Chapter 261. A New Episode (4)
Jin Sahyuk vacantly stared at the portrait of her old servant. Her heart began to pound loudly.
Her hand that held the page was shaking. She grew dizzy, and a cold sweat ran down her back.
“….”
Though she had considered this possibility before, the shock was still far beyond her imagination. Now, Jin Sahyuk couldn’t think properly. She only trembled. A wave of shock swept over her entire body from the inside.
[Kindspring Winter]
The portrait of her servant bore a frightening resemblance to Kim Hajin. Except for the hair color and the bushy beard, they looked the same, just like herself and Prihi.
So in the end, it was true.
Kim Hajin was Kindspring, and so he had no choice but to resent her. Because everything was her fault to begin with….
“…Fuck.” She swore quietly. Unable to keep her eyes open, she dropped her head on the desk. Nausea filled her throat. Her memory seal partly eroded, and now, she was suffering from old memories and regret.
At that moment, Tok, tok—, someone tapped on Jin Sahyuk, but she didn’t respond.
Pssh, pssh—
This time the figure began to shake her shoulders from side to side. That small gesture made her feel so dizzy that she raised her head to glare at the intruder.
"…What are you doing here?"
In front of her eyes was the young Jin Sahyuk, King of Plerion, Prihi. Despite Jin Sahyuk’s threatening gaze, Prihi was not intimidated.
"Even priests are not allowed to use the royal library without my permission.”
Jin Sahyuk stared at the King’s face in silence. This child was her past self. Jin Sahyuk used to be the foolish and pitiful ruler of Plerion. Despite it all, Jin Sahyuk still felt resentful towards the King.
Jin Sahyuk brushed her sweaty hair off her forehead. Then, she pointed at the portrait in the record book.
“King, do you know this person?”
“….” Prihi’s expression immediately froze.
Jin Sahyuk glared at Prihi with her eyes full of magic power. She hastened Prihi to answer, urging her to speak.
Prihi broke out in a cold sweat.
“If you do know him, answer me.”
Still, Prihi kept her silence. Without a word, she stared at the portrait of ‘Kindspring’.
She didn’t answer, but her eyes did. They were filled with forlorn regret and were slowly being consumed with unspeakable pain, like a fire turning to ashes.
Sadness swelled inside Jin Sahyuk.
Suddenly, she heard a loud shout outside.
—The post horses have arrived! They found the other priests!
**
Early in the morning, post horses came back with good news.
“…We seriously almost died.”
They’d brought back Seo Youngji and Yi Yongha to the palace.
The two were beyond filthy and basically half dead. They had managed to survive by eating grass and drinking rainwater.
“It’s all thanks to Youngji-ssi that I survived.” Sitting among the withered grass and flowers of the royal garden, Yi Yongha said to Seo Youngji.
“Same here. I only survived because of Yongha-ssi. Also I learned for the first time that cooked grass tastes good.”
Having survived together for nearly a week, they became closer to each other. The two looked at each other affectionately. Then, with a look of discontent, Aileen pulled Yi Yongha by his ear.
“Ak, aak! What?”
“Are you having an affair?”
“…No way. You know my wife is the only one for me.”
Now that everyone except for Shin Jonghak had gathered, I decided to ask them about the ‘top priority’.
“Excuse me, but have you seen a crystal that looks like this?”
“Crystal?”
“Yes.”
I took out the piece of the Tower Crystal from a cylindrical container.
“No, we haven’t.”
“We were too busy looking for something to eat….”
But the duo shook their heads.
It wasn’t surprising since they probably wouldn’t have made it back here in one piece if they actually had the crystal with them.
I put the crystal back where it belonged and asked them about our second priority.
“How about Shin Jonghak?”
This time Yi Yongha and Seo Youngji both let out a sigh at the same time.
“…We haven’t seen Jonghak-ssi either.”
“That’s what worries me the most. He’s strong, so he’s probably alive somewhere, right…?”
