Vol 2 Chapter 24
#(2)
Just as Kapros was about to get up from the capsule after logging out, a severe, sharp pain struck his right leg.
"Ugh!"
Crash!
He tripped and fell, making it impossible to tell which hurt more - the pain in his chin from the impact or the pain in his knee. But he managed to grab the wall and stand up. He dragged his leg to the living room sofa and collapsed onto it.
"Huff... Huff..."
Only after catching his breath for a while did his condition improve slightly. It had been a long time since he'd experienced such severe knee pain so suddenly. However, when he turned his head to look out the window, the reason was simple to understand.
'...It's raining.'
His leg would always hurt when it rained, to the point where he didn't need a weather forecast. During the rainy summer season, he had set the computer to automatically adjust the humidity inside the house, which lessened such pain. But now, as the season was getting cooler, he hadn't turned on the automatic adjustment function.
Perhaps because it had been a while, the chill and pain seeping into his bones felt unusually intense compared to usual. Even if one gets used to this kind of pain, it doesn't make it hurt any less. Gritting his teeth, he called out to the computer managing the house.
"Computer. Automatically adjust the indoor humidity. ...Quickly."
[...Humidity. Adjusting quickly.]
Responding to the keyword "quickly," the computer began to move, and soon the stuffy air inside the house cleared up a bit. The pain seemed to ease slightly. Feeling like he might survive, Kapros barely exhaled and then stood up, dragging his leg towards the shelf containing painkillers. Lacking the energy to get water as well, he immediately chewed and swallowed four or five pills, then sat back down on the sofa and tried to recall today's schedule. Fortunately, he had nowhere special to go and it wasn't a day to visit the kendo dojo.
"Computer. Any missed messages?"
[Missed messages. ...None.]
He was thinking about going to his room to sleep to forget the pain when suddenly the computer spoke up with something else.
[...There has been an update to THE MIST web page, which you set for missed update notifications. Would you like to check it?]
...An update?
After the last 3rd episode update, Kapros had set the computer to check for new notices on THE MIST homepage and notify him. But it had only been about two weeks since the new notice came up with the Episode 3 video... Already a new update?
There had never been a web page update this quickly before. Feeling puzzled, he nodded.
"Check it."
[Checking. Moving to the web page.]
The screen automatically entered THE MIST web page and changed to the notice board. Kapros couldn't help but be surprised at the post floating at the very top.
[Episode 3. The Return of Memories ~ The Second Return]
Another main episode notice had been posted. The title was The Second Return.
Feeling intrigued, he clicked on it, and another video appeared. The video, which automatically expanded to fill a screen as large as one side of the wall, began playing immediately.
[Episode 3. The Return of Memories ~ The Second Return.]
First, the text appeared, and then music similar to the video featuring Kion-hyung, but much more gloomy, began to play. The screen that followed hazily showed the back of a black man standing alone in a dark ruin under an ashen sky with drizzling rain.
Due to the black helmet, black cloak, and black silhouette, the man's appearance was completely unrecognizable. In front of him was a single massive pillar, which seemed to be the only part left relatively intact in the ruins. Just as it seemed the man would continue standing like that, he took something out from his chest and reached towards the pillar, and suddenly an ominous dark light burst forth.
Whoosh!
The light that enveloped the man's body as if to devour him turned the entire screen white before fading. The landscape that appeared afterward was the same place but completely transformed.
It was no longer ruins. The building that had been left as just a foundation had become a massive temple, and the surface of the pillar, which had been broken and worn at the top, was now covered in beautiful patterns. The screen circled around those patterns for a moment, and as soon as an eerie red light began to leak out, it retreated back to behind the man. He remained standing there like a statue, unchanged, regardless of the light flowing from the pillar.
[I have waited. For 500 years.]
A gloomy voice suddenly came from within the red light. It was a voice so cold that it sent chills down one's spine, even knowing it was an illusion. The man in the black helmet, whose face was completely hidden due to the clever angle, just listened to those words without any response. Soon, without waiting for an answer, other words continued to flow.
[I have waited, sleeping for a long time... This small world was originally mine. But I slept for too long.]
[.....]
[Now that you have awakened me, I wish to give you infinite power in response. If you agree, you must become my servant and accept a new name. What do you say? Will you accept?]
The man on the screen tilted his head slightly. He seemed to be contemplating, or perhaps showing interest. As the camera approached the man, his nose and chin were very slightly revealed. But the moment that small part of his face was shown, white against the darkness, Kapros felt a very strange sensation.
'...What is this?'
While he was bewildered by this unfamiliar feeling, the man finally nodded slowly. He also said something at the same time, but it wasn't audible. It could only be guessed that it was an affirmative answer from the voice in the air that burst into maniacal laughter.
[Hahahahaha. You have thought well, human. From now on, I shall call you Lord Knight, the name you will receive for serving me. I hope the servant who serves me this time isn't as foolish as before.]
After saying that much, the voice seemed to say something more, but the screen began to spin and zoom out. At that moment, something the man was holding in his hand was reflected in the corner of the screen. Kapros hurriedly looked at it closely.
'A gem...!'
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Jin Soram, the top-ranked hunter representing South Korea's Rift Phenomenon Management Headquarters, is stronger than anyone else and lazier than anyone else. As soon as he arrives at the office, he buries himself under a blanket and falls asleep. When he goes out on a mission, he causes accidents and returns to the office, often shirking his duties.
"Do you know how it feels to play a game that's already messed up? ...Anyway, the next round will come, so this time, I'm just going to play it recklessly."
In fact, his true identity is someone who has regressed through three lives, trying to save the world from the Great Rift but failing each time. After repeating a life where he couldn't sleep peacefully even for a day, he became completely exhausted before this life even began.
"I know. You worked hard, Jin Soram."
And then there's Han Tae-un, the man who saved Soram and died in all three previous lives. As he did in every life, he comes to Soram's side once again. The Great Rift is approaching soon. It's impossible to resolve it in this life without any preparation. Soram vows to save Tae-un in this life and die himself. At least, he won't let Tae-un save a failure like himself again.
"For now, until then, let's sleep..."
As Soram sluggishly lives his life waiting for that moment, a gradual change occurs in his heart.
'I thought this was a messed-up round... but I want to live a little longer here.'
Leonardo Blaine, the true war hero of the Raina Logia Empire and the commander of the Armsilver 11th Squad, is dishonorably discharged for disobeying orders during the final battle that could have led the Empire to victory in the territorial war. People criticize and point fingers at him, and after being released on parole from prison, he disappears without a trace.
Three years later, his name has been forgotten by the world. The Council has been persistently pursuing him, but he has proven difficult to capture. Frustrated by this, Hugo Agrizendro, the commander of the Council's army, decides to personally apprehend him.
"Since when have you been watching me?"
Leonardo was calculative and astute, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had been observing Hugo for some time now. However, Leonardo's answer was something that even Hugo had not anticipated.
"From the very beginning."
Graduate student Yi-han finds himself reborn in another world as the youngest child of a mage family.
– I’m never attending school, ever again!
‘What do you wish to achieve in life?’
‘I wish to play around and live comforta-‘
‘You must be aware of your talent. Now go attend Einroguard!’
‘Patriarch!’
My future would be guaranteed once I graduate. For my future!
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