It was a pretty loud sound that came from right behind me.

So I turned my head slightly to check it out, and the huge amount of people crossing the huge root wall drew my gaze. Moreover, my father was at the forefront of the huge crowd, with my brother and sister right behind him.

“Oh, no…”

Since I knew what their actions meant, I could not help but moan in despair.

What’s more, not only my brother’s wife, but also my mother were there, which depressed me even more.

At that moment, a series of messages from my family rang into my ears.

Sangman Hong: Step back and get out of here!

Kiyoung: Thanks for your hard work, Juyoung. Leave the rest of the work to me, your family and Myongjin.

Super Beauty: Hehehe! It’s my choice as well as everyone’s choice. So don’t cry over our decision. I don’t want you to take revenge for us later, but just do it if you can.

Two sons and one daughter: Son, you know mom loves you, right? So listen to me this time, please! Just get out of here as far as you can. You can do it, Juyoung.

And as soon as they sent the messages, they started shouting.

“Everyone, charge at the enemy!”

“Wow!”

Watching them move right away, I also moved next to my father using Blink because I could not simply accept their order and request.

But my father shouted, “Juyoung, think rationally! You don’t have to die here. You have to survive and look for the next opportunity! I would have discarded you if I had found a better option who could seize the next opportunity. But you are the one and only choice for us. We’re all finished if you collapse here. So run away! Run away like hell! If you die here as well, I won’t forgive you even if I die!”

Without giving me a glance, he ran forward past me as he said that. So did my brother, sister, Director Sok and Security Captain Lim with smiles on their lips. They gave me some warm words as they charged.

“Juyoung, don’t worry about us!”

“I’m sorry for burdening you because of this!”

“We won’t hold the enemy for long. So run away from here!”

No one who passed by me complained about me. Instead, they said they were sorry.

Even Bora spat out one word, brushing past me.

Kali: If I had known things would happen like this, I wish I had proposed to you first. Don’t you remember when we were playing house as children, you said that you and I should get married when we grew up? You promised to propose to me nicely with a gorgeous jewel. Damn it. Because of you, I might die as a virgin, so you have to take responsibility for it later.

Of course, I had no intention of denying what she said.

I once thought that I should survive even if I abandoned all of them.

But I shouted back, “No! This is not what I want!”

***

In the Myongjin Shelter at that time.

The shelter was emptier than before because more than 100,000 people exited it to participate in the battle. Besides, those who were left in the shelter were mostly ordinary people.

At that moment, someone said, “The reason Juyoung struggled like that may be because the roots are stuck here! Obviously, these roots are his great weapon. So we have to make sure we don’t hold up these roots anymore!”

His desperate voice resonated through the silent shelter widely.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Of course, nobody responded because they knew too well what would happen to them if the roots stopped shielding against the Land of Despair surrounding the shelter.

In other words, they would face an instant death the moment the roots left.

While going through numerous experiences, the ordinary people knew that they would die instantly the moment they set foot on the Land of Despair.

In the end, that person’s desperate call was tantamount to asking them to die voluntarily. And that’s why they could not respond to his call easily.

But somebody else said, “What are you afraid of? Don’t you think we have had a really good time under the protection of the Myongjin Shetler until now? Do you still want to live more like this? Don’t you know billions of people were already dead?”

“That’s right! I’ve also come here because my son belongs to Myongjin, and I have enjoyed a comfortable life here. So I don’t want to be a burden to Myongjin anymore.”

At that moment, they seemed to be moved by this man’s seriousness.

Another man shouted, “In the end, if Juyoung dies, we die too! Are you going to make it so that he dies first, then we die right after? Didn’t you see hundreds of thousands crossing the root wall and charging at the enemy? Damn it! I don’t know how many of you want to live in a hellish world like this, but I don’t want it!”

Tramp- Tramp-

At the same time, that man stepped forward.

Then others’ heavy steps followed.

Tramp- Tramp- Tramp- Tramp-

Their footsteps kept adding until they became tens of thousands.

Then they crossed the wall of roots that had been protecting them from the Land of Despair until now.

But the moment they crossed the root wall and set foot on the Land of Despair, they collapsed one by one, making them recall the old Korean legend that 3,000 court ladies of the old Korean kingdom Paekje threw themselves into the river when their kingdom lost to the enemy.

***

I could not bring myself to cast my glance to the place where not only my family and Myongjin players but also those from the Mirae, Tugal and Antalagos Information Guilds were charging at the ruler of the 1st Royal District.

At the same time, I saw numerous ordinary people crossing the root wall into the Land of Despair, but they kept collapsing one by one.

Flop!

Flop!

Flop!

Obviously, the ordinary people knew that the Land of Despair had already killed billions of people around the world. Nonetheless, numerous people from the Myongjin Shelter continued to set foot on the Land of Despair.

While I was watching them, I could not stop the tears overflowing from my eyes because I knew why they decided to charge at the enemy after crossing the root wall, knowing fully well that they would die. For I knew they didn’t want to make me feel I was a runaway or coward, or to feel guilty about having caused the death of hundreds of thousands of ordinary people by summoning the roots away from the Shelter first.

So my tears kept flowing from my eyes. Besides, it was too late for me to save them.

I should have taken action much earlier.

For example, if I chose to die with them, I should have taken the decision early on.

Even though I was fighting against the ruler of the 1st Royal District behind me, I knew that my father who stood at the forefront, my brother and sister were no longer alive. Since they could not confront the ruler of the 1st Royal District even at full strength, it was impossible for them to do so now when they could not exert even 10% of their normal power.

“Stop him!”

“Don’t let him approach Juyoung!”

“We have to save Juyoung! He’s our last ray of hope!”

Puck! Puck! Bang! Bang!