“Hm. Okay, well, I understand.” I nodded hesitantly.
Why was Shin Jonghak separated from the rest? Everyone else came to this world in pairs…
I began to ponder when suddenly….
“It’s good to see more people from the Temple!”
A child-like voice rang out.
I turned my head to see Prihi and Jin Sahyuk standing side by side.
But something was wrong with Jin Sahyuk. Her usual arrogant demeanor was gone, and she was looking at me with glum, sorrowful eyes.
When our eyes met, Jin Sahyuk sighed and turned back. With faltering steps, she disappeared to somewhere.
"Well then, let us dine together. Half of the 63 eggs are infertile, so we should be able to have a good meal." Prihi said with a bright smile.
Her smile was so cute that I had to reply with my own smile.
"Yes, that sounds great. I'll cook."
**
[30F, Demon King’s Castle]
The Demon King swung his demonic sword. Kim Suho countered with his holy sword.
KAANG—!
Magic power exploded at the point of their clash.
The demonic sword was heavy. In the past, Kim Suho thought he would never be able to withstand its weight, yet now he could block it without much effort.
KWANG—!
The Demon King swung his sword again. In between the relentless attacks, the King spoke, “…Your sword has changed a lot.”
KOOONG—!
Kim Suho answered, pushing him back, “…I realized the power of what I already possess.”
KWAANG—!
The demonic sword and holy sword clashed.
Kim Suho did not give in, not even a single step, against the Demon King. He learned to stand firm. He realized the weight of his Gift, Sword Saint, once again and what it meant to be able to ‘cut anything’.
KWAAANG—!
Kim Suho cut off all doubts in his mind. He cut off his fear and his dread. The only thing he had left inside him was ‘victory’.
“Today will be the last.”
Kim Suho believed in himself.
He believed in his friends who believed in him.
Thus, the Sword Saint would triumph over the Demon King in this fight of the swords.
KWANG—!
The holy sword and the demonic sword clashed again. The holy sword dissolved the demonic energy of the demonic sword. What Kim Suho wanted to cut was the Demon King’s soul, not his sword.
‘Sword Saint only becomes complete when it confronts the heart instead of the blade.’
Kim Suho had come to this enlightenment. As such, he gave it his all to swing his sword. Bearing the desire to win, thoroughly excluding any emotion besides the drive for victory, that was what the Sword Saint’s sword was like by nature.
“…Your determination is interesting.”
Blocking a blow from the Sword Saint, the Demon King laughed.
Kim Suho also smiled.
He was sincerely enjoying this fight. He was greatly engrossed in the battle between life and death comparing the state of existence of two swords.
“—!”
He waved his sword, shouting out loudly. The golden blows that diffused out of the holy sword rushed to the Demon King. The Demon King defended himself from Kim Suho’s attacks with a broad smile across his face.
And the moment he stopped one of the blows… Kim Suho suddenly appeared in front of the Demon King. Kim Suho’s speed was equal to that of his attack. The Demon King, impressed by Kim Suho’s movement, laughed out loud.
“Hahahaha….”
The two struck swords while facing each other's smile.
Now, less than a step remained before the end of the Tower of Wish.
**
[Akatrina Continent]
…5 weeks into life in Akatrina.
During this time, the capital city of Plerion had improved quite a bit. The restoration work proceeded smoothly, and the construction of the communal shelter for exactly 8,633 citizens was completed. Building materials were supplied by my [Random Dice], and construction employed Aileen’s magic power and Yi Yongha’s fire.
I made new livestock almost every day. We ended up with a total of 53 chickens, 12 pigs, and six cows. A new barn was built to house them. The constant cry of chickens filled the chicken coop where the knights kept guard day and night.
I would have been happy to make more, but because the power in one crystal shard was limited, I couldn’t even make a single chicken with 5 streaks of Stigma now.
Jin Seyeon obviously was very enthusiastic about volunteer work. Seo Youngji helped her.
