Ranker Who Lives Twice

When Sun Wukong asked that question suddenly, Yeon-woo was about to tell him not to ask such stupid questions. However, Sun Wukong's eyes were so sharp and his gaze seemingly unyielding that Yeon-woo felt he had no choice but to answer. "…I do."

"How is your relationship with them?"

"I don't think it's bad."

The Monkey King's exuviae intervened in the conversation.『It's not that bad. This guy, he started climbing up the Tower after hearing that his younger brother had been betrayed and killed.』

Yeon-woo bit his lips tightly. Sun Wukong narrowed his eyes and said, "I also started training in a relatively unknown mountain called Mount Huaguo. The reason I left that place and came out into this world was because a friend I considered a brother had been killed."

"…"

"To get revenge, I took up the Ruyi Bang. That's how it all started."

Yeon-woo wondered what Sun Wukong was getting at.

"You intend to make the Black King unable to open his eyes again. Explain in detail what you are planning to do."

Yeon-woo calmly explained his plans. His plan was to defeat Sage, currently the main ego of the Black King, to absorb Yvlke, awaken as the complete Black King, and completely fall asleep. Although Kronos had caught wind of his plan, it was the first time Yeon-woo verbalized his plan, so his voice trembled slightly as he explained what he was planning to do.

Yeon-woo's younger brother, a father, a mother… They would all be opposed to his plan. Even now, Yeon-woo constantly asked himself if he was traversing the right path, but each time, Yeon-woo concluded that his plan was the only solution.

As soon as Yeon-woo finished giving his explanation, Sun Wukong frowned. "You mean… You mean you're planning on saving your family by sacrificing yourself?"

"Yes…!" The moment Yeon-woo was about to answer…

Whoosh!

[You have been forcibly summoned to the illusory world, 'Monkey Mountain'!]

Suddenly, the world around Yeon-woo seemed to twist and in an instant. Yeon-woo found himself in Sun Wukong's illusory world. And then…

Bam! Sun Wukong opened his powers to the fullest and attacked. His fists contained the wild flames of the Flame Wheel. Although Yeon-woo was surprised by the unexpected attack, he crossed his arms to block the incoming strike.

Rumble! Boom! The shattered flames spread out and swirled in all directions after being blocked. Boom! Boom! However, Sun Wukong continued his attack, as if he was not satisfied with something.

Yeon-woo had no choice but to frown as he blocked each blow one by one. "What the hell is this?!"

"Someone like you needs to be straightened out. That way, you'll regain your senses."

"What…!"

Yeon-woo wanted to argue, but Sun Wukong did not seem willing to listen. Sun Wukong just hardened his expression and bombarded Yeon-woo with all his might, laying attacks one after another. He moved using Flowing Water and attacked using Lightning Strike. It was as if Sun Wukong was proving to Yeon-woo why he was given the title as Great Sage and Fighting Buddha, and why the Chan Sect and Jie Sect trembled in fright whenever they heard his name.

Bam! Yeon-woo could not help but get annoyed. Even for Yeon-woo, Sun Wukong was a formidable enemy who could not be ignored.

Of course, there was no reason for Yeon-woo to lose to Sun Wukong in terms of skill, as Yeon-woo had almost completely mastered the teachings of the Martial King while overcoming the many egos of the Black King. Moreover, Yeon-woo was certain he could defeat Sun Wukong if he brought out the darkness. There was hardly any being who could stop Yeon-woo, who had become the Alternate Ego of the Black King…

This was what Yeon-woo thought. However, to bring out the darkness, Yeon-woo would have to consume some of his law of causality, which would further imprint the Executor's will upon the world and hasten the end of days apocalypse process. Although he had awakened his position as the Executor to escape Jeong-woo, he was not yet planning on proceeding with the end of days. More than anything…

'Why isn't the Monkey King's exuviae saying anything?'

As if understanding why his main body was acting in such a way, the Monkey King's exuviae stood back at a distance and chuckled as if he found something funny. He seemed to have no intention of stopping the fight.

However, whether he truly understood Yeon-woo's explanation and circumstance, Sun Wukong continued his offensive, which was becoming more cumbersome for Yeon-woo to handle. Each skill strike was comparable to any beast-like opponent or 'Hwang' level being. Sun Wukong's self-developed power level was incredible. It was understandable why gods of martial arts and gods of fight were beings Sun Wukong considered as insignificant bugs.

Boom! Boom! At a certain point, one of Yeon-woo's shoulders got turned from one of Sun Wukong's strikes. Yeon-woo had exposed a gap. Sun Wukong was not one who would miss that moment. His outstretched palm flew out like lightning.

"Ugh!" The bottom of Sun Wukong's palm struck Yeon-woo's upper left chest and exploded. Yeon-woo's chest area was singed black as if the area had been burnt. Yeon-woo received a shock so strong that even his soul vibrated. Eventually, he was flung back.

Bam! Sun Wukong suddenly appeared in front of Yeon-woo and slammed his fist on Yeon-woo once more.

