Every time I passed through the gate, there was a brief moment when my vision was obscured by darkness. It felt like I was being sucked into a deep swamp, as if a hand that was full of ominous, sticky darkness was pulling at my ankle. I could no longer feel my heartbeat. I just wanted to confirm whether Yeon-Hee was dead or alive.
When I arrived at Lee Tae-Han’s office, an Awakened was waiting for me.
“Where is noona? Mary noona!”
When Seong-Il lunged at him and shouted, I couldn’t take my eyes off the floor. Blood was scattered everywhere, and there were clear footprints that belonged to Yeon-Hee, marked with blood. There was a larger amount of pooled blood at the entrance of the door, where Yeon-Hee had collapsed.
Despite escaping using the returning stone, Yeon-Hee couldn’t hold on for long. The traces on the floor that her arm had swept indicated the pain she had dealt with at the time.
“I am asking you! Is Mary noona alive?!”
As Seong-Il’s howling echoed in the back, my eyes widened as if I had woken up from a dream. Yeon-Hee was still breathing not far away from here.
I didn’t remember how I managed to rush to the spot where I heard her shallow breath. My memory had been a blur ever since Seong-Il had told me the news.
And now, Yeon-Hee was right in front of me.
It was surreal to see someone like Yeon-Hee covered in vital sensors. She was lying in bed as if she was actually dead. Although she was unconscious, a contorted expression remained on her face. It was a painful look one might see in an elderly person struggling with illness before their breath stopped.
I couldn’t find the brightness she had the last time I saw her. I couldn’t believe this, and I was stupefied. It was weird how cunning a human could be. It only had been a few seconds that I had been praying for her just to stay alive…
My whole body trembled as I saw her face, and a disaster had swept away. She was alive, but she was not in a condition to say that. Her vital signs were weak. Her heart rate had dropped to a level where it wouldn’t be surprising if her life ended any moment.
[You have used Odin’s Wrath.]
I exerted my lightning power on her, just in case. However, her heart rate continued to decrease, and there was no sign of improvement.
What on earth had happened to Yeon-Hee to bring her to this state? My Yeon-Hee!
I unconsciously clenched my fists. Powerful skills were clamoring from deep within me, demanding to be unleashed. My body continued to shudder, and my voice trembled as I spoke.
“What happened…?”
As I asked and turned my head around, the scene inside the patient room came into my view. Not only were the association’s healers here, but there were also medical professionals. The blood that was smeared on their bodies was all Yeon-Hee’s.
Lee Tae-Han approached me with a grim look.
“Ever since her return, she has been unconscious. The message she left was…”
He didn’t seem to know what had happened either.
“Stop joking! How could she come back unconscious? I saw her clearly with my own eyes. She was definitely awake when she came back! Why are you not answering quickly? She must have left a message of some sort! We need to know what happened to her to treat her!”
An outraged shout burst out from Seong-Il. He angrily pushed Lee Tae-Han away and walked toward me. Then, he looked at Yeon-Hee, and tears welled up in his eyes again.
“Noona, what is going on? Please answer me! Please…please open your eyes.”
Seong-Il couldn’t bring himself to touch Yeon-Hee’s body and didn’t know what to do. He stepped back and checked on Yeon-Hee’s condition again.
The reason Lee Tae-Han and the association healers were showing concern was that there was no way to explain Yeon-Hee’s condition. Even without modern medical technology’s help, someone like LeeTae-Han could tell how someone’s life was fading away.
If Yeon-Hee had simply lost consciousness, then her vital signs and breathing should have returned to normal by now after external injuries had been treated. It was not due to the lingering negative effects of a death-related trait either. If her mind had been destroyed earlier, then she would have either died instantly on the scene or become a defenseless idiot.
However, she was in neither of those situations. I had a hunch about what had happened to her as something crossed my mind. My vision momentarily went dark as I remembered the trait ‘Revival’ that she had acquired a long time ago.
Lee Tae-Han met my gaze and opened his mouth.
“It must be…difficult, but please wait a little longer. An Awakened with a mental attribute is on their way.”
He said with a somber face, but it was meaningless. Although her skin was still warm and breathing, she was basically dead. I didn’t want to admit it, but it was true. The reason she could return here alive for a short time with a dead body was because of Revival. As soon as the trait’s duration ended, her breath would die down as well. Her body would grow cold, and I would never be able to hear her voice again.
That was how Yeon-Hee would truly face death and leave me. That was the undeniable, imminent future.
I had forgotten for too long what it was like to lose someone I loved. My hands were trembling in agony. I buried my face in them, and I felt uncontrollable strength in my fingertips. The pain throbbed wherever I touched with my fingers, over my forehead and temples, as if I was wringing them out.
Nonetheless, such pain didn’t alleviate my emotions. I couldn’t hear Seong-Il’s voice from behind me, even though he was saying something.
***
Yeon-Hee’s body showed signs of being attacked by several orcs, but that couldn’t have been the direct cause of her death. She was more than capable of handling orcs.
It was definitely a situation where she was unavoidably exposed to their attacks. For instance, she was exposed to their assaults after her mental state was destroyed. The real event that sentenced Yeon-Hee to death happened before that.
