Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

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Phoenix Arise Arc

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Outside the Fuschia Gate, the S-Rank Hunters (consisted of Woo Hak-Jin, Go Geun-Hee, Amanda, Kim Song Eun, and Seong Il-Hwan) stood behind Amanda who was kneeling in front of the Fuschia Gate, both her hands clasped tightly in a praying position. It had been a half hour ever since she tried to detect the children’s whereabout inside the Fuschia Gate. It was only possible to do so because not only Amanda was an S-rank Mage Class, but also because she was the vessel from one of the Rulers, the Fragments of the Light. Amanda got the insight where Go Ha-Neul and Seong Jin-Woo were trapped inside the Cartenon Temple while the other children entered the Phoenix Temple.

The Fuschia Gate was an anomaly itself. Unlike the Red Gate or the other Gates which were the doing of the Rulers, the Fuschia Gate was the rarest Gate to ever appear in the world. The Rulers could not control about what happened inside it, but they still could open the portal towards the Dungeon insite the Fuschia Gate forcefully. Thus, with the two S-rank Hunters who had been the vessel of the Rulers, Amanda and Go Geun-Hee would forcefully open it. Not only because they were desperate to save the humanity’s last hopes, but also because one of them were their grand-daughter.

“Fate is cruel. So does the way the Gods work”.

It was such an irony. They agreed to cooperate with the Rulers and became their vessels after losing their grand-daughter in the previous life. To think the Mother of Life and the King of Dead had chosen their grand-daughter as their daughter’s vessel, it was a cruel Fate.

Being ‘their’ Daughter meant that it was her Fate to save the humanity along with her twin brother by soul, Seong Jin-Woo.

Amanda opened her eyes and looked at the hand on her shoulder which squeezing her reassuringly. Right, they needed to focus. They must focus to save their grand-daughter and the other childern. The other S-ranks cooperated to forcefully open the Gate after Amanda found the children’s location and telepathically communicated with some of the kids.

With which one, you said?

The ones who heard her call were Woo Jin-Cheol and Cha Hae-Sal.

Woo Hak-Jin reached out his hand and released his Mana “Ma’am, we’re ready”.

Both Go Geun-Hee and Amanda opened their eyes as their eyes turned golden “Start”.

Cartenon Temple

In one second, they were with their friends, wandering around the Dungeon inside the Fuschia Gate.

In another second, they felt the worst headache and when they opened their eyes again, they moved to another place.

Scratch that.

Someone must have teleported them when they were feeling the headache just now.

Jin-Woo kneeled in front of her, holding her hand and helping her to stand up “Noona, are you okay?”.

Ha-Neul was feeling like she had gotten the worst jetlag, rubbing her temples as she stood up “Ah, I’m okay. But... where is everyone?”. 

“That’s exactly what I’d like to know as well”.

Seong Jin-Woo was nervous. 

He was confident that he could fight against these statues and the Architect, but his Noona was with him this time. Protecting was harder than to kill. Could he protect her while fighting against the statues and the Architect?

Ha-Neul squeezed his hand and smiled “It’s unlike you to feel nervous like this. Relax. Your Noona is not as weak as you think”.

Seong Jin-Woo relaxed “It’s very reassuring”.

Right. He must protect her at all cost. So they could return to their friends and get out of this place, together. They were about to brainstorm the way to get out of this place when they heard the ominous voice. Similar to the jumpscare scene in the horror movie (courtesy by Go Ha-Neul), they looked up slowly and they were welcomed by the horror scene straight out of the horror movie, real-time.

Architect grinned creepily “Welcome, Player and Hidden Player”.

Seong Jin-Woo stood in front of Ha-Neul in reflect but his eyes shook in realization as his brain was processing what the Architect had said “...Hidden Player?”.

Looking behind over his shoulder, Seong Jin-Woo and Go Ha-Neul locked gazes. As she smiled, Seong Jin-Woo saw the familiar fondness on her eyes and he remembered what happened betweeen them ever since the first time they met in this life.

“If you still feel doubt, Dongsaeng, why don’t you use the Stat Window to check on me?”.

Seong Jin-Woo’s eyes widened. Showing her Stats Window was the proof of how deep her trust to him.

[ Hidden Player Stats ]

Name: Go Ha-Neul

Level: 108

HP : 21763

MP : 21864

Job : The Saintess Of Time And Space

Title : The Child Of God

Strength: 4951

Agility: 5100

Senses: 5149

Health: 5050

Intelligence: 6185

Sixth Sense: 6149

Available Points : 0

Ah, so that was why...

From the very beginning, his Noona knew him and always had been by his side. Jin-Woo didn’t know ever since she remembered, but one thing for sure. They would survive and they would get out of this place together with their friends.

Seong Jin-Woo and Go Ha-Neul exchanged glances before they commanded “Arise / I Summon Thee”.