Boom! The attack was far more powerful than any attack Yeon-woo had ever faced. Because of this, Yeon-woo thought that he could no longer block the attacks and be on the defensive, so he pulled his shadow up and parried the attack.

Rumble!

[The Executor's will, which had been subdued and quiet for a while, becomes active again!]

[The process of the end of days apocalypse has quickened.]

The illusory world also started trembling, as if it would crumble and break apart at any moment.

"Damn it! Shouldn't you at least tell me why you're doing this?!" Yeon-woo had lost his patience and activated his 7th-step Dragon Body awakening and poured out his darkness. The sight of Yeon-woo's dragon eyes gleaming menacingly with his whole body covered in dragon scales was ferocious.

The air in the illusory world became boiling hot. The murderous intent Yeon-woo projected outward was so terrifying that most gods would have already fainted just by being in the area. However, Sun Wukong did not seem affected.

Sun Wukong narrowed his brow. "Even after all this, you still don't understand… Ah! Are you an idiot?"

"What?" Yeon-woo narrowed his eyes.

Sun Wukong took a moment to look at the Monkey King's exuviae, who was watching the fight from a distance. "Hey, exuviae! How the hell did you maintain your sanity while being with this guy?"

The Monkey King's exuviae shrugged his shoulders.『His singular pursuit was somewhat refreshing.』

"Refreshing! He may be strong, but there's nothing in his head!"

『Do you know how fun it is to watch him blunder around? It kind of reminded me of the olden days when we were young.』

"Stop speaking nonsense! I was never like this."

『Sure. That's why you were imprisoned on Marble Mountain (Five Element Mountain) for over five hundred years.』

"Hey… Don't bring up our dark past…"

『Everyone tends to glorify their past.』 The Monkey King's exuviae started to giggle.『Anyway, you were so thoroughly cynical of the world, and in the end, you were just a foolish figure running around to try and save the world. You and Yeon-woo are very similar in that respect. In the process of pursuing what you guys want, you don't pay any attention to the damage or wounds that other people around you receive and suffer.』

"Ah. So that's why you brought him to me."

The Monkey King's exuviae continued to laugh without answering, but Sun Wukong quickly realized that the exuviae's reaction was an unspoken affirmation. Moreover, it seemed that the Monkey King's exuviae was vicariously taking revenge for being locked up for so long in a cave.

"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Yeon-woo, who could not intervene in their conversation, thought that he was being made fun of. His face had gotten extremely red from anger, and he was about to completely release the law of causality reservoir at any moment.

Sun Wukong turned to Yeon-woo. But, contrary to how he somewhat playfully spoke with the Monkey King's exuviae, his expression was extremely solemn. "Just like he said, looking at your mug, I was reminded of my asshole self when I was young, so I threw a bit of a tantrum."

Yeon-woo bit his lips tightly. If Sun Wukong continued to spew nonsense, Yeon-woo was not planning on holding back. Yeon-woo had only endured until now because he wanted to cooperate with Sun Wukong. Moreover, he thought Sun Wukong had some reason for doing what he did.

"Let me ask you one thing. If your brother sacrificed… No, if he died again in your place, what would you do then?"

For a moment, Yeon-woo envisioned a scene where Jeong-woo died in his place. "I'm doing everything I can so that something like that never happens again."

"So, how would you feel if things were the other way around?"

"…"

"You'd probably think like this… If you sacrifice yourself and erase yourself from everyone's memory, everything will become peaceful. You will no longer have to worry about the end, and your family will no longer have to suffer. Isn't that right?"

Yeon-woo had to keep his mouth shut as Sun Wukong read his thoughts accurately.

"But aren't you just deceiving yourself?"

"…!"

"Finding peace by disappearing? What kind of peace will your family get if you're successful? From my perspective, only you would be self-satisfied, right?"

"…"

"The Black King? Fine. This is my first time meeting you, and I have no idea what kind of personality you have or what kind of disposition you possess. I don't know anything about you, and I don't want to know. You may be trash or a true self-sacrificing hero. Why would I want to know so much about you? For me, if you are successful and get rid of one of my troubles, I would welcome you with open arms."

Sun Wukong had run all over the place to somehow save the Heavenly Demon. In the endless turning 'wheel', and in the repeating iteration of 'dreams', Sun Wukong tried various tricks so that the Heavenly Demon could completely win. But he had not been able to come up with any measures as sure as Yeon-woo's plan.

From Sun Wukong's vantage point, why would he not be welcoming of the Black King self-destructing of his own accord? This was something Sun Wukong welcomed. The Heavenly Demon would no longer have to suffer.

However, Sun Wukong did not grab onto this opportunity. Actually, he opposed it vehemently. Just like what the Monkey King's exuviae mentioned…it was because Yeon-woo reminded him of his young, naive self.

Sun Wukong was naturally indifferent to others. If he could achieve his goal, he tended to not care too much about who else was sacrificed or injured. But this time, that mindset was not possible.

"Then why are you stopping me?"

"Because I know what the rest of the people are thinking!"

"…"

"I've been on both sides. That's when I found out that my thoughts were childish and shortsighted. It's never a sacrifice. Your type of actions just hurt people around you while giving you plausible self-rationalization."

