Turning
chapter-735

Kishiar removed his outer garment and rolled up his sleeves, revealing long, black marks that seemed to have been left by a worm's trail. These were scars from a monster's leg, which had melted both the fabric and his skin. The charred, blackened skin was swollen, looking as if it had been crudely stitched back together.

Although there was no bleeding, the wound's peculiar appearance suggested it was far from healed.

‘Is this a trace of emergency treatment using divine power?’ thought Galleum, a priestess who had introduced herself as such. Her keen eyes narrowed upon seeing the mark, recognizing it as the work of divine power.

Under normal circumstances, anyone would wonder why they were summoned when another priest had clearly been there before. But Galleum simply took a deep breath and remained silent.

Indeed, she was the 'discreet individual' confidently recommended by Lady Myra, the First Princess.

"It seems to have been grazed by a monster's attack. It appears to have some toxicity."

"Yes. You might feel some pain while I channel the divine power. If it becomes unbearable, please let me know."

Without asking the identity of the handsome man with golden hair and red eyes before her, Galleum immediately began to summon her divine power. A bright white light gathered in her hands and soon cascaded over the wound, illuminating the area.

Kishiar watched silently as his wound transformed, the flesh regenerating anew. Contrary to expectations of pain, his expression remained unchanged.

"It's all done. The wound may look clean, but it's freshly healed and very fragile. I advise you to avoid any strain for a few days."

"Your skill is remarkable. I'm grateful," Kishiar said, his face breaking into a picture-perfect smile. Indeed, Galleum's divine power was impressive, rivaling that of the priests in the capital.

"Now, could you also look at his right hand? It seems to have been strained during the battle."

Kishiar, having just received treatment, nonchalantly grasped Yuder's hand and presented it to Galleum. Yuder remained quiet, not uttering a word.

Galleum hesitated upon seeing Yuder's hand covered by a black glove.

"The glove might obscure a proper assessment of the injury. Would you prefer to receive treatment with it on?"

Her consideration for Yuder's potential predicaments once again demonstrated her exemplary nature as a priestess.

'What should I do?'

As Yuder hesitated, Myra quickly stood up.

"It seems time for me to relay instructions to those I brought for cleanup. I have separate matters to discuss with the other priests who followed Priestess Galleum. I'll step out for a moment."

Sensing that Yuder's reluctance to remove his glove was due to the gaze of others, she tactfully took the two knights guarding her and left the room.

Yuder's glove hid his hand, marked with dark red veins – a nuisance to explain to others. But seeing the lengths they went to for his comfort, he felt no need to endure the inconvenience of being treated with his glove on. Trusting a priestess of Galleum's character, who would neither pry for explanations nor leak information carelessly, Yuder slowly pulled off his glove.

Galleum, upon seeing the dark red, branch-like veins stretching from Yuder's hand to his sleeve, predictably refrained from any unnecessary questions.

"Could you please specify where exactly you feel discomfort?"

"Please look at the wrist joint, not the skin."

Galleum nodded in understanding when Yuder explained that the injury occurred while wielding a weapon and abruptly changing direction.

"The area around your wrist is indeed quite swollen. Understood."

She pressed around Yuder's wrist several times to assess the condition and then infused it with divine power. After a cool, refreshing sensation passed, Yuder felt the swelling in his wrist significantly reduce.

Even after rotating his wrist several times, he felt no discomfort.

"Is there any other discomfort?" she asked.

"No, thank you."

Upon receiving his gratitude, Galleum's expression finally softened a bit.

"I am pleased to be able to offer even a small help to those who fought selflessly to protect Charloin."

"I will certainly remember Priestess Galleum's assistance and ensure proper recompense in the future," Kishiar responded.

Galleum shook her head at Kishiar's words, adding that she hadn't come seeking remembrance.

"Is the treatment complete?"

Not long after, Myra returned, now alone without the knights who had been following her.

"Galleum, I've asked the other priests who came with you to tend to the other injured here. There are no serious injuries, but many are exhausted. Could you continue to assist with this for the day?"

"Of course, First Princess. As a follower of the divine, it is my duty to help without being asked."

Galleum stood up, bowed politely, and then left the room.

After waiting until Galleum's footsteps faded away, Myra sat down across from Kishiar with a more relaxed demeanor.

"Now that we're free from prying eyes, we can talk more comfortably. What exactly happened to the Cavalry after we parted ways?"

"It's a bit of a long story."

