Turning
chapter-723

Kishiar, who had so far faced his enemies with ease without wielding a weapon, drew his sword in response to an instinctual warning. It was a rare decision for him, as he typically acted based on thorough rational judgment rather than instinct.

However, this decision was spot-on. The moment he grasped the divine sword, an unusual surge of magic power burst forth from the cloaked figures around him.

Kishiar, a mage with superior magic power sensitivity, could clearly sense the flow and danger of this power. It wasn't the common kind of magic one usually encountered. In an age where magic was fading, this was a rare, pure force capable of wondrous feats.

Facing this formless, threatening force was perilous, but fortunately, Kishiar was not only an Awakener and a swordmaster but also a mage and sometimes even a priest.

Feeling the surge of magic power, he pushed away a cloaked man he had been holding with a 'push force', while simultaneously drawing the sword, wrapped in plain cloth, from its sheath with a 'pull force'. The sword, unassuming in appearance, was the divine sword Orr.

The rumor that Duke Peleta had become the new owner of the divine sword Orr was disbelieved for two reasons: the strong bias against the notion of such a divine sword being carried so casually, and a magic artifact attached to the sheath before the journey that diminished recognition. This artifact, often used by nobles to protect treasures from thieves, blurred the perception of its appearance.

The sword itself, stripped of later-added jewels and decorations, was exceedingly sharp and silvery, but otherwise unremarkable.

Yet, a divine sword is a divine sword.

Unbeknownst to many, it was as adept at cutting 'power' as it was at slicing physical forms.

At the moment when magic power swirled violently around, Kishiar swung his arm wielding Orr. If Yuder had seen it, he would have recognized the immense power in the smooth, unexaggerated movement. But he was not there.

Time seemed to slow down as the silvery blade cut through something invisible, a sensation both eerie and fascinating. Kishiar watched the sword's trajectory without blinking.

Only after slicing through the last of the escaping magic power did Kishiar slowly close and open his eyes.

Then, as if the world had been waiting, it resumed its pace, and the once powerful magic, now completely devoid of its strength, dispersed in all directions.

All this happened in the blink of an eye.

No one fully grasped what had transpired, only perceiving an invisible force exploding and collapsing around them.

Those who fell did not realize that if Kishiar had not quickly drawn his sword, they would have been swept away by the dangerous magic, meeting a far worse fate.

Even among swordmasters, Kishiar had accomplished a feat few would dare to attempt, yet he remained composed. He merely observed the result of using the divine sword's power for the first time, a power he had only known in theory until now.

"Oh, it seems a bit of blood has stained my robe."

In the moment he had pushed away the person he had caught to slice through the flow of magic power, their blood had seemingly smeared on his garment. Kishiar turned his gaze towards them, seemingly flustered that things had not gone as intended.

Peeking through the overturned robes, the distinctive red skin of the Southern people was visible. It seemed that those clad in robes, hiding their skin, were all Southerners.

Suspicious Southerners wielding strange magic in such a place, and an Awakener at that. There was only one identity that came to mind.

A smile returned to Kishiar's face, which had vanished while he wielded the sword.

"To think they would come to me before I even started searching. Sending my precious assistant and adjutant was in vain. But this strange flow of magic power... It doesn't seem to be a mage's doing. What trickery is this?"

Seeing Kishiar like this, Sera and her fellow companions were seized by an indescribable fear. Despite everything that had happened, they still could not comprehend the extent of Duke Peletta's abilities or what he had just done with the sword.

Ignorance of one's opponent quickly turned into fear.

Sera decided they couldn't waste any more time here aiding the Southern merchants and hurriedly stood up.

This place was near the southern branch of the Cavalry anyway. Although it was regrettable that their mission was incomplete, escaping safely was the priority.

"Damn it… everyone, get up quickly!"

"Ugh… Ughhh…"

"Hmm. Leaving already?"

Duke Peletta asked, his eyes wide with genuine curiosity, his sword-laden hand hanging loosely. His demeanor appeared chilling to onlookers.

Come to think of it, he had been like this from the start. Ever since he jumped out of the ambushed carriage, he had never shown a moment of panic or lack of composure.

How could a sane human act in such a manner? It made one wonder if the rumors about him being an unpredictable madman might actually be true, despite the falsehoods in many of his tales.

Near Sera, gasping for breath, a Southern merchant spoke in a low voice.

"It seems Duke Peletta being alone here was no coincidence. It looks like something must have happened at the place where we originally planned to evade to."

"What do you mean?"

"Right now, tremendous power is stirring in two places: where our helpers are staying and here. We underestimated the power Duke Peletta possesses. It was our misjudgment."

Sera remembered that one of the Southern merchants had the ability to sensitively detect the flow of power. Thanks to this ability, they had quickly detected the movement of monsters approaching their southern base, providing significant assistance.

Now, it seemed this ability was not limited to sensing monsters but also the power of humans.

"So, does that mean we have no way to escape from here now? You said you could find us a way out!"

"I never said that. There is still a way out. But you'll have to buy us more time…"

As the Southern merchant was about to continue, he suddenly turned his head, sensing something. Then, from a distance, shouts were heard.

"Duke!"

"The Duke is over there!"

“...”

In silence, the urgently approaching figures were not from the Cavalry but were clad in Imperial Army uniforms, unmistakably reinforcements for Kishiar. Why the Cavalry was absent remained a mystery, but it seemed that the coachman had managed to reach them properly. Kishiar, with a smile on his face, waved his hand and spoke.

"Are you planning to continue fighting? I'd prefer if you surrendered at this point."

Sera bit her lip. Reinforcements had indeed arrived. It felt like everything had completely fallen apart.

However, the Southern merchants appeared relatively calm, and it was clear they still had a plan up their sleeve. Sera decided to trust them and not give up just yet. If there was any way to escape, she was willing to help.

"Everyone, snap out of it! We need to attack first to survive!"

Her shout awakened her companions, who one by one stood up and began to confront Duke Peletta and the approaching reinforcements.

But why was this happening? Though they intended only to engage Duke Peletta and then retreat, upon regaining their senses, they found themselves nearly at the southern branch of the Cavalry, caught between the reinforcements and Duke Peletta.

"What is this...!"

Incredibly, at that location were the members from the Star of Nagran's central stronghold, who were supposed to fake support for the Cavalry today, and they were already in a standoff with the Cavalry. The detestable members of the Cavalry cheered upon seeing their leader safely returned.

"Commander!"

"I've heard the rough story from the Imperial Army. You must have had a tough time with the sudden situation."

While the Cavalry rejoiced, the Star of Nagran's forces were filled with silent shock.

The members from the central Stronghold, who had come down to the south to prepare for infiltrating the Cavalry and had received help from Sera, recognized her and the southern stronghold's Awakeners, widening their eyes in disbelief.

Exchanges of bewildered looks communicated their mutual inability to understand why each was in this situation, but the chaotic standoff left no room for conversation.

[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."

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