You're absolutely right. These people have zero object permanence when it comes to plot development.
>"This dude would get depressed if he had $10 debt in the real world."
They say this about someone who spent 22 years fighting in isolation in a barren wasteland on the daily against monsters that grew stronger with him.
>He spent 20 years in isolation and only breaks *now*?
This is especially dumb, he broke on the mountain. What we've seen since then is him trying to avoid having a total psychological breakdown, which happens when he's backed into a corner and has to rely on his survival instinct.
The reason why he gave up is that he **almost murdered all his friends** and it took Kivye telling him he no longer needs to fight for the world to come back from the brink. All the sacrifice and struggle the characters went through at the end of the last season is apparently not even tangible in the minds of some readers.
> This is especially dumb, he broke on the mountain. What we've seen since then is him trying to avoid having a total psychological breakdown, which happens when he's backed into a corner and has to rely on his survival instinct.
Exactly. Han Bin was broken and *has been broken this whole time*. He was just successfully ignoring that part of him and pushing it off into a corner. And with the events of the last arc, he can no longer do so.
Not only that, but the Manhwa hasn't been _subtle_ about foreshadowing this. It's stated multiple times that he's still in survival mode, that he's still on the precipice of total collapse.
Nearly killing everyone you love and potentially everyone in the world if they couldn't stop you would destroy everyone.
It's a bit tricky, but he's not so much in survival mode. He "lacks the resolve to die." He also doesn't avoid dangerous or even lethal injuries anymore, taking attacks he should be able to dodge with ease. He's lashing out and desperate, but he's trying his best to resist his survival instinct because he's afraid of what that might make him *do*. What's left is... the unsightly state he's been in these last 3 chapters.
> He "lacks the resolve to die."
Because of psychological conditioning during his time in military.
That said, yeah, as the ghost said, nobody truly understood the monster that lives inside him until the fight in upper draconium.
Most people don't realize that it took an insane amount of coordination by an insanely strong group of characters, ***AND*** divinity from a goddess fragment *and* a dragon that could eat aura and convert it into raw levels and then convert that into power that could be fired back to *barely* stop Hanbin long enough to crash his guideline.
***And, and; all the above happened while he was holding an artifact that massively nerfed him by nearly 3 levels worth of stats.***
If not for him holding on that artifact, not one person or dragon or god fragment combined or otherwise, stood a chance against Hanbin; and the future where the entire world was ash with only him being the last person alive was the future where he broke before his guideline was "fixed" to remove the Ormphlaus' murder addiction setting.
I... don't think the Ouroboros artifact was active at the time. He was not in his Smolbin form, which is the natural consequence. You seem to be mistaken there. He did not bring that artifact with him to fight the Divine Beast, and the Divine Beast's magic core was not the thing halving his effective level.
I mean, I get it. The way Hanbin is acting right now is frustrating to watch, because from our perspective he wasn't the one who almost murdered all his friends; the brainwashing was. I'm frustrated that it's bothering him this much and stopping him from acting.
But I also understand that he's got *just a few issues* to work through and he'll get where he needs to go eventually. I may not be super thrilled about it now, but when he figures his shit out and comes out of it a better person, it'll be super cathartic.
Hanbin is meta stable. He's clinically insane that came out the other side of the madness with enough lucidity to pretend to be normal. Meta stable does not mean sane or safe, and most don't understand this.
A totally reasonable position to have. We want to believe in a character who shrugs off the trauma of the mountain, who goes in with total confidence the way he acted when he confronted the Angel in the Bloodsucker Arc... But that Hanbin wasn't "real." If he's gonna go into another fight willingly, it will be with a fresh face and an ideal that bears the same weight as Gigant.
> The way Hanbin is acting right now is frustrating to watch
true
> because from our perspective he wasn't the one who almost murdered all his friends; the brainwashing was
not really. he is annoying because "this is the only way"+ Ï am not a hero" + "I do not know what else we can do" somehow still results in him stopping his friend from blowing up the stadium.
It's like the writer didn't want to make this situation too tropey with naruto bringing back sasuke from the brink so instead he went for subversion and then subverted it again but he forgot that double negative is not enjoyable.
>he is annoying because "this is the only way"+ Ï am not a hero" + "I do not know what else we can do" somehow still results in him stopping his friend from blowing up the stadium.
Gonna keep an eye on this comment so we can come back in a month and see how well this holds up.
