LCD I Alone Level-Up

I was worried that this one might have a kind of rushed ending, like many KR novels do. But as of 208 it already feels like it's starting to really move towards a conclusion of some kind. It's ramping up quite well.

It's been awhile, but I felt more like he was grateful that his companions had been rescued and he got the chance to help them one last time, than that he was grateful to be put to rest. Err. That's just the kind of guy I thought he was. The kind of guy others said he was - he didn't really talk or do much before his death, y'know? But that was the impression I had of him.

Also remember that they are revived as willing slaves. He wouldn't have had the capacity to be grateful for leaving his Sovereign's side, don'tchathink? If anything, he'd have been thoroughly disappointed. And others would all want to remain, for the same reason. They literally can't not want to serve at his side. There's no unwillingness to be found anywhere. In terms whether you'd want to be revived after death knowing beforehand that you'd be a slave, I agree that people would have mixed feelings. But that's a "what if." The reality is that once it happens, you have no complaints.

 

So, uh, please tell me where it mentions the healer showing relief that he was freed. ... Because it doesn't. He goes without a word or gesture. The only comment made is about his gentle eyes and and whatnot - before Jin-Woo cancels his shadow extraction. At that moment, he was a completely willing slave, as he verified in c151. He could not have possibly had any thoughts about wanting to leave Jin-Woo's side. Ergo, any expressions he made were regarding the saving of Cha Hae-In, and knowing his comrades were safe.

In c151, he does say that what was revived wasn't entirely himself. It was his will. His consciousness. But at the same time, he became an unconditional slave, desiring nothing but to serve Jin-Woo. It was absolute. Just the thought of serving made him happy. At this moment, he expresses fear of Jin-Woo's power. Fear of the shadow army hiding behind him. And he desperately wants to warn Jin-Woo.

But he never really expresses relief or gratefulness that he was freed. If anything, he seems grateful that his temporary King appeared to save his friends. That's all. And you shouldn't forget that - because that is supposed to tell you what kind of guy he was.

(I actually searched up to c160 for the word grateful and got only a couple of totally irrelevant hits)

What I really want to emphasize here is that, as he said, Jin-Woo's power is absolute. You do not want to be freed. You want to serve. Serving makes you happy. For Min Byung-Gu, that was a terrifying experience, and yet, a happy one. All he wanted was to be his King's slave. Not to be freed, not to leave. No, just to be a slave.

Afterwards, it's hard to say. Maybe he's a bit relieved. But he doesn't really express that. He doesn't even return to the abyss. He struggles as hard as he can just to pass on a final message. A warning for Jin-Woo, telling him to beware his own power, the affects it has on his servants, and the army behind him.

And, as he fails to finish that message, he returns to rest with, presumably, very little relief.

Spoiler: c122

It was around then that Min Byung-Gu's shadow stood back up. The treatment process must've been finished, because there was a hint of crimson colour gently glowing on Hunter Cha Hae-In's face.

'Whew-woo....'

After confirming her status, Jin-Woo sighed out in relief. Although she was still unconscious, her breathing and her heartbeat had returned to normal. As a matter of fact, her wounds were completely healed now.

Jin-Woo patted the shoulder of Min Byung-Gu's shadow. That was the gesture of appreciation for the job well done.

'…...'

Jin-Woo guessed what kind of person Min Byung-Gu must've been when he was still alive, from the gentle eyes of the Shadow Soldier looking back at him.

Jin-Woo slowly took his hand away from the shoulder, and then...

'Extraction cancellation.'

With a slight smile on his lips, he let the shadow return to the abyss.

No matter what, he didn't possess the right to lord over this man as one of his soldiers, when Min Byung-Gu even sacrificed his life to fight against the monster threats. Indeed, he thought that such an act was not fitting for a fallen hero.

'...Let's get out of here.'

Spoiler: c151

Cha Hae-In was getting sucked deeper into the unending darkness, but it was none other than the hand of Min Byung-Gu reaching down to stop her falling.

"Min Byung-Gu.... Hunter-nim?"

Min Byung-Gu slowly nodded his head.

Cha Hae-In had to confirm that it was him multiple times because he was currently decked out in unfamiliar black armour. If it weren't for his uncovered face, she'd never have figured out that it was him.