The Light with the golden silvery sparks enveloped Go Ha-Neul’s body. The wind blew her hair as her hair turned into the long wavy blonde hair. Her eyes changed into golden with the silver ring around her pupils. A white Armor with the golden lines on the armor’s edge wrapped around her body. It was the Valkyrie Armor which she had purchased from the Shop and Armory, being strengtened by the Phoenix’s elements.

The Shadow beneath Seong Jin-Woo’s feet widened and his ‘Shadows’ emerged. The black purplish fire surrounded his body as the Shadow enveloped his body like an Armor. Unlike in the past at the time when he was fighting against the Architect alone, this time he could summon his Shadows. It seemed like the Light coming from Ha-Neul made his Shadows stronger. Just like Jin-Woo’s Shadows, Ha-Neul’s Guardians appeared from the ball of the green yellowish Light which coming from Ha-Neul’s body. They were just like the firefly.

It was befitting her, he thought. He remembered their conversation about how the firefly symbolized the soul of the dead going to the afterlife. Some of the Guardians were once Ha-Neul’s pets, Jin-Woo noted.

One of the Guardians, Libby bowed her body to Jin-Woo before she dropped one knee behind Ha-Neul “My Lady, we’ve planted some of the Guardians on your companions, as you ordered”.

“Good job, Lib”.

Jin-Woo raised an eyebrow as he pulled out his daggers “I have a hunch that Libby will get along well with Beru from her attitude”.

She raised her hand and the weapon she had earned from the Blessing Random Loot Box, the Holy Staff of Time and Space, appeared “I guess so”.

In the background, Ha-Neul’s Guardians and Jin-Woo’s Shadows were fighting against their enemy’s minions while bickering against each other. Ha-Neul and Jin-Woo stood back to back, holding their weapon as their Shadow and Guardian went to fight against their enemy. This time, not only the statues and the Architect were present here, but also the zombies of the people who had died in the Cartenon Temple and the ghosts.

Ha-Neul deadpanned “Are we in a typical apocalyptic horror movie? Our enemy this time sure isn’t creative”.

Jin-Woo casually commented, swinging his daggers casually “At least, I’m grateful that Eun Seok Hyung or Min Byung-Gyu isn’t here. They will surely freak out”.

Swinging her Holy Staff to purify some of the vengeful ghosts, she asked “...Fact. Also, do you think who the hell is the mastermind behind it this time? I don’t think that this is the Ruler’s doing”.

Slashing the rotten flesh of the zombies in front of him, Jin-Woo narrowed his eyes which flashed in the blue silvery light “I wondered if it would be the Monarch’s doing, but... If this is not the Monarch or the Ruler’s doing, then I only could think of one person”.

The Mother of Chaos.

Lilith.

“Noona, of all your Stats, your Intelligence is the highest. No wonder your MP is higher than your HP”.

“We’ve got our priority, Dongsaeng~”.

“Any idea to get out of here and join back our friends? Aside from beating them all”.

“Oh, you’re probably right”.

Ha-Neul stabbed the Holy Staff of Time and Place on the ground “Stagnant”.

Suddenly, every movements of their enemy stopped. He knew she must be powerful but to think that she was strong enough to stop the time of this place—!

“You only have a minute, Dongsaeng!”

Seong Jin-Woo smirked triumphantly “More than enough, Noona”.

After Jin-Woo stabbed the Architect on the forehead, the Cartenon Temple collapsed and they ran outside.

Carrying Ha-Neul on his arms, Jin-Woo prepared to cushion for their freefall “Hold on tight, Noona”.

Wrapping her arms around Jin-Woo’s shoulders, Ha-Neul spread her wings “Navigate me so we can fly down safely, Dongsaeng!”.

“Will do!”.

Using her Clairvoyance, Ha-Neul found their friend’s whereabout as they were flying down.

Phoenix Temple

Wrapping one hand around Cha Hae-Sal’s shoulder, Choi Jong-In shouted “Get down!”.

They instinctively crouched on the ground, shielding their head. Suddenly, the earthquake happened and the building around them shook violently before it started to split and rebuild itself into one grand Temple with an Altar in the middle.

Liu Zhu Que acted as if she was a guide and explained calmly once the earthquake ended about how to get out of this place, pointing at the altar “Prove your faith and loyalty if you want to get out of here alive”.

Woo Jin-Cheol frowned as he was looking at the Altar “What should we do?”.

Eun Seok grumbled “You better don’t suggest us to sacrifice one of us”.

Baek Yoon-Ho asked sceptically “Ms. Liu, when you were gone missing to the Fuschia Gate, weren’t you with your group? What happened to you and the rest of your group?”.

