Before Dohyuk could say anything, the voice continued talking.
“I will move at nightfall. It won’t take much time, so unless you have anything special, let’s save the durability.”
And then it was over. Dohyuk then turned to Mingu.
“How long do you have until your daughter wakes up?”
Mingu’s face became pale.
“J-Julian…?”
“Do you know him?”
Mingu nodded. “I-it was… the o-one who was with you. B-but he’s coming h-here?”
Dohyuk knew his daughter needed more time.
“I… okay. I am ready. Twenty hours… It would take a-about twenty hours. I c-can protect her.”
“What’s he like? This Julian?”
“I-I’m not sure. My memory… but even if…”
Even if he was a good man then, it didn’t mean he was a good man now. The reason Mingu pointed Han Jaehun out was that he was rumored to have been killed after saving Dohyuk. The world changed people. It was too much to ask. The man was definitely coming to get the Nature from this cave. He would not believe that the treasure already belonged to the daughter, and he might even kill the daughter to steal it.
“I-if night comes…” Mingu advised, “Y-you should le-leave. H-he won’t c-come alone.”
…
Julian opened his eyes as he heard footsteps.
“Boss, the sun is down.”
Kim Namgun. He was the man who followed Julian along with Eunho since his previous life.
“Our trace?”
“I took care of it. We’re ready to leave.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
Julian readied his forty people to leave and looked back at his shelter. Hall of Rainmonger. The ruin of the shrine by the oasis in the middle of the desert.
“But… is this the place? I heard you speak of it before…”
“Yeah.” Julian nodded, “This was our first shelter.”
Me and Dohyuk. That’s what Julian believed back then, but he knew that it wasn’t.
“But we couldn’t stay too long. We were ambushed.”
“And you won.”
“…Of course.”
Thinking of it now, their victory was solely due to Dohyuk. How did he manage to do everything on his own? When people were hesitating against a single monster, Dohyuk achieved victory against many giants and stronger monsters. He always found a way. That’s why Julian and others were fooled.
They were Dohyuk’s equals.
That’s why they were happy until they realized the difference. It took 10 years for Julian, when Dohyuk killed the dragon that was considered impossible to kill with his famous SS-rank weapon [Dual Sword – Crescent Moon Duo]. With half of his skull crushed and his smashed intestines in his body, Dohyuk hunted the dragon.
By watching that, Julian realized that he was not equal. They were not walking forward together. Dohyuk was just slowing down for them.
More time passed by and Dohyuk’s influence grew. The people next to him changed. It wasn’t because Dohyuk did not look after others, it was just that even if Dohyuk slowed down, it was still too quick to follow him anymore. It was the same for Julian.
‘We will have order in this world so that the weak can survive without shedding blood and tears,’ Dohyuk claimed. But how many would scream after realizing that they were one of the ‘weak’ that needed protection?
“Julian?”
“…!”
Julian came back from reminiscing at Namgun’s voice.
“Are you okay?”
“…Yeah. Let’s go.”
Namgun and Eunho were those that Julian found after Dohyuk became the Great Emperor. Julian then ruled his region with power and influence. To the other weaklings, Julian was considered even greater than he actually was.
“The gaiter really fits you well.”
“…”
Namgun spoke, smiling, “I heard that it was you who found it in the basement of the shrine. And you gave it to the Great Emperor.”
“…Yeah.”
It wasn’t. He was so afraid that he couldn’t even go into the basement. It was Dohyuk who went in and tried to see if there was anything valuable inside to help others. It was also Dohyuk who killed the mummy of the High Priest.
“It’s finally coming back to its rightful owner!”
Jo Namship spoke and the other people agreed. They did not know Dohyuk too well. These people were those that bowed to Julian’s power. They pledged no allegiance and had the chance to turn their backs on Julian so he told them the truth.
Dohyuk, the Great Emperor, is not special. He was just lucky with a great Nature, some beginner’s luck, and other people’s sacrifices.
Julian…
‘No.’
He did not lie. At least in this world, it would become the truth.
‘You are not the only monster, Dohyuk.’
