Shun POV:
Visala Rainforest.
It was located in the South East and was the largest tropical rainforest in Sharir. Home to both monsters, animals, and rare plantlife, it had an important role in the country’s economy.
Despite the benefits the Visala Rainforest offered, its rapid growth wasn’t ideal for two reasons: infrastructure and farmland. Sharir was a massive country with an equally large population, yet Ki Practitioners were the minority due to how long it took to form a Ki Center. This meant more emphasis was placed on transportation, security, food, and healthcare.
Even if someone could use Ki, why would they want to run everywhere?
The Imperial Office in Patari hired experienced Foresters to manage this rapid growth every three months. They worked alongside Central Guild in order to reduce the strain on the Imperial Soldiers. This request for aid extended to Chunhae Village in the East and led to daily reminders from whoever worked the front desk of the guild. However, it wasn’t difficult to meet the necessary quota when the pay was 500 gold.
This was the halfway point to my destination.
But it offered no consolation. Obstacles would appear; that was why the difficulty of the mission was SS+.
I cut down a few Bloodborne Orcs before entering deeper into the forest. Pathways became obscured by the overgrown mass of greenery, and tall trees blossomed under the falling rain. Their density blocked out most of the light: an ideal environment for various monsters.
Due to the knowledge I obtained from Herb, navigating through the Visala Rainforest wasn’t an issue. I kicked off a thick branch when a vine wrapped around my leg.
‘Reveri—‘
I caught the fist of an Imminence Reaver, but the blow launched me toward the Reverie instead.
“Imminence... i—“
*Bang*
A bullet opened up a hole through the forehead of the shadowed face. I uncrossed my arms, and a controlled slash split the vine in half before erasing the hostile plant, hidden in the darkness.
The map projected by Atlas V3 showed that this was the fastest way forward, but what stood in front of me next was even more annoying.
“Shun.”
“We can talk later.”
I avoided giving Phoebe the cold shoulder in an effort to divert her thoughts on my intentions. The words implied I wasn’t on my way to that Arcane Dungeon but was instead doing something else.
Her gaze shifted to the Ki Artifact Set I wore before it narrowed. Phoebe looked straight through me, and I clicked my tongue in response.
“Let’s head back now.”
I remained calm. Agitation would only interfere with the handling of this situation. Phoebe knew I stayed behind at Byeol’s grave, so her arrival was within my expectations.
But...
She drew her blade.
This wasn’t.
“...”
The corners of my mouth rose till it reached upturned eyes. If she was going to get in my way, then I’d remove her from the equation. Once I returned, a simple apology would be enough for her to let bygones be bygones.
“Why don’t we finish what we started then?”
I unsheathed the second longsword and released the full extent of my Ki. Phoebe bit her quivering lip; my words caused tears to stream down her soft cheeks.
“...The results will be the same because I love you, Shun.”
Our blades met in the middle. The rain dispersed from the shockwaves, released by a simple clash. Phoebe wore no Ki Artifacts, yet the force of her swing didn’t launch me back; it shot me out of the rainforest before bloodlust drenched the plains.
Her strength was understandable, given the fact she overpowered a suppressed Filkruj. However, I had no time to waste on her.
[Dual Bloodbursting Blades has activated! All physical attributes are doubled for the next 10 minutes.]
[Dilation Kill Boots has activated! All physical attributes are doubled for the next 10 minutes.]
[Death Gauntlets has activated! All physical attributes are doubled for the next 10 minutes.]
[Dark Bloodplate Chest Armour has activated! All physical attributes are doubled for the next 10 minutes.]
[A hidden effect has activated!! You will automatically enter the Bloodlust Window for the next 10 minutes!]
Blood seeped into scarlet. It dyed the starry lights red and circulated around the iris in swirls before overlaying the world in front of me. Power flowed into me. Power to change everything—to right what was wrong through my own hands.
“Phoebe, I’m only going to say this once.”
I cocked my head to the side and peered down at this insignificant woman. She thought she had a place in my heart. She thought she was something more than a damn acquaintance.
What did she know about me?
