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Chapter 177: Things that Happen at the Beach (2)

Yi-An said, “He was an amazing commander.”

The man nodded and continued, “Yeah, he was pretty good. He would have been the best if it wasn’t for you.”

“Well, we specialize in different things. It’s hard to say who is better...”

“You’re the best.” The man laughed.

Then, sounds of cheering came from the next table. Tanned men and women gathered and danced happily to the music.

“Isn’t it nice?”

“It is.”

The man ate a couple of fries.

“Anyway, you’re the best.”

Yi-An looked around. He didn’t sense anything suspicious.

He pretended to be calm.

“Come to think of it, how much is a surfboard? It was fun. I’m thinking whether I should buy one, ” Yi-An said while sipping his beer.

He threw words he did not mean, calculating a few possible scenarios in his mind.

First, Yi-An assumed that the man was someone involved with the Heaven and Earth Clan. He may have appeared to avenge Cainz. However, it didn’t add up at all.

How could the man have known that Yi-An would come here? Besides, this man looked like he had been here for a long time already.

Was he perhaps an acquaintance of Ji Ha-Yeon? The production company could have finally broken through Elder Lord’s system to find out who Crockta’s true identity was. They may have relayed the information to this man.

When Yi-An opened his eyes, the man was staring at him.

“You’re trying to be clever here. I don’t like it. Just ask me who I am.”

“...”

“It’s displeasing. You’re not doing anything within my expectations. Did you learn it in the Middle East?”

Yi-An tapped the table with his fingertips. The feeling of being seen through was always unpleasant. Yi-An always tried to break the opponent’s rhythm when he sensed danger. To do so, he always disregarded the enemy’s expectations. When his enemy expected an attack, he would stay in place.

On the other hand, when his enemy expected him to defend, he would dash forward.

So, this time too, he tried not to give any reaction to his opponent, which in this case, was the man’s expectation.

“How did you find out?”

However, there was too little information this time.

Yi-An decided to ask upfront, “Who are you?”

“See? How comfortable does it feel to just say it?”

The man raised his beer mug with a smile. The two of them made a light toast. They looked at each other and chugged their beer.

“Eat some snacks too. It feels like I’m the only one eating.”

He ordered another beer and nibbled on some fries.

“You are really someone outside my expectations. You’re never within my assumptions.”

“What assumptions are you referring to?” Yi-An asked.

“We’re talking about Elder Lord, aren’t we? I’m trying to say that I never expected anyone like you.”

At that moment, Yi-An realized who he was. The man’s calm eyes looking at him was something he had seen before.

The man was different from what Yi-An saw in pictures. He was tanned, and his eyebrows and hair were tinged with a hint of gray. His body was also muscular, very different from the skinny version of him in pictures. His expressions were much more colorful, so Yi-An didn’t imagine he was the same dim-looking man in the pictures.

“Yoo Jae-Han?”

“Bingo.” He smiled with his eyes wide open.

The man who created Elder Lord as well as the man who developed the Core System Albino.

Yi-An’s face went blank. He wanted to meet Yoo Jae-Han, but now that they finally met, he didn’t know what to talk about first.

Should he ask if Yoo Jae-Han knew about the Ashen God? Or should he ask if he knew that Elder Lord’s world was a reality in another dimension?

He felt like he was walking on a cloud. He lost his sense of reality. Maybe everything he had been through was a dream, and Elder Lord was actually just a game?

“How did you know me? Did you go around investigating?”

“Coming this far, of course, I should investigate here and there.” Yi-An answered.

“Yeah, I guess you would’ve done that.”

Yoo Jae-Han continued and blurted, “That woman liked you a lot.”

Yi-An instantly recalled a few faces. Then, he got rid of that thought. However, Yoo Jae-Han, who caught on to Yi-An’s expression, snickered.

“Who were you thinking about? Are there many people around you who would like you?”

“No.”

“The young lady just now too. You sinned a lot.”

The newly arrived beer had a slightly different color. Yoo Jae-Han gestured with his chin, indicating to have a toast.

“For Crockta.”

The two of them clinked their mugs.

As soon as Yi-An took a sip of the beer, Yoo Jae-Hun abruptly said, “You met Albino there, right?”

