NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 69
Overwhelming magic surged forth, piercing my body with a chilling aura. In the midst of it all, the gnawing extreme poison settled down, restoring calm.
A flame that seemingly knew no bounds burned across the entire park. In this lethal crossing, Broken Finger unleashed a burst of magic.
The ghoul, wrapped in a raging storm of magic, concentrated energy in its feet and leaped into the air.
‘…!’
I saw it. I saw it, yet even my prior predictions were instantly thwarted. In a desperate attempt to hide in the shadows, Broken Finger’s twisted hand clawed at the air, scattering poison everywhere. It dug deep into the ground, howling like a beast, as it plunged into the shadows. I had to escape through another shadow before it could snatch me out.
“There you are?!”
As I said, I had no way out. True to my word, it unleashed its magic without holding back. The rampaging magic clashed with the whirlwind. The whirlwind that constantly pushed back and scattered black flames. Just as the gigantic hand loomed over the wolf, the flames grew fiercer. A massive transformation surged forth, trying to engulf Broken Finger.
“…?!”
Though I retreated hastily, I still touched the flames. This black fire was unquenchable— with a swift decision, the ghoul twisted and pulled out the flaming finger.
‘How did it suddenly ignite?’
Broken Finger, confused by the sudden emergence of black flames, eyed the wolf. There was definitely still magic lingering in the ground, its energy previously shown to be no more than a C-class at best. It had merely been used in a reckless rampage. But suddenly, the wolf’s magic surged.
‘No.’
It wasn’t a surge; the depth of the ground was deepening.
With narrowed eyes, Broken Finger looked at the wolf as if it couldn’t comprehend. It had been weak. Just a moment ago. The previously insignificant magic that barely scratched the surface shattered its limits, revealing deeper magic.
‘What the hell is happening?!’
The wolf, an incomprehensible existence in Broken Finger’s eyes, now displayed magic deeper than it had ever shown, insufficient to directly touch him, but Broken Finger sensed an inkling of defeat creeping in.
Above all else, the realization that it had no stock left weighed on Broken Finger. The very notion of risking life was absurd to him. There was no value in it— as he attempted to turn away, he spotted a fleeting glimpse of “collateral achievement” within the wolf’s spatial area.
‘A paste elixir.’
A counterfeit product aimed at the ultimate goal of the noble brats. A potion unlike any other in this world, even that flesh was merely an incomplete version. Given their fanatical obsession for elixirs.
“You! Where did you get that?! “
Broken Finger’s gaze fired with green light. The counterfeit elixir, mimicking the blood of gods. This item, stolen from the hideout in the blind spot, was originally theirs. It was impossible not to feel excitement upon seeing it presented before them. They had likely searched tirelessly, perhaps even resorted to such extremes in light of desperation.
—If the witch’s disaster couldn’t be averted, they would have to take matters into their own hands.
“It was you!”
A voice filled with rage surged like a thick phlegm. The thought of retreat was long gone from its mind. —And the same went for me. I had no plans to back down. Here, we would go all the way to the end.
“It was you who constantly meddled…!”
Broken Finger crouched low, hands and feet pressed against the ground. Beast against beast. The wolf and the ghoul glared at each other, looking for an opening— when suddenly, the ghoul vanished.
An almost imperceptible speed, but that explosive magic pointed me to Broken Finger’s location. The moment I found him engulfed in a storm of raw magic, countless tentacles erupted from the wolf.
“This is nothing!”
I tried to unleash magic to smash it down, but this time it wasn’t that simple. The tentacles, enhanced with hardness alongside transformation, proved to be annoyingly tough.
“―――!”
Howling like a beast, the ghoul devoured a tentacle. A tentacle. Its essence being a changed hair, it could not use false immortality no matter how much it feasted. Below its gnashing jaws, the shadows of the tentacles swelled. Sharp thorns transformed from them chased after the ghoul, but they couldn’t keep up with the speed.
‘Too fast.’
The monster, coming right up close, opened its mouth wide. As I hastily summoned a whirlwind paired with transformation, it charge heedlessly into it. The risk was taken on, its eyeball crushed by the oncoming wind. It didn’t seem to mind, opening its maw wide.