A powerful mental being had attacked her. It was hard to imagine that any of the orcs could defeat her in a mental battle. She must have encountered a transcendent being. It could be the four Spirit Kings or one of the remaining ancient dragons.
Entegasto could be the candidate as it harbored malice towards me, but if it had been involved, then Yeon-Hee wouldn’t have had the chance to activate Revival and would have died instantly. Therefore, it was someone who was less powerful than Entegasto but with exceptional mental abilities.
Fucking Lunea.
From Old One’s faction, it would be someone inferior to Jayden (The Great Red). Blue and Silver were already dead with their skulls stuck on Entegasto’s knees. White had been killed mysteriously in ancient times, so if I limited it to what was left, there were no more than eight candidates for the transcendent being that attacked Yeon-Hee.
1. Lunea
2. The Great Gold
3. The Great Black
4. The Great Green
5. Spirit King of Fire
6. Spirit King of Water
7. Spirit King of Earth
8. Spirit King of Wind
One of them was the one who killed Yeon-Hee, but I could narrow it down further. If I assumed there was a being as high in rank as Jayden among the three dragons, and eliminated the Spirit Kings whose physic abilities had not been confirmed:
1. Lunea
2. The Great ?
3. The Great ?
There were only three left, including the motherfucker Luena.
Revenge was meaningless. Even if I cut off all their heads, Yeon-Hee wouldn’t come back to life. Such revenge only had meaning after Yeon-Hee came back to life. After…after reviving her…then…so after that…
I consciously relaxed the tension in my fingertips. I brushed my face with my palm and looked at Yeon-Hee so that I could remember her in the future. If I let my guard down, then I felt like I would waste time hugging her, crying. Now was the time to think about the best way to save her, not the time to feel her last body temperature.
Meanwhile, a presence suspected to be an Awakened was approaching the room.
***
“Start now.”
I said to the guy even though I didn’t know the name.
1. Time Reversal Insignia
2. Revival Insignia[1]
3. Immortality Common Power
These were materials that could save the dead or those about to die. Time Reversal insignia lay dormant in my memory.
Nonetheless, the problem was that an immense amount of Mana was required, not whether it could be replicated or not. The Immortality Common Power was also related to the Power that was locked for me at the moment.
The most viable option to try first was the insignia ‘Revival.’ I needed to escape to the mental world where time constraints didn’t apply, whether I figured out how to replicate it or collected the one from my father.
“Are you deaf? Did you not hear Odin’s words?”
However, the mental Awakened was daunted, rolling his eyes. He seemed to be trying to relax, but the fear in his eyes showed no sign of dissipating.
He undoubtedly believed that if he entered my mental world with me, he would lose his life. He appeared to be thinking that either his mind would be destroyed or I would kill him upon his fortunate return. Or he could be one of the many Awakened who wished for Yeon-Hee’s death. That was entirely possible.
He was looking at her with disgust. I was gathering all my patience, feeling as if the entire world I had built up was crumbling down.
“Do you want to die right now?”
“Start, now!”
Seong-Il and Lee Tae-Han moved almost simultaneously. The guy rolled in front of me, and I grabbed the top of his head with one hand to lift him up. With just a bit of a tighter grip, screams flowed from his mouth.
I let him go and said, “I will not say it twice. Begin.”
The role of a guide in the mental world was crucial. This guy was extremely nervous, but he was the only one who could arrive as soon as possible, so we had no choice.
Nevertheless, it was then.
[This is Lu-neah, sir. There is good news and bad news.]
With the first message, the brat’s voice poured out like a torrent.
[The good news is that we have discovered the hideout of the Dragorin Red. And the bad news is…during the pursuit, I learned about an incident related to Doom Man’s female priestess. It seems that the Great Black has attacked her. Is this something you were already aware of?]
I didn’t reply.
[I am very worried about the safety of Doom Man’s female priestess. I sincerely hope she safely returns to your embrace.]
[If you returned to the mainland because of that matter, then Lu-neah’s wish has been fulfilled. That is a relief. However, because she was attacked by the Great Black, she must be in a critical situation even if she is alive.]
[Please focus on treating the female priestess, Doom Man. I will somehow persuade the higher lords to carry out revenge and orders on your behalf. If you recognize my contribution, Lu-neah can do anything for you. Just trust Lu-neah.]
[From this opportunity, I will prove my loyalty to you.]
The message stopped, but it felt like the world before me was contaminated with a crimson hue. The breath escaping between my lips was scorching hot as well.
I pushed the mental Awakened aside. From that moment on, I relentlessly opened and closed gates in search of the asshole. With every peek, countless scenes flashed by.
Soon, I found the bastard in its homeland. It was lying helplessly in a cluster of light formed by its kind.
[W…wait… What brought you to this shabby place? I know it is hard to believe, but if you wait and trust me, Lu-neah will prove my loyalty…]
I pulled my head back and opened another gate right above where the asshole was lying. I wrapped my hand with a lightning bolt.
Zaaaaap!
As soon as I reached my arm into the darkly torn gap, I grabbed the motherfucker.
1. Different from the trait mentioned earlier ?