Chapter 1606: Even When I Open My Eyes, It's The Same (Part 1)

As he stepped out of the makeshift military headquarters, his subordinates followed.

"Commander, about Ryeonju-nim...?"

Ho Gakmyung turned his eyes to the subordinate instead of giving a direct answer. In response to his cold gaze, the subordinate realized his mistake and quickly got to the point.

"Voices of discontent are merging, centered around the Sun Palace."

"Be more precise."

"...It's been over three days since we arrived here, and there have been no official announcements yet. They want to know if we will advance or retreat, or at least if we will stay here."

Ho Gakmyung's face became slightly colder.

"They can't even wait for three days, it seems."

"..."

"That's probably not what you want to say."

Ho Gakmyung asked with a mocking tone.

"What about others?"

"There haven't been any significant reactions yet, but..."

The subordinate's eyes, clouded for a moment, instinctively turned to one side and then returned.

"Some... are harboring a bit of doubt..."

Thump.

The sound of Ho Gakmyung stepping on the stone floor grew slightly louder. The subordinate quickly closed his mouth.

"Pitiful fools."

"...I apologize."

It had only been a few days since they achieved an unprecedented victory in the history of the Evil Sect. Yet, voices of discontent were already emerging?

'Disgusting.'

He knew this was the nature of the Evil Sect, but every time it happened, he felt a sense of disillusionment. The subordinate added.

"...It's not something to worry about yet."

"Understood."

Ho Gakmyung passed by the subordinate and moved on. The subordinate, who seemed about to say something, quickly held back his words.

Ho Gakmyung couldn't help but let out an uncomfortable sigh.

'Just...'

Every time something like this happened, he felt it acutely.

At most, ten days.

Without the name of Jang Ilso, they wouldn't even last ten days. That was the sandcastle called the Evil Tyrant Alliance.

No matter how hard he worked, no matter how many achievements he piled up, if the pillar named Jang Ilso collapsed, everything would crumble like a sandcastle.

"To confirm such facts after achieving a great victory..."

Nervousness crept into Ho Gakmyung's steps as he headed towards the large hall up front. Climbing the short stairs to the hall and passing even the guards in front of it, Ho Gakmyung sharply stared at the person blocking the entrance.

The servant flinched.

"G-Greetings, Commander..."

"How long have you been inside?"

The servant, unable to meet Ho Gakmyung's eyes, bowed deeply. Fear was evident.

"Um, well, since last night..."

Ho Gakmyung's eyes became even colder.

"It's good to be loyal to your master, but overly enthusiastic dogs often end up losing their heads."

The servant began to tremble like a leaf.

"Again."

"W-Well, actually, since yesterday afternoon..."

Pale and trembling, the servant continuously lowered their head.

Ho Gakmyung, with a gaze devoid of warmth, looked at them as if seeing through them. The door was tightly closed at this moment.

It wasn't the servant's fault.

"Who went in during that time?"

"Ah, no one was allowed in."

Ho Gakmyung nodded briefly, giving orders.

"Open it."

The servant trembled as if about to collapse at any moment.

It was understandable. The person who strictly prohibited entry inside was the Ryeonju Jang Ilso. And the one ordering to open it was Commander Ho Gakmyung of the Evil Tyrant Alliance.

In her position, it was difficult to ignore anyone's words. Unable to do this or that, she could only tremble in place.

"...No, forget it."

Finally letting out a small sigh, Ho Gakmyung personally grabbed the door latch. The servant, as if on the verge of collapsing, stepped back.

Click.

The tightly closed door slowly opened. Through the crack, thick white smoke seeped out.

Ho Gakmyung's eyebrows twitched reflexively, but soon, as if nothing had happened, he regained his composure and adjusted his expression. Then, he stepped into the room filled with smoke.

The pungent smell that pricked the nose was the Dream Soul Fragrance (夢魂香).

Although Jang Ilso occasionally enjoyed using it, today, the scent was unusually strong. As if it reflected his current mood... No, it was as if it was revealing Jang Ilso's heart.

Step by step, Ho Gakmyung walked into the room filled with Dream Soul Fragrance, where visibility was not clear. And soon, he came to a halt.

In the center of a large bed, where three incense burners were emitting continuous white smoke, there lay a person.

Bottles of liquor rolled here and there, and the pungent smell of alcohol permeated even through the Dream Soul Fragrance.

Ho Gakmyung, observing this scene, bit his dry lips.

While others might consider it a common sight, Ho Gakmyung knew. The current appearance of Jang Ilso, collapsed due to alcohol and Dream Soul Fragrance, was distinctly different from usual.

"Ryeonju-nim."

No response.

"Ryeonju-nim."

Not even a slight movement.

Was he inebriated, lost in a dream, or perhaps intoxicated by the fragrance? No, perhaps he was drunk on the world.

"Ryeonju-nim, you need to wake up. Ryeonju..."

Crash!

At that moment, Ho Gakmyung's vision was stained with darkness.

Right in front of his eyes, something writhed as if crying. Before he knew it, Jang Ilso's hand reached out like a lightning bolt.

Ho Gakmyung stood frozen in place.

The fingertips dug into the skin. The strength that seemed capable of crushing the skull tightened around the head. Amidst this, the rough sound of Jang Ilso's breath, like that of a wounded beast, poured into Ho Gakmyung's ears.

After a moment, a voice was heard.

"...Gakmyung?"

Only then did the grip on Ho Gakmyung's face release.

Through the gap between the receding fingers, Ho Gakmyung saw Jang Ilso's eyes, deeply bloodshot as if the bleeding veins would pop at any moment.