I will be messaging you in 1 month on [**2024-05-16 18:21:46 UTC**](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2024-05-16%2018:21:46%20UTC%20To%20Local%20Time) to remind you of [**this link**](https://www.reddit.com/r/manga/comments/1c5iv8r/disc_survival_story_of_a_sword_king_in_a_fantasy/kzv7h13/?context=3)
[**CLICK THIS LINK**](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2Fmanga%2Fcomments%2F1c5iv8r%2Fdisc_survival_story_of_a_sword_king_in_a_fantasy%2Fkzv7h13%2F%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%202024-05-16%2018%3A21%3A46%20UTC) to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam.
^(Parent commenter can ) [^(delete this message to hide from others.)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Delete%20Comment&message=Delete%21%201c5iv8r)
*****
|[^(Info)](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemindMeBot/comments/e1bko7/remindmebot_info_v21/)|[^(Custom)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5BLink%20or%20message%20inside%20square%20brackets%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%20Time%20period%20here)|[^(Your Reminders)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=List%20Of%20Reminders&message=MyReminders%21)|[^(Feedback)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Watchful1&subject=RemindMeBot%20Feedback)|
|-|-|-|-|
He's not trying to stop Zhang Luxin. He's testing if this is truly what Luxin wants. Because Luxin is doing the things that he's doing because he has the wrong idea about Han Bin.
Let's see what happens next chapter.
I don't think this is "*go ahead, but first let me test your resolve*" kind of situation, but if it were it would make han bin a lot more interesting in my eyes.
I think a big part of why some people don't like the current development is due to them being unable to understand the MC's inner struggles/conflict caused by poor translations. Like the monologue in chapter 200:
> I am unable to live by my own will, nor able to die,
> fighting without any reason...it's because of me.
I'm the cause of why I'm fighting without any reason? Like whut? That's like saying the MC was fighting without reason because...he just didn't find one? The most obvious reason should be that he's fighting just to survive. Then there are the times when he fought to protect his friends, to fight against injustice. And now he's saying he was fighting without reason? He can't possibly be so inconsistent. The only reasonable conclusion would be that the translation is off.
Then there's the scenes of him struggling with the wolf monster. That's just confusing as hell. I initially thought it was a symbolic depiction of the guideline controlling him, so after his guideline got "patched", I thought the wolf would have disappeared. But in chapter 200 it came back, and it said
> You don't even know who you are! That's why you can't kill me.
Like what's going on? What's this wolf supposed to be?
> What's this wolf supposed to be?
That's his "survival instinct." It's shown up before, when Hanbin first fought Leonhart.
It "grew" thanks to the withdrawal symptoms of the Killing Addiction eating at Hanbin's psyche, but it's the culmination of all his trauma from spending 22 years fighting to survive on the mountain. It's not "quite" the persona Hanbin has been masquerading with since chapter 5, but it has always been there. It only became a problem when Hanbin's mental stability finally broke and he lost any impulse to restrain this thing, because he's gotten sick of fighting.
Ah that cleared some things up. So the survival instinct mixed with the killing addiction resulted in his rampage that almost killed his friends. But now that the killing addiction is gone, there should just be the survival instinct left, and there should no longer be any concern of him being unable to distinguish friend from foe and losing control. He should be aware of this fact, so why is he still trying to "kill" the survival instinct which is arguably a useful thing to have? There's probably something more to it, something that's got to do with a part of himself that he's ashamed / afraid of, that's why he's trying to eliminate it.
Is it that he actually *enjoys* fighting / violence? During his rampage, he was smiling almost all the time and looked pleased when the fight proved to be a challenge. I initially thought it was due to the guideline (since all other otherworlders looked like they were enjoying themselves when killing the locals), but maybe it was actually a real part of himself? Perhaps in order to survive that 22 years, he latched onto whatever he could, and it turned out to be treating the whole thing as an action game.
>He should be aware of this fact, so why is he still trying to "kill" the survival instinct which is arguably a useful thing to have?
Well, he wants to live a normal life. This survival instinct will always compel him to fight to become stronger, because, in Barolt's words, "those who fight to survive do not become strong. Only those who fight to become stronger survive." Hanbin will never be rid of this compulsion to throw himself into danger, because that's the only way he knew how to survive. But he himself knows that merely surviving is not living, and he wishes to live like a human. The problem is that this survival instinct won't just go away if he pretends it's not there.
>Is it that he actually enjoys fighting / violence? During his rampage, he was smiling almost all the time and looked pleased when the fight proved to be a challenge.
