Record of a Thousand Lives-Chapter 90

Where is such a god,whois omnipotent and omniscient?

—Demon Lord

Kang Yoon-Soo opened his eyes. His companions were still fast asleep, and he was the only one awake. He walkedsome distancefrom their camp beforefalling toone knee.

“Kuheok!”Hevomited blood, sensingthat his body wasin an abnormal state.

The Frost Demon’s Winter Fragment had allowed him to transform into a Frost Demon to fight the Colossus. Afterward, his body had returned to its normal state,but the price he hadto pay manifested asan unending curse that tormented him when he tried to sleep. Once again, thefragment deep inside his body moved to stab his lungs.

‘I canneverget used to this.’Kang Yoon-Soo barely managed to get up by holding onto a boulder,but he struggledjusttostay standing.

“Kuheok…”Kang Yoon-Soo vomited blood again, andits metallic tastefilled his mouth. He feltas ifhis lungs and heartwere beingshredded to pieces.

‘Why did you abandon me?’Achild’s voice, sounding sufficientlyeerie and sinister to give one goosebumps, asked from behind.

Kang Yoon-Soo closed his eyes. He was drenched in cold sweat, buthe told himself, ‘That’s just a hallucination. Don’t mind it.’

‘I’m asking you…Why did you abandon me?’the child asked again.

The child’s question pierced through Kang Yoon-Soo’s heartlike a stake. Hecould not take itanymore, andhe slowly opened his eyes.What he saw was a bloodied child, withaface so dark and disfiguredas to be unrecognizable.

“I’ve already forgotten you,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

‘You brought me into this world. I’m your child,’the child cried out. It was the child he could no longer see even if he wanted to; the onehe had had inthelife when he married Shaneth.

Kang Yoon-Soo bit his lips untiltheystarted to bleed beforesaying, “Get lost.”

‘Why did youhaveme if you were going to forget about me? You couldn’t even protect me,’the child moaned.

“I said get lost,” Kang Yoon-Soosaid threateninglyas he grabbed his sword. It was only then that the child disappeared.

He gripped his chest, tryingto stabilize his breathing.‘Hang on. It’ll only get even harder if you give in.’

Time passed, and the sun eventually started to riseonthe horizon, chasingaway the darkness. Kang Yoon-Soo’s pain and suffering subsided as the sun rose.

‘I guess that’s it for tonight,’hethought, wiping thesweat off his brow.His whole body was drenched in cold sweat; he had to go throughthe same nightmare every night.

‘I have to hang on,’hethought as he rubbed his temples.

The curse did not only inflict physical turmoil, but also madeonehallucinate and reliveone’sworst memories.

‘I have to tough it out,’Kang Yoon-Soo kept repeating in his head.He had to tough it out, because this was his last life.

“Do you need another drink?”someone called out.Kang Yoon-Soolooked in its direction, only to findHenrick staring down at him. Henrickcontinued,“I came to take a leak and almost pissedmyself. Hey, what are you squirming in pain for?”

“Give me some booze,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

Henrick took out a large whiskey bottle from his inner pocket. Oddly enough,hisinner pocket seemed tohavesome sort of magic, as it was ableto store multiple large bottles without them crackingevena little.

He remarked with a smirk,“It’s an alcoholic’strade secret.”

Kang Yoon-Soo drank straight from the bottle without even bothering to look for a cup.Henrick sat beside him, openinga small bottle of whiskey as he said, “Keh!Even the booze tastes better now that we’re no longer in thedesert, especiallysince I don’t have sand all over my mouth now.”

It hadbeen four days since they left the Desert of Death.

The two women were already awake bythe time Kang Yoon-Soo and Henrickreturned to the campsite. Shaneth glaredat them like a ferocious cat, exclaiming,“You guys went to drink at this hour?”

Henrick shrugged and replied, “It hasa deep meaning when two men share a drink before sunrise.”

Iris’ eyes suddenly sparkled andshe askedexcitedly, “Are Henrick and Kang Yoon-Soo in love with each other?”

“…I didn’t meanit likethat, you punk,” Henrick grumbled.

Shanethlooked awayfrom the two drunks and said firmly, “You leave me with no choice. Both of you have to abstain from any alcohol until tomorrow. Here, put all your alcohol in here.”

Shesubsequently confiscated all of their alcohol,closingthe bag filled to the brim with bottles before saying, “I’ll be keeping this bag of alcohol from now on.”

“Now you’re trying to control when and where we can drink? Are you our mom or something?” Henrick grumbled.

“You two drink too much. What if you suddenly fall fromyour horsebecause you were drunk? What will you do then?” Shaneth retorted.

Henrick flinched, unable to find a response. However,Kang Yoon-Soo secretlyretrieveda bottle that was filled with colorless alcohol.

