, even in a world where superhumans and monsters had become a reality, pleasure districts existed. In fact, they were enjoying greater wealth than at any time in the past.

The government prohibited the private trade of dungeon resources or mystical materials. Normally, only items approved by the government could be traded, and only in places authorized by the government.

Of course, not everyone abided by that, and there were many hunters who frequented dungeons for the purpose of smuggling. The dungeon resources they brought out flowed into the back alleys and became subjects of black market trade. That money flowed into the pleasure districts and was reproduced.

Among the most prominent pleasure districts is Hyeopjukdo Street, which is brazenly located on one side of Sejong City’s downtown area. At first glance, this place, which gives off the impression of an amusement park, was off-limits to minors from the very entrance.

Following Min Gongchan there, Yoon Younghyun asked, puzzled.

“Why on earth did we come here?”

Instead of answering Yoon Younghyun’s question, Min Gongchan frowned and waved his hand.

“You’re free to follow, but walk a little farther away. It’s seriously embarrassing.”

“What? What’s… what’s wrong with me?”

Yoon Younghyun shouted back, but his face turned bright red. As Min Gongchan had pointed out, Yoon Younghyun was in a seriously embarrassing state.

Because he had to transform only his lower body to chase after Min Gongchan who was riding a phantom horse, his pants were in tatters. The guy, who was already conspicuous due to his large build, was walking around barefoot with his thighs and calves exposed, making him look like someone doing some kind of performance art.

The only fortunate thing was that the briefs peeking out from under the tattered pant legs were black. If they had been snow-white, he would have been busy buying new pants instead of chasing Min Gongchan.

Yoon Younghyun got angry, his face flushed.

“This is all your fault! Why were you riding something like a phantom horse.”

“I never told you to follow.”

“You never told me not to follow either!”

Min Gongchan didn’t bother to reply to the ridiculous argument. He averted his gaze as if he were pathetic, and Yoon Younghyun’s face turned red and blue.

The words and actions of Min Gongchan, the self-proclaimed regressor, were consistently irritating. In the first place, the fact that he had commissioned the murder of Seo Heesoo and then crushed the werewolves gathered at Dungeon 77 was proof that he was an untrustworthy bastard.

It was all for the sake of eliminating Seo Heesoo and securing Kim Yitae, but he had acted as if he had nothing to do with the request, changed his attitude, and backstabbed them. Judging by how he had shattered the clan meeting, he was even a dangerous bastard, so if he had his way, he wanted to snap his neck right now while he was off guard like this.

But if the guy really was a regressor, he had considerable value, so he couldn’t just kill him. Because Seo Heesoo had been revived by Resurrection, he had only received the advance payment for the commission, so he felt he would be less wronged if he could get something out of him. Due to a financial crisis from a failed investment, he was in a situation where he had to grasp at straws.

Yoon Younghyun suppressed the urge to grab Min Gongchan by the scruff of his neck, shake him violently, and demand that he remember the lottery numbers. Instead, he tried his best to deduce why Min Gongchan had come to Hyeopjukdo Street.

“Why did you come here anyway? Are you trying to make a killing at the casino? Or are you trying to rig the raffle? But today’s not the day they raffle off gold bars.”

On Hyeopjukdo Street, they hold a raffle for gold bars once a month. In times like these when the price of gold is high, it’s better than winning a decent lottery.

Since entry to the raffle was automatic upon charging coins, it was impossible to rig unless you were a genius hacker. However, since he was a regressor, he might know some trick.

“Hey, I asked why you came here.”

Yoon Younghyun pressed for an answer, but Min Gongchan remained silent. Yoon Younghyun began to seriously consider whether he should just strangle him.

Perhaps if Min Gongchan had been an Awakener, he would have just strangled him. But if he really was a normal person as he claimed, his neck might snap, so he had to exercise restraint. With no other choice, Yoon Younghyun whined impatiently.

“Why did you come? Huh? Why? Why is it? Why could it be? Why is it, sir? Why could it be, sir? I wonder why? I wonder what the reason is~?”

As Yoon Younghyun started to add a disgusting nasal tone, Min Gongchan was repulsed.

“Ah, if you don’t like it, then leave!”

“Who said I don’t like it? I’m just curious!”

“The reason I came here… is to prepare for the worst-case scenario.”

“The worst-case scenario? What’s that.”

Instead of answering, Min Gongchan suddenly stopped in his tracks. A flashy hologram was blocking the path, making it impossible to go further. To enter Hyeopjukdo Street, an area off-limits to minors, one had to charge coins and receive an authentication code.

But before the guidance could even play, Min Gongchan swiped the hologram away. With a single gesture of his hand, the hologram’s image scattered and a door opened. Seeing the path appear behind it, Yoon Younghyun was bewildered.

“Huh? What? Why did they just let you pass?”

In the case of VVIPs who had a fixed code, there was no need for separate authentication. Instead, the welcoming hologram was supposed to be extravagant. But Min Gongchan was neither. Seeing him enter without a sound, Yoon Younghyun tilted his head and followed behind him.

Once they passed through the corridor-like passage, the hologram that had been blocking their view completely disappeared. What finally revealed itself was the brilliant night view of Hyeopjugdo Street.

In the sky, which was perpetually night, aurora and milky way shows and fireworks displays unfolded one after another. The streets, with fountains of champagne, chocolate, and cheese located everywhere, were truly a place of dreams and fantasies.

But unlike an amusement park, it was a place strictly for adults, so even the attire of the people on the street was different. They were exposed in all sorts of creative ways, to the point where Yoon Younghyun and Min Gongchan, who were dressed normally, stood out.

While Yoon Younghyun was looking around, wondering why on earth they had come here, Min Gongchan got on a tram that circulated Hyeopjukdo Street. Yoon Younghyun also got on, and the two passed several blocks to arrive in front of a grand mosque-style building.

The building, which had a somewhat gaudy and vulgar atmosphere for a mosque, was the place where the most money changed hands in this pleasure district.

It was none other than a casino.