NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 66
As the corpses gathered across the island, Gu Jin-ha clenched his teeth. He had to return to the mainland quickly to help fend off the academy’s attack; he couldn’t be stuck here.
‘Hong Yu-ri.’
It still took more time to unleash the magic. While no more corpses piled up after he turned twenty, the Silent Mouth was deep in a long incantation. Just thinking about the kind of magic he could unleash made Gu Jin-ha anxious.
‘No way…’
Time seemed to be running out as Kwang-hwi pulled out his auxiliary weapon and charged forward. The wall of flesh blocked his path, but it only served as a stepping stone. It was an undeniable fact that Kwang-hwi, the best archer alive, was fast.
“Spiritul tunetului coboară aici―”
Just as the Silent Mouth’s magic neared completion, Kwang-hwi, having powered through the wall of corpses, drew his dagger. The crackling storm from the gathering dark clouds was also ready to unleash its lightning. As both sides prepared to strike, Gu Jin-ha thought,
‘We can’t let him finish the incantation.’
Gu Jin-ha, believing that it was more crucial for the magic to be stopped than Kwang-hwi stabbing the guy, pulled another sword from his coat—an extra blade he had set aside after everything that had happened. Gripping the hilt tightly, he summoned all the magic power he had.
‘I won’t think about the consequences.’
He just needed to create one opportunity for Kwang-hwi to take down the target. With a painful squeeze in his veins, Gu Jin-ha threw the three swords just as the magic was about to be unleashed.
The three blades shot through the air like beams of light—just as the Silent Mouth was forcing the imperfect magic to materialize, Kwang-hwi dove in.
“It’s over.”
The dagger lodged itself in the target’s heart. Yet, the guy still murmured.
“O fereastră de tunete… și fulgere care acoperă cerul și pământul.”
At the last possible moment, the forced incantation erupted with chaotic magic. Gu Jin-ha frowned at that relentless determination. Just before the great magic of the five-part incantation struck Kwang-hwi, he quickly nocked an arrow and shot it into the dark clouds.
“……!”
The thunder and lightning that engulfed the heavens collided with Kwang-hwi’s light arrow. When the storm of magic hit, Gu Jin-ha squinted as the lightning obliterated the arrow, but there was already no one there.
‘Of course.’
It was natural; Kwang-hwi had escaped the magic’s reach. Understanding that the arrow wouldn’t withstand the great magic, he’d made a timely retreat. As Gu Jin-ha marveled at that quick thinking and cunning, he spotted dozens of corpses surging closer. The horrifying sight of a flesh tsunami made him exhale deeply. His body was slow to respond due to the last throw of swords. But he wasn’t worried.
Everything was already drenched in crimson. Just before the corpses could close in, Hong Yu-ri shouted loudly.
“Arzând în abis și transformându-se în cenușă!”
The magic Hong Yu-ri had prepared. The five-part incantation she had used in the forest dungeon had been somewhat restrained, but this time, no such need existed. Moments later, Gu Jin-ha clicked his tongue as he scanned the surroundings.
“It’s a wasted island, but…”
It wasn’t a bad shot to burn the entire hideout they had, but this seemed a bit excessive. Gu Jin-ha shook his head. Hong Yu-ri wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled, looking quite relieved.
“Now, it’s pretty clean.”
Looking at the city now reduced to ashes instead of corpses, Kwang-hwi let out a laugh of disbelief.
“A mage like this is really hard to find… It’s even harder to believe she’s not part of the Square.”
“She’s from the Square, you know?”
“…I guess so. Ridiculous.”
Fire magic. Crimson magic power. Red Square. Their destructive power really suited them well among the Squares.
“So, what happened to the Silent Mouth?”
“He definitely pierced the heart. He probably disappeared with that magic just now.”
“This is hard to understand. What on earth…”
The Silent Mouth was undoubtedly powerful. Considering he had even used a five-part incantation, he must have been associated with the Square in some way.
‘But.’
With Kwang-hwi and himself around, what could he have believed to fight? It would’ve been the smart choice to escape. As if he could read Gu Jin-ha’s thought, Kwang-hwi said.
“He didn’t say he was dead. He’s probably still alive.”
