TL: Yul
PR: Gort
*****
For you.
Lee Sungmin was speechless. His brain felt like it was frozen. He couldn’t think of anything to say, and his mouth refused to move.
Wijihoyeon, facing the stunned figure, giggled. She lowered the hand that passed through Lee Sungmin and muttered.
“Do you know…”
It sounded like a complaint.
“…what I came to realize? The truth that no one wants to know is that the existence of one in this world isn’t living by one’s decisions and actions, but rather it is for that ‘one’ to live for someone stronger and above them.”
“…I know.”
“It made me angry and annoyed. However, I accepted it as what it was. I… had no choice, right? In the end, I had no choice but to accept it.”
Once again, Wijihoyeon raised her hand to touch Lee Sungmin, who also raised his hand.
Both hands crossed in the air and passed through one another. Lee Sungmin felt as though his heart was ripping apart.
“Only I can.”
That weight of unwanted responsibilities. Lee Sungmin didn’t know how Wijihoyeon felt.
The situation Lee Sungmin faced differed from the one Wijihoyeon had to face. They were different from the beginning.
Lee Sungmin was someone that the Demonic Spirit arranged to fool the Divine Spirit’s eyes and throw away after.
The things that Lee Sungmin experienced or was given were not for his growth or gains but instead were for the Predator of Massacre, who would devour Lee Sungmin’s consciousness in the End.
The Demonic Spirit truly wanted Wijihoyeon—the one that possessed a talent that shone above all others: a heaven-defying talent.
The destiny to rule over all as the King of Destruction.
The protection that the Demonic Spirit gave.
Lee Sungmin couldn’t figure out what the Demonic Spirit’s true intentions were, but he felt that after Wijihoyeon was summoned to this world, Eria, her life had been swept along the Demonic Spirit’s plans.
At first, the Wijihoyeon of Lee Sungmin’s new life was similar to the Wijihoyeon of his past one.
But she changed, slowly but surely… until they weren’t even comparable. The purpose of Wijihoyeon in this life and the one before was probably different.
Her purpose in this world was to end the Apocalypse. She was the blade forged by the Demonic Spirit to slaughter those who would bring about the end.
How did she live while knowing that?
She had said before that she had to accept it and had no choice… only she could do it.
Lee Sungmin was different from her. At the very least, he chose to stop the Apocalypse. However, did Wijihoyeon even have a choice in the first place?
Desperation. What Abel told him crushed his heart.
“I did many things.”
There was strength in her voice.
“10 years ago, when I learned everything and when I learned what I…only I could do, I had to do a lot. It was a terrible feeling. I told you, I came to learn too much. Back then, you weren’t a monster, but I knew you would become one, and that… I had to do something about you when that time came.”
“…I did not become a monster.”
“That’s what I’m most grateful for in this damn world.”
Wijihoyeon said truthfully.
The darkness behind her writhed. Lee Sungmin, who stood in a different dimension from her, could not see into the darkness that spread behind her.
“When you became a monster, when I was too far away from you to help… I begged the Demonic Spirit to do anything. I threatened it with my life, saying I would kill myself if it did nothing. Was that of any help?”
“…Of course.”
As expected, the appearance of the white awl during the fight with the Predator of Massacre was due to the Demonic Spirit. In that decisive moment, the fact that he held the awl was why he could defeat the Predator of Massacre. (TN: I had to go back a bit for this cuz I didn’t know what “백아” meant. It’s the white awl/weapon that An Zun [Beyond the Heavens] had that was given to him by Mushin [Martial King in Beyond the Heavens]. Seems like it means White Tooth or something.)
“I was too late.”
Wijihoyeon muttered under her breath.
“Truthfully, I… wanted to finish everything before you woke up. However, the task at hand was too hard. Just wandering around the world and killing every monster in the dungeons took 10 years. Right after I finished, the Queen of Spirits tried to descend. I was deciding between attacking the Vampire Queen or the Queen of Spirit when I thought the latter was more urgent. It was then I entered the Spirit Realm.”
“How did you enter?”
“This forest is a magical and mysterious but confusing place. Various dimensions are intertwined. It wasn’t easy, but I found the path to the Spirit Realm.”
Wijihoyeon said as she glanced back… as if Lee Sungmin wouldn’t notice what was going on. She muttered in a small voice.
“There’s no time left.”
She turned her body, and the Black Dragon Robe that covered her shoulders rose in the air.
“I wanted to talk more, but I guess it was wishful thinking. I cannot escape from this place.”
He couldn’t see what Wijihoyeon was facing. Lee Sungmin stepped forward, trying to reach her. However, it was impossible. She was right in front of him, but she was unreachable.
“What do I do?”
She did not show her face. The robe on her shoulder moved ceaselessly, creating sounds of destruction. The robe that reached into the darkness was slaughtering monsters that Lee Sungmin could not see.
“I failed to kill the Queen of Spirits. I had to succeed; no, I just couldn’t fail this badly. However…”
Her voice was shaking. Her hands, which were clenched into fists, were shaking.
“My existence itself is tied to this… realm. I cannot escape with my strength right now. This… became way too complicated. While I am stuck here, the Queen of Spirits will find a path and descend into the world. It’s not just that. The Vampire Queen, that monster is in some ways a more troublesome creature than the Queen of Spirits.”
She did not try to show it, but her situation made her spill her worries.
“What do I do?”
Wijihoyeon was not invincible. Lee Sungmin knew that better than anyone else in the world. He knew her better than anyone else.
