857

 [Chapter 214]

[Beyond the Door (3)]

Their strengths were almost evenly matched.

No, <Undead > was slightly ahead.

Gift <Heroic >

Gift <Berserk >

The two gifts collide.

Eun-ha blocked <Undead >'s sword while concentrating strength in his eyes.

The world splits in two.

A few seconds into the future.

Lightning Step

The moment he saw the future, Eun-ha immediately moved.

Almost simultaneously, <Undead >'s sword penetrated where he had been standing.

Red mana overflows on the blade.

Blood Dance

One of <Undead > Noh Eun-ha's sword techniques.

That technique learned from Baek Seo-jin was specialized only for killing opponents.

Combined with <Berserk >'s ability, it exerts extreme synergy.

If I had been hit wrong, I would have been in danger too.

Eun-ha also knows Blood Dance's ability.

A rushing thrust.

The basic number of Blood Dance attacks is 6.

However, with <Berserk >'s ability added, it would stab the same area countless times until the opponent fell.

As it was an attack that could risk being counterattacked if done carelessly by going deep into the enemy, it had to be accompanied by danger.

If he hadn't read the future with <Heroic > and avoided in advance, he would have been in quite a dangerous situation.

Violent Venom

Then Eun-ha rushed at <Undead > and swung his sword.

The weakness of Blood Dance is that it's hard to cancel the attack once you take a step.

He digs in aiming for that moment.

The blackened sword blade creates a crack in <Undead >'s armor, and deadly poison falls on him.

The poison penetrates.

"It's useless."

"...!!"

"Because this is my world."

But the poison had no effect.

Moreover, <Undead > using <Berserk > was speaking.

Eun-ha's eyes widened at the situation different from his expectations.

Shouldn't he lose his mind and be unable to maintain sanity when using <Berserk >?

But how is that guy...!!

He had to stop thinking.

<Undead > rushed in.

Eun-ha immediately blocked the sword.

Then <Undead > who clashed swords quickly twisted his body.

He reads the magic Eun-ha is trying to use and immediately implements countermeasures.

<Berserk >'s learning ability.

He had perfectly learned Eun-ha's tactics after a few battles.

Was <Berserk > this strong?

Eun-ha was inwardly shaken.

Though Eun-ha counterattacked him in his own way, he couldn't keep up with the guy's reaction speed.

He was barely blocking attacks.

<Undead > was getting stronger and stronger beyond Eun-ha's imagination.

"That's because it's my world. In this world, I don't lose to you."

And <Undead > answered as if reading Eun-ha's mind.

Eun-ha clicked his tongue at those words.

On the contrary, he wasn't receiving help from this world.

This world was no different from a stage completely for <Undead >.

I don't usually blame equipment... But it's quite inconvenient to fight without my usual equipment.

Eun-ha frowned.

The armor and sword he was wearing now were certainly familiar to him.

But Eun-ha felt more comfortable handling the artifacts and swords he used in this life.

Moreover, Buldak and Kang aren't here.

When he had that thought─

─I guess I'm now more accustomed to my current life than my life before the regression.

Eun-ha could look back on the life he had walked since regressing.

It was a strange realization.

He was no longer <Undead >.

His tactics had completely changed.

☆

The battle that had been evenly matched eventually flowed into a form where <Undead > took the upper hand.

Platinum Cro...!!

<Undead > knew himself very well.

Without needing to learn with <Berserk >, he quickly approaches and attacks before Eun-ha can compress mana in his sword.

Just with that, Eun-ha couldn't use the magic he favored, which could be said to be the opportunity to face this life head-on.

"You've probably noticed already. That I understand all the tactics you've established since regressing."

"..."

"In this world, I've been watching you for a long time. But what about you? Have you ever thought about looking back at the past while indulging in current happiness?"

<Undead > asked.

Eun-ha couldn't immediately refute.

<Undead >'s words were right.

Eun-ha, who at first couldn't properly look around being bound by the past before regression, was now looking at the present and future.

He had certainly become stronger than before the regression.

But his tenacity was no match for <Undead > who somehow tried to overcome even in unfortunate situations.

"You who have forgotten the past have no present and no future. The reason you're being pushed back is because you've lived such a life."

"I haven't forgotten. It's just that as I lived, it gradually got pushed back."

"Can you say those words to them too?"

"..."

At that moment, the mountain of corpses moved.

People who should be dead come back to life.

They were people Eun-ha knew.

Comrades from before the regression.

They gathered around <Undead > and exerted their aura.

Among them─

"─Are you happy being happy alone?"

"Are you happy being happy?"

"Yu-jung, Baek-ryeon..."

Lee Yu-jung and Ha Baek-ryeon were there too.

Lee Yu-jung activates magic.

