Chapter 857
From a distance, a rumbling sound began to echo.
"Ah...!"
"In this situation, even that damn sky..."
Two members of the Cavalry, supporting Kishiar, simultaneously looked up at the sky, spewing curses and sighs of despair.
Had the cracks already begun to react? He had anticipated that the cracks would open due to Hosanna's death, but facing the reality of the situation made his heart feel unbearably heavy.
At the moment he had unavoidably faced the cracks, he realized that perhaps no method would have avoided this inevitable outcome. The regret of not being able to do better gnawed at him. But what could he do? At that time, he had made the best decision he could. Now, all he could do was accept what had happened and prepare for what was next.
Thoughts raced through his mind: the current state of his allies, the best strategic positioning, methods to persuade Kishiar to stay out of it, and plans to mitigate civilian casualties in the relentless weather.
Even with a throbbing headache, Yuder tirelessly and fiercely compared the situation to memories of his past life. This situation was unlike any he had experienced before. Yet, he believed that somewhere in his memories lay crucial information that could help.
‘From now on, nothing can be taken for granted. There's no way to get through this without any harm to my allies. Still, it is paramount to minimize serious injuries and facilitate easier treatment... the impact around Charloin will be centered here…’
"Yuder."
At that moment, Kishiar interrupted his train of thought. Yuder, reacting a bit slowly, lifted his head. Even though he was covered in blood and being supported, he still kept his back straight and breath steady, which was characteristic of him, and was so elegant that it made Yuder’s heart ache.
He realized for the first time that this must be the pride Kishiar had ingrained in himself, never to be lost in any situation. A fleeting image of a man seated in the dark Peletta Castle crossed his mind, but this was not the time to dwell on that. He quickly dismissed the thought.
"Just now, you mentioned that you didn't make the last move correctly... But is that really the case?"
"...What do you mean?"
Yuder's response was delayed, his mind still clouded with unnecessary thoughts. Kishiar's gaze, though heavy, seemed to carry a different nuance from before, as if reading all of Yuder's thoughts. Yuder, feeling slightly overwhelmed, averted his gaze.
"To think of a response without fully understanding the outcome... Isn't it too early for that?"
Kishiar evidently knew what Yuder was pondering over. It wasn't a surprise, as Kishiar likely shared the same thoughts.
"What more is there to confirm here?"
"Over there."
Regulating his breath, Kishiar slowly lifted his index finger, pointing towards the sky. It seemed he desperately wanted Yuder to look in that direction. Halting his thoughts, Yuder followed the direction indicated by Kishiar's hand.
At first, all he saw was the dark sky and the hail that continued to fall, just as before. It took a moment for his blurred vision to focus, but eventually, he discerned the crack nestled amidst the chaos.
However,
'What's this?'
Something was different. The last time he checked, there had been three cracks. But now, somehow, two had vanished, leaving only one. Yuder blinked repeatedly, doubting his own eyes.
"...There were certainly three before?"
No matter how many times he looked, there was still only one crack. The remaining crack writhed, open-mouthed. The wriggling black shadows inside it sent shivers down the spine, triggering an instinctual sense of danger.
Yet, there was still only one crack. The difference this implied was significant. Yuder hurriedly turned his head back. Kishiar, whose gaze met his, faintly lifted the corners of his lips.
"...Did you see it?"
The situation perfectly matched the name.
Not all moves lead to victory. A move thought to be the best could give the enemy an opportunity, and sometimes, it could lead into a crisis.
However, if one can find something greater than just a finger and a wedding ring, then, and only then, does the ring on the ring finger truly gain meaning and life.
Yuder looked up again at the lone remaining crack. Although it seemed like a crisis with monsters about to pour out any moment, he didn't feel the same as before.
That's when he heard familiar voices nearby.
"Duke."
"Yuder!"
"Your Highness!"
Unlike them, Nathan Zuckerman and Ever, still unscathed, appeared. Behind them were the rest of the Cavalry members, minus those with Kanna earlier, and General Gino leading the Imperial Special Forces, along with his adjutant.
Nathan Zuckerman, who approached faster than anyone else, alternated his gaze between Kishiar and Yuder. He seemed about to reproach Yuder for Kishiar's injured state, despite Yuder's presence, but he just furrowed his brow and said nothing.
It was absurd, but his hesitation seemed as if he couldn't decide whom to support first. Yuder, quickly gesturing towards Kishiar, spoke up.
"The blood is not mine, and as you can see, I can stand on my own. Please attend to the Commander."
"...I wasn't going to say that, but alright."
With a short sigh, Nathan Zuckerman turned to Kishiar. The two exchanged an indiscernible look for a moment.
"My God, Your Highness..."
Finally reaching them, General Gino swallowed hard, unable to continue. He was a mess, but still better off compared to the others.
Yuder took the opportunity to step back slightly as General Gino began speaking hurriedly to Kishiar. He thought standing was fine, but moving made him dizzy, almost causing his knees to buckle.