Jang Ilso then slumped onto the bed, gazed blankly at Ho Gakmyung with a face reminiscent of someone dreaming, then reached for the bottle of liquor placed by his head.

Gulp. Gulp.

The remaining half of the potent alcohol flowed harshly down Jang Ilso's throat. The newly spilled liquor created a messy trail along the disheveled front of his clothes.

After a while, Jang Ilso finally pulled the bottle away from his lips. Holding it upside down and lifting it high, the transparent liquor flowed in droplets before coming to a stop.

Even though the insatiable thirst hadn't diminished, the bottle was now empty. Staring blankly, Jang Ilso let out a dry laughter.

Thunk!

The discarded bottle bounced off the ground.

Ho Gakmyung quietly wiped his face with his hand. The cold sweat was apparent.

Mentally, he hadn't been too tense, but his body knew. It knew that he had just narrowly escaped the gates of hell and returned alive.

However, what was crucial for Ho Gakmyung now wasn't that. The reason why he found it difficult to breathe right now was...

"...Ryeonju-nim."

He was in a precarious state.

Jang Ilso, whom Ho Gakmyung had seen countless times. To boast that there was no one who knew Jang Ilso as well as Ho Gakmyung in the world wouldn't be an exaggeration.

However, the current Jang Ilso was as precarious as Ho Gakmyung had never seen before. He seemed like a candle flickering in a rough wind.

Like a taut string suddenly lost its tension, and Jang Ilso's body slowly slumped against the backrest. With his long, large hands, Jang Ilso slowly stroked his face.

The gesture seemed endlessly calm and leisurely, but Ho Gakmyung didn't miss the faint trembling at the tip of his hand resting on his face.

"...No one!"

The momentarily raised voice slowly subsided again.

"I told you not to let anyone in."

Ho Gakmyung took a long silent breath. What words should he say now? What expression should he wear? In what manner should he stand before that person?

The path he chose was simple.

"Please, get up."

"..."

With the ever-calm voice, Ho Gakmyung addressed Jang Ilso.

"You've rested for too long. There are those who are unsettled due to the absence of Ryeonju-nim. Sneaky things like rats are taking advantage of the situation. I'd like to let you rest a few more days if it was something I could handle, but my abilities don't reach that far. Since you've had enough rest, it's time for you to do some work now."

With Ho Gakmyung's words, a brief silence followed.

The only sounds echoing in the wide space were the wandering breaths of the two, unable to fill the space.

"...Ha."

Eventually, above those breaths, a slightly elevated laughter echoed.

"Ha, ha, ha."

Jang Ilso's hand slowly fell away from his face.

At the same time, Ho Gakmyung let out a short sigh. Once again, the familiar face of Jang Ilso returned.

Abundant in composure, arrogance, and inherently unsettling to look at—a figure befitting a ruler of an era.

"Hmm."

Jang Ilso's eyes, now back to their original color, stared intently at Ho Gakmyung.

"There are those who are unsettled?"

"Yes, Ryeonju-nim."

Jang Ilso smirked.

"It can't be helped."

Jang Ilso pulled himself up slightly.

"Perhaps those things are wondering if I'm suffering significant injuries after fighting those bastards."

Ho Gakmyung couldn't deny those words.

"If they're making a fuss, it might be because they want to make those wounds worse and tear me apart."

Jang Ilso chuckled then and swept his disheveled hair.

"Alright, I get it."

"...Ryeonju-nim."

"I've rested enough. Now I need to move. Stop worrying and call the lieutenants."

It was an enthusiastic summons. However, when Ho Gakmyung didn't move easily, Jang Ilso clicked his tongue.

"Always worrying like an old man."

Jang Ilso slowly got up from the seat.

"Besides, it was about time to move. Even though I want to rest deeply, I can't rest if I can hear the snorts of those pig-like things from here."

A twisted smile appeared on Jang Ilso's lips. Only after seeing this did Ho Gakmyung finally nod.

"I'll call the lieutenants."

"Go ahead. Grab a bottle of wine while you're at it."

"No."

"How heartless."

Ho Gakmyung turned and left the room. One thing was clear. In any situation, Jang Ilso remained unchanged.

However... even so, Ho Gakmyung couldn't bring himself to ask.

In his heart, one true question remained.

Chin.

Left alone, Jang Ilso sat back on the bed. His hand, automatically searching for the bottle, stopped abruptly.

His head slowly tilted back. Eyes faint of focus turned toward the ceiling.

His vision was hazy.

The blurry ceiling became clear, then quickly returned to its initial blurry state. No, it gradually distorted into a different appearance.

Red, and red again.

A scene never to be forgotten.

The vast ground was entirely red. The ground overlapped with the ceiling in front of him.

Everything returns to death. The sight that should have never been seen didn't disappear as if etched into his eyes. It kept showing.

"...Now, even when I open my eyes, it's the same."

A short and empty laugh escaped his lips.

Everything in the world crumpled, distorted, and melted into it. Pouring, tangling, and crushing.

Everything he created. Everything he touched. Things he once held and believed in. And... even Jang Ilso himself.

A red, red, red, and red world.

In his gradually flickering and fading vision, the destruction of everything in the world passed by.

And at the center of that world, the figure of someone standing alone appeared.

Jang Ilso's hand, which had regained stability, began to tremble again.

In that red-dyed world, the solitary figure of someone pale was visible.

A breathtaking sight.

The back of a stranger. The one who would return everything to ruin.

"Ha... ha, ha."

A dry laughter leaked from Jang Ilso's lips.

"...I don't have time."

He should hurry a bit.

His gleaming eyes gradually turned red little by little. The color of the world he saw, that dark red light.