She cast a buff greatly increasing physical abilities for a short time on <Undead > and old comrades.

Ha Baek-ryeon uses <White Silver>.

Mana leaking from her body dispersed all of Eun-ha's magic.

"As long as you're in this world, you can never defeat me. Because what I carry on my shoulders is heavier."

"..."

"Look behind you. What exactly is behind you? There's nothing. That's why you're weak."

<Undead > smirked.

He slowly approaches receiving support from old comrades.

With magic sealed, Eun-ha now had no choice but to face him with his body.

At that moment, such a thought occurred to him.

Is there really nothing behind me?

That I'm not carrying anything?

No, that's not true.

Unlike what <Undead > says, Eun-ha was also carrying many things.

Nevertheless, the reason nothing exists around him is because this mental landscape is based on before the regression.

Then it didn't make sense.

<Undead > told him he had forgotten before the regression.

But his mental landscape was clearly based on before the regression.

Is this really my world in the first place?

In the end, Eun-ha's doubt led to the world he was in.

A world full of blood and corpses.

A world where no living people exist, and only the resentment of the dead remains.

Is this world for himself?

No, it's a world for <Undead >.

When his thoughts reached that point─

"─That can't be."

Eun-ha couldn't help but laugh.

The armor he was wearing and the sword in his hand felt cumbersome.

It didn't suit him.

He didn't know why he had been using this without doubt until now.

"There's no reason I should have my life I've walked so far denied by you saying you're me. I won't deny you either."

There is a path called life.

Eun-ha looked back one by one on the path he had walked so far.

Memories of meeting family, meeting friends, meeting loved ones after regressing came back vividly.

He was carrying them on his shoulders.

At that moment─

─Whoosh!

Eun-ha was engulfed in flames.

The heavy armor burns away in the fire, and Pandora Clan's uniform appears.

The two swords also burn away in the fire, and Hundred Flowers Scattered and Zangetsu Kōsei appear.

"As expected, this is more comfortable now."

Cloaked in a flaming mantle.

Wrapped in lightning chains.

Eun-ha walked out of the fire.

Then flames spreading from him burned the world fiercely.

"What? You say I can't defeat you in this world? Then I just have to face you in my world."

"...You've realized."

Eun-ha chuckled.

He had forgotten something so obvious.

This world is his world.

Not <Undead >'s world.

It's <Crimson Lotus Sword>'s world.

The blazing flames burn fiercely, devouring the world.

The people around <Undead > disappear touching that fire.

A world covered in flames.

Now only Eun-ha and <Undead > remained in that world.

"Thank you. I've realized now."

Past, present, future.

Where he exists is no longer important.

He exists everywhere.

He is himself encompassing the three times.

Noh Eun-ha.

Who vowed to change the future.

Eun-ha who realized that obvious question could now open the door.

Eun-ha opened that door.

Myth Manifestation

────.

A huge fire demon attacks <Undead >.

☆

The world changed.

There was a blue sky overhead.

Eun-ha was suddenly standing on a vast field.

In front was <Undead > who had fallen defeated by him.

"This is..."

"Your world."

<Undead > got up.

He pointed to one side with his chin.

Eun-ha turned his head.

"Ah..."

"Now you understand? What your heart's foundation is made of."

Below the hill.

There were many people.

Family, friends, comrades.

They were laughing and chattering.

Yellow flowers were blooming especially where they were running around.

They're canola flowers.

"...I see."

Though it was a sight seen from afar.

Eun-ha couldn't help but have a relaxed face seeing that sight.

They were the people he wanted to protect.

They are the foundation of the mental landscape.

Eun-ha could finally face his mental landscape.

"So who are you?"

"You."

"..."

"The you of the mental landscape."

"But why do you look like that?"

Eun-ha questioned <Undead >.

Though the world had changed for Eun-ha, <Undead >'s appearance hadn't changed.

If it was his world, he should be wearing the same clothes as himself.

Then <Undead > said─

"─Because the you of this life didn't fight that guy."

"That guy?"

"The one who brought you to death."

"...!!"

It was then.

Something appeared behind his back.

A powerful aura was felt.

The hair all over his body stood on end.

His body wouldn't move and trembled.

His head wouldn't turn.

The moment his head turns─

─He dies.

That thought filled his mind.

It was absurd.

This was his mental landscape.

It was strange that something he felt fear towards existed.

However, he had to eliminate the being that appeared behind his back somehow.

If not, this world would disappear.

Eun-ha instinctively felt that.

He tried hard to move his body.

At that moment─

"─Don't look back."

<Undead > passed by Eun-ha.

<Undead > who briefly placed his hand on his shoulder headed towards that being.

"You know what it is too, right?"

"...The boss of <Abyss Dungeon>."

"That's right, it's the fear strongly imprinted in your memory. Fear that can immediately collapse your mind just by recalling it."