He was now at the Mine of the Green. If he acquired the second Nature, he would surely become a special being.
“It’s there! There’s the mountain range with small peaks!”
After a while, they arrived at the cave. But Eunho wasn’t there.
“Eunho!” Namgun called out. There was no answer.
“Eunho!”
Namgun became curious and turned back to Julian. Julian took out the shell.
“Eunho.”
Minutes had passed with no answer so Julian tried to send in some of his men.
“WHAT!”
A figure appeared at the entrance of the cave. Julian, Namgun, and everyone else gasped. It was Jo Mingu.
“You…”
“D-d-don’t come i-in.”
He could barely stand as his leg had now melted away.
“T-too late. Nobody… c-can’t get it. I-I’m just waiting for m-my daughter to wake up… P-please go back.”
“…You don’t know yet.”
Julian turned back and the underlings began preparing what they brought. It was oil and a Molotov cocktail.
“I’ll burn it all and see what’s left inside.”
“N-NO! P-please! M-my daughter… will wake up s-soon! P-please have h-her as y-your crew…. S-she will…”
“Everyone, start the fire. We will take it slow from the entrance. Don’t give that monster a room to come close.”
It was rejection. The Nature was only worth it when it was Julian’s own. He did not want to be ‘weak’ again.
“It’s my Nature. What are you doing! Throw that-”
Then he felt the vibration. Everyone, including Julian, looked at the shell. Mingu did not have the shell. Then who was holding it? Julian held it up against his ear.
“…Who are you.”
Then the voice came. It was too faint to discern who it was last time, but it was crystal clear now.
“It looks good.”
The voice was too familiar to Julian.
“The one on your leg.”
It was the same voice that always seemed to be confident.
“I want it for myself,” Dohyuk said.
“…It’s not yours.”
“I didn’t say it was mine.”
“…!”
“But if you want, we can make a bet.”
How could he keep calm?
“You don’t sound like you are the type that will give up, but since you came here knowing what was inside, I can assume that you don’t have a 2nd Nature, right?”
“…”
“Look up.”
Julian looked up and saw Dohyuk on top of the cliff.
“Come up,” Dohyuk said.
“Alone. If you come up with the others, I will run away. You, with your cool gaiter, fight me here. If you win, you can take my Nature. If you lose, I get your gaiter.”
“Why would I trust…”
What came next from Dohyuk wasn’t from the shell.
“JULIAN!!! DEKIN!!!!”
“…!”
“….!!!”
“IS F*CKING JEALOUS OF ME!!!!!”
Everyone was now looking up at Dohyuk.
“You stole my gaiter and now you’re too scared to fight to take my Nature?! YOU COWARD!”
Dohyuk didn’t know much about this Julian, but something was certain. Most of these men were probably not the most loyal type for one.
“IF YOU HAVE PRIDE!”
Also, the man was bound to be jealous of another man who was better.
“COME UP AND FIGHT!”
And he probably also hated to be humiliated in front of his crew.
“Get it?” Dohyuk whispered through the shell, “You small weakling.”
“…!”
It was taunt that brought fire into Julian.
“Namgun.”
“…Yes.”
“Stand back and get ready.”
Namgun took a step back and disappeared into the crowd within the darkness. He activated his Nature and his body became transparent. Julian then walked toward the cliff.
‘I’ll kill him.’
Julian spoke to himself. It seemed that Dohyuk couldn’t remember.
‘I am not going work at your pace.’
Namgun was probably climbing up the other end of the cliff. What Julian needed was to talk with Dohyuk to buy more time.
‘I will win today.’
Julian began climbing up. He did not have a Nature to help him climb, but his strengthened body was enough to help him climb up.
‘I will be the one who will gain your Nature…’
That’s when Julian stopped thinking. Something was coming straight down. There was only one person who could do that at this point.
“You…!”
Julian made one mistake. Unlike the past, Dohyuk was living in a world without any ‘humans’. Dohyuk did not care about ‘fair’ fights.
“Wow.”
The enemy was the boss of tens of people with AA-rank items.
“I didn’t know you would really choose to climb.”
And with the help of gravity, Dohyuk kicked Julian.