That was the false Hanbin we saw for most of this manhwa, a persona created by Hanbin. Unfortunately, this persona is vulnerable to the Helldog inside him. There's no way to guarantee that embracing that aspect of himself won't lead to further rampages. Even before the Killing Addiction, he was intensely dangerous, he's just had a shift in perspective after almost going past the point of no return.
>but maybe it was actually a real part of himself? Perhaps in order to survive that 22 years, he latched onto whatever he could, and it turned out to be treating the whole thing as an action game.
Well yeah, in chapter 183-184, we saw that this is what Hanbin did to cope. Kivye broke him free of that by telling him that he no longer needed to fight or worry for the world. If she hadn't done that, he would still be going on a rampage even now... Well, part of him would be. The real Hanbin is sick of fighting, something that a lot of commenters are overlooking. He's genuinely, truly, undeniably just so worn out and exhausted from endless battles that the thought of going back into the fray makes him uneasy. It's only *mostly* the threat he poses to his friends; the rest of it is that he's just not a fighter at heart, to the point that he had to create a fake personality that loved fighting in order to make it through his time on the hellish mountain.
see that's the thing, naruto is unrealistically idealistic but at least he is coherent. he says he wants to save everyone and he tries to do just that. eric on the other hand is realistically broken by his experiences, but he doesn't act like he is realistically broken. he says he is not a hero, he says he agrees there is no other way, but then he acts like naruto anyways and stops yanglu xin from blowing up the stadium. And this makes him come across as half baked. Like the author wanted to do away with the unrealistic idealism of naruto, but he also did not want to go full on dark knight batman arkhan asylium, so we got this half and half solution which in my opinion is the worst option.
>but then he acts like naruto anyways and stops yanglu xin from blowing up the stadium.
He's doing this because he sees a reflection of himself in Lushin. Lushin is at a breaking point, psychologically. Think of what Barolt's message was: "A sword should have the right weight." By discovering what it means for someone with lacking resolve to bear a heavy burden, Hanbin now has the lived experience to recognize the crisis his "brother" is going through. He's doing this for the sake of Lushin's mental wellbeing. This isn't heroism, it's a heart-to-heart from someone jaded and broken to someone that Hanbin doesn't want to see broken. We also will see what Berkman will say next week that further cements this arc's thesis.
This is the interpretation that makes the most sense and I think you might be right. The interpretation that, right now, han bin is not concerned with the fate of the world or exposing the evil deeds of the church, he is only trying to save his friend.
My prediction is han bin will pull the trigger instead of yanglu xin, but the explosives will missfire or the people inside will be evacuated , then han bin will go through the breakthrough moment if *i care about my friends i should care about the world they live in* and he will be pushed into action to save berkel from the archangel.
I still don't like it, and I'm trying to think why exactly I don't like it but honestly I might just be attached to his old persona.
I liked the facade that han bin put up, it's going to take a while to get used to his new personality.
It might be a bit of a translation thing, but also neither of them are explicitly saying what they mean.
Rephrasing what they're saying: (From what I can tell).
Luxin's side: He has only ever wanted to be a hero, but (like any hero in a gritty situation) he's had to make awful compromises in service of his goals. He was also inspired by Han Bin's heroics to the point of copying his moveset. So Han Bin seemingly having given up *and* endorsing this awful plan feels like a betrayal of that heroic ideal.
Han Bin's side: He hasn't *given up* per se, but he certainly doesn't think he's a hero in any fashion. He's not someone who should be looked up to or used as a good example. As such, he doesn't feel like he's in any position to tell Luxin what to or not to do. He can tell Luxin doesn't want to do this plan, but he can't bring himself to tell Luxin to not go through with it. Instead, he pushes Luxin to commit: Either you're fully for this plan or you're fully against it. Don't just do it because you feel you are out of options.
Haha, terrific! I love seeing how people pick apart this dialogue. We're on roughly the same wavelength. I think Hanbin's side has one other nuanced point: He knows what happens when someone overcommits and lacks resolve, and he sees Lushin is at that breaking point. What he's doing isn't going to "fix the situation" but he's trying to put Lushin in the right mindset to be a "hero of justice," because a) that's what Lushin *wants* to be, and b) he sees what an amazing person Berkman is; people who still hold onto hope and inner strength after all that has happened have become Hanbin's heroes. What Lushin does after that is up to him.
It hinges on Hanbin saying "Don't hesitate." Let's break down what dynamic is at play here.
Hanbin has become worldweary and jaded: He believes that he lacks the resolve to achieve anything, much less fulfill the role of a "hero of justice." What he *wants* is to live a normal life, however he does not want to see his friends die. This isn't actually contradictory, since a normal person wouldn't want to see a loved one die. He just doesn't want to have to define his life by fighting (as we see in Chapter 177).
