Chapter 836 - Turning

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Chapter 836

‘Damn it,’ he cursed under his breath.

Nahan's illusions were peculiar in their nature, capable of stirring the deepest fears in the minds of their victims. Unlike most, these illusions were not crafted by Nahan himself, but rather were the creations of the targets' own minds, which made them all the more insidious and effective.

Yuder had once before encountered a similar illusion in the East. Just like now, Kishiar from his past life had appeared within that illusion.

Although the actions and words within the illusion might have varied, its core purpose remained unchanged: to ensnare and subdue its target by coercing a response. Had Yuder been disconcerted or caught up in Kishiar's words within the illusion, his mind would have been swiftly overwhelmed.

‘To encounter an illusion right upon entering, it's utterly absurd…’

Yet, despite knowing it was an illusion, its ability to profoundly disturb the mind was its cursed strength. The more one's spirit wavered, the more the mind eroded, making escape increasingly difficult.

‘Mine must have been somewhat eroded already.’

When he first saw Kishiar lying there, he had been utterly thoughtless. His rational mind had ceased without a sign, unable to even conjure the usual skepticism. He was so startled that he hadn't immediately noticed the difference in clothes.

Even now, confident that it was an illusion, the dreadful sensation of that moment lingered, draining his energy and causing a headache. Despite knowing he should ignore it, it was hard to avert his eyes from the fluttering white hand before him.

‘Nahan, even in a near-death state, how could he conjure such a powerful illusion?’

In some ways, this illusion felt stronger than the one he had seen in the East. He wondered if Kishiar, Gakane, and Kurga were safe in such a situation.

‘If they too are caught in this illusion…’

‘No,’ Yuder clenched his teeth and fists. He couldn't afford to entertain thoughts that only fueled his anxiety in this already desperate situation. The more he reacted and wavered, the stronger and more potent the illusion became. He desperately cleared his mind and focused on other thoughts.

‘The fastest way out would be to attack the caster, but he's nowhere to be seen. The only other option is…’

Yuder gazed at his own hand.

When he previously faced Nahan's illusion, he had escaped by tearing his arm. Since the location was outside, it was possible to break the scope of Nahan’s ability and strike back as revenge for seeing his blood.

But now, after the incidents in the West, he could no longer resort to inflicting wounds upon himself as a means of escape.

Destroying it was such a simple act, yet Yuder, with reluctance, lowered his hand.

‘There must be another way.’

A method of breaking through the space with sheer force.

However, he hesitated to unleash a pillar of fire in this space, wary that it might be wrapped in Gakane's powers. Perhaps this was a trap, using Yuder's strength against him, a ploy of the enemy to escape the current predicament.

‘The most moderate approach would be... to do as Nathan Zuckerman did.’

Nathan Zuckerman had shattered Nahan's illusion in the West with unwavering determination. Despite being human with inherent fears, he had decisively proved that these fears were irrelevant to his present self, enabling a swift escape.

But even knowing that, it was a difficult method to replicate. Nathan Zuckerman and Yuder were fundamentally different from the start. If Yuder could have confronted Nahan in the same way, he wouldn't have resorted to tearing his arm in the East, enduring the tremendous expenditure of power to create a pillar of flame.

Those methods, though effective in delivering a significant blow to Nahan, in fact represented a way of avoiding the situation itself – the denial and destruction of the illusion of Kishiar.

‘...’

Reflecting on it, he realized he had always been exceptionally weak when it came to matters involving Kishiar.

It was a time when he had kept his heart closed to himself, unwilling to acknowledge even a hint of emotion. Yet, the presence of Kishiar La Orr lingered in the deepest recesses of his heart, binding him inexorably, rendering him incapable of moving forward.

‘Damn it.’

The fact that he couldn't choose the fastest method of escape, tearing his own hand, was because of this.

Without Kishiar, what could possibly shake him?

Such a ludicrous, fake scenario of him lying there, defeated.

Those silent hands, what were they...

Yuder, pressing down on his throbbing head, bowed.

It was then that he noticed the golden string on his ceremonial robe.

A simple, decorative string, yet the sight of it suddenly brought to mind a voice he had recently heard.

"When a single string exists, the beginning and end seem like opposites. But when these two meet..."

The decorative string, intertwined between the buttons, formed a circle.

"The moment the beginning and end meet, we can no longer distinguish between them. They turn and cycle together, eternally."

Coincidentally, or perhaps it was Kishiar's intention, the color of the string matched exactly what Kishiar had shown him before.

That day, watching the flickering flames of the magic stone stove, the sensation of lying overlapped on the sofa, vividly resurfaced.

The warmth at his back, the gentle hands that wrapped around his waist, softly caressing.

The low, tender voice echoing in his ears.

The warmth and an indescribable, poignant sensation that touched the deepest part of him.

Yuder slowly grasped the string with his fingers.

As he held the circle formed by the knot in his hand, his dizzy head began to clear, and the entangled mess seemed to fly away.

The shock of seeing Kishiar's illusion lying defeated.

The provocative remarks from the voice within the illusion.

And the anxiety and anger towards himself for almost being shaken by it, despite knowing better.

All that disappeared, leaving only one thing behind.

Even if the beginning and the end are indistinguishable, connected things always remain in place.

So, even in this unseen, unheard darkness, knowing just that,

"..."

Yuder closed his eyes deeply and then opened them.

The illusion of the hand in the white glove, which seemed about to reach him any moment, vanished like a lie, and there stood a person before him.

The golden threads of light, thought to have disappeared the moment he entered the shadow curtain, wrapped around him, softly dancing and fluttering.

In that fantastical scene visible to no one but Yuder, Kishiar, clad in a black ceremonial robe, reached out and embraced him. Yuder, without a word, slowly raised his hand and embraced him in return.

After taking a few breaths in this embrace, words finally began to flow.

"I have dealt with the sage. I came here because I suddenly felt a pressure that seemed to shake the heavens and the earth from this side, and when I didn't see you or the others, I forced my way in."

"I see, that must have been worrying, with only the shadow wall erected."

Kishiar's voice was, as always, smooth and composed. It was the same voice as in the illusion, but the words he spoke were entirely different. That's when the reality of the situation sank in.

"I was worried when I first entered and saw the space created by the illusion power... but I'm relieved to see that you're alright, Commander."

"There were some complications, but it was manageable. I was concerned when I sensed someone intruding before I could finish everything, but fortunately, it seems you've managed to escape."

The man lightly squeezed Yuder's shoulder and then released him from the embrace. Only then did Yuder realize that he hadn't just been holding him, but had been checking his condition.

"It's good to see you're not injured."

Although Kishiar must have guessed that Yuder had seen Nahan's illusion, he didn't ask about its content. It was as if he knew that Yuder being unharmed meant that, unlike before, he had escaped the illusion on his own without injuring himself.

"What exactly happened?"

"It's a bit of a long story, but let's go join the others first, and I'll explain on the way."

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[BL] Cloudless Sky

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.'

[BL] Bermuda

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."

[BL] The Mist (Same author as Turning)

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."