The party passedthroughRaviesk, a city they had already visited, before continuing on to a new area. They collected their carriage, butfound thatthey could not ride it because of the rugged, uneven terrainbefore them. Thus,they had to travel on horseback.

Iris huggedherwhite horse tightly and said, “Iam so happy to see you again, Snow White!”

“I completely forgot about that horse. I’m surprised you remembered it,” Henrick said.

Iris glared at Henrick while stroking thewhite horse’smane, and the horse neighed as if to show that itlikedIris.

Kang Yoon-Soo took out an amulet from his backpack.

[Amulet of theIgnus Dragon]

Rating: ??

Agreatpower is sealed within it, but only a dragoncanunsealitspowers.

It was the amulethe had been given by Ignus. Ithad a red jewel embedded in thecenter, engraved with the symbol of adragon’s claw.It was an item that was certainly going to help in the near future.In fact, it was the perfect item for Shaneth to use, but its powers were sealedforthe moment.

‘I guess I have to use it for the time being,’Kang Yoon-Soo thought as he wore the amulet around his neck. Hehadgained an astounding forty levelsinthe Desert of Death, and he was Level 217 now. He could have increased his level faster if he had roamed around the places with dense concentrations of monsters and hunted all night, but raising only his levelhad not beenhis main objective.

‘It’s imperative for me to collectall thehidden pieces while others don’t knowoftheir existence,’Kang Yoon-Soo thought.

Heplaced a greater priority on raising his overall strength,notobsessingover his levelthe wayother Travelers did. A high level was meaningless if he did not have the items to back it up, andthe reverse would be true as well.

‘A powerful item canovercome the level difference in some cases,’Kang Yoon-Soo thought, biting his lips.’Twenty years isn’t nearly enough to do all that,and yetthe Demon Lord will be appearing much sooner?’

He had originally planned to maximize thosetwentyyears toprepare to the fullest beforefacingthe Demon Lord. However, he knew he would not stand a chance if the Demon Lord appeared earlier than before. In fact, the world would surely be destroyed if the Demon Lord appeared tomorrow.

‘Kartheon saidsomeonewho could solve theproblem was at the magic tower,’Kang Yoon-Soo thought. Herecalled one person, whomhe suspected to bethe oneKartheonhad beentalking about. There was only one individualwholived in the highly dangerous magic tower.‘TheKing of All Beings, Sirian.’

WouldSirianreally have the solution to the problem? The only way to find out was to reach the magic tower and ask him in person.

‘Whatever may happen, I have to give it my all this time, to not have any regrets—it’smyfinal life, after all.’

Kang Yoon-Soo felt slightly relieved after going over his thoughts once more, and his objectives had become even clearer.

‘I’ll definitely kill the Demon Lord this time.’

Just as Kang Yoon-Soo was lost in thought, however…

"Neighhhhh!”

The party stopped their horses,asa group of peoplein official attire wasblocking their way. A large man came forward, displaying theinsignia of a falcon as hesaid, “Iam sorry to bother you during your busy travels. My name is Halven, and I am an investigator from the Sharphill Investigation Department. I wish to carry out an inspection, and I hope you will cooperate with us.”

“An inspection? Did something happen?” Shaneth asked.

“There have been numerous cases ofTravelers going missing in these parts. Itis just a routine inspection, so please donot worry about it,” Halven replied.

Severaljunior investigators asked thepartya few questions and searched them. Afterward, Shaneth tilted her head and asked, “Were you talking about theTravelers from another world,rather thanthe travelerswhotravel between cities?”

“That’s right,” Halven replied, rubbing his tired eyes ringed by dark circles. He continued, “This place is where the forest and the river meet, so there are fewpedestrians here; however, quite a fewTravelershave beenreported to have gone missing in these parts.”

“That really does sound strange… To think that only Travelers are going missing…” Shanethmused.

“We currentlysuspectthisto be the work of thosewho discriminatebetween Continentals and Travelers. Well, it happens quite often, in any case;I think the higher-ups are overreacting by asking us to establish checkpoints all over,” Halven grumbled.

Halven seemed to be quite bored, as he chatted awaylong after explaining all the relevant details. The inspectors did not find anything suspicious during their inspection, but Halven saw the wrist deviceKang Yoon-Soo woreand said, “I hope youcantake care of yourself. Ihaveheard that you Travelers have a different way of thinking from us Continentals, and you guys love to take risks.”

Kang Yoon-Soo stared at Halven beforesaying, “I’ll tell youwhere to findthe culprits of the three major unsolved missing cases, and whereevidenceagainst them can be found.”

“What?” Halvenexclaimedin surprise.

“Just make the report. You can keep the achievementsand merits for yourself, but in return, you have to send a 1st Grade inspector team a week from now.Ablack magicianwho’sspreadingplagues is involved,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

“What are you talking about?” Halven askedwith a look of deep confusion.

