You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿ - Chapter 90

Since I was born in Korea, honestly, I hadn't thought much about my past life.
I died at the hands of a hero, so why would I think of good things from the past?
But sometimes, I couldn't help but wonder.

âAfter defeating the "Destroyer of Worlds," did that world have a happy ending?â
âNo, if that were the case, there wouldnât be someone like the enemy of humanity appearing.â
Just the fact that I was trying to connect this dimension with Earth alone was enough to suggest something had gone wrong after I died.

That's why everything now seems like itâs on the brink of total destruction.
It's unfortunate.
âReality is different from a fairy tale.â

In fairy tales, the hero who defeats the Demon King lives happily ever after.
But in reality, there are many tedious issues that can't be solved simply by defeating the Demon King.
These problems aren't resolved just by defeating the Demon King.

Just like many hunters who return to Earth after defeating monsters still face issues like gambling debt and human relationships.
If defeating the Demon King solved all the problems, then whatâs the difference between the Demon King and the gods?
âWait, did I get punished for these blasphemous thoughts?â

âBe careful with your steps.â
Yoo Han-ul, holding the torch I had created, spoke politely.
After entering the castle, all that lay before us was an endlessly stretching hallway.

The castle seemed pretty large on the outside. But for a hallway to stretch in a straight line for hours on endâit didnât make sense.
âDo you know where we should go? It feels like a maze.â
âAs the village chief said, this space is under the control of the enemy. If they don't want us to leave, we might wander this maze forever.â
As the village chief mentioned, it wasn't a coincidence that no outsider who entered this castle ever returned alive.

"So, what should we do?"
I wanted to tell him to just swing that sword already and give us the answer, but I held back.
It was still unclear when Yoo Han-ul would regain his senses. And when he did, I didnât want him questioning why someone who had just awakened could be this knowledgeable about magicâitâd be a headache.

âThough, it seems like he's already starting to suspect it.â
But since he said he wouldnât doubt it, it would be best not to raise any more questions for now.
âI've dragged this out long enough.â

Now was the time to start moving.
I pretended not to know and casually spoke up.
âWell, now that I think about it, Han Jae-young used to say that in situations like this, we should shake the enemy's magical structure. To prevent further passages from being created.â

âIf thatâs the case, Iâll handle it.â
You should be the one to handle it.
I thought that, but I nodded as if I found it reassuring.

âIâve just awakened, so I really need your help. But please control your strength. If you break the structure entirely rather than just shaking it, the backlash will be that much stronger.â
The goal was to shake the magical structure just enough to find a way forward.
If we destroyed the space entirely, the enemy might notice and flee, or the magic might explode, destroying the space itself.

âUnderstood. Please step back, Your Highness.â
â¦Though I didnât want to admit it, his immediate obedience to my words was quite convenient.
âCould he stay in this cooperative state and not return to his senses?â

As much as Yoo Han-ul hated it, his confusion worked in my favor.
It had been a while since I had such a devilish thought.
The system criticizes the user, âJeong Da-onâsâ thoughts.
No, honestly, it's convenient.

"Ha..."
Yoo Han-ul, drawing his sword, took a deep breath.
I felt his magical energy stirring strongly from his lower abdomen.

Just as Han Jae-young's magic carried a fairy-like essence, Yoo Han-ul's magic was the same.
In fact, since the soul is the source of magical energy, it made sense.
Yoo Han-ulâs pure soul would stand out no matter where he went...

âHa!â
Yoo Han-ulâs sword swung, and his magical energy, no matter how dark the place was, held enough power to light it up.
Boom!

The sword energy Yoo Han-ul released spread through the hallway, which had been too dark to see even a step ahead.
At the same time, the magical structure controlling this space trembled greatly.
And just like that, the endlessly stretching dark hallway revealed its end in an instant.

âOver there!â
âYes!â
Yoo Han-ul immediately scooped me up and dashed toward the end of the corridor.

Ah, this is convenient.
Boom!
Yoo Han-ul kicked the door at the end of the hallway open.

What lay beyond was vastly different from the hallway.
We had arrived at a massive hall.
A giant table and chairs, as if prepared for a banquet, were placed at the center.

But it looked like no one had used them for a long time; dust was thickly settled on them.
It wasnât just that.
Instead of people, candles crowded the space, flickering weakly, barely burning.

As if they were about to go out at any moment, the flames suddenly blazed when Yoo Han-ul entered the hall.
As if they had been waiting for someone.
Yoo Han-ul gently set me down and began scanning the surroundings.

âIt seems weâve escaped the maze, but this place isâ¦â
âOh, ooooh!â
A shrill scream echoed through the hall.

