Turning
chapter-725

A strange crack that simply existed and then vanished within the forest that only grew denser no matter how much it was cut down. And the sight of Yuder Aile, who alone did not panic but stared at it gravely.

Yuder's exhausted voice speaking of a 'disaster' echoed in Kishiar's mind.

"You must have seen the strange cracks that appeared in the west, when the monsters began acting oddly. Do you remember?"

"I have seen similar things before…"

Yuder asserted that this was merely the beginning. He described it as a quiet sparkle, a signal flare before countless disasters and hardships, like the calm before a storm.

Kishiar vividly remembered the expression on Yuder's face as he told this tale.

Always known for his impassiveness, Yuder, upon closer inspection, actually had a surprisingly wide range of emotions. Although he appeared cold, within him burned a flame far more intense than others.

But his expression at that moment...

It was utterly devoid of anything.

All that made him human seemed to have been stripped away, leaving behind only dusty and hollow eyes, faintly reflecting ancient dust and a chilling coldness. The Yuder that Kishiar thought he knew, or believed he knew, had vanished, replaced by someone worn down by a terrible solitude, echoing a hollow voice.

Only those who had faced death could understand the weight of that emptiness. Kishiar felt it not with his mind, but with something deeper.

Even at his brightest, burning fiercely and brilliantly, the deepest part of him harbored a concealed void, akin to the blackened ash left where everything had burned away.

Even when revealing his goal to 'once again avert the disaster facing the world', Yuder's eyes held a resignation, as if he naturally expected Kishiar not to believe him.

His expression, accustomed to self-doubt, spoke the truth without any trace of grievance or desire to persuade, more harrowing in a way than his physically battered and prostrate form.

Somewhere deep within Kishiar, a long groan of pain echoed…

"…Commander?"

In the midst of discussing something crucial, Yuder stopped and cautiously addressed Kishiar, who was silently staring at him, concern evident in his now dark and laughter-less eyes.

‘What happened back then? Was there something serious?’

As if trying to discern some hidden trace of an untold story, Kishiar's intense yet worried gaze met Yuder's, eliciting a soft sigh.

"Sorry. It just struck me how miraculous it was for the assistant to arrive here so timely."

"Excuse me? What do you mean by that…"

The unexpected and somewhat awkward remark caused a frown to form on Yuder's brow, while the man chuckled softly, continuing the conversation.

"As soon as the crack appeared, everyone panicked, thinking monsters were about to emerge. They tried to flee, but fortunately, we remembered the similar cracks we'd seen in the west and managed to avoid being swept up in the chaos."

Kishiar, recalling the cracks he had seen in the Great Sarain Forest and Yuder's words, immediately commanded the bewildered crowd, "Monsters won't appear; keep your focus on the enemy." Without his directive, they would have missed the southern merchants, disguised in robes, attempting to slip away.

Upon hearing Kishiar's affirmation, it wasn't just the Cavalry or the Imperial Army that regained their composure, but also the members of the Star of Nagran.

"Are you telling me you were about to leave us behind just now?! Is that what you meant by clearing the way? What in the world is that strange crack?"

"No, that's not it. It's hard to explain here, but please trust us…"

"What's going on, Sera? Are you here under his command? As far as I know, that shouldn't be the case. Why have you come this far? Weren't you from the South supposed to return today? And who are those suspicious people?"

Sera, shocked by the Southern merchants' attempt to escape, raised her voice, forgetting the standoff. The merchants, not intending any harm, tried to calm her, but now a member of the Central stronghold Awakeners, suspicious of Sera, intervened.

The seed of distrust, once sown, spread like wildfire.

It was then that a chill began to circulate among the Awakeners of the Star of Nagran. The Central stronghold gathered with their own, the Southern stronghold with theirs, and the merchants huddled together, exchanging glances and words.

From a distance, Kishiar, with the keen sense of a swordmaster, easily grasped the conversations without moving a finger.

The Central stronghold Awakeners, losing trust in the Southern stronghold for not following the Sage's orders and engaging in dubious activities with the strangers.

The Southern stronghold Awakeners, suspecting but unable to fully confront the Southern merchants they had moved with, unsure how to extract themselves from this situation.

And the silent Southern merchants.

With each group's motives and benefits differing, mutual distrust prevented the battle from progressing, leading to a stalemate.

A situation simmering with tension, yet on the verge of exploding.

Yuder appeared from the sky at that very moment.

"That's how it happened."

Having learned the whole story, Yuder sighed deeply.

Though many events had unfolded where he had been, the situation with Kishiar was even more intense. In the short time Yuder was away, returning alone by carriage to the Cavalry branch, Kishiar had faced an ambush and even used his divine sword to fend off an unknown attack, tensing his muscles to the point of stiffness.

However, it was fortunate that he had managed to turn the situation to their advantage without injury.

"It's to be expected, but…"

Kishiar, immensely powerful but with little experience using his abilities, still had to be cautious about his health and the issue of containment. Knowing he was a brilliant strategist and swordmaster who could slice through walls with a twig, a battle against multiple opponents was still perilously risky. Moreover, he had used more strength than usual since coming South, adding to his fatigue.

Although his condition had improved with Yuder's assistance, exerting himself again today would have undoubtedly drained him significantly, even if he appeared fine on the surface.

Yet, looking at Kishiar's brazen smile, one wouldn't guess he had just faced over a dozen opponents alone. His usual self, a true Kishiar La Orr, was indeed a relief to see.

"Regardless of there being no major incident, those who attacked will pay their dues."

Yuder's icy gaze swept over the Awakeners of the Southern stronghold and the robed Southern merchants.

He clenched and unclenched his fist, gauging the strength that remained within him. Although not in a completely relaxed state due to the excessive energy expended while dealing with Aton, he was confident enough to take down those lurking adversaries.

The crack still floated in the sky, existing without any noticeable change. In his memory, such cracks in the Great Sarain Forest had been followed by a surge of monsters, but this had never been the case in the South.

‘In my previous life in the South, such silent cracks appeared in various places more than ten times before a major earthquake occurred. There were no instances of monsters appearing then. If this is the beginning of something similar, the likelihood is high that it will repeat. But in the Great Sarain Forest, the appearance of these cracks led to an increase in monsters, so certainty is elusive.’

The earthquake in his previous life's South had occurred several years later. It had been difficult to gather information, as it was only after everything had passed that people reported witnessing such cracks.

But could it be that even back then, these cracks had formed in this manner?

Could cracks be created by human power?

The words of Aton floated in his mind, continuously breeding questions.

‘The one thing that's clear is that to find answers, we must capture those Southern merchants.’

Already half-intent on punishing them for the attack on Kishiar, the added need to extract information seemed to invigorate him with newfound strength.

[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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