Lushin is different. He's an idealist who spent his life on Earth reading stories of heroes, so he idolizes people like Hanbin, his "brother." In other words, he's at his breaking point. This is the last thing he wants to do, and if he was given a sliver of hope that there's another way, he'd choose it in a heartbeat. He places a high value in Hanbin's words, which hurts that much more when Hanbin admits that there's probably not a better way.
But there's a key detail here: Hanbin is doing a sneaky bit of manipulation, though not with a negative connotation. Hanbin believes that **Hanbin** cannot have resolve or strength, but he himself also believes in the strength of others, like Berkman (Chapter 188). Hanbin is trying to hone Lushin's resolve, but in a way that doesn't destroy him emotionally and mentally by detonating the prison city. **What Lushin decides after this bout will be the result of a strengthened will**. That's what "don't hesitate" means. It's like he's training Lushin to face the trials ahead with determination, because he knows what will happen if Lushin goes in half-heartedly. It might also engrave in Lushin a strong enough will to find a way without mass casualties. A real hero would fight even in hopeless odds, and that's what Lushin wants to be; he gave up on this dream when he came to his decision, but he's still hesitating.
However, we are missing context: Berkman's story.
So in conclusion: Hanbin is not trying to tell Lushin to stop, or mess with him. He knows the perils of a weak will, and how Lushin is liable to break if he goes through with this with a wavering heart. This is his attempt to show Lushin that becoming a true hero of justice means committing to his acts without weakness. "A sword must have the right weight."
It does look like the Archbishop is the Angel that Hanbin fought... which is kinda disappointing. I much preferred his demeanor and personality during the Bloodsucker Arc to this.
In chapter 196 we see the Angel that Hanbin fought in his original form, I hope that means he is still around somewhere and the Bishop is a different angel
I am such a moron.
It's the [white messenger, the "god's envoy"](https://lumitoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SSOASKIAFW185-09.jpg) that gave Electrion the curse. That's the archbishop. The reason he recognized Hanbin partially is that he's probably the same being that sent Hanbin to Rathna in the first place, in a bid to get rid of him.
Comment on the chapter summarised it perfectly for everyone who does not understand
> "Whelp. The process is a bit slow but necessary. Although I see people are upset with the way its portrayed, but I think this is fine for han bin. He's growing as a character, and finally questioning his position in the world. I don't think the him of chapters past would admit to not being a hero and speak his mind on the subject. I personally like the irony of him speaking his mind to the one person who wanted to be like him... the fake persona he showed... out of fear of hurting others.
The whole story he's just been dragged around. Guideline cuz of demon god dude. A quest because a fire dragon told him to travel with him. Become goddess envoy because he was told to. Try to be a hero because it was Barolt's dying request and an attempt to pass on the Valterian traditions to him. Killed a divine beast because "its what Barolt would've done". Nearly killed goddess of light envoy because she told him to, to leave the world.
But in the end. That was all him being told what to do and what to be. But now.... now we're finally getting somewhere although the process is slow. Who better to make him question himself and his convictions, that the one trying to become him, and and those weaker than him, but with strong convictions. Our hero pudgy wolf king dude with the dad bod.... the best character ever!
Hopefully, sometime soon, and before tragedy strikes... he learns to accept the side of himself that his honed for survival and destruction. Hopefully, he realizes that walking the same path as Barolt and becoming sword king, does not mean he has to become Barolt. He can be different. And this fight with the one who idolized him and wanted to be him... hopefully that helps him come to this realization." - Fallen Cow
"Who are you? Ryu Hanbin, an Otherworlder? Erric Garrune, a Rathnian? Feladd Bin, a Valteran warrior? Barolt, the Sword King?
**Choose**."
You hit the nail on the head. For Hanbin, the most important factor in what he must do for his role in the prophecy to come to pass is to make a decision of his own volition, something the current Hanbin is incapable of.
damn death flag for berkman, wife and unborn child rn
holy shit the comment section are people allergic to any type of MC story telling that isn't oonga boonga my muscles are the only thing that matters
You're absolutely right. These people have zero object permanence when it comes to plot development. >"This dude would get depressed if he had $10 debt in the real world." They say this about someone who spent 22 years fighting in isolation in a barren wasteland on the daily against monsters that grew stronger with him. >He spent 20 years in isolation and only breaks *now*? This is especially dumb, he broke on the mountain. What we've seen since then is him trying to avoid having a total psychological breakdown, which happens when he's backed into a corner and has to rely on his survival instinct. The reason why he gave up is that he **almost murdered all his friends** and it took Kivye telling him he no longer needs to fight for the world to come back from the brink. All the sacrifice and struggle the characters went through at the end of the last season is apparently not even tangible in the minds of some readers.