Kang Yoon-Soo moved his hand to his inner pocket.Halven flinched atthesudden movement, but what Kang Yoon-Soo took out was just a pen and paper.

“The culprits are still alive, and one of them is affiliated with the upper echelons of the investigation department,” Kang Yoon-Soo said as he quickly wrotesomethingon the paper and passed it to Halven.

Halvenwasstill dumbfoundedas hereceived the paper, but his expressionsuddenly turned serious and sharp after he read the contentsof the note.

“…You, where did you get this information? This is top-secret, confidential information that even a senior inspector would not have access to,” Halven said.

“I’ll give youone piece of advice. There are many secret executivesin the investigation department, and most of themhave beencarrying out their own investigationscovertly,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

“Then that means…!” Halven exclaimed, gulping dryly.

Kang Yoon-Soo nodded and responded, “That’s right; I’m one of them.”

“But I have never heard of a Traveler being an inspector before…” Halven trailedoff, expressing his skepticism.

“There are quite a lot of cases that only a Traveler can investigate. Also, thereare quiteafewof us Travelers working undercover as well,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

Halven could not hide his shock and admiration, but he scratched his head in embarrassment as he said, “But Iam not surewhetherI can claim this achievement as mine…This is a case you spent so much timeinvestigating,after all…”

“I don’t wish to draw the attention of the masses,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

Halven and the junior inspectors all looked at Kang Yoon-Soo, theireyes filled with admiration. To think that this man would give up all fame and stay undercover! Kang Yoon-Soo’s conviction as an inspector kindled the fire of justice theyhadall once had when they first started working as investigators.

“What is your name?” Halven asked.

“My name is Kang Yoon-Soo, but youabsolutelyhave to keep our meeting a secret no matter what,” Kang Yoon-Sooreplied..

“Ah, but there is something that is bothering me,” Halven said. He rubbed his chin as hecontinued, “Even if itis an undercover investigation…Do you not usually carry an ID with you,like thefalconinsignia I carry around to prove that I am a 4th Grade inspector?If you donot mind,wouldyou kindly show me your identification?”

Kang Yoon-Soo took out the amulet and showed it to Halven.Halven and the junior inspectors could not hide their shock as they exclaimed, “The Zero Grade Dragon’s Claw Amulet!”

“Is this enough?” Kang Yoon-Sooasked nonchalantly.

“Y-Yes! The claw engraved looks quite real,just likethe real thing from a dragon,” Halvenstuttered, unable tohide his admiration.

There were a total of nine grades for inspectors, and each gradewassymbolized by an animal engraved on their ID. The Zero Grade Dragon’s Claw Amulet was a powerful insignia that allowed the holder to move a whole departmenton awhim, andit was something that only a few skilled inspectors possessed.

Halven could not hide his disappointment as he lamented, “To think that someone like you, sir, has to be hidden among the masses… It is really a shame…”

“It makes it easier for me to investigate cases,” Kang Yoon-Soo said before he and his party mounted their horsesagain.

Halven and the junior inspectorssaluted KangYoon-Soo, and Kang Yoon-Soo returnedthesalute before he rode off on his horse.

Shaneth quietly asked after they were a distance away from the inspectors, “Of course,there’s no way you are, but…Are you reallyan undercoverinvestigator?”

“No,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

“You asshole. Aren’t you scared of divine punishment after pulling a scamoneveryone you meet?” Henrick grumbled.

“No,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

“Kang Yoon-Soo is really knowledgeable. Then, do you know which is more delicious?An apple pie or a meat pie?” Iris asked.

“I don’t care,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

Irisfelt dejected due tothe cold response.Shaneth let out an awkward laugh as she consoled Iris.“Don’t worry, unni!I’ll make both of them for you later.”

“Really?” Irisasked, smiling.

Kang Yoon-Soo suddenly heard a familiar voice whisper in his ears.

‘Stop your horse.’

He looked around, but he did not see anyone. However, he was certain that the voice belonged to the familiar womanwho hadwhispered to him before, and he was the only onewhocould hear the voice, asalways.

‘You have finally arrived. Stop your horse and come to me. This way.’

Kang Yoon-Soo stopped his horse and turnedto lookat the three people behind him. Hesaid, “I’llbe goingsomewhere for a while.”

“What is it?” Henrick asked.

“I have someone to meet. It’ll take a while,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.Hehurriedly steered his horse to the left.

Shaneth quickly asked him, “Where will we meet?”

“I’ll find you guys wherever you are,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied beforeridinghis horse into the forest.

Henrick nodded in admirationbefore saying, “I truly respect that guy.”

“Why?” Shaneth asked.

Henrick pointed at Shaneth’s horse, and Shaneth looked downto see—the bag of alcohol was missing.