Chapter 69 of 100

Chapter 69

7 min read1,781 words

Chapter 68. K-Military Look (2)

A willow tree that seemed to be hundreds of years old, with its straight and massive branches stretching out.

Amid the dense leaves, someone was standing on a branch, seemingly undisturbed by the wind.

This person, with a square face and a very sturdy build, was none other than Jeongsong, the second squad leader of the command team, who had been meditating with his eyes closed.

Whoosh.

As the wind began to die down, he slowly opened his eyes after sitting there for a long time.

His eyes, small like a snake's, seemed to convey a sense of sadness that was hard to pinpoint.

Thud.

Just as he stepped down from the branch, three meters high, the view beside the willow tree cleared, and Jeongsong naturally approached Seohui.

"When did you arrive?"

"Well, just now."

Seohui answered awkwardly.

Although they had met, he was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say or how to start a conversation.

After all, despite having built up a lot of affection, this was the first time they had met face-to-face alone.

"Truly amazing. I didn't even sense your presence."

Seohui nodded with a bright smile in response to Jeongsong's question, which was as friendly as his affection level suggested.

At first, he thought Jeongsong would be hard to get along with because he was the oldest among the squad leaders, but his friendly attitude made the atmosphere more relaxed.

"May I ask you a question, Commander, if it's not too much trouble?"

"What is it?"

"From what I heard, you weren't that strong in the past... How did you become so strong so quickly?"

"That's... well..."

Seohui pondered for a moment.

He had become stronger by following the words that appeared before his eyes as he was dying. How could he explain this, and would anyone believe him if he did?

"Just... I guess it happened as I lived."

So he gave a vague answer.

However, Jeongsong seemed to interpret it differently.

"Indeed, it's not something you can easily talk about. I understand. I shouldn't have asked."

"..."

"Please proceed. Excuse me."

Swish.

As Jeongsong turned away with a troubled look, Seohui suddenly felt a pang of regret.

So he called out to him again.

'What?!'

Text appeared naturally before his eyes.

▷ It was just good luck, I guess.

Seeing the text, Seohui felt a sense of relief for the first time.

Until now, the choices had been precarious situations or decisions that determined victory or defeat.

But this text was neither a life-or-death situation nor a choice that would drastically change his fate.

Moreover, there was no time constraint.

So...

He approached it more seriously.

This choice, which came from his relationship with Jeongsong, would certainly strengthen their bond.

'Hmm. Let's start with this...'

Seohui's gaze, after some deliberation, turned to the first option.

"Your earnest desire?"

Jeongsong turned around quickly and asked.

Seohui hesitated for a moment, perhaps because of the eager look on Jeongsong's face.

"Well, let's say that."

Then he began to piece together the thoughts that came to mind.

"After entering the academy, I thought about it every day. I looked around, wondering if there was anything that could make me stronger. I guess I had that kind of earnest desire."

"..."

"Our lives are at the mercy of our superiors' orders, aren't they? Not just mine, but also my subordinates, my comrades. A single order I receive could mean the death of many."

Seohui quickly checked Jeongsong's reaction, hoping it was the answer he wanted.

Jeongsong, who had been listening intently, seemed to nod slowly, but then tilted his head in confusion at the end of Seohui's answer.

His reaction was similar.

"Isn't that a mindset everyone at the academy has?"

A negative response.

And the text appeared again.

▶ It was my earnest desire.

▷ It was effort and determination.

▷ It was just good luck, I guess.

'So, the third one.'

"Effort and... determination?"

"There's a saying, 'Do your best and leave the rest to fate.'"

It means that after doing everything you can, you wait for fate to take its course.

While it might sound like a comforting statement, in reverse, there's no more realistic advice than this.

"If you only focus on the outcome, it will seem endless and unreachable. So, one by one, I tried everything I could. Even if it was just a tiny speck, those tiny specks eventually piled up like a mountain."

This time, Jeongsong seemed to appreciate his words and nodded in agreement.

"You think that's effort. Then what about determination?"

"Well, it's not that grand. If it didn't work, I would die. That's what I thought."

"..."

Jeongsong let out a sigh.

"Die, and that's it. I used to think that way too, but it didn't get me anywhere."

"..."

Seohui scratched his head awkwardly.

How to navigate a crisis when you don't even realize it's a crisis, he couldn't give a proper answer.

▶ It was my earnest desire.

▷ It was effort and determination.

▷ It was a positive attitude.