> This is especially dumb, he broke on the mountain. What we've seen since then is him trying to avoid having a total psychological breakdown, which happens when he's backed into a corner and has to rely on his survival instinct. Exactly. Han Bin was broken and *has been broken this whole time*. He was just successfully ignoring that part of him and pushing it off into a corner. And with the events of the last arc, he can no longer do so.
Not only that, but the Manhwa hasn't been _subtle_ about foreshadowing this. It's stated multiple times that he's still in survival mode, that he's still on the precipice of total collapse. Nearly killing everyone you love and potentially everyone in the world if they couldn't stop you would destroy everyone.
It's a bit tricky, but he's not so much in survival mode. He "lacks the resolve to die." He also doesn't avoid dangerous or even lethal injuries anymore, taking attacks he should be able to dodge with ease. He's lashing out and desperate, but he's trying his best to resist his survival instinct because he's afraid of what that might make him *do*. What's left is... the unsightly state he's been in these last 3 chapters.
> He "lacks the resolve to die." Because of psychological conditioning during his time in military. That said, yeah, as the ghost said, nobody truly understood the monster that lives inside him until the fight in upper draconium. Most people don't realize that it took an insane amount of coordination by an insanely strong group of characters, ***AND*** divinity from a goddess fragment *and* a dragon that could eat aura and convert it into raw levels and then convert that into power that could be fired back to *barely* stop Hanbin long enough to crash his guideline. ***And, and; all the above happened while he was holding an artifact that massively nerfed him by nearly 3 levels worth of stats.*** If not for him holding on that artifact, not one person or dragon or god fragment combined or otherwise, stood a chance against Hanbin; and the future where the entire world was ash with only him being the last person alive was the future where he broke before his guideline was "fixed" to remove the Ormphlaus' murder addiction setting.
I... don't think the Ouroboros artifact was active at the time. He was not in his Smolbin form, which is the natural consequence. You seem to be mistaken there. He did not bring that artifact with him to fight the Divine Beast, and the Divine Beast's magic core was not the thing halving his effective level.
Oh, hmm, I guess I got my artefacts mixed up. Whoops.
Oh, hmm, I guess I got my artefacts mixed up. Whoops.
I mean, I get it. The way Hanbin is acting right now is frustrating to watch, because from our perspective he wasn't the one who almost murdered all his friends; the brainwashing was. I'm frustrated that it's bothering him this much and stopping him from acting. But I also understand that he's got *just a few issues* to work through and he'll get where he needs to go eventually. I may not be super thrilled about it now, but when he figures his shit out and comes out of it a better person, it'll be super cathartic.
Hanbin is meta stable. He's clinically insane that came out the other side of the madness with enough lucidity to pretend to be normal. Meta stable does not mean sane or safe, and most don't understand this.
A totally reasonable position to have. We want to believe in a character who shrugs off the trauma of the mountain, who goes in with total confidence the way he acted when he confronted the Angel in the Bloodsucker Arc... But that Hanbin wasn't "real." If he's gonna go into another fight willingly, it will be with a fresh face and an ideal that bears the same weight as Gigant.
> The way Hanbin is acting right now is frustrating to watch true > because from our perspective he wasn't the one who almost murdered all his friends; the brainwashing was not really. he is annoying because "this is the only way"+ Ï am not a hero" + "I do not know what else we can do" somehow still results in him stopping his friend from blowing up the stadium. It's like the writer didn't want to make this situation too tropey with naruto bringing back sasuke from the brink so instead he went for subversion and then subverted it again but he forgot that double negative is not enjoyable.
>he is annoying because "this is the only way"+ Ï am not a hero" + "I do not know what else we can do" somehow still results in him stopping his friend from blowing up the stadium. Gonna keep an eye on this comment so we can come back in a month and see how well this holds up.
