Chapter 65
Dream’s Boundary (20)
For her, everything was incomprehensible.
The fact that he single-handedly broke through a group of dark mages that easily numbered over 200 was baffling, as was the fact that he came to find her instead of escaping.
Today alone, he had risked his life twice for her.
He had said his initial approach was out of necessity, but risking his life was on a completely different level.
“Hoo… Didn’t I say I’d be here soon, Senior?”
“I-I’m sorry…”
T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n g mt l. o rg
Lee Hyun’s attempt at a lighthearted comment was met with Yeon Minha bowing her head in genuine guilt.
“…I was joking. Who comes first doesn’t matter. What about the other students…?”
“They scattered midway. I don’t even know if they’re alive…”
Yeon Minha shook her head heavily.
“I see. Well, at least you’re alive… Cough, cough…!”
The masked male student suddenly coughed violently. Blood and bits of flesh splattered to the ground with a wet sound.
It was then that Yeon Minha realized his condition was far from normal. His hand holding the blade and his entire body were trembling noticeably. His anti-particle suit was torn and battered, with blood dripping from deep wounds. He looked like he could collapse at any moment.
“You… your wounds…”
“Cough…! Don’t worry about it. I just got a little torn up dealing with those in the city…”
“Those… those guys…?”
T h is w a s co p i e d f r o m k in g m t l .o r g
“They’re all dead.”
“What…?”
Yeon Minha looked at him with wide eyes, unable to believe what she had heard.
“Kid, you’re spewing nonsense.”
A gruff voice from a dark mage echoed in front of them. The contempt in his tone was unmistakable. While they exchanged brief words, the encirclement grew tighter.
“Do you mean to say you killed over 200 of our comrades who infiltrated Jinryeong by yourself?”
On his palm floated three red spikes of dark magic, which had multiplied. He slowly stepped forward.
“Trying to win a woman’s favor should be done at the right time and place. Then again, wearing something strange on your face shows you’re not in your right mind…”
The dark mage sneered, as though looking at a boastful fool. The forest filled with red eyes echoed with mocking laughter.
However, moments later, a bat with red glowing eyes flew to his ear.
The dark mage’s face filled with shock.
“What nonsense is this… Recheck it…”
T h i s w a s c o p ie d f r o m k i n gm t l . or g
“Hey, you. The big boss of the People’s Liberation Front Southern Army Guerrilla Command, Lee Jisang. Right?”
Lee Hyun stepped forward, cutting off his words. He could identify the most wanted dark mages without even looking, but this was more of a provocation.
The dark mage’s previously confident demeanor now showed signs of irritation and anxiety, as if he had received bad news.
“…This insolent brat…”
-Boom!
The dark mage’s words were cut short. Lee Hyun charged forward, thrusting his blade toward the man’s heart.
The blade was deflected with a heavy metallic sound. The man skillfully blocked the attack with his left hand, coated in dark magic.
-Boom! Crash!
“You… damn… brat… quite skilled…”
Several more exchanges followed. Lee Hyun’s blade repeatedly targeted the man’s vital points with precision.
The man, though surprised, successfully defended himself against Lee Hyun’s attacks. In the end, he even launched several dark magic missiles in a counterattack.
-Boom!
“Tsk.”
Lee Hyun clicked his tongue in frustration as he either dodged or deflected the missiles, feeling the pain spread through his body.
T hi s w a s c o pie d f r o m ki n gm t l . o r g
Lee Hyun looked back. Yeon Minha was struggling to stand, leaning against a rock.
“Senior. Can you move?”
“…It’s impossible.”
Yeon Minha shook her head weakly, a look of despair on her face. She had exhausted all her strength in the previous battles.
“You… wait a minute.”
After deflecting his attack, the dark mage seemed to recognize something about Lee Hyun.
“That movement… Predictive Path… and that mask…!”
Instantly, he erupted in fury.
The dark mage lunged, swinging his red-tinged right hand. Lee Hyun blocked with his blade, causing a powerful shockwave to ripple outward.
-Crack!!
“Ahh!”
Yeon Minha, barely leaning against the rock, was thrown to the ground. The impact was powerful enough to cause internal injuries to Lee Hyun.
“Cough…!”
“The form is different, but it’s certain… and that movement…! I’ve heard of it!! You’re the one from the 66th Squadron!! The one who slaughtered our brothers in the Northeastern Branch!!”
T h i s w a s co p i ed f r o m kin g m t l .o rg
-Boom!
Lee Hyun gathered his strength and deflected the attack. Then he kicked the dark mage in the stomach, gaining some distance.