‘……!’
The creature’s vision was similarly enhanced through a skill. Even if its eye got crushed, it didn’t pose a problem. Its shattered eye radiated green light. Facing the ghoul that advanced with its gaping mouth, the wolf likewise opened its jaw.
Recalling the exchange where I lost magic, Broken Finger pulled back quickly.
“You!”
Maintaining a distance, its expression was distorting, as if wounded pride stirred within. Then, the wolf wrapped in black whirlwind lunged. Wherever the wolf passed, black flames erupted ferociously. The black hellfire that consumes everything slowly approached Broken Finger.
‘I will definitely kill you here.’
I couldn’t leave such a threat alive. Imagining the lives that would be sacrificed henceforth, and those that already had— there was no way I could allow that. The bubbling rage pumped the wolf’s heart.
—We had a good match, after all.
Strength contributed to physical resilience. Its stamina, barely reaching 400, was abnormally low considering the power it possessed. The reason was that it was a chimera. Consequently, the tentacles and shadows became risky weapons against it.
Originally, ghouls are monsters that seek corpses. All this time, their deceptive immortality had covered their lack of stamina, rendering them immortal, but the peculiar circumstances they had stirred ensnared their own selves.
‘So.’
I may not reach A-class yet, but this was my only chance to take its life. That was why the counterfeit elixir was even revealed. It had become impossible to step back as both parties surged toward each other. In that crossing moment, the ghoul’s eyes widened.
“Huh?”
The sound, seemingly dumbfounded, referenced its lost arm. Conversely, the wolf lost an entire shoulder blade. Thus, each lost a limb. In that situation, the ghoul attempted to swiftly devour the wolf’s leg— but transformation immediately ignited the wolf’s leg.
Originally, transformation does not burn the wolf.
However— just as a separated leg could not be called the wolf, the black phantom greedily devoured the wolf’s leg. The ghoul, having missed the chance to utilize false immortality, chuckled in disbelief.
“Huh…?”
In contrast, regeneration was rapidly restoring the wolf’s leg. The wound that had sliced open its abdomen and the extreme poison. Even the gash torn apart was nearly healed— while the wolf, as if to flaunt, devoured the ghoul’s arm. Disgust rising within it, the wolf’s immense anger overtook that feeling. Thus, the magical power snatched away in the process of consumption reconstructed the wolf’s lost leg. Just like when Agail used magic to craft a wrist.
“That’s my arm, right? That’s my arm?! That’s mine…”
It tilted its head in confusion, continuously questioning. Once again, the wolf did not reply. Broken Finger tilted its head up to the sky. Simultaneously deciding this entire fight was unreasonable. Knowing that now that understanding the counterfeit elixir was at stake, it had no option to flee. What if it did and the creature consumed the counterfeit elixir?
‘My attacks won’t even register.’
The binding magic was ineffective while instead striking back at me. The extreme poison seemed oddly weak. Most importantly, the key to false immortality couldn’t even be used. Just how many penalties am I fighting against? Has there ever been such a disadvantageous situation?
‘No.’
The rage from that injustice started to boil inside me.
Determined not to give space, the wolf charged. Having snatched away the ghoul’s magic through consumption, the wolf bared its fangs. Just as the storm of magic collided with another fierce clash, the ghoul’s sight was obscured by the wolf’s enormous jaw. The moment it attempted to retreat hastily, as before, the tentacles and shadows grabbed hold of the ghoul’s legs.
The entire park had become the wolf’s territory. With the giant shadow of the bridge cast upon it, spreading influence was but an easy task.
“That’s! That’s! That’s my arm! Give it back! Return it!”
Its crushed eyes burned with endless madness and a sense of rage never felt before.
The corpse-eating that devours another’s blood and flesh— for the ghoul that had robbed lives endlessly, being robbed was the ultimate indignity. In a frenzy, its twisted hand swung toward the wolf as if to kill.
“My! Arm!”