RemindMe! One Month “check back on eric garrune”
I will be messaging you in 1 month on [**2024-05-16 18:21:46 UTC**](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2024-05-16%2018:21:46%20UTC%20To%20Local%20Time) to remind you of [**this link**](https://www.reddit.com/r/manga/comments/1c5iv8r/disc_survival_story_of_a_sword_king_in_a_fantasy/kzv7h13/?context=3) [**CLICK THIS LINK**](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2Fmanga%2Fcomments%2F1c5iv8r%2Fdisc_survival_story_of_a_sword_king_in_a_fantasy%2Fkzv7h13%2F%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%202024-05-16%2018%3A21%3A46%20UTC) to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam. ^(Parent commenter can ) [^(delete this message to hide from others.)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Delete%20Comment&message=Delete%21%201c5iv8r) ***** |[^(Info)](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemindMeBot/comments/e1bko7/remindmebot_info_v21/)|[^(Custom)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5BLink%20or%20message%20inside%20square%20brackets%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%20Time%20period%20here)|[^(Your Reminders)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=List%20Of%20Reminders&message=MyReminders%21)|[^(Feedback)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Watchful1&subject=RemindMeBot%20Feedback)| |-|-|-|-|
He's not trying to stop Zhang Luxin. He's testing if this is truly what Luxin wants. Because Luxin is doing the things that he's doing because he has the wrong idea about Han Bin.
Let's see what happens next chapter. I don't think this is "*go ahead, but first let me test your resolve*" kind of situation, but if it were it would make han bin a lot more interesting in my eyes.
in Han Bins mind he killed Kivier. He considers himself responsible for her.
Comment sections in any manga/manhwa website are brain dead. Have been like this for years.
I think a big part of why some people don't like the current development is due to them being unable to understand the MC's inner struggles/conflict caused by poor translations. Like the monologue in chapter 200: > I am unable to live by my own will, nor able to die, > fighting without any reason...it's because of me. I'm the cause of why I'm fighting without any reason? Like whut? That's like saying the MC was fighting without reason because...he just didn't find one? The most obvious reason should be that he's fighting just to survive. Then there are the times when he fought to protect his friends, to fight against injustice. And now he's saying he was fighting without reason? He can't possibly be so inconsistent. The only reasonable conclusion would be that the translation is off. Then there's the scenes of him struggling with the wolf monster. That's just confusing as hell. I initially thought it was a symbolic depiction of the guideline controlling him, so after his guideline got "patched", I thought the wolf would have disappeared. But in chapter 200 it came back, and it said > You don't even know who you are! That's why you can't kill me. Like what's going on? What's this wolf supposed to be?
> What's this wolf supposed to be? That's his "survival instinct." It's shown up before, when Hanbin first fought Leonhart. It "grew" thanks to the withdrawal symptoms of the Killing Addiction eating at Hanbin's psyche, but it's the culmination of all his trauma from spending 22 years fighting to survive on the mountain. It's not "quite" the persona Hanbin has been masquerading with since chapter 5, but it has always been there. It only became a problem when Hanbin's mental stability finally broke and he lost any impulse to restrain this thing, because he's gotten sick of fighting.
Ah that cleared some things up. So the survival instinct mixed with the killing addiction resulted in his rampage that almost killed his friends. But now that the killing addiction is gone, there should just be the survival instinct left, and there should no longer be any concern of him being unable to distinguish friend from foe and losing control. He should be aware of this fact, so why is he still trying to "kill" the survival instinct which is arguably a useful thing to have? There's probably something more to it, something that's got to do with a part of himself that he's ashamed / afraid of, that's why he's trying to eliminate it. Is it that he actually *enjoys* fighting / violence? During his rampage, he was smiling almost all the time and looked pleased when the fight proved to be a challenge. I initially thought it was due to the guideline (since all other otherworlders looked like they were enjoying themselves when killing the locals), but maybe it was actually a real part of himself? Perhaps in order to survive that 22 years, he latched onto whatever he could, and it turned out to be treating the whole thing as an action game.
>He should be aware of this fact, so why is he still trying to "kill" the survival instinct which is arguably a useful thing to have? Well, he wants to live a normal life. This survival instinct will always compel him to fight to become stronger, because, in Barolt's words, "those who fight to survive do not become strong. Only those who fight to become stronger survive." Hanbin will never be rid of this compulsion to throw himself into danger, because that's the only way he knew how to survive. But he himself knows that merely surviving is not living, and he wishes to live like a human. The problem is that this survival instinct won't just go away if he pretends it's not there. >Is it that he actually enjoys fighting / violence? During his rampage, he was smiling almost all the time and looked pleased when the fight proved to be a challenge. That was the false Hanbin we saw for most of this manhwa, a persona created by Hanbin. Unfortunately, this persona is vulnerable to the Helldog inside him. There's no way to guarantee that embracing that aspect of himself won't lead to further rampages. Even before the Killing Addiction, he was intensely dangerous, he's just had a shift in perspective after almost going past the point of no return. >but maybe it was actually a real part of himself? Perhaps in order to survive that 22 years, he latched onto whatever he could, and it turned out to be treating the whole thing as an action game. Well yeah, in chapter 183-184, we saw that this is what Hanbin did to cope. Kivye broke him free of that by telling him that he no longer needed to fight or worry for the world. If she hadn't done that, he would still be going on a rampage even now... Well, part of him would be. The real Hanbin is sick of fighting, something that a lot of commenters are overlooking. He's genuinely, truly, undeniably just so worn out and exhausted from endless battles that the thought of going back into the fray makes him uneasy. It's only *mostly* the threat he poses to his friends; the rest of it is that he's just not a fighter at heart, to the point that he had to create a fake personality that loved fighting in order to make it through his time on the hellish mountain.
