The World After the Fall

There was a reason why Jaehwan followed them to the office of the inner keep without any protest.

-You were looking for a Nightmare, right?

Gorgon Fortress was a large place. Even if Nightmares were rare, there might be one or two if one looked very closely. That was what Meikal said.

-Go to the Registrar of the Inner Keep. Tell them my name and show the scabbard. You will then take a look at the entrance record.

It seemed like a good idea to track down possible a Nightmare who had come into the fortress. That was what he planned to do unless he encountered some other problems.

'It's getting mixed up.'

But it might be better. The middle-aged man seemed to hold a high position so it might be easier if he helped find a Nightmare. Jaehwan looked at him.

He had a clean mustache along with a wise and intelligent face. Euren looked very noble and intelligent. But it was his 211th year after he died at Great Lands. He was one of the oldest within the Gorgon Fortress.

"I will have to introduce myself first. I am Euren Chiver, Chancellor of this 'Gorgon Fortress'."

"Jaehwan."

Euren laughed. "You sure sound like the one, the doctor told me about you."

Jaehwan glanced and the doctor was mumbling, 'Look, I told you he's rude.'

"But you must know that it is not your name that we want to know."

He cut straight to the chase, but did so politely. It was interesting to see such a high ranking officer be so polite.

"Let me ask you this outright, Mister Jaehwan. Are you the Messenger of the Greens?"

"No."

"I see."

Euren didn't seem to be shocked.

"…You weren't?!"

"Didn't I say that?"

Chunghuh added, "Hey, kid. Let me ask you. If you are not from the Greens, then where did you get those stones?"

Chunghuh asked as he glared at the stone in Jaehwan's hands.

Jaehwan's answer was simple. "I picked them up."

"…and you want me to believe that? What happened to the owners?"

"They're dead."

"Dead? Who dares to kill five families…"

"I killed them."

The commander was shocked and Chunghuh stood up, but Euren stopped him.

"Please, relax, Doctor."

The Chancellor was so dignified that it even made Jaehwan astonished.

"He killed them all!"

"We do not know what happened between them and Mister Jaehwan."

"…"

"We should hear him out. He must have had his reasons."

Euren looked at Jaehwan and Jaehwan answered, "They attacked me first. They wanted my horn, so I fought them."

Jaehwan then took out the last horn from his backpack. Euren nodded.

"…I see."

The Greens were famous for their greed for materials. If a mere human was walking around with high-value material like the horn of a Garnak, there was a chance for them to launch an attack. If Jaehwan killed them to protect himself, then there was nothing to blame. Euren became curious. How did this man come all the way here?

"Mister Jaehwan, would you mind explaining your story some more?"

After a while...

"I see. Let me summarize your story."

Euren recounted the events, "One. You were 'accidentally' swept away into this [Chaos]."

Jaehwan nodded.

"Two. You 'accidentally' met the Greens and came into this fortress."

Jaehwan nodded.

"Three. You 'accidentally' ran into the trouble and met the doctor. And you copied what he did."

Jaehwan nodded.

"I see. I understand."

Chunghuh frowned as he watched them.

"…Chancellor, do you even believe him?"

"Yes, I do."

"Have you lost your mind because Master's out sick?"

Eruen smiled.

"Doctor."

"What."

"To earn the trust of someone, you must trust him first."

"…"

The doctor became dumbfounded and Euren looked back at Jaehwan.

"Mister Jaehwan, can I ask a few more questions, if it's not too much?"

"Sure."

"Then, the first question. Your body is alive right now. Is that right?"

Jaehwan's finger that played on the stone stopped cold.

"…How do you know that I didn't die?"

"Didn't you say that you were 'accidentally swept into [Chaos]'?"

"Yes."

"Did you know that no one in [Chaos] expresses their 'death' in that way?"

He was a very intelligent man. Jaehwan heightened his guard.

"Second question. Is there a reason for you to hide your identity?"

Jaehwan fell silent and answered, "Yes."

"Is it because of a certain threat?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

"It somehow is, while it's somehow not."

Euren tapped on the table and continued, "I must apologize beforehand."

"What is it?"

"To be honest, I've been watching you use my people for the past three days."

"I knew about it."

"Of course."

Jaehwan remembered the man in a dark green cloth that he knocked out near Twilight's Fall.

"It was hard as you were too powerful, but there were a few results."

"…"

"We did manage to find out a few things about you. Do you want to listen to it?"

"Go ahead."

Euren smiled. "This document summarizes what happened after you walked into the fortress."

Jaehwan looked down and read the paper in front of him.

First day

Target has clashed with Karlton.

Target took out the [Stone of Forgotten Spirit] and made the civilians feel terrified.

Target massacred local gangs.

Target trespassed the Twilight's Fall and threatened the Vice Chief.

Target took Twilight's Fall illegally. (Resulted in 180 million horuns in property loss.)

Target started processing SS-grade material 'Horn of Garnak'.

Third day

Target destroyed the northern merchant road. Estimated property loss: 40 million horuns.

Target clashed with the Janya brothers and the Golden Sky Clan. (Northern Guard Captain and 14 other guards were wounded in the process.)

Target massacred Janya brothers and the Golden Sky Clan.

Target clashed with the middle Dead Man.

Target killed the middle Dead Man. (Estimated property loss due to the damage: 30 million horuns.)

Target clashed with the Doctor of Despair.

Target used 'Dead Man Slash'.

Target's danger grade: SS

Target's physical strength: Impossible to measure

Estimated property loss: 380 million horuns