At that, Liu Zhu Que smiled fornlornly before she explained about how the Time and Place in this place always changed uncontrollably. Her friends one by one disappeared as long as they were trapped in this place and once it was only her who had been left, there was a woman who appeared in front of her. She was the Mother of Chaos, Lilith.

Woo Jin-Cheol who had encountered Lilith, of course, was surprised. Eun Seok who knew about Lilith from both Woo Jin-Cheol and Belladonna, was also shocked. Bastian and Belladonna remembered the chaotic dinner at the British’s Palace and exchanged glances, thinking about Lilith’s encounter with Go Ha-Neul in the dining room.

For those who knew about Lilith, they wondered about what the Mother of Chaos’ goal this time. They wondered, if Lilith were behind this, what would be her goal? What was her purpose to trap and collect people using the Fuschia Gate?

If they could survive the Fuschia Gate, that was it.

Woo Jin-Cheol had witnessed the Trial inside the Cartenon Temple through Seong Jin-Woo’s memory. He suspected that they had to pass this trial as well.

The problem was, how to convince everyone to cooperate? What would come to them? What would they gain from this trial?

Zhu Que looked up “Hm... Seems like your trial has started”.

Suddenly, a portal opened wide on the sky above them and through the portal, there were the corpses a.k.a. zombies or the fallen ruins of the building’s materials going down. 

Min Byeong-Gyu saluted and said casually “Kinda reminded me of the Frozen Feefall or Tetris game”.

Eun Seok blanched “Wait, does it mean that those things will fall and we have to...”.

The twins Cha exchanged glances before they blanched, realizing how dire their situation was.

Choi Jong-In held the twins Cha’s shoulders and told them to lie low “There are Unawakened people here!”.

Just like what Choi Jong-In said, not all of them here were Awakened, so the Awakened ones must have protected them.

Woo Jin-Cheol put on his sleeves gloves “Eun Seok!”.

Eun Seok pulled out his Bayonet out of nowhere “Got it, Buddy!”.

Cha Hae-Sal wondered “Where did he hide it anyway?”.

Cha Hae-In pushed her twin to low her head “Ssh, just lie low”.

Before a rock above where Zhu Que sat landing on her, Baek Yoon-Ho kicked the rock and sent it flying away.

Zhu Que casually remarked and clapped her hands “Nice kick”.

Baek Yoon-Ho shouted in disbelief “Why did you not avoid it or block it, at least?”.

“I am different with you guys. I am sort of an NPC. Even if I die here, Lilith will revive me just like what she’s done”.

Looking at those vacant eyes, Baek Yoon-Ho carried her “You’re leaving this place with us”.

Zhu Que was dumbfounded “Huh?”.

Min Byeong-Gyu whistled “Should I say congratulations for getting a Bride from China?”.

Baek Yoon-Ho said in disbelief “What the f*ck are you talking about?”.

“Well, the red dress is Chinese’s wedding dress so—”.

“Is this the right time and place to talk about it???”.

On the other side, Belladonna who had been silent suddenly spoke “Eun Seok!”.

“What is it, Dear? I’m quite busy here!”.

“I will marry you!”.

“What?”.

“I said, I accept your proposal! Let’s get married once we get out of here!”.

Eun Seok shouted in joy “Yes!”.

Woo Jin-Cheol kicked a fallen rock which was about to hit Eun Seok “Congratulations, my friend. I will appreciate it more if you can watch over your surrounding for now”.

Bastian wondered if he should kill Eun Seok here or not as he lifted up his glasses “This is the most disastrous marriage proposal acceptance I’ve ever seen. Should I kill that man so my sister won’t be taken away?”.

Belladonna deadpanned, unimpressed “Brother, please don’t kill him”.

Min Byeong-Gyu shrieked “What should we do? The Zombies are coming here as well!”.

If only they were able to fight...

If only they were stronger...

The desire to survive and to get out of this place together with their friends were what allowing them who hadn’t awakened yet to awaken.

At the same time, Cha Hae-In awakened as an S-rank Melee class and Cha Hae-Sal awakened as an S-rank Tanker class. Cha Hae-Sal was using the gigantic Shield to protect everyone as Cha Hae-In joined Baek Yoon-Ho to send the fallen ruins away.

Choi Jong-In awakened as an S-rank Mage class and he shot his fire to burn all Zombies. Unfortunately, since it was the first time for Choi Jong-In to use it, he was unable to control the fire. It spread widely and almost hit the twins Cha.

“Watch out!”.

“Noona!”.

Jin-Woo and Ha-Neul saw it as they arrived there and they went to save the twins. Jin-Woo managed to save Cha Hae-In in time, but Ha-Neul was not so lucky. Ha-Neul wrapped her arms around Cha Hae-Sal and toppled them to the ground. Choi Jong-In’s fire burned her back and Ha-Neul screamed in pain. 