The two of them, together with the people, worked in the fields and dug wells benevolently. Thanks to their hard work, thieving citizens disappeared, and potatoes and corn were fully grown in four weeks and distributed evenly among everyone free of charge.
Furthermore, Jin Sahyuk had gotten very passionate about Prihi’s education. I wasn’t sure what she was going after, but Jin Sahyuk taught Prihi about the basic application of magic power and also tormented her by stuffing Machiavelli’s governing theory in her brain.
But for some reason, Jin Sahyuk didn’t talk to me a single time. She kept avoiding me, without even making eye contact with me.
Well, now that I think about it, she wasn’t exactly avoiding me. She threw glances at me secretly or followed me around from a distance. Then, whenever our eyes met, she would quickly run away.
At first, I thought she was trying to assassinate me. But days passed without her showing the slightest sign of hostility. My confusion only grew day after day.
"…I think it’s about time to go find the crystal shards.”
In any case, we were currently on top of the perfectly repaired castle wall.
I suggested, looking down below from the rampart.
“I feel like something bad is going to happen if we leave.” Aileen said. She seemed to have grown fond of Akatrina.
“That’s why I’m planning on going alone.”
“Isn’t that too dangerous? We don’t have the slightest clue where the crystals are.” Jin Seyeon said worryingly.
I shook my head with a smile. “It’s okay, the crystal shard I have will react when other shards are nearby. It probably won’t take me long to gather all of them.”
“Don’t underestimate the outside world.”
This time, one of Prihi’s knights, who was standing guard at the wall, came forward.
His name was Leot, a macho knight who wielded a heavy claymore.
“There’s not just Schupert and monsters, but also the ‘Vigilante’ outside.”
“Vigilante?”
“Yes, they surfaced about two or three years ago, when things just started to get bad. They engaged in guerilla warfare, going back and forth between Shupert’s castle and our castle, stealing food, horses, and weapons.”
“Ah…. Yeah, well, that’s okay.”
I just let his words slip and nodded. After all, I was pretty confident in my ability to run away.
“I’m only going to be patrolling the area today.” With a short exclamation, I jumped down the wall.
Tak— After landing, I realized Jin Sahyuk was leaning against the wall behind me. She was staring at me, immersed in the atmosphere.
“What?”
“…I’ll go with you.” Jin Sahyuk said and stood beside me.
I was curious why since she’d been avoiding me this whole time, but I just let her be. There was something I wanted to say to her anyways.
“Do as you please.”
And so, I walked with Jin Sahyuk.
[Crystal shards resonate when they are near each other.]
Walking through the forest, occasionally checking the crystal in my hand, I spoke after a period of silence.
“I heard you’ve been rummaging through the underground dungeon and the royal library…”
“…”
I had heard from the knights that Jin Sahyuk was spending a lot of time in the underground dungeon and the royal library. It was obvious who she was looking for.
“Who exactly are you after, Kim Suho or Puharen?”
On a side note, Kim Suho did not exist in this world. It was probably because he was too extraordinary to be recreated by the power of a Tower Crystal.
Jin Sahyuk shook her head at my question.
“Neither.”
“…Really?”
From the look on her face, I could tell she had found something.
I glanced doubtfully at the side of her face.
“It’s Puharen, right? Because you know when he’s going to turn into a devil.”
“I told you, I’m not looking for Puharen.”
Jin Sahyuk stopped and stared at my face, as if trying to find something in me.
After a while, Jin Sahyuk let out a pent-up voice.
“…Are you testing me right now?”
For some reason, her words sounded strangely emotional.
I looked at her in complete bewilderment, and Jin Sahyuk’s face distorted.
I couldn’t tell whether she was sad or angry.
“You’re so mean….”
Jin Sahyuk said with a trembling voice. It was then.
Woong….
Suddenly, the crystal began to vibrate. I covered Jin Sahyuk’s mouth with my hand.
“…Uuup!”
“Shut your mouth for a second. Someone’s here.”
—There’s no need.
However, it seemed I was too late. A heavy voice pierced through my ear.
