Chapter 727

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Chapter 727

"Madness... How can he be...!"

"Is he even human?"

'If not human, then what?'

Yuder, deemed by others as a monstrous non-human, maintained an indifferent expression and pressed forward silently despite the trembling words of disdain. Such remarks had become so commonplace to him that they now felt like a validation of his efficacy.

'But indeed, those who have undergone proper training are far more challenging than the soft, worthless fighters of the underground illegal fighting rings.'

The challenge was greater when facing fellow Awakeners, as opposed to non-Awakeners. The greatest difficulty lay in predicting the abilities and fighting style of an Awakener until faced in person.

The Awakeners from the Star of Nagran, particularly those with unique abilities, were notoriously unpredictable and lacked any discernible pattern in their fighting styles, making them even more formidable.

However, the difficulty in combating diverse abilities mainly troubled those inexperienced with Awakener.

Yuder could quickly deduce the nature of an opponent's abilities at the slightest hint of their use.

'This one must be of the natural attribute. If it's fire, just quench it with water.'

Before the Awakener could even unleash fire, he was drenched and sent flying with a scream by a surge of water.

'Why does this one continually rely on his ability to instantaneously enhance his physique without efficiently distributing it? Even a served meal wouldn't be this easy.'

The physically-enhanced Awakener, who tried to attack Yuder from the side, was effortlessly struck in a weakened vital spot by his casually swung scabbard and fell backwards.

Another Awakener, crouching behind and morphing into a winged beast, charged at Yuder. But as soon as Yuder twisted his scabbard between the creature's wings, the attacker collapsed, unconscious.

"What kind of monster are you...!"

'He wields sound control. Impressive, but... try screaming while swallowing a dust storm.'

The one causing turmoil with his piercing screams, making his comrades struggle, was promptly overwhelmed by Yuder's wind-conjured dust, coughing miserably before collapsing from a scabbard blow.

The abilities of the Awakener, though seemingly unique at a glance, ultimately stemmed from the same human origin and shared similar vulnerabilities.

The Awakeners from the Star of Nagran, intent on targeting the renowned Yuder Aile, were astounded by his rapid, mechanical-like precision, which left them incapacitated.

Kishiar La Orr, who induced a ghost-like fear by never allowing an attack with his mysterious power, was different from Yuder Aile, whose power, although clearly visible, was unavoidably terrifying.

Who called them the indulgent and incompetent Duke Peletta and his toy-like Cavalry?

His mere existence posed a threat like a weapon, causing the enemies' morale to wane steadily.

This was no mere fight of a twenty-year-old youth. Those who had underestimated him as an equal Awakener experienced a daunting disparity in skill and an inexplicable maturity, stirring both awe and fear.

Among them, the Awakener from the southern stronghold who had ambushed Kishiar felt an intensified fear. They knew someone with such overwhelming power would not mercifully spare those who dared attack their master. Had they known earlier that a monster like Yuder was with Duke Peletta, they would not have left their stronghold so easily.

Among them, there were those who had believed that Nahan's repeated defeats against the Cavalry were due to collusion. Only now did they realize that it was a miracle Nahan had managed to return each time from facing a monster like Yuder Aile.

'That guy Awakened around the same time as us, but what accounts for this difference?'

The Cavalry had been formed barely a year ago. Even if he had Awakened earlier, he had only gained his powers about two years ago. How could he fight like this?

As fellow Awakeners, they were even more acutely aware of Yuder Aile's absurd strength. Those who possessed similar attributes of power felt it even more intensely.

Those who had been smug about their strong abilities, and those who had underestimated the young Yuder, were all equally shocked, as if their world had been turned upside down.

"This can't be..."

The sage who had sent them here had not warned them about the strength of the Cavalry.

Having already experienced a group of Awakeners in the Star of Nagran, they thought a second encounter would be no different.

But this was nothing like that. They were like in the belly of a gaping lion.

The demoralized men hesitated and retreated. But instead of an escape, they found the smiling members of the Cavalry guarding the encirclement. Yuder had been so overwhelmingly dominant that it overshadowed the fact that the others were also experienced and adept in handling their powers.

"Hey, looking at Yuder, we seem pretty easy, huh?"

"You dare to infiltrate our branch? I'll show you exactly where you tried to enter. What? You won't look? No refusal accepted. Your chance to leave is over!"

As the attackers targeting Yuder began to scatter in fear, he leisurely moved towards the location of the southern merchants he had trapped with his earth abilities. Initially, he had planned to head straight to them upon landing, but he was delayed by the unexpectedly large number of the Star of Nagran’s Awakener who, fearlessly, had targeted him first.

If it weren't for the comrades assigned by Kishiar, even after capturing them, he would have been concerned about their escape, preventing him from fighting so freely. Initially, he had thought Kishiar's concern excessive, but his decision had proven to be significantly helpful.

This demonstrated Kishiar's exceptional ability to read the flow of the battlefield.

'He must have predicted how I would fight and who I would target first. Maybe even more accurately than I could...'

It's not pleasant to know that others can predict one's actions. Being predictable means being vulnerable to defeat at any time.

But if the other party was Kishiar, it was different. Far from being displeased, Yuder felt a sense of gratification and slightly lifted his head.

He felt as if he caught Kishiar’s gaze from a distance. It was probably true.

Even though Kishiar’s face was hardly visible from such a distance, Yuder could clearly feel those red eyes not missing a single move of his. A warm heat overflowed in his heart.

However, separate from that, the crack that hung over their heads still remained, maintaining its ominous appearance.

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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[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.'