Cha Hae-Sal’s eyes shook violently as she held Go Ha-Neul’s body tightly, mumbling “...Tia...”.

Min Byeong-Gyu awakened as an S-rank Healer class. Sadly, even if he could heal Ha-Neul’s wound to the point where her life was no longer in danger, but it still would leave the burns mark. Perhaps, it was because of his limited Mana and he was just Awakened. If only his Mana was enough, he could fully heal her.

Woo Jin-Cheol wrapped his coat around Ha-Neul’s torso, carrying her piggyback ride “We have to get out of this place first. We need to bring them to the hospital”.

Cha Hae-In shook her twin sister’s shoulders, trying to snap her out of it “Sister, calm down. Can you hear me?”.

Cha Hae-Sal didn’t seem to able to hear her in her shocked state. Thus, Choi Jong-In carried her on his back.

Eun Seok carried Belladonna who was too exhausted “But how can we get out of this place?”.

At that time, the blue Windows appeared in front of them.

[ Congratulations, Players ]

[ You have passed the test ]

[ You have officially become the 12 Apostles of the Apocalypse ]

Outside the Fuschia Gate, there was a commotion after they had been trapped inside there for a half day.

“They finally came out!”.

Woo Jin-Cheol came out first, carrying the unconscious Go Ha-Neul on his back. The next was Seong Jin-Woo who supported Cha Hae-In as they walked side by side. Beside them, Choi Jong-In was carrying the unconscious Cha Hae-Sal on his back. Eun Seok was looking at his parents and smiled in relief, carrying Belladonna on his back. Baek Yoon-Ho approached the Hunter Association to tell them about Liu Zhu Que. Bastian and Min Byeong-Gyu volunteered to tell them about what happened as long as they were trapped inside the Fuschia Gate considering they were the healthiest meanwhile the others were moved to the hospital.

Later, once Ha-Neul regained her consciousness, she was engulfed by the twins who were crying and trapping her in a bear hug.

“Unnie! You’re so reckless!”.

“That’s right!”.

“...I am alive, though?”.

“You Idiot! I don’t want to lose my friend again! Be it in the previous life and in this life, you—!”.

“Wait a minute, what do you mean with that???”.

Woo Jin-Cheol and Seong Jin-Woo (bless their soul) peeled off the twins Cha from Go Ha-Neul before Woo Jin-Cheol explained.

“So... It seemed like Cha Hae-Sal here has her past life’s memory where she lived as an orphan named Mi-Cha. Does it ring a bell?”.

Ha-Neul’s eyes widened “!!!”.

Cha Hae-Sal beamed “Long time no see you, Tia. Congrats for getting your Dream husband and family, I guess?”.

Ha-Neul wrapped her arms around Cha Hae-Sal and burst into tears to the point (almost) suffocating her “MI-CHA! How the hell it happened???”.

Okay. So, long story short, Mi-Cha passed in a car accident with her husband, though she managed to protect her son. The God offered her to reincarnate into this world where she would be Cha Hae-In’s twin sister and she would get to meet with Ha-Neul.

“Now... allow me to protest about one thing... How could you do it to me, huh? How dare you leave me alone and die in the burned church?”.

“Hey, I didn’t want to die as well! Being burned alive was hurt, you know?”.

“Then you SHOULD NOT HAVE DIED! Especially not for protecting me!”.

They argued until Seong Jin-Woo separated them again. 

This time, Woo Jin-Cheol inquired “But... What do you mean that Hannie got her dreamy husband and family?”.

“Mi-Cha, don’t you dare”.

Like a menace she was, Cha Hae-Sal grinned “Oh, I do”.

Amanda barged into the patient room and scolded them “Behave, brats! You are the patient here!”.

Go Geun-Hee shook his head as he held Amanda’s shoulders “Don’t go too harsh to our grandchildren, Amanda”.

In the Land towards the Eternity, two figures finally met.

Ashborn stood beside her and held her hand “Are you satisfied with this outcome, Thēa?”.

Thēa smiled serenely as she saw Ha-Neul and Jin-Woo were surrounded by their friends and family “Let’s trust this world’s Fate to our children, Ashborn. We just need to watch over them from a far distance. Besides... Not only those children are not alone, but they also have the parents’ figures who can take over our roles”.

In the Reservoir, Go Ha-Neul wondered why would she cry as she was surrounded by her Guardians and Panacea hugged her from behind.

In the Shadow realm, Seong Jin-Woo looked at Yohannes who stood up from the throne and dropped one knee in front of him along with Bellion, Igris, Beru, and the entire Shadow Army.

The final verdict had fallen.

The Crown had been handed over.

Holding hands, the King of Dead and the Queen of Life went to rest in Eternity after trusting the Fate of the world to their Descendants.

The Children of Chaos.

The Son of Death and the Daughter of Life.

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FIN

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