âWho are you?â
Yoo Han-ul raised his sword, on guard.
âOoooh, ooooh!â

But despite Yoo Han-ul's vigilance, a figure appeared from the shadows cast by the candles.
At first, it looked like an insect.
But soon, I realized that wasnât the case.

A person, seemingly unable to stand, was crawling toward us on all fours.
Thanks to the candlelight, we soon saw the figure clearly.
âAah, finally, finally, youâve come!â

The figureâs grotesque appearance didnât disappear, even though it was now visible.
The skin, unnaturally dry, made the figure appear elderly, but the facial features seemed like they were preserved from youth, creating a disturbing contrast.
As the person crawled toward the hero, long hair, which had been growing for some time, was thrown in clumps onto the floor.

A womanâs shrill voice pierced the air.
âFinally, finally, the hero has come to save us!â
With a determined look, the woman crawled, grabbing Yoo Han-ulâs ankle.

âAah, the magic I dedicated everything to has finally succeeded.â
Her bony fingers wrapped around his ankle like shackles.
âIâve waited for this. The hero has come to save us!â

Yoo Han-ul, taken aback, tried to lift the woman, but despite her gaunt appearance, she had an eerie strength.
Yoo Han-ulâs skin began to turn purple.
âIâm not a heroâ¦â

âNo, you are the heroâs soul. The magic I cast is like that!â

On the womanâs twisted face, ecstasy and hope danced together.
âMagic? You cast magic?â

âYes, yes! The magic to bring the hero and finally save this world!â
Her words struck a nerve, but with the torch in his hand, Yoo Han-ul was probably receiving more from the system message than from the womanâs speech.
I was, too.

Monster Appearance: Dummy Statue (S-Rank)
The S-rank Dummy Statue.
It was clear.
The woman before us was the true core the barrier had been protecting, the one who had been using the souls from outside.

And unlike the Dummy Statue I had seen in Yeongjongdo, this womanâs body was intact.
This meant she was a powerful magician capable of handling this kind of magical energy.
âHan Jae-young wonât be able to help this time.â

Last time, Han Jae-youngâs purification worked because the abomination had been created by artificially piecing together a body.
But this woman was handling it all with her intact body.
The fairy magic wonât work on her.

Seeing the system message, Yoo Han-ul spoke to the woman in a calm voice.
âI donât quite understand, but please explain. Are you the owner of this castle?â
âYes, yes. Of course! I am the descendant of the noble family that has protected this castle for generations. I am from the Count Burk family. And you are the hero chosen to save this world!â

Her heated voice grew louder, as if she had been waiting centuries to speak.
âI summoned you! Now you must grant my wish!â
â...Summoned? You cast magic on me?â

âYes, yes! A personâs soul, no matter how much it changes its physical form, its essence doesnât change. The soul tied to where it was born, with just a little pull, can return. And thatâs why youâve come to save me.â
â...â
Yoo Han-ul glanced at me with a confused expression.

He probably didnât understand what she meant.
It wasnât an easy concept to grasp even without magical knowledge, and the mix of past-life memories and Yoo Han-ulâs present personality made it even harder.
âJust play along.â

â...So, someone locked you up here?â
Yoo Han-ul, catching my signal, continued the conversation.
The sorcerer shook her head fervently.

âNo, no! This is the castle Iâve protected for generations. Itâs a fortress I devised to wait for the right time.â
âBut the people outside the castleâ¦â
âAh, have you seen them? Itâs truly tragic. If only I had more abilityâ¦â

The sorcerer said this while covering her face with both hands.
She truly looked sorrowful.
âThis world has run out of magical energy, Hero.â

The sorcererâs hands created a glowing, mirror-like projection.
âThe world, like a human, is born and ages. Eventually, it will run out of vitality and die.â
In that mirror, I saw glimpses of this world.

The faces of the sorcerers, despairing from the lack of magical energy.
People fighting over the last scraps of food, dying from untreated wounds.
A world where no new life was born, no matter how hard they tried.

âBut even in such a world, we had to live. We sought hope. If the energy is gone, we just need to regain it.â
The sorcererâs face, reflected in the candlelight, gleamed with a desperate desire for survival.
âAnd so, I had no choice but to cast this magic, making sacrifices. You have no idea how much was sacrificed for this grand magic. I gave everything. But I donât regret the sacrifices. I believed that one day, this world would be reborn!â

The sorcerer's passionate voice echoed through the empty hall.
âSo, Hero, please, pay the price for my sacrifices. Give us life again!â
Yoo Han-ul looked down at the sorcerer with a confused face.

âIâ¦â
âSo, you want to devour other worlds to survive.â
Before the intensity could consume him, I intervened.

Both their gazes turned to me.
âIt's utterly disgusting.â