"…!"

"And do you know what one calls a person with these types of actions and thoughts?" Sun Wukong smirked. "An idiot."

"…!"

The legends of Sun Wukong were so diverse and expansive that it was impossible to weave them together. There were many times when he ran rampant in the universe and complained of its small size, but, in the end, Sun Wukong found himself spending more time fixing the 'accidents' he had committed. His titles as the Great Sage or Fighting Buddha were just names Sun Wukong had picked up along the way of remedying his past transgressions.

"Leader! Please retreat and run away!"

"Leader, you probably don't know how fruitful our lives have been after meeting you. Our lives have carried purpose and meeting after we met you."

"Thus, please continue living, leader!"

There were many subordinates that had sacrificed their lives for him.

"Why the hell is your arm like that? Why are all the other brothers in such a terrible state?"

"We just got scratched up a bit."

"Your arm has been completely cut off! What do you mean by a scratch!"

"It's just that those Jie Sect guys were gossiping about you…"

"…So, what did you do?"

"We went over to the Jade King and kicked his face in a few times. Hahaha!"

"Crazy bastards…!"

"Eldest brother, you forgot to mention that we made their holy territory a wasteland. Hahaha! It was so refreshing seeing them squirm and run away with their tails between their legs."

"I can't believe I have such crazy bastards as siblings!"

He had brothers and sisters who would fight on his behalf, cry alongside him, and laugh with him.

"Hmm. It seems our monkey-brained brother has gotten into another accident."

"Xuanzang! This time, it wasn't me!"

"Master, I saw everything."

"Silence! Why is it so loud here!"

He met colleagues who became friends who understood and cared for him. Also…

"Wukong, I'm not sure if I ever mentioned this to you…"

"What is it?"

"Wukong, you're really ugly. How can someone be so ugly? Everyone probably has their own reasons why they're so ugly, but I'm really overwhelmed and surprised every time I see your ugly mug."

"What did you just say, fucker?"

There was the Heavenly Demon.

Sun Wukong had a relationship with many beings. He knew what they thought and understood the loss and pain they felt when he was gone. Was this not the reason why the Heavenly Demon revived him while turning the 'wheel' over and over? Thus, Sun Wukong was determined to correct Yeon-woo's misguided thoughts.

It was stupid to think that only one would suffer and that everything would become peaceful with one's sacrifice. Sun Wukong did not want this idiot, Yeon-woo, to make the same mistakes he had made and suffer through the same consequences.

Sun Wukong had shared his memories with Yeon-woo without any edits. Yeon-woo learned the truth of Sun Wukong through his Draconic Eyes and Fiery Golden Eyes. He even felt all the pain Sun Wukong had gone through. Moreover, through association, Yeon-woo knew what pain and suffering his family members would have to endure if Yeon-woo succeeded in carrying out his plan.

Even if Yeon-woo successfully deleted his existence and everything regarding himself that was engraved on this world, in the end, he would only be manipulating and deceiving their emotions based on his sole interpretation and whim. Thus…could Yeon-woo truly say that all this was for his family? Or was it for himself?

"…your choice is not viable. It won't bring the result you seek."

The problem was that there was no alternative for Yeon-woo. "It's not like there's another way!" Yeon-woo shouted out in a voice filled with anger. Even though he used his life like a tool, that did not mean that he took his life lightly. Though Yeon-woo may not have been absolutely sure about his reasons before, it was different now that he got his family back. He also wanted to enjoy a happy life with his brother, father, mother, Sesha, and Edora. He wanted to hang out and laugh with them.

Yeon-woo also wanted to raise his own family by having children of his own. Like his father and mother, he wanted to create a happy family unit. But no matter how much he thought, he could not see such a future.

No matter how much Yeon-woo procrastinated and delayed the end, the Black King would eventually rise, and this 'dream' would eventually come to an end. This meant that his whole family would once again disappear. It was an irreversible, definite, and absolute future. In the end, Yeon-woo had to choose this path. From the start, there was no chance of happiness in his cards.

However, Sun Wukong was now stating that Yeon-woo's thoughts and plans were crazy. Sun Wukong's statement had finally made Yeon-woo's resentment, which he had been holding in and carrying by himself, explode.

"What do you know…!" Yeon-woo's gaze, who had been cold and stable, trembled greatly.

"I don't know. As I said, I don't know you, and you don't know me either. Perhaps it's a bit presumptuous of me to rebuke you like this. It's not like I'm going to take up any of your responsibilities."

"Then why…!"

"But I can help."

Yeon-woo was about to shout something but stopped before finishing his sentence. Sun Wukong offered, "I don't know any other solution. But let me help you find it. Didn't you say you'd help me too? Then why don't we help each other? After all, both of us have the same purpose, right?"

"…" Little by little, Yeon-woo's eyes became wet. His gaze trembled.

"So, live. Somehow, in any way possible. If you promise me that, I will help you somehow."

Drip. Hearing those words, a single tear streamed down the corner of Yeon-woo's right eye.

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