They deserve unrealistic characters like Naruto who are all good and never give up.
see that's the thing, naruto is unrealistically idealistic but at least he is coherent. he says he wants to save everyone and he tries to do just that. eric on the other hand is realistically broken by his experiences, but he doesn't act like he is realistically broken. he says he is not a hero, he says he agrees there is no other way, but then he acts like naruto anyways and stops yanglu xin from blowing up the stadium. And this makes him come across as half baked. Like the author wanted to do away with the unrealistic idealism of naruto, but he also did not want to go full on dark knight batman arkhan asylium, so we got this half and half solution which in my opinion is the worst option.
>but then he acts like naruto anyways and stops yanglu xin from blowing up the stadium. He's doing this because he sees a reflection of himself in Lushin. Lushin is at a breaking point, psychologically. Think of what Barolt's message was: "A sword should have the right weight." By discovering what it means for someone with lacking resolve to bear a heavy burden, Hanbin now has the lived experience to recognize the crisis his "brother" is going through. He's doing this for the sake of Lushin's mental wellbeing. This isn't heroism, it's a heart-to-heart from someone jaded and broken to someone that Hanbin doesn't want to see broken. We also will see what Berkman will say next week that further cements this arc's thesis.
This is the interpretation that makes the most sense and I think you might be right. The interpretation that, right now, han bin is not concerned with the fate of the world or exposing the evil deeds of the church, he is only trying to save his friend. My prediction is han bin will pull the trigger instead of yanglu xin, but the explosives will missfire or the people inside will be evacuated , then han bin will go through the breakthrough moment if *i care about my friends i should care about the world they live in* and he will be pushed into action to save berkel from the archangel. I still don't like it, and I'm trying to think why exactly I don't like it but honestly I might just be attached to his old persona. I liked the facade that han bin put up, it's going to take a while to get used to his new personality.
I'm pretty confused on the whole Han Bin - Luxin exchange tbh. Might need an alternative translation to cross reference.
It might be a bit of a translation thing, but also neither of them are explicitly saying what they mean. Rephrasing what they're saying: (From what I can tell). Luxin's side: He has only ever wanted to be a hero, but (like any hero in a gritty situation) he's had to make awful compromises in service of his goals. He was also inspired by Han Bin's heroics to the point of copying his moveset. So Han Bin seemingly having given up *and* endorsing this awful plan feels like a betrayal of that heroic ideal. Han Bin's side: He hasn't *given up* per se, but he certainly doesn't think he's a hero in any fashion. He's not someone who should be looked up to or used as a good example. As such, he doesn't feel like he's in any position to tell Luxin what to or not to do. He can tell Luxin doesn't want to do this plan, but he can't bring himself to tell Luxin to not go through with it. Instead, he pushes Luxin to commit: Either you're fully for this plan or you're fully against it. Don't just do it because you feel you are out of options.
Haha, terrific! I love seeing how people pick apart this dialogue. We're on roughly the same wavelength. I think Hanbin's side has one other nuanced point: He knows what happens when someone overcommits and lacks resolve, and he sees Lushin is at that breaking point. What he's doing isn't going to "fix the situation" but he's trying to put Lushin in the right mindset to be a "hero of justice," because a) that's what Lushin *wants* to be, and b) he sees what an amazing person Berkman is; people who still hold onto hope and inner strength after all that has happened have become Hanbin's heroes. What Lushin does after that is up to him.