The beer went down the wrong pipe and he choked a little. He barely managed to calm himself down.

“Drink slowly. You’re going to get sick.”

“Cough, ehem. By Albino, you mean...”

“A white young girl. The Ashen God.”

Yoo Jae-Han already knew about the Ashen God. Yi-An took a gulp of beer again and settled down. He was the person who created Elder Lord. He was clearly involved.

Yoo Jae-Han was a physicist. If so, did he join forces with the Ashen God to connect Earth and another world through an unknown theory? Then, why did he create Elder Lord? What was the Ashen God’s real purpose?

Yi-An asked, “I met her. I also heard that Elder Lord is a different world.”

Yoo Jae-Han nodded, “Course you did.”

“What exactly is Elder Lord? Why did you make it, and what is the purpose of the Ashen God?”

“Should I tell you, should I not...”

“You are going to tell me.”

“Should I...”

Yoo Jae-Han leaned against the back of the chair and looked up. He rolled his eyes, seemingly thinking about something.

“Your name is Jung Yi-An, right?”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever looked up at the night sky?”

He pointed his hand up.

“Not the dark sky you see in South Korea. But a sky with countless stars, one split in half by the Milky Way. That kind of sky. Have you ever looked up at the desert sky, a sky without a speck of light to pollute it?” Yoo Jae-Han asked.

“I have.”

“How was it?”

“It was beautiful.”

“Wasn’t it scary?”

He looked at Yi-An with a faint smile and continued, “Wasn’t it scary looking at the stars and imagining the vast universe between the stars and us?”

“I haven’t thought that far.”

“...And that all of this will eventually die down.”

Yoo Jae-Han’s words somehow seemed to be in line with the notion of emptiness conveyed by the demon within the belt, as well as the Ashen God, who spoke of death.

“Entropies never decrease. Ever.”

This also connected to Gordon’s story.

“Even the sun, the countless stars and galaxies would eventually scatter coldly.”

“What does that have to do with Elder Lord?”

“Albino was having these thoughts way before me. So, when she found me and said that there was a way, I created Elder Lord to help her.”

‘I don’t know if it was a good choice or not.’ He muttered.

Looking at him, Yi-An realized that the genius Yoo Jae-Han was different from ordinary people.

“Are you saying that you created Elder Lord to prevent the destruction of the universe?”

“It’s similar to that.”

Yoo Jae-Han was afraid of the distant future that would not happen in his life, or even in the next few generations. The thought of that flooded his head, and he was unable to think of anything else.

“What did she say? How can she prevent the destruction?”

“I don’t know either.” Yoo Jae-Han said.

“Did you trust her blindly and created Elder Lord?” Yi-An asked in shock.

“She was a God. When I met her, I had no choice but to trust her. She used mysterious powers, so I decided to bet on her once. But things spiraled out of control bigger than I expected.”

“The people are killing other people in a different dimension because they think it’s just a game. Do you not feel any guilt?”

Yoo Jae-Han looked at Yi-An. His eyes were calm. He didn’t seem to be feeling any emotions.

“They are people who are going to die anyway.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Everyone dies in the end. Our lives can’t even surpass a hundred years. What does it matter?”

“...”

“Let’s stop here. I have told you enough.”

“Is there any way to stop Elder Lo-...”

“There isn’t.”

“What is Albino’s goal?”

“I told you, didn\'t I? This is as far as I am going to say. Find out the rest yourself.”

His expression was firm. Yi-An pondered two options. Either stepping back like this, or forcing him to talk more, even if he had to get physical.

“I see.”

The latter was a more interesting choice, but he was no longer the Raven he used to be. He had a lot of questions to ask, but he just decided to nod.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. I’m thinking of playing in moderation from now on.”

“Are you going to quit Elder Lord?”

“I intend to do so soon.”

He recalled the time when he became Crockta and achieved a 100% assimilation rate. He really became Crockta at that moment, and in his heart, he truly became an orc warrior. He had no fear then. Even death was an honor to him. He willingly stood alone against the battlefield, where his death was foreseeable.

At that time, he was not worried about Yi-Yoo or his surroundings. There were more important things on the battlefield.