“Hah… Hoo… For a bunch of commies… you seem quite sentimental… to take care of friends so far away… Hoo…”
“You damned reactionary…!”
The dark mage glared at Lee Hyun with bloodshot eyes.
“How is it that you’re here? Was this a trap? The 66th Squadron was supposed to be in the Northeast…”
“I’m not with the 66th Squadron… Hoo… I’m just… a student from the Cradle.”
“What nonsense…!”
Grinding his teeth to the point of breaking, the dark mage regained his composure and spoke in a chilling tone.
“Then it’s perfect. I’ll cut off your head to honor our fallen comrades. And I’ll send your mangled body to Sa Jaehyuk.”
“Our leader… Hoo, he’s so ruthless… he’d just toss it in the trash.”
“…”
The dark mage didn’t reply to the continuous provocations. His eyes, filled with chilling hatred, were fixed on Lee Hyun.
A cold wind began to blow all around. Dark magic and mist swirled, seemingly drawn into his body.
The dark mage’s body began to undergo a grotesque transformation. His skin and muscles darkened to a deep blue-black, as if he were a sick person.
His muscles swelled two to three times their size, making him look like a beast. His snout protruded, and sharp fangs jutted out from the corners of his lips. Thick, black fur covered his entire body.
Dark magic was derived from demonic origins. It spread through transmission, deteriorating the further it got from its source. Eventually, it turned those who sought it into mere husks or even mutants.
His current form meant he had received the original transmission directly from the source.
It was also a form that Lee Hyun utterly detested and abhorred.
“…Did you cross the border and swear loyalty?”
T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r om k in g mtl . or g
-Yes. It’s power granted directly by the Baekdu Bloodline for the liberation of our homeland.
“Ugh…”
A repulsive voice echoed in his mind. Yeon Minha shuddered, her face contorted as if she had heard a terrible noise.
Lee Hyun looked around. The forest showed similar signs of transformation in response to the dark mage’s change. It felt like they had fallen into the heart of a demonic realm.
“…”
When he arrived to save Yeon Minha, his body was already at its limit. The best course of action was to conserve his strength and somehow escape with her.
But his plan hit a dead end. Yeon Minha had already exhausted her strength fighting the dark mages. Even if he tried to escape with her, there was no way to evade the pursuit of the monstrous dark mage.
The brief exchange had made it clear. He couldn’t defeat the dark mage with just his current strength.
-Clench…
He felt his grip tighten reflexively around the blade. If he used his power now, he would have to kill every living enemy here. Could he do it in his current state? His sisters and commander would be furious if they saw him like this.
“…”
Yet, the conclusion was obvious in a split second.
It was something he had to do.
He took out the remaining stimulants and accelerants from his pocket and swallowed them all at once. He bit down, tearing the capsules with his molars and swallowing the contents. The effects spread through his veins, tearing his body apart with pain and energy.
He then constructed a magic circle, unlocking his Predictive Path to the seventh route. Particles stormed through the forcibly widened pathways.
He infused the particles into the blade to their limit, increasing its strength and destructive power. Heatwaves shimmered around the blade, refracting the air.
“…What are you doing…”
Yeon Minha, sensing his determination, called out to him desperately.
“Are you really… an idiot…? If you have that strength, just run…! Why… why are you…”
“Senior.”
“What…?”
“Congratulations in advance on the Geumseong Martial Honor.”
“Wait…!”
With a quick glance and a short statement, Lee Hyun charged toward the dark mages.
-I’ll tear you apart!
The repulsive voice echoed in his mind again. The dark mage grinned widely and raised his right arm. Dark magic swirled menacingly around his massive hand.
Red dark magic condensed into a whirlwind on his right hand. He seemed to have forgotten his earlier statement about leaving only the head, as the size was far larger than any spike.
The dark mage hurled the storm of dark magic at the charging Lee Hyun.
No barrier, no matter how strong, could completely deflect that attack. Lee Hyun would be torn to shreds, just as the monster had said.
Yeon Minha closed her eyes, unable to watch.
-Clang!
“What…?”
Something strange happened. The storm of dark magic that had been rushing toward Lee Hyun suddenly dissipated as if it had never been there.
Th i s w as cop i e d f ro m k in gm t l . o r g
The surrounding space was filled with the sight of the red dark magic particles disintegrating and scattering.
-Impossible! What is…!
The dark mage’s frantic thoughts were cut short. The blade, reinforced to its limit with particles, sliced through the dark mage’s neck like tofu. The movement was too swift for the eye to follow.