That outburst meant nothing. It was a byproduct of my desire to improve, overpowering rational methods of achieving that growth. That regression was a sign of weakness that needed to be eradicated, so I parted my lips again.
“Move.”
Stolen novel; please report.
“Shu—”
Blood scarlet crashed into Phoebe’s guard, blasting her out of view before a red wave smashed her into the ground. Explosions consumed parts of the plains when I observed Phoebe staring up at me from the centre of a deep crater.
“You’re still not thinking strai—”
The clouds parted. Two blood scarlet slashes intertwined before imploding the depression multiple times. Pink and scarlet collided with one another. Each clash restructured the environment and forced the night sky to reveal itself.
“Come on. You can do better, Phoebe!”
She pulled in her lip, no longer able to rely on her physical advantage over me. I could make her draw blood whenever I wanted to. I could show her the true power of a Bloodburst Slash if I felt like it. Instead, blood met the guard. A single strike erupted the air, shook the plains, and made Phoebe vanish beyond the horizon.
My feet hit the ground. They caved it in before large fragments rose in the presence of vengeance. A blast of wind fissured the earth behind me as I shot toward the Arcane Dungeon.
[Time Remaining: 01:24:18…]
“Shun!!”
A pink blur cut off my exit; sparks danced around the growing battlefield. Her rhythm and tempo dispelled the force I exerted until a fist crashed into my chest.
‘…’
I peered down at the trembling hand. Despite the area exploding behind me and the sky trembling from her power, I remained unharmed.
“You can’t stop vengeance.”
I smacked her arm to the side and walked past Phoebe’s lowered head. Her body contained surface-level cuts that could only be seen through Hawkeye, but she had her chance. If she was still going to try and stop me, I would restrain her.
Properly.
Visala Rainforest disappeared. Clear plains greeted me again until they vanished as well. The distance toward the Arcane Dungeon reduced at a speed incomparable to before when the veins on the side of my head popped.
‘This damn woman!’
Phoebe somehow flickered into view to block the path forward. She reset our positions, so I’d oblige her with the fight she wante—
‘…’
She threw the Ultimate Fishmin Longsword to the ground.
“If I mean anything to you, please... go back.”
Amber eyes shimmered. Through their reflections, I saw death, but through their colour, I saw life. A vibrance that conveyed the pain and made the dual blades lower.
‘...Tch. Damn it. Damn it! DAMN IT!!’
It took everything I had to sheathe the longswords, but once I did, the rain fell. Phoebe’s shoulders trembled. Her hand tried to wipe the tears that cascaded because a reaction she didn’t expect to happen...
Happened.
‘She’ll be busy sooner or later.’
I threw the Ki Artifacts into the Inventory and turned around. I stood in place until Phoebe reached my side. The slight shake of her body dispelled the accumulated irritation. The tears joining with the rain, pierced through the darkness.
‘...’
My fingers interlocked with hers, and I walked forward. Only then did I open my mouth to reveal Byeol’s thoughts. She was the leader, so she could tell everyone that needed to be told.
Phoebe’s grip tightened, but this time, I didn’t push her away.
***
Hwa’s Barbecue.
It was based in the West of Chunhae and near several parks. Business came from its convenient location, allowing parents to enter the restaurant for a quick lunch. Though it wasn’t a famous place, Mr Hwa was popular with children.
They gathered around a large dining table in the middle of the restaurant, only brought out twice a month. Mr Hwa’s frail hands would move over the grill, and the flames would dance. They coiled around his fingers before spiralling into an assortment of shapes.
Shapes became well-crafted animals. Animals became balloons. Balloons morphed back into embers until they rushed toward Mr Hwa. His mouth opened, and the fire disappeared the moment it closed. The children couldn’t see what had happened; they thought the fire was in his puffed-out cheeks.
So when he blew, a gust of flames circled the area. The children marvelled, and the parents smiled at the act that produced the same results no matter how many times it was seen. Once the flames dispersed, Mr Hwa ignited the grill and meat sizzled.
“Who’s hungry?”
His deep eyes would curve upwards before he took the time to talk with each child. Vegetables came with fruits, while the meat was diced into more manageable portions.