In that obsession, the wolf reluctantly yielded its newly made leg. With a joyful expression, Broken Finger’s face lit up, having reclaimed the wolf’s leg— formerly his own arm, but now its body turned rigid and couldn’t move.
“Huh, huh?”
A dreadful aura, greater than itself— above all, it was caught by shadows that had somehow begun to envelop the area. The ghoul, mistaking what was behind it for a monster, attempted to withstand, but the shadows forcibly twisted Broken Finger’s neck, revealing a black phantom grinning behind.
“―――!”
Fueled by the snatched magic to ignite beyond its limits, transformation shrouded Broken Finger in an instant— and in the end, the glowing ghoul was incinerated amid its death cries.
***
A world I cannot comprehend— yet Baek So-yul genuinely believed it was beautiful. The sea rising in the sky, mystical creatures soaring through the air. Ever since coming to this space, it felt like the pounding headache that had plagued her was finally gone.
‘The concentration of magic…’
It was unimaginably dense. Initially thinking she had stepped underwater, she found herself gasping, only to realize it was magic encompassing everything. Staring upward vacantly for a while, Baek So-yul pondered.
‘I… am I okay now?’
A purple dragon with wings soared upwards. The dragon that brought her to this world scattered beautiful sparkles. Her body, once so heavy, felt as if it were healing. Instinctively bringing her hands together, the dragon landed and curled up snugly.
“Kkyururuk.”
A surreal world that felt almost like a dream. After a while, the dragon flapped its wings, seemingly signaling it was time to go. Gradually, the beautiful world began to collapse. The sea vanished, clouds formed, lovely beasts disappeared, replaced by the glowing lights of buildings. The feeling of loss was akin to waking from a dream, and Baek So-yul let out a soft sound.
“Ah…”
Upon returning to reality, she closed her eyes in fear.
Would she be dragged away again? Was Yoo Chang-baek still alive? Above all, if all of this is nothing but a dream.
Even the thought terrified her. Unbeknownst to herself, she trembled. She didn’t want to open her eyes. If this were a dream, her heart might shatter. She couldn’t endure any longer— just as she felt she could not bear it anymore—
“—You will no longer become a witch.”
At the voice that echoed, Baek So-yul opened her eyes.
A low voice that pierced her mind. The first thing she noticed when she opened her eyes was the swirling shadows. And upon seeing the wolf’s figure, cloaked in those shadows, Baek So-yul gulped unconsciously.
“……”
No words came out. Making eye contact with those chilling red eyes, she froze, unable to move.
“Your disaster is over.”
With the wolf’s pronouncement, something lodged deep in her heart shattered— she realized she was crying. Tears flowed down her cheeks as the little dragon gently licked her face. Utterly disbelieving the words that said her lifelong shackles had finally vanished. A conviction that dreams and nightmares would no longer approach filled her heart. Baek So-yul burst into tears.
“―――!”
Words she couldn’t comprehend spilled forth without passing through her brain. The illusion of seeing herself from afar. She wanted to stop, but before she knew it, she was embracing the wolf.
As the illusion faded, reality returned. The nightmare that nobody believed, even she couldn’t believe had come true.
—The wolf that lifted the nightmare that had taken everything away from her.
I cried and howled, holding the wolf tightly.
“Am I, am I okay to live? Can I, can I…!”
Words got stuck in my throat.
Would I someday become a killer, just like in that nightmare that seemed to approach? Would the dreadful nightmare repeat itself? If that were the case, wouldn’t it be better to die now?
Carrying the worries and anxieties held for a lifetime, he replied calmly.
“The witch’s disaster will not occur.”
“—Because I will stop it no matter how many times.”
As I faced those red eyes, I felt my soul tremble as if coming alive. Observing my immobile state, the wolf vanished into the darkness, as if to say it was enough.
‘Wait for me…!’
No voice came out.
Being left alone was terrifying. I wanted to go with it. I wanted to scream and ask it to take me along. If by its side, I could be someone other than a shepherd girl. The wolf that lifted my nightmare, the one nobody believed in, disappeared into the darkness without looking back.
