Savior (6)
They had won the battle, but no one rejoiced or smiled. Ha Dong-geon's party quietly handled the post-battle cleanup before making their way into the apartment complex.
The scene inside was devastating.
Especially on the lower floors, where shattered balcony windows exposed the wrecked interiors.
Scattered shards of glass, rooms in disarray, and bloodstains told the story of what had happened there.
What was strange was that not a single balcony window remained intact.
"Did they break the windows one floor at a time as they climbed up?"
The steel front doors had offered some hope, but the clear evidence of orcs—much taller than goblins—climbing the walls and invading through the balconies shattered that hope.
Ha Dong-geon stared at the destruction expressionlessly.
Drip. Drop.
Raindrops began to fall.
With dark clouds gathering overhead, the weather had seemed ominous, and soon, a downpour started.
Swooooosh—
No one spoke.
They simply followed behind Ha Dong-geon in silence, letting the rain soak them.
He entered Building 106.
Click. Crunch.
As they stepped through the shattered front entrance, the sound of glass crunching underfoot echoed loudly.
The orcs' influence had spread far and wide.
Even just looking at the first-floor units, where front doors had been completely torn away, it was clear how horrific things had been.
Without sparing them a glance, Ha Dong-geon silently ascended the emergency stairs.
When he reached the tenth floor, he stopped in the ruined hallway and stared blankly at the entrance of Unit 1001.
The door handle was caved in, the door itself shattered beyond function.
Creeeak.
It swung open effortlessly with just a pull.
He could only imagine what had happened here—how terrified the people inside must have been as the door was broken down.
"Dong-geon."
Kim Ga-young grabbed his wrist, but he gently pulled away and stepped inside.
Bloody footprints.
Crimson marks, unmistakably belonging to black orcs, were stamped across the floor.
The house was a disaster. In the living room, bloodstains marred the floor.
A kitchen knife lay abandoned in the middle of the room—perhaps a last, desperate attempt at resistance.
Ha Dong-geon stared at it for a long moment before slowly following the bloody footprints, moving from the master bedroom to the smaller rooms, to the bathroom.
He searched the entire house, his face void of emotion.
"Let's go."
There was no need to say whose home this was.
There were no bodies, but the bloodstains in the living room and rooms left no doubt as to whom they belonged.
Even so, Ha Dong-geon's face betrayed no emotion.
"Dong-geon…"
"I'm fine."
Perhaps because he wouldn't cry, Kim Ga-young did instead.
"You idiot, just cry already."
"I… already expected this."
He patted her back gently as she clung to him, sobbing.
"Let's go."
It was the same elsewhere.
Kang Deok-su's home, Kim Geon's home—each front door was wide open.
With so few units in the complex, it seemed no one had been spared.
But at least in those two homes, there were no bloodstains. That was their only hope.
After checking his own home last, Kim Geon finally spoke.
***
"This is reality, isn't it? This is how it usually is."
Ha Dong-geon remained expressionless, while Kang Deok-su and Kim Geon looked hollow, defeated.
Unlike with Kim Ga-young, there were no family members left for them to mourn together.
They had been completely abandoned by the world.
As Kim Geon and Kang Deok-su stood in silent despair, Ha Dong-geon spoke.
"There's no need to lose hope yet. They might still be alive—somewhere."
Since it was none other than Ha Dong-geon who had spoken those words, they were unable to respond.
After all, their situation, as hopeless as it was, was still better than Ha Dong-geon's.
Kim Geon spoke.
"I don't know… what we're supposed to do from now on…"
Ha Dong-geon's reply was simple.
"We still have to live."
After saying that, he looked for me with a blank expression.
"Jaehyun-nim. Are you here?"
[Yes, I am here.]
"I'm sorry, but could you summon us? We… need some rest."
[Understood.]
I used spirit summoning to call them all back.
Vrrr—
The moment Ha Dong-geon's party appeared, I felt as if the air had become heavier. The atmosphere was entirely different from when I had only observed them through the eyes of an absolute being.
Their despair carried through the air.
Moon Byung-ho and Kim Ga-young, whose families were at least safe, bowed their heads as if they were sinners.
I did the same.
Had I been too greedy, delaying for too long?
If I had gone to save their families just a little sooner, could I have saved them?
Those kinds of thoughts.
"We'll be going to rest, then."
Ha Dong-geon bowed his head on behalf of the group and was about to leave when I spoke.
"I'm sorry."
At my apology, all eyes of Ha Dong-geon's party turned to me.
"It's my fault. I was too greedy."
In hindsight, I hadn't needed to struggle so desperately.
My parents had found their way here with their own abilities, and my grandfather, born with great skills, had been able to endure well enough.
Even if I hadn't gone searching for them, they would have been fine.
And in time, I would have been able to confirm their safety.
"What do you mean?"
"Because of me…"
"It's not your fault, Jaehyun-nim."
Ha Dong-geon cut me off.
"You are our savior."
"…What?"
"Everyone here, including us, was saved thanks to your power, Jaehyun-nim."
Ha Dong-geon continued in a strong voice.