Radish, cabbage, crushed garlic, and salted seafood were ingredients in a popular Korean dish called Kimchi. When Phoebe first crashed into me outside of Yeongyeol, what she ate wasn’t served there. That was why whenever I needed to recover, I checked each restaurant in Chunhae until I found it.
‘Pointless.’
“Shun, I thought you’d be in those dungeons.”
Mr Hwa approached the table I sat at. He took a seat beside me without asking before staring at the smooth wooden surface in front of him.
“Won’t you humour an old man?”
“Go on.”
“You sit alone in corners. You barely talk, and you order the same thing at around 40 different times. When I look at you, I see a ghost behind you.”
My lips curved upwards at his assessment. I already knew he was aware of those details, but Mr Hwa was like Kibo; he wouldn’t cause me any problems.
“...You knew, eh? Then... Phoebe?”
He swivelled his eyes toward me in an attempt to read Death’s expression. He looked hard, but the darkness didn’t let light in so easily.
“She is a beautiful woman. One that a man like you should be interested in.”
“Or one that would make a man question why she’s still single.”
I shifted my gaze to Mr Hwa, who failed to hold back a chuckle.
“Shun, let me tell you what my wife used to say before she left this world: if you didn’t wait, then I couldn’t pass by.”
“...Your wife was a wise woman, Mr Hwa. My condolences.”
His lips curved into a slight smirk when I looked away. Opportunities come and go, but the rate at which they came was based on factors beyond a human’s control. However, the faster you move, the less you can see.
That is why patience is a virtue.
“Mr Hwa, I don’t want Phoebe to know.”
“That you have a heart? She already knows that much.”
A sigh escaped my mouth at his light laughter. Heart or no heart, a relationship would get in the way of my goals. Yet... was Phoebe an opportunity or a distraction?
No.
There was no going back for me. The only way out was to kill Chloe Ravendawn and Koli.
***
Memories of all the times I disregarded Phoebe floated to the forefront of my mind. I had my reasons. I had my goals, but the future still existed after that.
The mission failure left me bedbound for two entire days. Intense pain penetrated through the skin and struck the nervous system directly, but I embraced it. I undid the top buttons of my shirt before staring at the ceiling.
That giggling idiot could mess around as much as she wanted to because her time would come soon enough.
Phoebe gave the waitress a firm nod that soon flowed back into another discussion about the woman’s love life. Her eyes sparkled for a short while until they rested on me.
“...I want to take it down as well, but we can’t, Shun.”
“You’re going to let those monsters get away with doing that to Byeol?”
Phoebe’s lips fell. If this damn woman didn’t interfere with my plan, everything would have been over by now. I would have avenged Byeol.
“...Shun, you almost died 4 days ago.”
Her hand trembled, but what gripped me was the tone of her voice. It carried a depth that dispelled the rising anger. It transmitted a care that stilled the irritation at having to watch that Arcane Dungeon stand tall.
“We lose Byeol. Yet still... you’re still waiting for a chance to move behind my back. Do you care... so little about your own life?...”
Phoebe’s words elicited no reaction from me. If I didn’t escape, I wouldn’t have a life right now; I’d be the plaything of a twisted and sick individual. Sacrifices had to be made. How else would I have gotten this far?
These chains were the cost of my freedom.
“I had to take you out on this date today because I know you’re itching to go inside that dungeon and murder them all.”
“Then don’t get in my way again.”
I cocked my head to the side and glared at this aggravating woman. All Phoebe had to do was turn a blind eye. All she had to do was look the other damn way, yet she chose to be an annoying thorn in my side!
“I... don’t want to lose you too, Shun.”
I covered my face with a hand. A deep sigh soon followed but what pulled the irritation away was Phoebe. I watched her trembling fingers hold mine, supporting what she thought was fragile.
‘Damn it...’
Phoebe moved her hand back a few minutes later.
“...What did you order for me?”
Hwa’s Barbecue sold a variety of dishes, and Phoebe’s favourite was Kimchi. Her lips curved into a soft smile at the stable state of my mind.
“Nothing. I don’t know what you like, remember?”
The corners of my mouth rose. I called back the waitress, made an order, and... went on the first date of my life.