Thus, left alone, she stared emptily at the disappearing wolf, waiting for Euna to arrive.
***
“Kkyururuk.”
The Fairy Dragon looked sulky, whining. It was unusual for it to whine. I guess it really liked Baek So-yul.
‘There’s nothing to be done.’
I couldn’t take Baek So-yul along. She had her own world to belong to. Still, the Fairy Dragon seemed sulky, tapping its tail in annoyance. During my sigh, the system sent a message.
[Probability of destruction 97.93% → 96.19%]
[You have gained 1.74% karma]
[Karma 2.71%]
The probability of destruction decreased, perhaps due to killing Broken Finger or blocking the witch’s disaster. And.
[Experience reached maximum. Lv.9 → Lv.10]
Not wanting to miss the chance to reach level 10, I waited, and the condition was met.
‘It’s done.’
The condition was to prevent the witch’s disaster, so the future of Baek So-yul becoming a witch would not occur. —At least for now.
By now, it seemed the chaos that had engulfed Seoul had settled. Rather, it appeared that Yeomyeong and the plateau had been causing chaos in Seoul all this time.
‘Broken Finger…’
Thanks to that, I was able to bring him down.
As a noble brat’s executive, undoubtedly strong. It was probably the heads of the academy’s teachers hanging from Broken Finger’s waist. Just as I had been hunting the noble brats, it was likewise hunting the academy’s instructors.
So that must’ve delayed the cleanup of those flesh masses… a question naturally arose.
‘What on earth was Munno doing?’
***
“……!”
Suddenly, a brilliant figure shot an arrow. The arrow infused with magic sliced through the air, aiming at something a great distance away. Unable to comprehend the sudden action, Gu Jin-ha frowned.
“Gwang-hwi. What are you doing?”
Before he could even ask, Gu Jin-ha broke into a cold sweat. The arrow was flying toward something far, several kilometers away, which had now drawn close enough to be visible. Clad in black-blue armor wreathed in green flames stood someone.
“Why are you here?”
Gritting his teeth, Gwang-hwi glared at him with bloodshot eyes. The shadow of that being rippled dramatically as Gwang-hwi raised his magic slowly.
“…….”
As the being remained silent, Gwang-hwi pulled his bowstring once more, filling it with magic. The arrow shot by the strongest archer among humanity— no matter who it was, Gwang-hwi was certain that shot couldn’t be blocked, and then, an overwhelming force pressed down upon them all. Gwang-hwi’s arrow was easily thwarted.
“……!”
Under the overwhelming magic, everyone but Gwang-hwi collapsed to the floor. Only he held his ground, glaring.
“Answer me! Why are you here?!”
“…Do not worry.”
The being’s voice echoed like a thrum in the ear.
“Your father is not dead.”
As he brushed his hand over the cracks in the armor, a great force restored it.
“Indeed, it was Chang-seon. Quite different from Munno.”
What could that statement imply? The party felt a chill run down their spines as they swallowed hard.
It couldn’t be true. If what that man is saying is factual— did he kill Munno? That Munno, a member of the Seven Heroes and the head of the academy? It had to be a lie. Yet, to Gwang-hwi, there was seemingly no doubt in that statement, and he slumped to the ground.
“Why? Why are you of all people, doing this…?”
“It was just a matter of differing desires.”
“…You’ve lost your mind.”
“Your father spoke similarly.”
He scanned the surroundings, and cold sweat trickled down everyone’s backs. If it was true that he had killed Munno, then if he had any intention to, none of those present would leave this place alive.
“…….”
Yet soon, with an air of disinterest, the being strode over to the opposite side. Only after it disappeared from view did the pressure lift, and the party gasped for air, as if they had been choking. Once they regained their breath, Gu Jin-ha grabbed Gwang-hwi’s shoulders and asked,
“Who on earth… who is that?”
“…….”
“Who is that person?! How can there be such, such a being…!”
Gwang-hwi kept his mouth shut to the end, saying nothing. No, it was as if he couldn’t— as if he shouldn’t say anything.
The tightly shut lips of Gwang-hwi never opened again until they had arrived in Seoul.