"..."

"Fighting him is my job. I'll go back to the deep layer now. We can't ruin the world we've cultivated so nicely like this, right?"

If the people on the flower field are the goal to live for.

The self in this world was the ego trying to maintain one's existence.

Eun-ha finally understood everything.

The deep layer was the foundation existing below the mental landscape.

Eun-ha who understood everything like that wished his other self good luck.

"Work hard."

"You work hard too."

The huge presence disappears.

<Undead > is trying to return to the world Eun-ha was in earlier, taking him along.

"Ah, right."

Meanwhile, <Undead > said.

When the presence was no longer felt, Eun-ha turned around.

<Undead > was smiling.

"The past exists not to regret, but to reflect so you don't do such things again. Don't misunderstand."

Leaving those words.

<Undead > disappeared.

At that moment, Eun-ha woke up.

☆

"..."

Eun-ha opened his eyes.

The ceiling of the training room came into view.

Then he who got up looked around the training room and clicked his tongue.

It's a total mess.

Something must have happened.

The training room was miserably destroyed.

It seemed he had caused damage to the area while accepting the power of the inner pill.

Fortunately there were no people around.

"Did I succeed?"

He saw swords fallen far away.

They were swords he had dropped before entering the training room just in case.

Eun-ha who got up from his spot reached out towards the swords.

──.

He manifests internal mana.

The color of mana flowing out from his body is very clear and pure.

Usually, Eun-ha's mana color contained a much darker color.

As he tried to increase the purity of mana, the mana color darkened, and its quality inevitably became heavy and rough.

Did the purity of mana decrease?

No, that's not it.

Eun-ha carefully observed the mana flowing along his arm.

Mana efficiency hadn't decreased.

It was no different from before.

Nevertheless, the reason it looks clearer is because only the nature changed while maintaining efficiency.

The nature of mana is light and soft.

Though his heartbeat is no different from usual, mana comes out profusely just by thinking.

Sword Control

Eun-ha called the swords.

The swords fallen on the floor floated up and came to his hand.

Eun-ha drew Hundred Flowers Scattered from its scabbard and let mana flow.

"Wow..."

An exclamation came out involuntarily.

The sword felt light.

Even without concentrating consciousness on the sword, it felt like his own arm.

Moreover, the sword and mana resonate and match optimal wavelengths for each other.

The speed and response of mana imbuing the sword improved much more than before.

Above all─

"─Internal mana has increased."

Eun-ha had been freely flowing mana without worrying about internal mana for a while now.

Nevertheless, he didn't feel like the mana filling his heart was decreasing.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on his heart, and the amount of internal mana became measurable.

It's increased enormously.

To the point where it's ridiculous that I've been fighting worrying about mana so far.

There's vast mana inside his body.

Eun-ha wasn't used to the amount he had never felt before in his life.

Then he reverted the mana.

So have I become a Mine?

Is he human now, or a Mine?

Eun-ha became curious about his state.

Fortunately, one side of the training room wall was made of mirrors.

Eun-ha decided to approach the cracked mirror and check his eyes.

If he became a Mine, his eyes should have turned red.

"...I'm not a Mine?"

But Eun-ha's eyes approaching the mirror were no different from before.

They were still brown with a bit of black mixed in, not red.

Otherwise, his appearance reflected in the mirror hadn't changed at all from when he entered the training room.

Did only the capacity for his heart to accept mana change?

Why?

The advantages of Mines were high defense and fast healing speed.

It was incomparable to a human body.

Eun-ha quickly used Hundred Flowers Scattered to gently cut his wrist.

No wound was created.

He cut once more.

Only then did an extremely fine crack appear on his skin.

 As the crack split, blood rose up like water droplets.

Hiss

Right after, the wound heals.

The opened wound quickly closed.

"So my existence is still human, but my abilities have become like a Mine? How did this happen?"

Eun-ha checked his condition.

He couldn't readily understand.

But he had some guesses.

Is it because of the gift?

Gift <Heroic >.

No, Gift <Unknown >.

There was a lot unknown about the gift that was also <Berserk >, <Brave >.

Eun-ha reached the thought that his state of being human while having Mine abilities was also due to the gift.

"Well, whatever. It's not bad."

He decided to think positively about it.

In fact, Eun-ha had been worried about the drawbacks he would experience becoming a Mine.

Theoretically, beings born between Mines and humans were Ains.

That child would inherit his blood while having different genes from him.

We'll probably make many more in the future... If possible, I want to make children who resemble their dad and mom.

Of course, to have such thoughts, he had to win the final battle a few days later.

Eun-ha decided to take time to get used to his increased internal mana now.

"By the way, how many days are left?"

And so time flowed and flowed.

The day of the final battle arrives.