Fallen Lightbringers' Return

"As a teacher, I really should not say this," Baek Ji-ah paused. "But I think you should have killed him."

Dojin took a sip from his Iced Americano. "Your bad side is leaking out again."

"Don't switch the topic," she said, pouting, and her hands on her hips. "Then you tell me, was it a good idea to let him live?"

"Hell no." Lee Dojin laughed. "Well, probably not. I don't really know this guy. But the old Do Jiwoon didn't even repent after death." He placed his cup on the table. "But it's the truth. I may not think that every person is redeemable, but I still believe in change. Would it not be interesting to see where he ends up? I for one am excited." He eyed Ji-ah. In the old days, she wasn't exactly better than Do Jiwoon. Still, here she was.

She sighed. "I can't believe I am saying this, but that's a naive thought."

"It's fine. If anything were ever to happen, I will take responsibility." He moved his head around. A new customer entered the cafe.

In the distance, the waitress walked around, serving the many customers their drinks. At times, she'd chat with them and take a short break, but the manager was quick to call her back every time.

"Aren't you quite the hero?" Ji-ah chuckled, gulping down her tea. "I only hope that you do not get crushed by the heavy burdens on your shoulders."

"Stop it, you'll sound just like Jiwoon." He brushed her off. "Also, there's actually a need for him besides ideological reasons."

"Oh? Do tell, I'm all ears."

"Well, it's his Affinity. Can you guess what it is?" Dojin grinned, as if he was sharing an amusing joke. "I'll give you a tip. His title is the Son of the Morning." It should be, seeing as his abilities were still the same.

Ji-ah's eyebrows shot up. "Wait, like the Devil?" As she said so, in no relation, the waitress dropped her tray, with a coffee cup on it, creating a clang on the ground. Thankfully, nothing got damaged.

"Oh, you do know the meaning. Just as I expected of a teacher. Though I thought you majored in physics?"

"And math. Also, stop being so pedantic. I still know basic history or religion." She huffed. "What is it? Darkness? Death? No, Souls? You did tell me that was what he used." Her mind wandered—and her eyes too—as she searched through the brain for anything that may fit.

"You've gotta think a lot more abstract than that." He shook his head. "The System bestows you with all kinds of things. Your Affinity of Light is a rather basic one. There is a lot you couldn't even imagine, I suppose."

"That reminds me, you never told me yours," Ji-ah grumbled. She wanted to sip her tea, but she had already drunk it all. Frustrated, she just spitballed random words. "I don't know. Hatred. Rebellion. Abyss."

"They are all kind of right. You've got to think bigger. Alright, I will just tell you." He lifted his hands as Ji-ah stared angry holes into him. "It's Hell."

Ji-ah tilted her head, she did not understand. "What? What is hell?"

"No, I'm not describing anything. His Affinity is literally Hell." Lee Dojin shook his head, leaning into his chair. "Quite the obscene word, you know?"

"That's possible?" Ji-ah gasped in astonishment, her mouth hung low. Then again, she had learned, within The Mirage, everything was possible, which may be one more reason Lee Dojin believed in change. "So, like the underworld? The place the damned go? With eternal fire and all that?"

"It's actually more of a cold place. But yes." He shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, as annoying this guy is, and even though he has no use for humanity, I still need him. And I can't have the Affinity vanish or jump to another person upon his death."

Ji-ah pursed her lips. Now she was curious. "Why?"

Lee Dojin crossed his legs. He placed his hands on the table. "Do Jiwoon is currently the only key that lets us enter Hell itself."

...

Lee Dojin exhaled out loud. He massaged his temples, the wrinkles slowly loosening. Ji-ah had already gone away—though they'd be meeting in the evening again. There wasn't a particular reason for his sigh. If he had to say, it was many different things intermingling together that gave him his current mood.

He looked around. It was a Sunday, but there still were no people around. The wind whistled silently through the empty street. The leaves rustled without any sounds. Lee Dojin brushed his hair aside, returning home.

