The World After the Fall
chapter-35

As he opened his eyes again, the white world was waiting with only Chunghuh who was there in shock and Mino who was asleep.

Jaehwan, for the first time ever, took up the sword to save someone. The white world accepted him. He felt like he could draw in anything in this world. Then, Jaehwan began moving.

He then remembered Mino, a weak-minded Assassin. A stubborn woman who liked to joke. A woman who always attracted trouble. A woman who did not betray. A woman who hated him. And…

The woman who trusted humans.

Jaehwan moved his hand without resting. As if he was worried that the Mino he knew would disappear, he moved and moved again.

After some time, it seemed like it was finished but something was lacking. That's when Jaehwan remembered. He had never seen it, but he came to know about it unintentionally. Jaehwan then finished by placing a small spot on Mino's right breast. It was complete. Jaehwan blinked and as he breathed in...

"…You still remember that?"

Mino smiled brightly in front of him.

When Jaehwan opened his eyes again, he thought he was still in the white world. It was because everyone was silent. James was rubbing his eyes and doctors were shaking with the measurement meter in their hands. Claire was numbly looking at Mino. The black vein was disappearing. Someone shouted.

"The morphing has stopped!"

"Corruption level is dropping!"

And the Doctor of Despair was in shock.

"How… but…"

He had used the 'Dead Man Slash'. This wasn't something that could be copied just by looking at it. This was not a skill. Many wanted to be taught, but nobody could manage to do it.

"...His eagerness disappeared a bit," Chunghuh mumbled as he eyed the man. It seemed like something changed him just now.

'But that only makes him 10 years old now.'

Chunghuh didn't seem to like it much.

"Who are you? How did you do the 'Dead Man Slash'…"

Chunghuh stopped. The man's movement was not the 'Slash.'

"No, I should call it 'Dead Man Stab'. Where did you learn that?"

The commander was then shocked as he asked, "W-wait. Did he just use the 'Dead Man Slash?"

"…I do not want to accept that fact, but yes."

"Then…"

Chunghuh frowned as he watched the commander's expression. He was the most loyal to the Master of the Fortress. Chunghuh had lived for a thousand years. It was easy to know what the 100-year-old young man was thinking.

"Wait, Commander. Relax. We do not know about him yet."

"But didn't he just say that he could do the 'Dead Man Slash'? And didn't you mention that if there was one more who could do it, you could save the Master?"

"That's…"

Chunghuh frowned. He did say such a thing. He just didn't realize the commander would still remember it.

'How would I know that there would be another one who could do it?!'

The commander sternly said, "Doctor. There's no one more valuable than the Master."

Chunghuh stopped and sighed. He then sent a [Whisper].

[…Commander. You know that I'm an Awakener, right?]

The commander became tense. Everyone knew the term 'Awakener'. These were the ones who escaped the system and earned great power in return. Even throughout the Great Lands as a whole, there weren't many 'Awakeners'. Those included the few Lords of the 12 regions and their subjects, the [Rupture]'s few captains, and the organization that the [Big Brother] considered a dangerous organization.

The commander knew there were a few more Awakeners other than them.

One was the old man in front.

He was weaker than the Lords or the Captain of [Rupture] but was still an Awakener. The fact that Chunghuh stayed within Gorgon Fortress stopped other Fortresses that were thinking about attacking Gorgon.

[What if he is an Awakener?]

Chunghuh asked, [Is that true?]

[Yes. And a suspicious one at that.]

The commander felt sweat running down his back. An Awakener appearing within the fortress was not to be taken lightly. They were powerful enough to alter the power balance.

[Is he from the [Rupture]?]

[…I don't know anything yet.]

Suddenly, the entrance opened and men in dark green clothes entered. The commander recognized them at once. It was the organization below the Chancellor himself, Shadowmoon. The man in the front was the general.

'Why are they here?'

They had nothing to do with killing the Dead Man. They only obeyed direct orders from the Master of the Fortress and the Chancellor. The general walked up to Jaehwan and bowed.

"I'm the General of the Shadowmoon. Are you the Messenger of the Greens?"

Messenger of the Greens?

Chunghuh and the commander looked at each other.

"Please, follow us to the keep. Our master's life is in…"

That's when the general felt something was strange.

"Huh? Why are you here, Commander… and… D-doctor?"

It seemed he was shocked to see them standing here. But Chunghuh and the commander did not care about the general. They were looking at Jaehwan and was thinking of the same thing.

And Chunghuh was still thinking the same thing as he watched Jaehwan in front.

'Who is this man?' he thought as he saw Jaehwan playing around with the [Stone of Forgotten Spirit] in his fingers. Chancellor Euren spoke to him.

"Mister Jaehwan, I need to make a request of you."