“…What do you mean? Didn’t you just say he disappeared?”
“Yeah, he did disappear. I thought I had killed the Silent Mouth, and that was three times.”
“…….”
“I don’t know if it’s a type of magic or skill, but this is the fourth time. It’s hard to think he’s dead.”
“Are you serious?”
“The deaf ear. The stiff toes. Only two of the executives I’ve dealt with so far. But the Silent Mouth is different. That guy keeps coming back no matter how many times.”
Gu Jin-ha instinctively met Hong Yu-ri’s gaze. But she shook her head as if she didn’t know anything.
“How could such a ridiculous cheat exist? It must be some kind of skill.”
The thought that a guy like that could keep reappearing was bizarre. If he just showed up out of nowhere and unleashed a five-part incantation in the city…it would be hopeless. Just as Gu Jin-ha’s expression began to harden, Woo Taek was seen running from a distance.
“Let’s head back for now. If the academy really has been attacked, we’re in a hurry.”
They ran with all their might to where they had anchored the boat—the Baekjirum beach.
***
The sudden shadow had the tail in a panic. It wasn’t just casting a shadow on the ground; it was a genuine shadow resembling a wolf shimmering right in front of him.
‘What the heck.’
Swallowing nervously because of this incomprehensible phenomenon, the tail knew deep down that this thing wanted to kill them all. If it couldn’t kill, it would be killed.
“Stop it! Do whatever you have to!”
The shadow flickered, and the tentacle it stretched out created a secondary attack as it touched the ground. No wonder there had been a lack of contact… it was most likely this wolf’s doing.
“Stâncă uriașă!”
A short incantation. The wolf looked up in bewilderment at the huge rock tumbling down. The tail harbored a slim hope, but that hope shattered gruesomely. The rock struck the ground, creating nothing but dust.
‘Where to now?’
Before it knew it, the wolf was tearing into its subordinates. Countless tentacles and shadows surrounded it. A rampaging whirlwind and black flames. All resistance was futile. The overwhelming difference in power—at that moment, the tail sensed it. This was a monster that simply couldn’t be beaten. Just as it tried to escape, the wolf stomped down on the tail.
“Grrooooo…”
Drool sloshed down next to its head, and as the tail thrashed wildly, it found itself pinned and unable to move at all.
“…A, aah, aaahhh.”
Finally mustering a spell, its trembling jaw couldn’t articulate the incantation. The monster’s paw seemed like it could splinter its spine at any moment. In this never-ending fear, the wolf spoke.
“—Where are the others?”
With a voice boiling like a beast, the malice packed into that tone sent chills down the tail’s spine. Did it just speak? The outrageousness of the situation left its head blank. As the moment colored his vision white, horrific pain jolted him awake. The shadow tore through his ribs, and the tentacle pierced between them—screaming erupted in agony, but he couldn’t make a sound, crushed by the shadow on his jaw.
Only the bloodshot eyes represented the tail’s suffering. Moments later, as the shadow holding his jaw faded away, the tail howled.
“Olympiiiic! Olympic Bridgge! It’s the Olympic Bridge!”
—At the same time, the tail was engulfed in black flames. Watching his tail turn to ashes, the wolf thought.
‘The Olympic Bridge.’
He had no ability to discern the truth. He could only hope that the thing had simply spoken out of pain.
‘He hasn’t escaped, not yet.’
It started at the dormitory building, but all that remained was rubble. If he had met Baek So-yul just once, he could’ve tracked her by scent, but he had never crossed paths with her before.
‘So I thought in the opposite direction.’
If he couldn’t find Baek So-yul, he’d track down those goons chasing her. After all, if he killed them all, the witch’s calamity wouldn’t happen, and he could save Baek So-yul. But so far, there was no sight of her.
Whether it was the truth or not, the wolf had no choice but to charge toward the Olympic Bridge without hesitation.
***
“Over here! Right here!”
A medic arrived just in time. It couldn’t have been easy for them to respond amid the chaos. While rescuing living students as the situation demanded, the young hunter received a call and wedged the phone between his chin and shoulder.
“Euna?”