"Thanks to you, we don't have to worry about food, water, or monsters. It was only because of your blessing that we were even able to go and rescue Byung-ho's grandmother and meet Ga-young's parents. And…"
For a brief moment, his voice faltered.
In that small crack, I could feel just how deeply he was grieving, how much he was gritting his teeth to hold himself together. It hurt to see.
Then, masking his emotions once more, he continued.
"Without you, we wouldn't have even had the chance to confirm our families' fates, however indirectly. We wouldn't have had the opportunity for revenge. The monsters there… they were far beyond what ordinary people like us could handle."
Ha Dong-geon spoke in a calm, steady tone.
"There is too much sorrow in this world. But sorrow doesn't come targeting specific people—it is scattered like water spilled carelessly.
You don't have to take responsibility for all of it, Jaehyun-nim.
This is not your fault.
It is the world that is wrong."
He was a much stronger and more mature person than I was.
Far more than someone like me.
"Don't try to carry too much on your shoulders. Jae-hyun, just standing firm like a great tree is enough. Like your grandfather's strength. Simply providing us with a place to rest in your shade is more than enough, and for that, we are grateful."
I was supposed to be the one offering comfort, yet I found myself being comforted by him instead.
His words were warm and kind, but for some reason, I felt like I was about to cry.
"…Thank you."
[Citizen Ha Dong-geon's trust level has increased.]
[Citizen Ha Dong-geon's trust level has reached 100.]
['Throwing' has been acquired.]
It was strange.
At the moment I felt like my trust in Ha Dong-geon had reached 100, his trust level in me had also maxed out.
"I'll be going now."
Ha Dong-geon gave a slight bow and walked away.
"Fighting!"
Kang Deok-su clenched his fist and cheered me on.
—
"I'm always grateful."
Kim Geon expressed his gratitude.
"Stay strong, Jae-hyun."
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to save my grandmother."
Kim Ga-young and Moon Byung-ho encouraged me.
"I would have died in my home if you hadn't saved me, Jae-hyun. And just now, when I was struck by an arrow, you saved me again, didn't you? My life already belongs to you."
[Citizen Kim Da-jung's loyalty has reached 100.]
[Citizen Kim Da-jung is already registered as a retainer.]
[The retainer limit has increased.]
Kim Da-jung spoke with sincerity.
"I feel the same way. If it weren't for you, Jae-hyun, I think I would have gone mad."
Finally, even Oh Won-joo shared their feelings.
They all comforted me before leaving.
"Haha."
Meeting these people and forming such meaningful connections—I felt truly fortunate.
'Savior…'
Ha Dong-geon had called me a savior, but in reality, I wasn't worthy of such a grand title.
'All I ever did was move for my own sake.'
I acted to survive. I struggled to save my family.
Helping my retainers rescue their families was nothing more than a give-and-take.
They helped me, so I helped them. That was all it was.
If someone else had been in my place, they would have made the same choices and ended up here as well.
Did I really deserve to be called a savior?
'He asked me to become a great tree!'
It might have been a coincidence, but my name carried a similar meaning.
"Jae" meant "to plant," and "Hyun" meant "to appear."
My name was given to me with the hope that I would grow into a great tree and shelter many people.
'Alright.'
To be honest, after ensuring my family's safety, I had felt lost.
My decision to save the country was simply because it seemed like the right thing to do. The burden of my power felt overwhelming, and I thought that at the very least, I should do something significant with it.
But the truth was, it wasn't a goal I was passionate about. I wasn't sure I had the drive to pursue it wholeheartedly.
I had assumed that if I continued hunting monsters and leveling up, things would naturally fall into place. That if I strategically placed outposts and expanded my territory, eventually everything would come together.
However—
'I'll do it!'
The great tree that Ha Dong-geon envisioned—
A tree whose mere existence provided shade and rest for countless people.
I decided to become that tree.
'Just like my name!'
There was no reason I couldn't do it.
More than ten thousand people were already relying on me.
And—
People were stronger than I had expected. They kept pushing forward, evolving on their own.
Doctors had stepped up, realizing that a medical team was needed. Those in relief organizations worked tirelessly to save others.
Some comforted the emotionally exhausted, others gathered to rescue their families, and even in these harsh conditions, people did their best to care for the children.
Courage and capability weren't just about slaying monsters and racking up achievements.
The more people gathered, the more they found ways to utilize their strengths and contribute to society.
'My role is simply to exist.'
Just by standing still, I could become a savior to these people?
What other opportunity like this could ever exist?
'Forget about the grand goal of saving all of Korea.'
I hadn't even secured all of Busan yet—claiming to save the entire country was too ambitious and unrealistic.
'Modify the goal.'
Instead of saving the entire nation, I would become a massive tree, ensuring that those under my shade had a safe place to rest.
I would create opportunities for people to use their talents to contribute to society.
I would build a system where they could live without fear.
That was my true mission.
'First, focus on strengthening my foundation!'
The immediate priority was not hunting monsters and blindly leveling up.
It was about becoming the shade where people could truly find peace.
'I need more people like Kim Da-bin!'
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