Cha Hae-In asked him in confusion.

"Where.... Where are we?"

"I don't know myself, but I do know what will happen if I let go of the hand holding you."

Cha Hae-In was about to take a look below her, but Min Byung-Gu hurriedly stopped her.

"Don't look!!"

"Excuse me??"

Cha Hae-In got startled and she quickly looked up at him. Min Byung-Gu explained to her with a sombre look on his face.

"If you look down there, you might not be able to come back up again."

As he said those words, she got to read a certain emotion that almost felt like a longing of some kind within his eyes.

'No, it can't be....'

She began recalling the scene taking place seconds before she lost consciousness.

The Jeju Island raid.

The ant queen.

And then, the sudden appearance of a truly terrifying mutated ant monster.

She sensed a scary something approaching her, and then, the darkness came over her.

"Did I... Am I dead?"

Min Byung-Gu shook his head.

"No, not yet."

"But then, what about you, Min Byung-Gu Hunter-nim?"

He didn't reply. Instead, Min Byung-Gu stopped her line of questioning there.

"We don't have much time left, so allow me to get to the point."

This was likely his one and only chance. If he missed it, then he'd never be able to get this message across. Min Byung-Gu's expression became urgent, pleading even, as he spoke to her.

"Please pass this message to Hunter Seong Jin-Woo."

'Seong Jin-Woo....?'

Cha Hae-In could only briefly stew in her confusion arising from that name unexpectedly being mentioned here. Min Byung-Gu carried on.

"You must tell him that he needs to be careful with the power he possesses."

"What, what do you mean by that?"

"You must've noticed it by now, but I've already died once. I fell to the bottom of this place, but someone pulled me back up. He pulled me back out of this endless darkness."

"Could it be that man is....?"

"Yes, it was Hunter Seong Jin-Woo."

Cha Hae-In's eyes began quaking powerfully now. Even if Hunter Seong Jin-Woo was ridiculously overpowered, was he really powerful enough to revive a dead person??

However, Min Byung-Gu continued to recount the experience he had gone through without holding anything back.

"Truth is, even though it was indeed I that got revived, that wasn't really me, either. I possessed my will and my consciousness, but I was also prepared to do anything for him.... It felt like I have become an unquestioning, unconditional slave only existing to serve him and nothing else."

There was no reason for Cha Hae-In to ask who this 'he' was in Min Byung-Gu's explanations. She swallowed her nervous saliva.

"I was scared as well, because the mere idea of serving him made me feel so happy."

Min Byung-Gu formed a bitter expression.

"You must let Seong Jin-Woo Hunter-nim know this."

His expression then hardened into a sombre one.

"His powers are absolute, and it was incredibly scary. He needs to know this, as well."

However, what was even more horrifying than that was...

His expression now shifted to the one of sheer terror as he recalled the memories of only a few moments ago.

As he stood up from the ground after becoming the new Shadow Soldier through Hunter Seong's command, he got to see the welcoming cheers of the countless black-armoured soldiers lining up behind Jin-Woo.

Their numbers were in the tens of thousands. No, millions.

As if they were faithfully waiting for the commands of their Sovereign, the innumerable number of soldiers were 'hiding' quietly behind Jin-Woo.

And when Min Byung-Gu's gaze met the eyes of their general standing before them, he lost all his sense of self and Cha Hae-In's lying body filled up his view, instead. He already knew what he needed to do by then.

Not only that, he also understood that there was something else he had to do on top of saving her. And that would be letting Hunter Seong Jin-Woo know of how terrifying the power sleeping within him was.

In that brief moment when his mind was connected to Jin-Woo's, Min Byung-Gu got to see the true identity of that power – as well as the extent of his true army.

He sensed that his time was rapidly running out and shouted at her.

"You must remember!! The real army of Hunter Seong is....."

It was then.

A blinding light came from somewhere above and enveloped Cha Hae-In. Min Byung-Gu's expression stiffened.

"His real army is....!!"

Unfortunately, his voice was buried within the empty echoes, and it flickered dimmer and dimmer, eventually sinking deep into the void below.

 

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