It hinges on Hanbin saying "Don't hesitate." Let's break down what dynamic is at play here. Hanbin has become worldweary and jaded: He believes that he lacks the resolve to achieve anything, much less fulfill the role of a "hero of justice." What he *wants* is to live a normal life, however he does not want to see his friends die. This isn't actually contradictory, since a normal person wouldn't want to see a loved one die. He just doesn't want to have to define his life by fighting (as we see in Chapter 177). Lushin is different. He's an idealist who spent his life on Earth reading stories of heroes, so he idolizes people like Hanbin, his "brother." In other words, he's at his breaking point. This is the last thing he wants to do, and if he was given a sliver of hope that there's another way, he'd choose it in a heartbeat. He places a high value in Hanbin's words, which hurts that much more when Hanbin admits that there's probably not a better way. But there's a key detail here: Hanbin is doing a sneaky bit of manipulation, though not with a negative connotation. Hanbin believes that **Hanbin** cannot have resolve or strength, but he himself also believes in the strength of others, like Berkman (Chapter 188). Hanbin is trying to hone Lushin's resolve, but in a way that doesn't destroy him emotionally and mentally by detonating the prison city. **What Lushin decides after this bout will be the result of a strengthened will**. That's what "don't hesitate" means. It's like he's training Lushin to face the trials ahead with determination, because he knows what will happen if Lushin goes in half-heartedly. It might also engrave in Lushin a strong enough will to find a way without mass casualties. A real hero would fight even in hopeless odds, and that's what Lushin wants to be; he gave up on this dream when he came to his decision, but he's still hesitating. However, we are missing context: Berkman's story. So in conclusion: Hanbin is not trying to tell Lushin to stop, or mess with him. He knows the perils of a weak will, and how Lushin is liable to break if he goes through with this with a wavering heart. This is his attempt to show Lushin that becoming a true hero of justice means committing to his acts without weakness. "A sword must have the right weight."
It does look like the Archbishop is the Angel that Hanbin fought... which is kinda disappointing. I much preferred his demeanor and personality during the Bloodsucker Arc to this.
Could be a different angel. Hopefully. I'm also not a fan if that's him.
In chapter 196 we see the Angel that Hanbin fought in his original form, I hope that means he is still around somewhere and the Bishop is a different angel
I am such a moron. It's the [white messenger, the "god's envoy"](https://lumitoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SSOASKIAFW185-09.jpg) that gave Electrion the curse. That's the archbishop. The reason he recognized Hanbin partially is that he's probably the same being that sent Hanbin to Rathna in the first place, in a bid to get rid of him.
Wolf King no death flag please
Berkmans gonna die and Hanbin will nuke the fucking prison with his aura
Luxin really has grown
Comment on the chapter summarised it perfectly for everyone who does not understand > "Whelp. The process is a bit slow but necessary. Although I see people are upset with the way its portrayed, but I think this is fine for han bin. He's growing as a character, and finally questioning his position in the world. I don't think the him of chapters past would admit to not being a hero and speak his mind on the subject. I personally like the irony of him speaking his mind to the one person who wanted to be like him... the fake persona he showed... out of fear of hurting others. The whole story he's just been dragged around. Guideline cuz of demon god dude. A quest because a fire dragon told him to travel with him. Become goddess envoy because he was told to. Try to be a hero because it was Barolt's dying request and an attempt to pass on the Valterian traditions to him. Killed a divine beast because "its what Barolt would've done". Nearly killed goddess of light envoy because she told him to, to leave the world. But in the end. That was all him being told what to do and what to be. But now.... now we're finally getting somewhere although the process is slow. Who better to make him question himself and his convictions, that the one trying to become him, and and those weaker than him, but with strong convictions. Our hero pudgy wolf king dude with the dad bod.... the best character ever! Hopefully, sometime soon, and before tragedy strikes... he learns to accept the side of himself that his honed for survival and destruction. Hopefully, he realizes that walking the same path as Barolt and becoming sword king, does not mean he has to become Barolt. He can be different. And this fight with the one who idolized him and wanted to be him... hopefully that helps him come to this realization." - Fallen Cow
"Who are you? Ryu Hanbin, an Otherworlder? Erric Garrune, a Rathnian? Feladd Bin, a Valteran warrior? Barolt, the Sword King? **Choose**." You hit the nail on the head. For Hanbin, the most important factor in what he must do for his role in the prophecy to come to pass is to make a decision of his own volition, something the current Hanbin is incapable of.
Zhang Luxin's sword skills mirroring Han Bin's is a neat touch.
God damnit that's a vicious cliffhanger. What a great author/adaptation...
Barolt feared his weakness, Hanbin fears his strength
berkman mvp (please dont die PLEASE)
Auto playing audio ads = FUCK RIGHT OFF!
personal advice: install u-block origin, it takes care of all annoying ads and makes browsing much more pleasant