Chapter 176

: Exist Alone (2)
Translation: Nadu
Edit: Lesurous
 
 
Mulalan.
The biggest holy city and the place that supported humanity.
All organizations big or small were connected to Mulalan.
You could say it was like the center of humanity.
In Hyacinth’s eyes, Mulalan seems like a  jewel.
‘I need to give that jewel to him.’
Hyacinth had been absorbed into the Doppelganger but with Alexandro’s help, she was able to revive from the remains of Doppelganger.
Through that event, she lost her memories, and became a person who gained a completely different power. At this moment, as if it was some sort of order, there were thoughts that filled her head.
‘The world is filled with chaos.’
‘He alone will rise up.’
‘Prepare to greet him.’
Hyacinth didn’t know who this person was. But, as she tried to remember him, she missed him more and felt sad.
In addition, the ‘fear’ she first felt was imprinted on her.
This fear was something that was imprinted on Doppelganger and not her.
At times she would think of completely emotionless and cold eyes.A fearless and yearnful person would rise alone.
He would reappear into this world after realizing his true self and gaining infinite potential.
The only person who Hyacinth should follow.
For now, it was the waiting phase.
However, she had no doubts that he would come to meet her one day.
And to do this, Hyacinth was going to prepare a ‘present’.
Hyacinth drew a picture in thin air.
Drawing was Hyacinth’s specialty.
‘He liked my drawings.’
She was unsure of some things but she was able to remember one thing well.
That he had concentrated on Hyacinth’s drawings very hard.
Faith had become a strength.
Soon a drawing popped out from thin air.
A beautiful palace carriage and eight pure white horses to pull.
Hyacinth gracefully entered into the carriage.

Saintess…!


Oh, saintess!

The paladins started to worship her.
When she entered Mulalan, people who saw her kneeled one by one.
That was how the fourth saintess was born.
 

 
Time retrogressed.
Even when he was first kidnapped by Wung Chunglin 40 years ago.
Muyoung at that place wasn’t Muyoung.
However, at that place, he met the real Muyoung.

They say he is the best assassin in the Forest of Death.


They say he killed more than 10,000 people.

Before he was brainwashed, there were people who were also gathered near him.
Basically, after over-exerting the body, the mind followed, and the brainwashing proceeded.
At first, there were 200 people but now there was only 50.
50 people blankly looked at the man who suddenly appeared.
The man who was called Number 0 quietly followed Wung Chunglin.

Would it be easier if I become a skilled assassin?


I, I’m going to get out of this place. The place I should be at isn’t a place like this.

The people were desperate in order to live.
In reality, Wung Chunglin really did torture them with hope saying how he would ‘let them loose if they tried hard’.
Then, a man touched Muyoung’s shoulders.

Yo, weakling! Why are you zoomed out?


You are next to clean the corpse. Go clean it up fast.

Weakling.
It was a nickname that people called him.
In Muyoung’s memory, he became that man.

You are too slow.


It’s amazing how you made it this far. Even though your score is always last.

The man’s low gaze made him move automatically.
It was because he was given the role to clean up the corpses of people who died during training.
He gathered the Status Viewer as he cleaned up the corpses.
Although there wasn’t much on the people’s Status Viewers, it was sort of like a hobby to him.
He was just happy to read it.
As if he was reading a story.
It was his only resting place within the harsh training.
When he was done reading all the stories, he left a drawing on a half ripped book.
His drawing skills weren’t great but it was his only entertainment he could do at this place.
It was quite fun to make pictures of a story.
Afterwards, he hid them in his secret hideout.

…

If on one night, Number 0 didn’t come to the place he hid the Status Viewers, this secret hobby of his could have kept going.
The man gulped his saliva.
With bruised eyes, the man was looking down on him.
‘Would I die because I hid the Status Viewers?’
He had automatically replied to the man’s eyes that seemed like they were asking what he was doing.

I-I’m reading these stories and drawing pictures. The people’s stories. These stories make me strong. They allow me to endure. So… do you want to read them?

Slowly he gave the man the picture book he was holding.
With the monster’s fur, he made a small brush and instead of paint, he used blood but it wasn’t that horrible to look at.

…

Number 0 slowly scanned his pictures.
And soon, the man disappeared in front of his eyes.
He took the book but the man had no intention to stop him.
Instead, he placed his hand on his cold neck and let out a sigh.

Whew, he really is like a ghost.

Swoosh.
Did about 30 seconds had passed?
Number 0 once again appeared before him.
Haa!
The man let out a scream and smacked his butt on the ground.
Thud! Thudd!
However, the next action of Number 0 was nothing he had expected.
He threw few dozens of the Status Viewers on the ground.
And then stretched out a drawing book.
‘Is he telling me to draw?’
The man gulped his saliva.
As he looked at the Status Viewers dropped on the ground, his nervousness and astonishment couldn’t be helped but to be doubled!
‘King Azar! Queen Bee Hasha!’
There were also Status Viewers from those who could also be known to people who just entered the Underworld.
How could he not be surprised?
Those who were all considered the strongest were assassinated by Number 0.
These were the evidence.
His lips dried out.
However, he wanted to see. As it was the man’s only hobby to draw a picture after reading the stories.
When he drew the pictures, Number 0 took them.
And every week or a month later, Number 0 once again brought him more Status Viewers.
When it had repeated about four times, the man’s training was almost complete.
After two or three training, he would be brainwashed.
Only 20 people survived from among 200 people.
The number of people will further be reduced to half, and those that survived would become assassins after being brainwashed.

What is your name? I don’t think it would be Number 0.

It was something that the man had also felt.
And so, he couldn’t help but ask.

Mu… young.

