Chapter 27: Illusion of the past

The fog rolled around Seojun, thick and oppressive, as Kyle's mocking voice echoed through the mist. Seojun's heart raced, The scythe was nowhere to be seen, pulled away by an unseen force.

Kyle's form seemed to waver and shift, his cruel smirk never fading. "Did you really think you could escape me, Seojun? No matter how far you go, you're still that scared kid I used to torment."

Seojun's hands shook as he tried to call out for Huno and Silla. "Huno! Silla! Can you hear me?" But his calls were swallowed by the fog, Despair gripped him tightly, but he forced himself to stay focused.

"You don't need your scythe to defeat me," Kyle taunted, stepping closer. "You're weak without it. Just like you were back then."

Seojun's breath quickened, the fear clawing at him. "I'm not that kid anymore, Kyle. You can't control me."

Kyle's laughter echoed cruelly. "Oh, really? Look at you now, trembling in fear. You haven't changed at all. You're still the same weakling who couldn't stand up for himself."

"Stay away from me!" Seojun shouted, his voice wavering. "You're not real. You can't control me anymore!"

Kyle's form seemed to distort, becoming more ethereal. "You think you're strong now? You think you've overcome your past? I'm here to remind you that no matter how hard you try, you'll always be weak. You'll always be afraid."

Seojun's fear began to shift into anger. "You're just a figment of my imagination. You're not real. I've fought monsters, faced real threats. You're nothing compared to them!"

Kyle laughed mockingly. "Is that so? Then prove it. Show me you're not afraid. Show me you can face your fears without weapon."

The fog seemed to close in tighter, Kyle's figure blending into the mist. Seojun felt his heart pounding, his mind racing. He reached out, but his hand passed through the fog as if it were a mirage.

Kyle's figure wavered, becoming even more insubstantial. "You're still running from your past. You're still running from me."

The fog continued to swirl around Seojun, thickening and making it almost impossible to see. Kyle's figure loomed within the haze, his voice taunting and cruel.

"You're really going to run away from me, Seojun? Remember the stray cat you used to feed? You thought you could save it, but look how that turned out," Kyle's voice dripped with scorn.

Seojun's heart sank as memories surfaced, unbidden. He saw a flash of the small stray cat he had taken in. he had done everything to keep it safe. But Kyle and his friends had found it and, in a fit of cruelty, had thrown it into the river. Seojun had rushed to save it, but by the time he reached the water, it was too late. The cat had drowned, and Seojun's heart had shattered.

Kyle's voice cut through the fog again. "You remember, don't you? How you couldn't do anything to save it? Just like now. You're powerless, a failure."

Seojun's fists clenched, and his breathing grew heavy. He struggled to push the painful memories away, trying to calm himself "No… not again," he muttered, his voice trembling. "I won't let you do this to me."

Kyle's figure seemed to grow more menacing. "You were always weak, Seojun. Even now, you can't escape your past. You're a failure, and you always will be."

Seojun squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the tormenting voice. He remembered the pain of that day, the helplessness he had felt as he watched the cat's life slip away. He focused on his breathing, forcing himself to stay calm.

"Did you know, Seojun?" Kyle taunted. "Your mother begged me when you were kidnapped. She was desperate, and she didn't just plead for your life—she offered me her body to ensure you'd be safe."

Seojun's eyes widened in shock, his mind reeling. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. The memories of that night, when he had been taken by the debt collectors, came rushing back. It was the same night his system had activated, the same night his world had changed.

"That's not true!" Seojun shouted, trying to push back against the crushing wave of disbelief. "My mother wouldn't do that. You're lying!"

Kyle's smirk widened, his cruel satisfaction evident. "Oh, but it's true. Your mother looked young despite his age and beautiful, but she was desperate. What did she think I was, some kind of pervert? My butler was actually more interested in her than I was. Can you imagine?"

Seojun's legs felt weak, his mind struggling to process the gravity of Kyle's words. "N-no," he stammered, "it c-can't be…"

"Why did she have to go through all that?" Seojun thought bitterly. "If only I had been stronger or paid off the debt, none of this would have happened. She wouldn't have had to make those terrible choices."

The fog seemed to close in tighter. Kyle's figure grew more menacing. "No matter how hard you try, you can't escape the truth. Everything that happened to her was because of you. And now, you're just a failure who couldn't even save her from the pain."

Seojun's breathing became ragged. The self-blame was crushing. "I've always wanted to make things right," he thought. "But no matter how much I try, I can't undo the past. I can't fix what's broken."

His determination wavered under the weight of his mother's suffering. He felt like he was drowning in guilt. "Maybe Kyle's right. Maybe I am just a failure."

Meanwhile, Huno and Silla were in the thick of the battle, fighting off the relentless swarm of small calamities emerging from the ground. Due to their levels matching Seojun's, they could only increase their size to human proportions. Silla, now in his form silver-scaled ragon body with nine heads.

Huno let out a powerful howling roar. The force of his attack sent a shockwave through the air, causing the nearest calamities to explode in a burst of dark energy. He glanced towards Seojun, who was still near the sleeping Abyss Calamity, and his concern deepened seeing his master standing there with lifeless eyes and the scythe on the ground.

The system's voice crackled through their earpieces. [Seojun is trapped in an illusion. The calamity's influence is too strong. You need to wake him up.]

Silla, who run ahead and use his skills tails slam, all the small calamities had flown away "Hurry up, brother!" she called out clearing the way. "Help Master before it's too late!"

Without hesitation, Huno surged forward, clearing a path through the small calamities with powerful roars and strikes. His massive presence cut through the chaos, pushing towards Seojun. Yet, despite his efforts, the small monsters continued to swarm, and when Huno leaped towards Seojun, he was repelled by an invisible barrier surrounding him.

Barking aggressively, Huno utilized his tri-jaw bite and Cerberus claws, but the barrier remained unyielding. His frustration grew as he struggled against the barrier's resistance.

"Master! Master!" Huno roared desperately.

Silla, observing from afar, saw the flicker of the barrier's energy with his sharp senses. The system hologram flickered to life, displaying, "The barrier might have weak spots. Focus your attacks there to disrupt it. Silla, help Huno."

"Yes, Father!" Silla shouted, rushing towards Huno.

As Silla arrived, the two guardians coordinated their efforts. Huno roared with an ear-splitting howl, pushing back the encroaching small calamities and momentarily clearing the immediate vicinity. Silla, with his silver-scaled body, swung his tail with immense force, executing a tail slam against the barrier. Together, they concentrated all their might on the barrier's weak points.

Initially, their combined assault seemed futile, the barrier holding firm against their relentless assault. But their persistence paid off. With each coordinated attack, cracks began to appear in the barrier, spreading outward from the points of impact.

Seeing the cracks widening, Huno let out another thunderous howl, intensifying his roar to disrupt the small calamities that threatened to hinder their progress. Silla, not missing a beat, delivered a powerful tail slam with renewed vigor, each strike resonating with the force of their combined strength.