The sky was weeping. However, not even a drop touched the ground. The barrier laid out by the tower didn't let anything pass through, even if it was nature itself. So, all Jin heard was the distant platter of droplets, trying to breach the invisible wall.
It was strange, really. It was his first time seeing so many people gathered in one place since he had transmigrated to this post-apocalyptic world. To be precise, he hadn't seen this many challengers at once before. The lower districts barely had any challengers, most of whom ended up becoming thugs or taking the lower ranks in some guild.
He stood at the back of the gathering, hands at his sides, watching.
It was certainly a great sight to see, to be in the presence of all the ranks at once. But Jin wasn't happy in the least. He was as far from joyous as one could be.
How could he not be—it was Sam's funeral, after all.
Before leaving, Evelin had asked him to attend the funeral ceremony. That was why he was here, even though he had not been invited.
"Do you think he deserved it?"
Conrad was standing one step behind him. He was wearing a luxurious black suit, identical to the rest of the guests. On his way to the Halden Clan's estate, he ran into the young man. Thanks to him, a nobody like Lian was able to attend the funeral.
Jin turned to the person speaking a few words for the deceased. But he was too far away to hear the man's voice.
"With life comes death. You can't control one just as much as you can't control the other."
Conrad frowned, confused by Jin's words. Sighing deeply, Jin spoke.
"Perhaps he did, perhaps he didn't. Who are we to say who deserves to live and who doesn't?"
Conrad gave him a complicated look.
"Fair enough."
In a world where survival was a constant struggle and morality often blurred, Jin couldn't help but reflect on the complexity of life and death. The very idea that anyone could determine the value of another's life felt naïve and arrogant. Everyone carried their own stories, battles, and burdens. It wasn't for him or anyone else to decide who had earned the right to exist, or who had failed in that respect.
He had forgotten the last funeral he visited. In his world, death was a sign of weakness. It meant the person lost their fight against fate… against life itself. Such a person didn't deserve a whole ceremony. But a few people still did, those who weren't involved with the martial world.
Jin loosened his tie and spoke.
"I don't see Dean."
Conrad wore a hollow look.
"That's because he's not here. He joined the campaign earlier than scheduled."
Jin wore a puzzled expression as he said, "What's so important that he missed his own brother's funeral? The beasts aren't going anywhere."
Conrad narrowed his gaze, his voice grim.
"Who knows? I thought that he blamed himself for Sam's death. But this… I don't know what's going on in his mind anymore. I doubt he's even using his mind lately."
Jin turned back to the crowd.
A sense of concern gnawed at him. Though he was not one to indulge in sentimentality, witnessing Dean tread a path so reminiscent of his own stirred a deep bitterness within him. Driven by a fierce desire for revenge, he was teetering on the brink of reckless decisions. In a world teeming with ravenous fiends and hidden dangers, a single misstep could prove fatal.
Nevertheless, it was something Dean needed to figure out for himself. The lessons of vengeance and survival could only be learned through experience.
Jin subtly glanced at Conrad. The young man kept staring at him for some unknown reason.
"Something on my face?" Jin finally asked, a hint of annoyance creeping into his tone.
Conrad shrugged, his brow furrowing slightly.
"No, it's just… I'm surprised you showed up today. You have my respect, but I hope you can sneak out of here before things get ugly."
He had said the same thing before entering, but Jin brushed it off. Now that he was inside, though, things weren't as easy as they seemed. At least when a large chunk of the challenger population was all around him.
Jin blinked slowly.
"Why would I sneak out?"
Conrad scratched his jaw.
"Oh… you don't know, do you?"
Jin raised a brow. Conrad's gaze flicked around the room and took on a defensive posture.
"You remember how we got interviewed in the hospital? That wasn't just protocol, you know. I think they were trying to find the person who was behind Sam's death."
Jin frowned and said in a low voice, "Wasn't Sam killed by a ghoul?"
Conrad shook his head.
"It was a ghoul that got Sam, but they can't just go after that exact ghoul, can they?"
Jin squinted his eyes.
"They're looking for a scapegoat…"
Conrad rolled his eyes.
"Scapegoat, leader, the guy who made the plan—what's the difference? They are trying to figure out the root of the problem, the reason why Sam and Dean encountered the ghouls first and not me or you. They want to understand why you chose Sam for that specific role instead of anyone else."
He let a person pass by and continued.
"See, the problem is our plan was good—really good. Just think about it; we basically took on two fully mature nests, and there was only one major casualty. Even veteran teams can't pull off something like that. Their initial thoughts led them to Evelin and Dean, as one belongs to a clan and the other is the sister of one of the strongest people alive. But Evelin didn't take the credit; she confessed that you led the team."
Jin turned to the center of the crowd.
"The guild was in an uproar when I left. Is this connected to that?"
Conrad pressed his lips together.
"To put it bluntly, the guild doesn't care. They're just glad Evelin made it back. That could be why you're here and not chained in some underground dungeon."
Jin shook his head in confusion.
"Let me get this straight. The Halden Clan thinks I'm responsible for Sam's death, while the Hope guild supports me because they believe Evelin is still alive because of my actions. Now, I find myself on the Clan estate, surrounded by members of both factions. Did I miss anything?"
Conrad replied with a sarcastic nod.
"That's some crazy luck you got there. Honestly, I think it would've been better for you if you had just died back in the forest… or maybe not, if you prefer being tortured to death by the challengers of the Halden clan."
Jin maintained a quiet expression, but his mind was in turmoil.
He wasn't entirely oblivious to Conrad's deductions, yet this worst-case scenario weighed heavily on him. Faced with such a situation, especially now, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel. Any sane person would be petrified in his position. However, strangely, he didn't seem concerned at all.
What the clan believed about Sam's death was their own opinion, as was the case for the Hope guild. He refused to favor one side simply because they defended him or despise the other for attempting to frame him.
Jin looked elsewhere as he spoke.
"What about you? Do you think I killed Sam?"
Conrad wore a tired smile.
"I don't know. Sure, your decisions were rash, and your plan was suicidal at best."
He turned to Jin as he said, "I'm not an idiot, Lian. I know when to blame someone and when to be grateful. It wasn't entirely you, but your directions indirectly saved my hide. Besides, they don't know what we do. They haven't seen the never-ending hordes of pincers you withstood, or how you held the ghouls so that we could pass through."
Inhaling deeply, he relaxed his shoulders.
"We all agreed to your plan. If you're responsible for Sam's death, then so are we."
Jin's face was unreadable.
He was baffled by how Conrad saw things for what they were, yet a grand clan acted like a child. There was also the political perspective, but he hadn't expected them to be so concerned about this matter when people died almost every day inside the city.
He turned to the shifting crowd. The main ceremony was coming to its end. He could faintly see people paying their condolences to Dean's mother, while the others conversed with each other.
It was his cue to leave.
"I'm leaving."
Conrad turned to the corridor behind them.
"Count me in."
The two walked past the crowd as covertly as possible. Being rookies in the challenger world, there were very few people who knew their appearance. He had never thought that being a nameless rat of the lower districts was going to help him one day.
Bumping into a person, he apologized and moved forward.
However, the man grabbed his shoulder and spoke in a deep voice.
"What are you doing here?"
Jin turned to face the person. A second later, he regretted doing so.
Gabriel tightened his grip.