Chapter 23 Teenage years. A period when instinct prevails over reason, action precedes thought. A tumultuous time, teetering on the edge of maturity and immaturity. Looking back, I was the same. Who hasn’t felt as though the world revolved around them? That was my teenage self, utterly convinced I was the protagonist of some grand…
Chapter 18: 3rd Round, 2nd Game (3) Johan remembered vividly. No, how could he forget? That day, the day he lost what he considered his everything! And also, the words uttered by the monster that tore his leg apart! “If you think you can run faster even with one leg missing… then come challenge…
Chapter 22 Level 6 Gate: The Nest of Conflagration. The area is engulfed in flames, with the sky ablaze from a rain of fire, and the surroundings have turned into a sea of fire. Stones are melting, and every living thing is burning. All of this is the work of one creature. A monstrosity with…
Chapter 21 Amidst the shouts of gamblers and the flickering of cards, people driven by pleasure placed their lives on the line, pushing buttons with the hope of winning big. In this den of depravity and simmering madness, humanity was often left behind with the fall of a single chip. This was an illegal casino—a…
Chapter 20 Hunter. A term that describes those crazed bloodhounds, driven by money. It refers to the superhumans so materialistic that they would willingly crawl into hell itself if there was profit to be made there. Are you curious why I’m suddenly talking about Hunters? Well, it’s because the place I’m currently at is an…
Chapter 19 “Friends…” It was a clear Saturday morning with no gate missions on the horizon. Back at my family’s home after a while, I found myself ruminating on the word “friend” that Merhem and Jun-woo had used yesterday. “Togetherness makes friends… That’s a novel idea.” It’s a word as foreign to me as “family.”…
Chapter 18 Guardians. Safeguards of humanity. What a noble pursuit it is. Yggdrasil cherished this lofty responsibility. To Yggdrasil, guardianship meant fostering a different kind of harmony. Just as the forest offers sanctuary to its creatures, they reciprocate by safeguarding the forest. A life of mutual care and coexistence. Isn’t that the true essence…
Chapter 17: 3rd Round, 2nd Game (2) Johann’s face beamed with an unfamiliar brightness, contrasting Yuli’s obvious displeasure. With an air of cluelessness, Johann replied, brimming with cheer, “What’s the matter?” “Why on earth is that cursed thing here?” Yuli retorted, his frustration evident. “Oh, come now! To think you’d curse our dear Bung-Bungi!…
Chapter 17 Despite successfully completing the mission, time passed rather chaotically. One week. A short span of time, yet it felt as tumultuous as a storm. The reason was obvious—because of the club. “Cancel it immediately. Do you realize what you’ve done? The administration of the academy is strictly within the professors’ jurisdiction. Including Yggdrasil…
Chapter 16: 3rd Round, 2nd Game (1) Ethereal Blood. It was a realm of mystery. Although masters had unlocked Ethereal Blood and attained the realm of divinity, in truth, they didn’t know everything about it. The concepts of Ethereal Blood and divinity began to be properly understood only about a hundred years ago. There were…
Chapter 16 Optimum Headquarters. Thanks to her son being off on a mission, Kim Yeon-hee arrived at work unusually early this morning. She was enjoying a warm cup of coffee, gazing at a photo of herself with her youngest child, almost as if in a morning prayer. “Well, isn’t he handsome—definitely takes after me.” But…
Chapter 15: Mana (Part 4) A change in Yuri’s surroundings caught John’s attention. “He’s finally…?” The current shift in mana wasn’t caused by him; it was initiated by Yuri himself. It signified one thing: Yuri had awakened to mana! But that wasn’t all. Unlike before, he was now actively gathering mana on his own….
Chapter 15 That’s just how I am. Once I’ve made a decision, I act on it immediately. Hesitating or overthinking things isn’t my style. If I didn’t say anything, that would be one thing, but if the words have left my mouth, then as a man, it’s only right to see it through. The very…
Chapter 14 My master often emphasized a certain phrase: “Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.” Human beings are inherently self-centered. When a problem arises, it’s usually due to a clash of perspectives. So, just switch perspectives. If you think from the other person’s standpoint, the problem often resolves itself more easily than you’d expect….
Chapter 14: Mana (Part 3) Mol-a (沒我). It wasn’t merely about reaching a state of heightened concentration. It was about observing one’s own self from an objective standpoint. If one could master mol-a, they could enter the realm of imagination, where even training to transcend spatial constraints was possible. “And when one reaches complete mastery,…
Chapter 13: Mana (Part 2) Johann’s eyes widened at the unusual speed at which mana flowed into Yuri. “Already sensing the mana? And what’s with this absorption speed?” Was it really sensing mana, or was something else happening? It was too early to jump to conclusions, so Johann released the mana once again. And just…