Chapter 402:

Chapter 402:

Before Yu-hyun could ask Kwon Jia what had happened to her, he swallowed his words when he saw the black energy that flickered over her body.

‘That is...’

It was completely different from the purple energy that Kwon Jia usually used.

It was similar, but somehow different.

The purple energy was greed that devoured and swallowed everything, while that thing was deception that scorned and tainted everything in the world.

“Miss Kwon Jia. What is that power... Where did you get it from?”

“...You noticed.”

Kwon Jia smiled bitterly, as if she had expected this to happen.

She had no intention of hiding this power that she had learned in the past five years. Even if she tried to hide it, Yu-hyun had already realized how strong and dangerous it was.

“Well, it’s nothing. I just happened to learn it by chance.”

“Isn’t it dangerous? No, it’s definitely dangerous. If you keep using it, Miss Kwon Jia will...”

“I know. You think I don’t know how dangerous it is? It’s not just a simple monster’s power, but the beast’s power from the Revelation.”

“You don’t mean... You’re using the power of the beast from the Bible? How did you...”

“You can think of it as a similar case to Fenrir.”

Kwon Jia lifted her hood slightly and showed him the wolf ears on her head.

The ears that matched Kwon Jia’s hair color moved up and down as if they were alive.

“I needed to get stronger, so I needed to get a power that matched it.”

“But if you keep using that power, you’ll eventually...”

“It was that desperate and urgent.”

Kwon Jia said that and slowly approached Yu-hyun.

She reached his side and touched his suit with her hand. She opened her lips.

“You know that too, don’t you?”

“...Yes. I have nothing to say to Miss Kwon Jia.”

He had put a life fruit in his chest instead of a heart to get stronger.

He was not in a position to blame anyone else for this, since he and she had already gone too far.

A life that had to run endlessly.

If they stopped or looked back, they would die.

The only way for them was to keep running forward without resting.

They didn’t know what kind of future awaited them at the end.

Maybe it would be full of destruction.

But they couldn’t stop.

Even though no one forced them to do so, they would have made the same choice.

After all, it was their own will that decided to create this future.

“Are you leaving?”

Kwon Jia’s hand moved from his suit to his tie. Her slender fingers neatly fixed his crooked tie.

Yu-hyun nodded silently as he watched her.

“I have to go. I don’t have much time.”

“When?”

“As soon as I finish saying goodbye.”

“Alone... Are you going alone?”

Yu-hyun answered honestly to Kwon Jia’s question in a trembling voice.

“Yes.”

Kwon Jia’s hand fell from his tie.

She stepped back and put some distance between them.

“What happened in the Union Civil War?”

“...”

Yu-hyun hesitated to answer.

Hercules appeared, and Baek Seo-ryeon almost died. He actually came close to death.

The only thing that saved Baek Seo-ryeon was Baekryeon’s sacrifice.

It was because she sacrificed herself that Baek Seo-ryeon lived.

And Yu-hyun himself didn’t do anything.

He almost lost another precious person.

“No.”

Yu-hyun opened his mouth as if nothing had happened.

If he was responsible for this result caused by his weakness, he should bear it himself.

Someone’s sacrifice, someone’s death. In the end, it was something he had to carry in his heart.

“Nothing happened. I just realized how strong our enemies are when I fought against Hercules.”

“...I see.”

“If we go on like this, we will lose. We need to find more people who can fight with us in this wider world. Even if they are not human.”

“So you’re going to do it alone?”

“It’s too dangerous otherwise. There might not be another being like Hercules, but the altar moved suddenly this time... There must be some terrible enemies lurking around. It’s better to move with a few elites than with many people.”

“So what are you going to do first?”

“First of all, I’m going to look for Young-min and Sumin. I need their help to restore Hye-rim back to normal.”

“I see. But you don’t know where they are, do you?”

“That’s right. That’s why I want to ask you a favor, Miss Kwon Jia.”

Kwon Jia widened her eyes at the word ‘favor’.

“A favor? From you?”

“Please find Young-min for me instead. He’s probably not far away. When... Hye-rim and I fought, Young-min helped me. Then he might be watching us somewhere. You’ll be able to find him quickly if you look for him.”

“...Well. He’s the most famous one, so it might not be hard to find him.”

Kwon Jia also knew that Yoo Young-min was working as a mercenary.

If she could get their news, it wouldn’t be too difficult to meet Yoo Young-min again.

“Then you’re going to look for Sumin.”

“Of course.”

“But how?”

“First, I’m going to head to the place where Mara Papayas lived, the Hell Realm. It’s in the territory of the Thirty-Six Heavens, so I might be able to get some information there.”

At the same time, Yu-hyun had another purpose.

The territory of the Thirty-Six Heavens was adjacent to the territory of another great army, Eden and Pandemonium.

Yu-hyun was going to meet Satan while spreading the news of Sumin’s liberation.