He hadn’t even looked at the screen to check. They had summoned her to join the academy, but had she not made it yet?
“Why are you so late? Haven’t you arrived yet?”
[No, it’s not that; I had a little issue.]
An issue? The young hunter’s expression hardened. What kind of issue could exist in this uproar? Was she being chased by those goons? Or did she run into the corpses?
“What’s going on? Are you okay?”
[I’m fine. But there’s a bit of…]
What he heard next was surprising.
“Was…it really a teacher?”
[Yes. I don’t know who it was, but…]
“Wow, that’s intense.”
The young hunter furrowed his brow. Of course, only individuals who had been thoroughly vetted for skill and character could occupy positions at the academy. It was a prestigious role reserved for top-tier hunters.
‘But a turncoat has emerged from there, huh?’
[I’m sorry; I don’t know who it is. But it was a tall guy chasing after an girl named So-yul…]
Knowing just that was enough to track them down later. As he was about to nod, a student being carried into the ambulance murmured weakly.
“…Yoo Chang-baek.”
“Yoo Chang-baek?”
“Please save So-yul. I beg you…!”
The student spoke in confusion before lowering his head. Surprised, the young hunter looked closer and found he wasn’t dead, just unconscious.
“You heard that too, right?”
The old hunter nodded.
“Yoo Chang-baek…yeah. I definitely heard.”
“We need to spread the word, right?”
They could validate the truth later. If there were suspicious circumstances, they had to suppress them first—at that, the old hunter nodded. The young hunter, still contemplating the abruptly disconnected call, frowned at an odd thought.
“But hey, old man. Earlier, that monster definitely asked where the goons were, didn’t it?”
“Don’t even bring that up!”
The old hunter shuddered at the mere thought. As the young hunter truly held his tongue, the embarrassed old hunter cleared his throat.
“Hmm. But why are you mentioning that?”
“Alpha. Isn’t that right? It was a wolf, after all.”
“Does that even make sense? It’s only just recently evolved from a worg to a skull wolf.”
Could it have possibly evolved again in such a short time? The young hunter replied with an even bigger question.
“Isn’t it weirder to think that there’s another wolf monster chasing those goons besides Alpha?”
“…Damn.”
Even if another wolf monster chasing the goons existed, could it also be that Alpha had evolved? Either way, it was troublesome. The old hunter sighed deeply and unlocked his phone.
***
Bae So-yul leapt over the wall without hesitation. She kept running as if she were carrying unfathomable amounts of magic power. If hiding wouldn’t save her from magic detection, she had to move a step further.
As she climbed the hill, the Han River came into view. She needed to go somewhere that Yoo Chang-baek wouldn’t dare chase her down.
‘Where to?’
Police weren’t an option. If that person was resolute, he would surely find a way to get her no matter what. Bae So-yul recalled the hunter’s clan mark from earlier, the one who had saved her. I hope she’s okay.
‘Dawn of Dawn.’
The second-ranked clan following the plateau. Even though it was only a class B, they couldn’t deal with the Dawn. She had to go there to keep Yoo Chang-baek from taking her. As Bae So-yul ran, she searched on her phone and tried to make a call, but no one picked up. In this chaos of dawning hours, it was oddly surprising that anyone remained.
It was unavoidable, but Bae So-yul felt anxious.
‘What now?’
If there were no people, then there wouldn’t be any anywhere. While running like that, she suddenly startled at the noise coming from behind her.
‘Already?!’
They were much faster than expected. As Bae So-yul panicked, she quickly began her incantation.
“Ascunde.”
She instantly concealed herself atop a rooftop, blocking her mouth and holding her breath. Soon, she spotted Yoo Chang-baek. He closed his eyes as though to confirm something, then swept his hand across the ground.
“So-yul. I know you’re here, so don’t bother and come out already.”
If suddenly her magic were to be cut off, it would mean she was most likely hiding nearby. She understood that, but… Yoo Chang-baek clicked his tongue. He wasn’t a mage and did not have any tracking skills. If the trail had gone cold, he had no choice but to search directly.