He had missed this Seoul, though he had never realized it. He never got to appreciate its beauty until it was far too late. There were maybe times that he had regretted not enjoying his past life, but melancholy was one of the greatest killers during war, and thus he quickly shoved it aside with the rest of his bottled-up emotions.

But now, it was the other way around. He reminisced about the battlefield while standing in the intact Seoul. About the people that shared their hopes and futures and about those who had perished, fighting for humanity's survival. A wry smile appeared on his face. He clenched his fist. "Now, the only proof I have of my battles is this." He opened his window.

[Inheritor of the Universe, Lee Dojin

Affinity: Choice (EX)

Skills: Cosmic Steps (B)

Titles: Inheritor of the Universe (EX), King of the Shadows (C)

Rank 1/6101]

"Great, I'm still rank 1." He nodded in satisfaction. It would have been a problem otherwise, as it was one of the requirements needed for his end-goal.

The clouds pulled over the sun, casting a giant shadow on the buildings. Today wasn't exactly cold, but it hadn't been warm either. His footfalls echoed through the crossway. An oppressive atmosphere engulfed the whole city. It was as if the world knew:

Tonight would be its end.

Arriving home, he saw his mother sitting in front of the TV. She didn't say anything. Dojin didn't either, leaving the room without voices. Only the channels in the news droned on about random gibberish.

He sat next to the dining table, on a chair, sorting his thoughts out. Resting his head on his head, he thought about many things.

The Mirage had many ways to destroy the world, though its M.O. was always the same.

At random places of the world (this time, Earth), it created a dome where people could enter but not leave, for those already inside.. . well, tough luck. Within, the terrain could change to anything: a medieval city, a connection to another world, a simple dungeon, a tomb, a field of fantastical beasts, or even an alien site. It was impossible to tell.

Inside, many things could happen, though the only way to rid the barrier surrounding the domes was finishing the systems laid-out quests. That could be anything too. A stealth mission, a roleplay setting, a battle royale—what they all had in common were their similarity to electronic games.

In the end, even if the dome was to disappear, the world would not change back. No, the ruins assimilated with Earth, creating an instantaneous wasteland.

His mother placed a sandwich next to him. "Why are you grumbling," she asked him. "Eat something. It's without any tomatoes. I know how you dislike them."

Lee Dojin smiled, his tense face gradually releasing. "Thank you," he said, taking a bite.

It wasn't all bad news though. He didn't pay great attention to it but with the domes, there appeared many mythical ores, elixirs, and artifacts, boosting the world's Satisfaction with Life Index. The various world powers were quick to capitalize on that, even calling the subsequent era the Golden Age of Magic and hailing the System as a savior of Earth.

The cause might be due to the one recurrent incentive given by The Mirage:

[Destroy the Shadows.]

For anyone who had listened to Dojin speak, that would come as rather weird, as he always used these two names interchangeably.

Those who survived long enough in the apocalypse would know. In reality, The Mirage, The System, and the Shadows were all just one entity. For that thing, it was almost like a game, pitting humans against non-existent threats and watching them gradually destroy themselves. The threats held no worth for humanity. It was all a sham.

No, it had only one true goal. Destroying Earth's legacy and swallowing the Gods of this world, usurping their power as its own.

All these different factors were what made Lee Dojin sigh. As the sole being holding this information, he was burdened with a responsibility no one could imagine. Still, he had to keep going. For Earth. For humanity. Or at least, for himself.

"Though that should all come at a later date," he muttered. For now, he still had to deal with the First Advent. Problem was, one key component remained missing for him to achieve the perfect clear in this Hidden Quest. "Besides Ji-ah, I still need one more player."

He didn't want to ask Do Jiwoon for obvious reasons. And he could not create a new Player either. Not now, and not even two weeks before. Where was he to find another person with an Affinity?

As his headache rose, his mother switched to the news.

"Saudi Arabian prince Hassan pays Seoul an unexpected visit," the anchor said. "Is Korea strengthening its international relationships?" The camera panned to a shot with a tanned man stepping out of a private plane. Innumerable flashes brightened the screen. The man waved with a smile. A reporter approached him, asking what had brought him here.

"A personal endeavor," he answered. "Let's just say, I'm paying someone a visit."