Number 0 barely spoke.
It was very awkward but the man was excited as it was their first conversation.

Muyoung (No Reflection)[1]? Not having a reflection? It is truly an assassin like name. My name is… I can’t really remember. These days, my memories have been obscure.

The drug he ate during training made him lose his memories.
It was the procedural for perfect brainwashing.
Everyone knew about this but to live, they had no choice but to take the pill.
Number 0 once again stopped talking.
Number 0 was like a child. Perhaps, that is why he focused more on manly behaviors.
Since there wasn’t a child who didn’t like stories and pictures.

I don’t want to be Muyoung but Yooyoung (Exist Reflection). I want to at least leave my shadow. I thought it would be possible, but I don’t think it would be easy. Haha. As most of the people in this world don’t even know who I am.

Everyone lost their memories.
It was also the same for the man.
If there was a man who would remember him until the end, it would only be Number 0.

So please live until the end. Please remember me. For me, well it would be hard to survive for a long time as an assassin.

He shrugged his shoulders.
Then, Number 0 gave him a status viewer and a drawing book.
‘Does he want me to draw?’
He grinned and held the brush.
They were in that sort of relationship.
As if something existed but didn’t.
Fortunately, the man’s brainwashing was postponed.
The holy city of Mulalan’s few thousand paladins had infiltrated the training ground.
Most of the assassins who protected the place were dead but the man had survived.
They were just moved to a different training ground.
He gradually raised his assassin senses as he trained with the other trainees.
In reality, as time passed, the man lost his identity.
The strong drugs were making him stray far from consciousness.
Even then the man read the stories.
The relationship with Number 0 was like his last escape from reality.
If he was to lose even that, the man would completely lose all of himself.

For the status viewer to hold all the stories that happened to a person you don’t know of, isn’t it quite interesting?


Huh? When did it become night time?


What did you say your name was?

A monologue.
However, everything wasn’t more than an echo of chaos.
The man’s memories were unstable.
It was the side effect of the drugs.
If this period of time passed, he would be completely brainwashed.
He would lose himself and would become a human killing weapon.
Number 0 was watching him silently.
In the end, the man even forgot Number 0’s name.
Then, Number 0 slit his own wrist and made the man drink his blood.
Whenever he did, the man was able to return to himself and draw again.
Until the day Mulalan attacked again, those days repeated.

Kill the shadow!


Let’s regain the God-Killing Spear!

Mulalan’s attacks were at a huge scale.
They made a tightly knitted net and made them unable to escape.
It was a movement to catch only Wung Chunglin.
When Wung Chunglin stole the ‘God-Killing Spear’ at Suicide Hill, Mulalan had started a broadscale attack.
As Mulalan was focused on regaining the spear, they risked their lives in this matter.
The number of paladins and priests who attacked the training ground reached 50,000.
However, after realizing that there was a strong seal on the ‘God-Killing Spear’, Wung Chunglin threw it away without hesitation.
Of course, he didn’t just throw it away.
Number 0.
He held the God-Killing Spear and lured the paladins of Mulalan.
It was to gain time and to make a way.
In the process, he gained numerous injuries.
Even though he was Number 0, he wasn’t able to face all 50,000 paladins.
Of course, the man’s escape was also difficult.
Mulalan was pure white. They wouldn’t let someone who was even a bit stained escape.
When Mulalan attacked, the man had died once.
However, the man came back to life from death.
‘I’m alive?’
When he opened his eyes again, his surrounding was a hell of fire.
Everything was burning.
Only corpses were rampant.
In addition, the man’s heart had a spear of light piercing through.
It was the God-Killing Spear.
The seal of it was lifted and revived the man.
Then, the spear permeated into the man as if it was being absorbed.

What in the world…

The man raised his head.
His mind felt clear in a long time.
However, when he found the person who collapsed beside him, he couldn’t help but be greatly surprised for a moment.

Muyoung!

Number 0 was dying.
One of his arms was cut off and his waist was also half sliced.

Why?!

The man was torn apart.
And he was enraged.

I know the brainwashing has been loosened. Now you can live your own life! But, why…!

After meeting the man, Number 0 was slowly finding his identity.
He didn’t really have a reason to devote his life to Wung Chunglin or to save him.
He could have just left but!

I, was in agony. I was happy to meet… you. Please, remember, me…

With those words as his last, Number 0 dropped his head.
The man had realized after hearing those words.
That he wasn’t the only one who was afraid to be forgotten.
Number 0 was also scared that no one would remember him.
‘Muyoung.’
The man sewed his name in his heart.
A moment later, the man lost consciousness.
When he woke up, Wung Chunglin was in front of him.

What is your name?

It was when the brainwashing had progressed.
His memories gradually faded.
He couldn’t remember his name.
The man pondered for a moment before he spoke.

Muyoung.

Number 0 had existed.
Just, he had died in the attack of Mulalan that would happen in the future.
Muyoung also was Muyoung.
He was just happy to be Muyoung.
Didn’t he make up his mind like that from the start?
However, there were lies mixed within his truth.
Wung Chunglin. Everything was part of his plan.
Blaze!
Muyoung was within the flames of Diablo.
Diablo’s flames were the source. It meant purification.
It was the absolute strength that encompassed everything including the birth and death of life.
Afterwards, a spear of light began to come out of Muyoung’s heart.
‘Gabrielle’s Spear.’
The God-Killing Spear was Gabriel’s Spear.
Everything Muyoung had experienced might have been started by this spear.
And he was able to understand why the Archangel Gabriel chose him.
Blaze!
Muyoung held the spear that came out of his heart.
 
[1] Although we thought Muyoung’s name originated from ‘No-Name’, it might have originated from Number 0’s name, ‘No-Reflection’.