‘That’s why mages are…’
With a sigh, Yoo Chang-baek dusted off his shoulders. Then he smashed his magically charged fist down onto the floor. The ground cracked under the brute force and magic, sending shockwaves across the area. Given all the ruckus caused by the corpses, the nearby residents had certainly evacuated already.
Yoo Chang-baek closed his eyes and focused before breaking into a grin.
‘If she’s not below, then she’s up above.’
No matter how much talent you had, without time and experience to back it up, it all meant nothing. In a single leap, Yoo Chang-baek jumped up to the rooftop and soon spotted Bae So-yul running.
“So-yul.”
At the voice calling from behind, Bae So-yul ran desperately, but she couldn’t keep it up for long. There was simply an insurmountable difference between a student and a hunter. No matter how hard she tried to escape, Bae So-yul could never shake Yoo Chang-baek off—both of them knew this fully well. The moment Yoo Chang-baek’s hand touched her shoulder, her figure vanished like a mirage.
“Illusion magic too?”
It was a spell from the Purple Square. A simple ruse, but Yoo Chang-baek shook his head, laughing in disbelief. The magic itself wasn’t easy, let alone one that hadn’t even been taught at the academy. She must’ve just studied a bit from the books in the library, yet she succeeded brilliantly.
“But still, So-yul.”
As Yoo Chang-baek turned quickly, he spotted Bae So-yul running far away. This time there was no doubt it was the real thing—magic detection confirmed it.
“You can’t possibly get away.”
With a swift dash, Yoo Chang-baek closed the distance and barely missed Bae So-yul’s crown with his fist. As she fell from the blast of pressure, Bae So-yul hit the ground hard. Looking down at her for a moment, Yoo Chang-baek sighed.
“I’m genuinely surprised. I didn’t think you’d make it this far.”
But this was the path she had to take. Bae So-yul’s escape was just a desperate act. Gasping for breath, as exhaustion crept in, Yoo Chang-baek effortlessly hoisted Bae So-yul onto his shoulder and chuckled. As she was being dragged away, her eyes brimmed with tears. Though she tried to fight back, it was as though she had accidentally hit a dead end; she couldn’t budge at all. She longed to draw up magic power, but there was none left. —She couldn’t deny it.
‘In the end.’
It was all for nothing.
The nightmare had become reality.
The dream she had so fervently spoken of. The nightmare no one had ever believed turned into reality. For years, the truth—her solitary truth, the nightmare—a dream that never received anyone’s belief—yes. Bae So-yul thought that maybe it had become more comfortable.
‘I knew this would happen.’
At first, there had been people who believed in her. However, it had all been lies that would never actually happen. If she had been in their shoes, she wouldn’t have bought it. It was a call of emotion without any evidence. No one believed her, and even though it hurt, she had no choice but to accept it.
‘So…’
She had tried. She worked diligently on her own, mastering the difficult magic. Yet—she could never escape the nightmare.
‘I don’t want this!’
She hated that this nightmare was repeating itself. Killing another person as someone else, through somebody else’s eyes. So she wished. She hoped this nightmare wouldn’t end with her killing anyone. That it wouldn’t become a reality.
‘I don’t want to kill.’
She had thought dying might be better than this. —But she was also afraid of dying because of a dream so hard to believe that she couldn’t afford to escape the fear. So she couldn’t die, but eventually, it had come to this. Tears streamed down her red-tinged eyes.
“Ah…”
Now it was all ending.
Under the bridge, boarding a boat would truly be the end. There would be no reversing it.
Finally, relinquishing everything and resigning herself, the girl—just before she closed her eyes, spotted the flickering shadow.
***
The old man sighed.
“You’d best turn back now.”
“……”
“Are you really determined to see this through? I don’t know which fool set this game up, but did you forget the academy has Mun-ho and that friend of his?”
Even in the old man’s ire, he remained calm.
“I’m aware.”
“Then you’re risking it all without knowing it’ll all go to waste!”
In response to those words, he slowly opened a spatial rift. As something slipped through the tear in reality and landed before the old man, he let out a hollow laugh.
“You’ve truly lost it, haven’t you?”
“It was merely a conflict of desires.”
The even voice and the lack of a heartfelt response ignited a fire in the old man’s chest.
—And in sync, the world began to distort.