▷ It was just good luck, I guess.

'This isn't the fourth one.'

Naturally, the answer seemed to be the last one, but Seohui felt otherwise.

Saying he became strong just because of luck was unlikely to be the right answer.

Not only was it a lack of sincerity, but it was also similar to his initial vague response, "It happened as I lived."

'So, is there no answer?'

The doubt about the question that appeared before his eyes lingered for a moment, but he quickly dismissed it.

Until now, there had been no meaningless questions.

Each perplexing choice had its own significance.

And this choice would certainly affect his relationship with Jeongsong, his 'affection level.'

This was not a situation to take lightly.

'So, what is the answer?'

Three negative responses and one remaining choice among the four answers.

This led Seohui to another dilemma.

'Maybe this is because my answers weren't satisfactory.'

He thought this because Jeongsong's reactions to the choices were varied.

After listening to his words, Jeongsong would share his own thoughts.

'So, the three failed attempts are the answer...'

Seohui looked at the chosen text again.

All three answers were correct.

But the key was to provide a clear rationale for each one.

▶ It was my earnest desire.

▷ It was effort and determination.

▷ It was a positive attitude.

Seohui pondered which choice would convince him.

The text itself was less important than the words that would follow.

After much deliberation, Seohui made his choice.

Again, the first one.

"Your earnest desire?"

Jeongsong turned around quickly and asked, just as before.

Seeing the eager look on his face, Seohui paused for a moment.

He needed a moment to think.

"By the way... where are you from?"

Seohui opened his mouth.

"From... I don't really remember much."

Jeongsong looked at him with a puzzled expression at the sudden mention of his hometown.

Seohui ignored his reaction.

"Actually, I don't remember much either. It's been a long time, and it wasn't a past I wanted to remember. But the memory that still lingers in my mind, or rather, the memory that is as vivid and real as ever, is the screams of animals and the smell of blood."

"..."

Jeongsong's gaze darkened as he looked at Seohui, unsure of his intentions.

Or perhaps, he was more interested.

"When I was young, I was always hungry right after the work was done... Did you also keep scraps of meat behind the work area?"

"Indeed. Mostly in winter."

"That was the best time. The frozen meat wouldn't cut easily, so I had to chop it with an axe..."

"Yes. The pieces would fly, and I would slowly melt them and eat them. Hahaha."

"I remember, I remember. People used to say that being a butcher was a good thing. Everyone else survived on roots and bark, but butchers never went hungry. Hahaha."

Jeongsong suddenly laughed heartily, and Seohui joined in.

No matter how many times he had faced life and death as a warrior, the memories of his childhood were easy to romanticize.

Especially when shared with someone who had walked the same path.

"I was earnest. That desire has continued to this day."

Seohui closed his mouth, lost in old memories.

He had brought up a pleasant and nostalgic topic, but it also brought back terrifying memories.

He didn't want to recall the countless hardships and misfortunes he had endured.

"By the way, you're from the Taehwang Pavilion, right? Why didn't you receive any martial arts techniques? I heard you wandered around without any affiliation..."

Fortunately, Jeongsong asked a question during the brief silence.

"I failed the test to detect demonic nature."

"..."

Jeongsong was incredulous.

Failed?

How could someone who handled such high-level demonic energy fail?

Then how did he receive his current martial arts techniques?

Or, how could he become so strong in that state?

"You must be surprised. Most warriors who fail to be influenced by demonic nature end up living as laborers. So, I had to take risks. I searched the Taehwang Pavilion chief's office to become stronger."

"The chief's office?"

It was suicidal.

No, it was worse than being torn apart, leading to a horrific death.

Searching the office of a superior was something he couldn't even imagine.

After all, demonic nature was like that.

Unlike orthodox martial arts, demonic techniques had a nature of submitting to the stronger.

"Anyway, I was going to die once, right? But I got lucky and found the chief's weakness, and met Gonma."

"..."

Jeongsong was genuinely amazed.

By his boldness in risking his life.

And by his earnestness in getting this far.

This person had truly been willing to die because of his earnest desire.

"In the end, the earnest desire you mentioned was about doing crazy things, wasn't it?"

"Well, you could say that. Haha."

Seohui laughed, and Jeongsong joined in.

Indeed, he had done crazy things.

He had come this far because of those crazy actions.

And now, because of those crazy actions...

2nd Squad Leader Jeongsong 100/100 (↑20) [Trust]

He had managed to convince him.