Soon, a group of knights appeared from behind the bushes. Because I didn’t sense their presence, I assumed there was only one enemy at first.
“The hell, how are there so many?”
But what appeared from behind the bushes was… at least a hundred knights. Their presences were so overwhelming that even Jin Sahyuk had to take a step back.
“Looks like you two are from the royal castle.”
Their leader smiled and stepped forward. His armor was simply dazzling but I was more focused on the sword in his hand.
There was a blue crystal embedded in the center of the hilt.
It was a Continental Fragment.
The man looked over me and Jin Sahyuk one by one.
“You’re here on a patrol? What poor luck you have to bump into us.”
His voice sounded slimy as if it had been buttered.
I was going to devise a plan first. A plan to steal the crystal and run away from here. However, Jin Sahyuk suddenly burst into anger.
“Raylen, you son of a bitch. Fancy meeting you here.”
“…Hahaha. So you know me. Not surprising, considering only a handful of Sword Masters remain in this world.”
“Sword Master?”
At that moment, my expression automatically turned into a frown.
“That’s right. My name is Raylen, the Sword Master of Schupert.”
I wasn’t sure if the guy in front of us was a real ‘Sword Master’, but if he was, then we were in a really bad situation. Sword Masters were not common beings in my story.
A Sword Master was, as the name itself implied, a ‘God of the Sword’.
‘Sword Master’ was the realm Kim Suho would reach by defeating the Demon King. So the man in front of us right now was at least as strong as Kim Suho, or worse, stronger.
“And are you the King’s servants that the Count was talking about?”
Raylen asked while raising his sword. The knights behind him also drew their swords.
Guooo….
A huge surge of magic power spread throughout the forest. The magic power of one hundred knights formed a small whirlpool.
“Jin Sahyuk, get ready to run.”
“…You run. I have a duty to kill that son of a bitch, even if this is only a dream. You should know about that traitorous bastard, too.”
Jin Sahyuk glared at Raylen and released her magic power.
Her magic power rose into the air and took on the shape of a spear and a sword.
“—!”
Jin Sahyuk immediately fired them towards Raylen. But Raylen swung his sword and easily knocked them away. We were at an disadvantage here. It was difficult enough to deal with one Sword Master, but there were one hundred knights in addition.
“No, don’t be stubborn and…?”
Right then, I stopped talking and looked up at the sky.
A huge shadow had blanketed the ground where we were standing.
The others also instinctively looked up.
“What….”
Hundreds of spears were pouring down from the far-off corner of the sky, covering the entire sun. These spears didn’t belong to Jin Sahyuk. They belonged to a third party.
Suddenly, the knights shouted.
“It’s the Vigilante!”
“Everyone, get ready to fight!”
“Those wolves have come again!”
The spears landed on the ground as soon as the knights got ready to strike back. They caused a huge explosion. Hundreds of spears rushed in and blew up the whole area around us.
KWAAAANG—!
Smoke frothed out from where the explosion took place. My vision was completely blocked by the smoke, but I was safe thanks to Aether. Surrounded by the Aether shield, I looked up at where the spears had come from.
A man who seemed to be the leader of the Vigilante stood there.
Strangely, he looked familiar.
A thick beard, dark swollen eyes, a shabby cloak fluttering in the air…. Though his appearance had changed dramatically from what I remembered, I could tell who it was.
It was Shin Jonghak, without a doubt.
This whole situation was somewhat like déjà vu. The moment I saw him, I suddenly remembered the ‘first recorded past’ I had visited a long time ago. Back then I was the only one who fell into the past at a different time.
What if, as I did in the past, Shin Jonghak also fell into a different time…?
“Shin Jonghak?”
Shin Jonghak turned his gaze on me. At first I thought he was relieved to see me.
“…Three years.”
But it didn’t take me long to realize I was wrong.
“I’ve been waiting here for three years, you scumbags—!”
Shin Jonghak pointed his crimson spear at me, venting his rage.