Kishiar recounted how he was ambushed on his way back, the sudden emergence of a strange crack above a building, and the monsters that poured out from it. Despite summarizing, the enormity of the situation was clear in his retelling. Myra's expression turned serious, especially when Kishiar mentioned, "I sent people to watch over Baron Conche's house. We managed to capture the servant of the Second Prince, who was still alive, his horse, and some suspicious individuals."

"You managed to capture all of them, including the servant and the horse? How did you do it so quickly…"

"It seemed doable, so we did it," Kishiar replied nonchalantly.

Yuder quietly looked down, feeling a bit odd hearing how matter-of-factly Kishiar spoke of such feats.

The conversation then shifted to the root cause of all these events, involving the Star of Nagran and the Southern merchants.

"The Star of Nagran, a group of Awakeners, tried to infiltrate our Cavalry by planting spies. We've been aware of them for a while, so this wasn't surprising. We can handle this matter on our own, so the First Princess need not worry too much. However, the situation with the Southern merchants is a bit different."

Kishiar briefly explained the Southern merchants and their trial involving Tain Duke. Myra acknowledged that she had heard about the Duke being misled by Southern merchants.

She was shocked to learn that these merchants were not only active here but also suspected to be the true culprits behind her brother, the Second Prince's death.

"Do you mean to say that these Southerners conspired with Baron Conche to destabilize the succession of Herne?"

"It's the most logical conclusion, considering that a year ago, through an introduction by Baron Conche, they infiltrated as a servant to the Second Prince, gaining his trust before orchestrating today's events."

The exact time they had allied with Baron Conche was unknown. It could have been even before they tampered with Duke Tain. Myra's expression hardened as she likely pondered the same timeline.

"I never thought Baron Conche capable of harboring such foolish yet dangerous intentions. It seems we were greatly underestimated. After Ashrav, I was probably their next target, wasn't I?"

The previous Myra, in her former life, might have realized this malicious intent much later.

But not this time. Myra, with her sharp intellect, quickly deduced that the target of these conspirators extended beyond Prince Ashrav.

Her eyes, clenched in determination, sharpened like a razor-edged blade.

"Then I cannot delay any longer. Since you've captured the traitors on the spot, I must head to Baron Conche's estate right away."

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"Thank you for your concern, but some matters, no matter how difficult, cannot be postponed. These traitors not only betrayed the Herne family but also risked the safety of all Charloin. To show everyone the extent of their crimes and their consequences, I must go now."

Kishiar smiled at her and spoke.

"I understand your resolve, and I admire it. In that case, I will provide some Cavalry members and special forces from the Imperial Army to assist you."

"There's no need to go to such lengths, knowing how busy you are here..."

"Being busy is one thing, but the safety of an ally is equally important. Any harm to the First Princess would no longer be just her concern alone. I want to make that clear."

Myra was now alone. With the death of Ashrav, the Second Prince, her path to succession seemed smooth, provided no issues arose concerning her.

However, if problems emerged before she could become the successor, the situation would drastically change. When Kishiar pointed out this risk, Myra nodded in agreement, not adding any further words.

"The First Princess has generously provided priests and priestesses and knights to support us; it's only right that we do the same. Don't worry about it."

"Understood. Thank you."

Myra gracefully rose and offered a formal farewell. As she left the room, her stride was devoid of any hesitation.

Once the room quieted down, Yuder turned to Kishiar. He wanted to ask if Kishiar was alright or if there were any other issues, but there were more pressing matters to discuss.

"With things having come to this, it seems impossible to visit the northern branch before the end of the second batch of recruitment entrance tests."

"That's likely. I didn't expect the Southern merchants to ensnare us this way."

"I'll handle communication with the north. And..."

“You were going to say we need more help to deal with and investigate these people, right? We'll need more than just those here, so we should request additional support from the headquarters."

"Yes."

Kishiar had already guessed what Yuder was about to say. Yuder thought of those back in the capital and what they could offer.

"We'll definitely need Kanna, and bringing in more whose natives of the southern region would be beneficial."

"If the situation drags on, calling in an apothecary might be wise. His extensive knowledge proved helpful in the West, after all."

"Yes. And also..."

"Oh, wait. A messenger bird has arrived."

Kishiar raised his hand to pause the conversation and stood up to open the window. The bird fluttered in, its legs bound with a cylinder larger than usual, seemingly carrying twice the usual amount of letters.

Kishiar's expression shifted slightly as he examined the outer surface of the cylinder.

"Is this a report from headquarters? I should look into this right away."

[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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