Chapter 715

"Huff..."

Yuder exhaled deeply, surveying the land on which he stood. Until moments ago, this had been a noble house's garden, but now, it was barely recognizable as such.

Where once were valuable flowers and ornamental rocks, now lay a desolate, flattened wasteland. Only a few branches protruding from the brown earth weakly claimed its former glory.

The transformation seemed beyond human capabilities, yet Yuder's expression was far from triumphant or joyful.

'I didn't intend to use so much power.'

Just as he realized all of Kishiar's candies, of which he had eaten only one, were gone, his plan to subdue the opponent vanished from his mind. Even during his time as a Cavalry Commander, he rarely resorted to such ruthless measures. It was only after he had relentlessly crushed and buried his opponents that Yuder acknowledged his own deep frustration and anger.

Frustration and anger. He was surprised to find such juvenile emotions still lingering within him, yet the reality before his eyes was undeniable.

'At least I kept my sanity to keep my power within the garden's bounds.'

Even in the midst of overwhelming his foes, Yuder's power had not extended beyond the garden. The peaceful and quiet world outside seemed oblivious to the chaos within.

Yuder, glancing down at his torn coat pocket with a dark gaze, found it empty. As he was about to succumb to a sinister glint in his left eye, the sound of approaching horse hooves caught his attention.

"Sir Aile."

Nathan Zuckerman, holding the reins of a white horse, looked different from when he had chased after the enemy earlier. His attire was in disarray, though he seemed unharmed.

"The garden... What happened here? And the enemies...?"

"I used the power of the earth, and I won."

"Just 'used'?"

Nathan's gaze swept over the devastated garden.

"Such power is far from ordinary. It's clear you used more than a moderate amount."

"I did use more than usual, but it wasn't excessive."

"What do you consider excessive?"

"It would be difficult to repeat what I've just done, but I still have enough strength to defeat a few more foes. That's not excessive."

"I see. That's your standard."

Yuder hadn't exerted himself to the point of losing control over his powers. Though significantly drained, he could still defend himself and escape if more enemies appeared. This was his assessment, though Nathan seemed less convinced.

With a complex expression, Nathan surveyed the garden again.

"So, where are the fallen enemies now? They're not in sight."

Yuder quietly lowered his gaze to the ground, followed by Nathan. They looked at the flat land, indistinguishable from the rest, covered in brown dirt.

"They're right there."

"...You mean they're dead?"

"No, they're not dead. I simply buried them."

With a casual flick of his hand, Yuder caused the earth to tremble slightly and open up, revealing two figures buried within. Covered head to toe in dirt, they resembled corpses, but a closer look revealed they were indeed breathing, thanks to the small air holes Yuder had considerately left.

Despite his deep frustration over the shattered candies, Yuder couldn't recklessly kill these significant figures, especially the one who appeared to be the leader of the Southerners.

'I remember someone calling him Aton. If I recall correctly, that's the man responsible for the downfall of the Tain ducal family.'

Yuder strained his memory. If he was not mistaken, he had heard that name twice before.

The first time was after the mission in the West, when the Duke of Tain stood trial. Yuder had heard from Pruelle, who had attended the trial, about a Southern merchant who had manipulated the Tain family.

"That despicable man, whom I hesitate even to call 'father', told me about Aton. It seems he represented the Southern merchants, seizing all of the Tain family's wealth and authority. Even the orders to send merchants to the West were issued through him."

The second time was in a report from Steiber and Devran, who had been undercover at a gambling house to monitor the Duke of Tain. Unlike Steiber, the unfortunate chef who rarely went outside, Devran, who served tables, had seen the Duke of Tain intimately interacting with an unidentified Southerner, showing a serious dependence on him.

Though the report didn't focus on the man's name, as the priority was on the pursuit, it did briefly mention the name Aton.

However, all that was known was his name; information about his appearance was difficult to obtain. The primary reason was that he always concealed his appearance thoroughly when with the Duke of Tain.

During the trial, it was mentioned that the Duke of Tain didn't care whether the Southerners concealed their appearances or not; in fact, he preferred them keeping their identities hidden. As a result, even in the courtroom, no one could properly describe Aton's appearance.

Even when the Duke of Tain, claiming to have been deceived by the Southern merchants, tried to shift the blame, he couldn't provide any details about Aton other than his name. It was a situation so absurd that it made one wonder if the Duke was deliberately protecting the Southerners' identities.

Had the Duke of Tain shown even a slight interest or taken care to recognize the Southerners, Yuder might have immediately recognized Aton among the Southerners he encountered in the West.

'Anyway, considering how well he manipulated the Duke of Tain for years, I assumed he was a cautious man and wouldn't come to the West himself, but... I was wrong.'

Yuder gazed down at the unconscious Aton.

'Given the Duke's description, I assumed he was someone who catered to his every whim, unlikely to be involved in physical confrontations...'

Even in unconsciousness, the fact that he had not released his grip on the sword, and the prowess he displayed in two battles, indicated that this man was more a warrior than a merchant. It was astonishing to think how he had managed to suppress his nature and cater to the Duke of Tain's whims for so many years, considering the great confidence he seemed to have in his abilities.

"When Sir Aile mentioned earlier that unauthorized entry would be acceptable if the outcome was favorable, I thought it was quite reckless... But it seems it has come to pass as you said."

Yuder broke off his thoughts and turned to Nathan Zuckerman, whose expression was complex yet not entirely negative.

"Didn't I tell you I would manage it?"

"Still, I think it might be better to dissuade you next time."

"Why is that?"

"Seeing the state of your clothes and skin despite my presence, I believe the Duke will be quite concerned."

This unexpected remark held a power that momentarily stunned Yuder, more than anything else could. He glanced down at himself. His skin was somewhat dirtied from rolling around, though not to the extent of bleeding. But as for his clothes and the candies.. Indeed, he had no defense there.

"...That's..."

Before Yuder could find a response, either fortunately or unfortunately, the Southern swordsman regained consciousness.

'...In the end, it's all because of him.'

[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."

Check out the new project 2:

[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.'