The hand that steadied him, amidst the pervasive smell of blood, carried a completely different scent.
Turning his head, Yuder's blurry vision settled on a face all too familiar, one he never expected to see here.
"..."
"Good heavens... By God..."
It was Enon, and beside him, Lusan. When had they arrived?
Surrounded by the Cavalry members, Enon stood expressionless. His fierce gaze, so intense that even Yuder, who until moments ago was too enraged to think, flinched. His eyes slowly scanned Yuder's entire body.
A moment later, Enon turned to the Cavalry members and asked,
"My eyes seem a bit off... The burst tomato cluster here, that's not a person, is it?"
"...Enon."
Yuder muttered, but Enon didn't turn his head, instead staring demandingly at the Cavalry members for an answer. Referring to it as a burst tomato cluster was so ruthlessly candid that it was almost absurd, yet no one dared to contradict him, such was the intimidating aura emanating from his entire being.
"How strange. Where did the guy who was supposed to go to a funeral and got all dressed up go? And what on earth is this burst tomato mess? Are you telling me you brought me here to treat this?"
"It's me, Enon."
"Ha, ha. Damn. Do tomatoes talk these days?"
Even the pelting hail seemed to lose its force in front of Enon's dry laughter, a notion that likely wasn't exclusive to Yuder's perception.
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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."
In the autumn of his 18th year, after winning the high school kendo championship finals, an unexpected accident occurred.
Due to that incident, Kang Mu-heon lost one of his legs, his closest friend, and his promising future. He closed off his heart and shut himself away alone.
A few years later, the world's first real virtual reality game <THE MIST> was announced, where even those with physical disabilities could play in healthy bodies.
By chance, Kang Mu-heon encountered it and began a new life as the mage Kapros, facing unexpected meetings, reunions, and days of change....
***
"Why was someone like you born into this world to make me so miserable? Do you understand when I say it like this?! You were born with talent for the sword, a bright personality, everything - you must have been laughing at me always lagging behind! Did you even know how pathetic I felt because of your stupid hypocrisy? A genius? What does any of that matter!"
Seung-jo's cries stabbed at his heart, wailing as if he were crying even though he wasn't, but there was no time to think further. He quickly clutched my stomach, got up, and ran towards him.
He looked surprised for a moment, but he was desperate.
Just as the car was about to reach us, he shoved Seung-jo hard. Right after Seung-jo fell and rolled away with wide, startled eyes—
Screech!
Bang! With an impact that felt like his whole body was being shattered, he flew through the air.
And in that brief yet long moment of floating in space, he remembered his reflection in Seung-jo's eyes for the last time.......
***
[ Then in THE MIST, may you become the master of infinite possibilities. ]
Whoosh!
When his vision returned after everything went white, he was standing in the middle of a bustling town. Amidst the clamor, countless people were busily going about their business here and there.
He looked down at himself, standing dazed and wearing clothes of unknown origin. When he touched the sleeve, he felt the texture of fabric as real as reality. His hair felt the same, and even when he touched the wall of a nearby house, he could clearly feel the solid, cold surface.
Is this... VT?
It seemed like a joke. It truly felt as if he had come to another world and was touching everything.
As he stood there unable to think due to the shock, he suddenly remembered the biggest reason he had decided to play this game, and snapped back to attention. His two legs were still as they had been when he first stood.
'Can I really walk?'
He first stepped out with his left foot, then very slowly put strength into his heavy right foot. It felt like cold sweat was running down his spine.
And then,
He lifted it,
Moved it,
And took another step to touch the ground again.
So easily. As if there had never been any problem with this leg from the beginning.
"Ah..."
At that moment, something that was neither joy nor emotion shot up his spine. Suddenly feeling a lump in his throat, he lowered his head and leaned against the wall. His right foot, bearing his weight, was doing its job perfectly.
"..."
Holding back the tightness in his throat, he took another step.
It didn't hurt. It wasn't heavy. His leg was no longer a useless piece of wood that ached.
Damn it, to be able to walk so easily like this.
To be able to run so easily like this.
He had wished even in his dreams for the day to come when he could walk and run like this again.
And so he walked again, kept walking, slowly getting faster, until finally he started running like a madman through the entire town.
***
"Kap. ...There seems to be a misunderstanding. That's not what I meant."
Just as he was thinking he should throw a punch, Yu-wan sighed with a troubled look and said.
A misunderstanding? How could it be a misunderstanding when he said with his own mouth that he didn't think of me as a friend?
"I didn't expect to receive such a question suddenly, so my explanation was probably too brief. Let me rephrase."
Yu-wan reached out his hand, his face completely changed from before - intense yet resolute - as he stared at him. As he didn't reject the hand suddenly approaching his face and kept his gaze fixed, his cool large hand touched his cheek completely.
A shiver ran down his spine at that moment.
"I'm sorry to say this to you, but I don't see you only as a friend. ...This is the complete answer."
Check out the new project 2:
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.'
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