The massive monster’s head rolled to the ground, its eyes still fixed on its body.
Lee Hyun jumped onto the monster’s thick body. He drove his blade into the dark mage’s heart and shredded the area around it.
The dark magic core in the heart exploded, causing the dark mage’s limbs to twitch like a cockroach. Soon, the body went limp and stopped moving.
-Comrade Commander of the Guerrilla Unit!
“Attack, attack…! Kill him…!!”
No one had expected this turn of events. Not Yeon Minha, nor the beasts who had been watching with mocking laughter.
An assault began from all directions, accompanied by panicked shouts.
***
-Did you do wrong? Or not?
-I did wrong…
-What?
-That…
He recalled the rare occasions when his sisters genuinely got angry.
Never exceed the time limit. They always emphasized that.
His body had accumulated significant overload, reducing his lifespan considerably. Though he had been somewhat stabilized, each time he exceeded that limit, his lifespan would be drastically reduced.
He had always agreed with their warnings. But there was something he never told them.
He didn’t place much value on prolonging his life. He knew better than anyone that mere survival in weakness was just more suffering.
He had learned through loss that there are things worth protecting, even at the cost of one’s life.
Even if he were to die here, he couldn’t allow himself to be too weak to protect anything again.
“Ugh!!”
Th i s w a s c o p i ed fr om k i n g m t l.o rg
“What is this… dark magic isn’t working…! Aagh!!”
Signs of overload were visible on his body. His muscles and nerves screamed. His vision darkened as a mix of blood and sweat poured down, making it feel like he was in a tunnel.
But Lee Hyun continued to cut down the charging enemies.
He didn’t know how much time had passed.
Finally, when he had slain every evil thing in the canyon, he heard laughter.
He turned, still in a state of trance.
He was no longer in a canyon filled with blood-red mist.
He saw a bright blue sky. Thick clouds floated serenely. The sun was warm, and a gentle breeze caressed him.
He stood in a hill covered with blooming white mist flowers. It was the place he always longed for but could never return to.
At the edge of the mist flowers stood a girl, smiling brightly and waving at him.
It was the scene he had failed to protect.
And the burden on his heart that tormented him every morning.
***
Yeon Minha watched the surreal scene. Blood and dark magic intermingled in the air, scattering like fireworks. The evil forces couldn’t harm him. Dark magic within his range oxidized and dispersed like butterflies.
Amidst the endless fireworks, Yeon Minha felt a strange sense of deja vu. She shifted her gaze and looked around carefully.
A forest shrouded in blood-red mist.
Her body was covered in blood, and her anti-particle suit was in tatters at her feet.
She looked ahead again. All around her were shadows filled with evil and rage.
There stood a man. His body was broken and battered, not a part of him unscathed.
But his spirit remained unyielding. He continued to slaughter the countless red shadows with his back to her.
She looked at the ground again. The white wildflowers were stained red with blood. Puddles of sticky blood gathered and flowed like rivers.
She recalled her memories and soon understood the reason for her deja vu.
It was the nightmare from that day.
The night she struggled with the inexplicable fear and terror felt by the spirits.
It was natural she couldn’t remember the man’s face. Even now, his face was covered by a white mask splattered with crimson blood.
She realized one more thing.
No, it wasn’t a nightmare.
That day’s dream wasn’t truly a nightmare.
“Ah…”
Yeon Minha, who had been lost in the surreal sight, regained her senses.
Step, step.
In the silent forest, only the faint sound of footsteps echoed.
The man who had slaughtered all the dark mages and beasts approached her.
Though his blood-soaked appearance was terrifying, he was the one trying to protect her.
With her mind composed, Yeon Minha carefully tried to speak.
“You, you… are you okay…”
But her words were cut off.
The masked man had already drawn close enough for her to hear his breathing.
With his strong arms, he pulled her into his embrace.
“Ugh… you, you…”
Yeon Minha’s feeble resistance was silenced by his next words.
“You… What… Ugh…”
Thi s was cop i ed fr o m ki ng m t l . or g
“I said… I’d protect you…”
His actions continued.
He gently brushed her disheveled and dirty hair as if it were precious.
Her futile struggles were blocked by his firm and comforting embrace.
“Ugh… hic…”
“At least… this time…”
T hi s w a s c o p i ed f r o m k i n g m t l. o r g
-Thud!
Yeon Minha, who had closed her eyes to the relentless embrace, opened them slightly at the sound of something falling.
“What…?”
In her view was the masked male student, having spent all his strength, collapsing at her feet.
End of Chapter