However, he should not have acted that way. Yi-Yoo was young, and he was still her guardian. He was also responsible for Cafe Reason. He should not have treated his death as his own.

When he disconnected and returned to being Yi-An, he regretted the thoughts and actions he had made when he was Crockta. If he continued playing Elder Lord, it would continue to happen.

He intended to restrain himself from now on, both for his and Yi-Yoo’s sake. In the end, he even stopped the empire. There was no longer a need to concern himself with the Ashen God or other dangerous beings.

“I hope you can really do so, ” Yoo Jae-Han said.

“By the way, you’re doing well here. Elder Saga Corporation has been looking for you fervently.”

“Well, that’s how they do things. Albino also helped out.”

“Are you going to keep staying here?” Yi-An asked.

“That’s right. I initially came to empty my mind, but it was fun. The sea, and the people too.”

Ji Ha-Yeon, the heir of Myeongsong Group, was sure that Yoo Jae-Han would not be in South Korea. However, he was staying comfortably in a resort by the sea in Gangwon-do. He looked livelier, more muscular, and tanned than before too.

Yi-An laughed, “How did you know I was going to be here?”

“It’s a coincidence. I was surprised, too.”

“Do scientists believe in coincidences?”

“You never know. The more you dig, the more interesting the world is. I should believe in coincidences.”

It was hard to believe. However, Yoo Jae-Han seemed to have stayed there for a long time. Didn’t the surfing shop say so?

Yi-An coming here was genuinely a spontaneous idea, so it was probably a coincidence that they met. Yi-An decided to accept it as it was.

Yoo Jae-Han got up from his seat, “Let’s go out.”

“Where are we going-...”

“You’re on vacation, right? Let’s go out and have fun.”

They left the store. The day was long because it was summer. There was still a dim sunlight.

“Try contacting the lady.”

“Lady?”

“The woman who crashed into you this morning.”

“I don’t want to. I don’t even remember her number.”

“What a stiff man.”

Yoo Jae-Han picked up his own phone. Then, as he punched in the phone number and was about to dial it, Yi-An smiled and stopped him.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m calling her.”

“Stop it. By the way, how did you even manage to remember all of it.”

At that time, the woman only roughly recited her number once. Rather, Yi-An had to repeat his number several times.

“I have a high IQ. I remember everything.”

“Good for you.”

“Don’t spoil the fun. A man cannot be shy. You won’t be popular like that, you know?”

“It’s not about being shy...”

Suddenly, Yi-An’s cellphone rang. It was a familiar number. Yoo Jae-Han grinned.

“It’s a world where women are more proactive.”

***

Yoo Jae-Han was lying on a hammock and staring at the sea, waiting for Yi-An to come back after booking his accommodation. In the distant horizon, the lights of the ships were blinking. The sea breeze blew.

Yoo Jae-Han shook his body to feel the rhythm of the hammock, and he suddenly felt a chill air coming down his body.

He whispered with his eyes closed, “You sent him, right?”

There was no answer.

Yoo Jae-Han asked again, “You sent him right, Albino?”

“It’s a coincidence.”

He opened his eyes. A gray figure floated beside him.

“He decided on his own and came here.”

“You must have made him make that decision. You used your power and showed him images of the sea here and there, didn’t you?”

“...”

“I haven’t seen you for a while, so why did you come?” Yoo Jae-Han asked.

A gray figure hovered around him.

“It will be done soon.”

“So fast?”

“Thanks to Yi-An, I think it will be done soon.”

“He is helping you without knowing anything.”

“It’s in inevitable flow.”

Yoo Jae-Han picked himself up from the hammock. He tapped on his waist and looked at the sky. Even though he was by the sea, there were not many stars. Still, he could imagine the vast scene beyond.

“Keep your promise.”

“You’re out of your mind too, aren’t you?” Albino said.

“I’m a genius.”

Yoo Jae-Han saw Yi-An approaching from afar and waved to him. The Ashen God’s faint figure hid behind Yoo Jae-Han’s back. Soon, her figure faded away.

Feeling her presence growing further away, he murmured, “Geniuses are all out of their minds.”

Then, Yoo Jae-Han squinted his eyes. Yi-An was getting closer, but he was not alone. There was a woman next to him.

“Impressive.”