Outside, she held a cold attitude that seemed hard to pass through. But on the inside, she was much more than just that.
Even if only Lee Sungmin could witness that other part of her, he could not help but sympathize with her desperation.
Wijihoyeon’s purpose was to stop the Apocalypse. She had lived her life that way.
Her only failure was that she could not kill the Queen of Spirits and was swept away into that dimension.
“…I’m here.”
Lee Sungmin stretched his hand out, even though he knew he would only feel the air.
He looked at her shoulders, carrying her anger, annoyance, despair, helplessness, and responsibility that was forcibly thrust upon her.
“Don’t despair at the fact that you failed. I’m here. Even if you are there, in this world, I am here.”
She looked back.
“You said it was for me. I also want to stop the Apocalypse. If you can’t, then I will.”
Her eyes were out of focus. Wijihoyeon stood there, facing Lee Sungmin.
“Even if I’m not as strong as you, I am still pretty strong.”
“…Haha!”
At that, she laughed.
“Yes. I know you are not weak. After all, you won against me at some point.”
She muttered, and her lips formed a slight smile.
“I will return before it is too late.”
“I will wait for you.”
“If it is too late… will you come to find me?”
“Definitely.”
At that, she giggled.
“It’s a shame we cannot touch.”
Wijihoyeon turned around, staring at the crawling abyss.
“I want to touch you. I wish to hug you, kiss you, and do much more embarrassing things.”
“…Some day.”
“I liked living with you.”
Her laughter became richer. That time was also Lee Sungmin’s happiest memory.
Back then, the Forest of the Fairies was peaceful. His master, Yang Il-Chun, was also alive, and Lee Sungmin could spend every day with Wijihoyeon.
“Is it possible to go back?”
“…Going back to those days would be impossible. However, I will make sure we can be together. I promise.”
“…Okay.”
Wijihoyeon replied with a bitter smile, as those days were also pleasant memories for her. It had been more than 10 years since she started to wander around the world, trying to prevent the Apocalypse.
During that time, the only thing that kept her going was her memories of Lee Sungmin and her future with him.
“I need to do this to see that day again.”
Wijihoyeon glared at the darkness. The monsters imprisoned inside the Sleeping Forest seemed to call her forward.
Her body seemed to shiver. In a way, it might be seen as fear, but Wijihoyeon did not regard that feeling as fear.
“They are calling for me.”
Wijihoyeon whispered and shrugged her shoulders.
“If.”
Lee Sungmin opened his mouth, feeling a bit hopeful.
“…the place you are stuck is created by the seal of the forest, then if I break that seal, won’t I be able to free you?”
“No.”
Wijihoyeon shook her head.
“Maybe you can’t see it from there.”
She muttered and pointed vaguely toward the darkness.
“Deep inside the darkness, a powerful monster with a strength that even I cannot grasp exists. He seems to be in a very deep sleep and won’t open his eyes even though I’m running amok. I think the seal kept by Kazuya and his clan is keeping it in that state.”
“Monster…?”
“It is called Greed (貪), as the Demonic Spirit called it.”
Wijihoyeon smirked.
“If the Predator of Massacre devours everything in the world, then Greed swallows the world itself. In its stomach, the world turns to nothingness (無), and everything restarts.”
“…The seal is weakening. Everyone except Kazuya is dead.”
“However, he is not dead yet. And… he won’t die in the near future. It’s not prepared yet.”
“Prepared?”
“They haven’t harvested enough.”
She did not say anything more than that. She started to walk into the darkness.
“I hope this is our last goodbye.”
Lee Sungmin said as he stared at her back, getting farther away from him. At that, she laughed and turned her head around to look at his face one more time.
As the darkness surrounded her, she smiled brightly.
“I hope so too.”
He could not see her figure anymore.
Yet, he couldn’t seem to leave that place. He slowly raised his spear.
The stares that he felt earlier, when he first entered this place, disappeared. However, faint whispers could be heard.
The space around him slowly wavered, and he could hear the sound of fighting where the space seemed to overlap.
He did not think Wijihoyeon would face defeat.
He did not want to consider it.
He couldn’t be clouded by anxiety. Lee Sungmin trusted Wijihoyeon, even if he did not know about the fight, the situation, or anything she was going through.
The only thing he could do was to trust her. Wijihoyeon trusted him. She wanted him to complete what she couldn’t and trusted that he would do it.
Lee Sungmin grasped his spear. If possible… he would do anything to be by her side, fighting together and leaving the dimension alive.
Yet, he knew it was impossible.
He turned his body away and walked past the whispering forest, the boulder where he first met Heoju, and out of the Sleeping Forest.
Kazuya, who was waiting outside of the forest, was sitting on the ground. He raised his head after footsteps rang out in the air.
“Did you accomplish what you needed to do?”
Kazuya stood up, his body shaking. Lee Sungmin silently helped him balance himself, supporting his body.
“…Around half.”
“Is that so…”
Kazuya muttered as he nodded his head. Lee Sungmin checked Kazuya’s pulse.
It was weak, but no sign of it stopping anytime soon. It wasn’t the time yet, according to Wijihoyeon. He thought about what she had said.
‘They haven’t harvested enough.’
The world had already stepped into the fate of the Apocalypse. However, the world had not ended yet. Slowly but surely, it was heading toward the end.
It was undesirable grace.
—
Hey guys, it’s Yul.
I was busy with final exams but school’s over and I got a bit more time to work with, so yeah I’ll see y’all again soon 🙏