“What about Hye-rim? She’ll be anxious without you.”

“She’s better than before, thanks to you and Seoryeon. She’ll be fine even if I’m not there.”

“She’ll still be sad.”

“Yeah. Anyway, that... judging people by their looks is a bad habit, Yura.”

“He has a good personality too.”

“What the hell... sigh. Choi Do-yoon has a good personality?”

“You didn’t know? He’s famous for taking good care of his subordinates as an executor. Seo Yun told me about it often.”

Yu-hyun didn’t want to believe it, but he had to admit that Choi Do-yoon now had a very different personality from his previous life.

Yeah. He must be different. His family is alive now, so his personality must be more gentle.

But still... this was wrong.

Another self of his, who felt more like a sister he wanted to protect than himself, was trying to get close to Choi Do-yoon.

Of course, this might be a bit of an overreaction.

She might not have any romantic interest in him... well, not none, but not completely.

But he felt uneasy.

He could sense something suspicious in Kang Yura’s voice when she talked about Choi Do-yoon.

Choi Do-yoon and Kang Yura?

Yu-hyun imagined them standing together.

And he immediately shook his head.

He couldn’t stand it just by thinking about it.

‘I should have killed him back then...’

“Brother? You’re not thinking something weird, are you?”

Maybe he showed his anger on his face. Kang Yura looked at him timidly.

“Ah, no. Nothing. Anyway, Choi Do-yoon is... yeah. He’s busy because he learned a new skill recently.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I can’t help it.”

“You’re giving up easily?”

“Of course. I may look like this, but I’m a transcender. I’ve learned some things as I got to this position. Don’t you know? If you find a clue to move on to the next stage, you should leave them alone and not bother them.”

This was where Kang Yura showed how much she had grown in the past five years.

“Well, then, I’m glad.”

“But are you okay, brother? Can you leave Hye-rim unnie alone and go by yourself?”

“...”

Yu-hyun couldn’t say anything when he heard Kang Hye-rim’s name.

Kwon Jia and Kang Yura.

They all worried about Kang Hye-rim, but that was natural.

She was the one who suffered the most while he was gone.

Even if she was fine now, it didn’t erase the fact that she was once the Black Lightning Lord.

And above all, Kang Hye-rim was the one he had to atone for.

He vowed never to leave her alone again.

But still.

Suddenly, he remembered Baek Seo-ryeon, who was bleeding and dying.

“I have to... go alone.”

Considering what he would face from now on, it was safer for Kang Hye-rim to stay with the alliance.

If a fight broke out again, Yu-hyun couldn’t be sure that he could protect anyone.

If he failed because of his lack of strength, or because of a small mistake, like what happened with Baek Seo-ryeon.

Then he wouldn’t be able to control himself.

“...I see. If you say so, I won’t stop you.”

“Okay. Tell mom and dad... I’ll send them my regards. And I’ll visit them later.”

“Okay. Got it.”

Yu-hyun said goodbye to Kang Yura and felt that it was time to leave Old Town.

He had already explained everything to Kang Hye-rim.

Of course, she shook her head and pleaded with him to go with him, but Yu-hyun was firm.

In the end, she locked herself in her room like a child, but that was rather a relief for Yu-hyun.

He felt sorry.

How could he not?

The only thing he felt when he saw her was guilt for what he had done.

“Let’s meet again.”

Yu-hyun left Old Town after his final farewell.

***

‘I’m really alone now.’

Yu-hyun, who wore a travel robe over his outfit, felt out of place in the quiet and leisurely journey.

He had traveled alone before, but even then Baekryeon was with him.

But now, he didn’t even have Baekryeon.

The sword in his hand was just a shell without the soul of his precious friend.

Completely alone.

Yu-hyun realized for the first time that he was left alone in the world without anyone.

‘It doesn’t matter. I’m not moving around like this to travel anyway.’

Several days had passed since he left Old Town.

Yu-hyun reached the vicinity of Yeokcheon Falls, where the territory of 36 Thousand Heaven Realms was located.

He could see Yeokcheon Falls rising up to the sky in the distance.

He had arrived at the landmark that divided the territories.

He wondered whether to enter 36 Thousand Heaven Realms’s territory right away, or to look around and gather some information first.

Then, as he was thinking,

Kwaaaaa!

A huge roar echoed from the sky and he saw a countless number of dragons flying by.

‘Dragons?’

There was only one great army that came to mind with those dragons.

Dragonica.

But why was Dragonica flying near 36 Thousand Heaven Realms’s territory? And what was with that massive army?

At that moment, Yu-hyun realized that he had made eye contact with the white dragon flying at the front of the pack of dragons.

‘It’s coming this way.’

The white dragon broke away from the formation and flew toward Yu-hyun.

It landed smoothly in front of Yu-hyun, stirring up the wind with its wings.

[How interesting. I didn’t expect to see a traveler here.]