The World Does Not Exist for ■■

Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: ford53
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< Chapter 40: The World After the Prologue (5) >

“How did you end up here…”

Just as Yeomyeong was about to ask a question, a boisterous voice cut him off.

“You useless dragon whelp! Die!!”

With a crude curse, two automatic rifles simultaneously spewed fire.

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!!!

Bullets, imbued with a bright white light, pierced through the darkness, raining down on the dragon. It wasn’t precise shooting; rather, it was a wild spray of bullets.

However, the target was a massive dragon as large as several trucks stacked together, and every bullet relentlessly hammered its entire body.

­Roaaaar!!

Holy mana is said to be the ultimate counter to the undead, and indeed, it was true.

Each time a glowing bullet embedded itself in the dragon’s bones, the mana emanating from the dragon noticeably weakened.

[­Stop it! Stop that abomination!]

As the dragon, suffering from the bullets, screamed out in agony, the zombies that had been fighting Kim Mansoo suddenly turned and charged at the shooter.

The zombies tripped and trampled over each other, dying in the process. Yet, more of them flung themselves toward the bullets than those falling.

“Damn, should’ve brought a magic wand or something.”

Seeing the zombies swarm towards them, the shooter tossed the empty magazine to the ground and disappeared into something invisible.

Suddenly losing their target, the zombies wandered around aimlessly, spinning in circles or stopping in their tracks.

A brief lull followed, and it was precisely this short period that the dragon had been waiting for.

Gathering the mana scattered by the explosions with great difficulty, the dragon shook its wings and tail, rising to its feet.

[­Is someone who handles such holy power hiding behind an invisibility cloak? Such vulgar behavior.]

Rage boiled up from the depths of Ka-Hal Magdu’s heart. The calm tone disappeared, replaced by an eerie flame flickering from its mouth.

[­Let’s see how long you can stay hidden!]

Immediately after, an enormous amount of mana began to gather in its mouth. The spells it had shown so far seemed like child’s play compared to this.

Gooohhhh­

The dragon’s signature technique, Breath.

Sensing its immense power, Yeomyeong tried to retreat as quickly as possible. Or rather, he intended to.

He heard hurried footsteps approaching, avoiding collision with the zombies by taking a long detour.

In the next moment, Yeomyeong clenched his teeth and turned, lunging towards the direction of the sound.

Though he couldn’t see it, as soon as he reached out into the air where the footsteps were coming from, he grabbed something soft.

“Eek!?”

The invisible body in his hand stiffened. Yeomyeong hoisted her under his arm and, mustering all his mana, leaped from the ground.

Kaboooom!!!

Right after, blue flames engulfed the spot where he had been standing.

It was a hair’s breadth escape. His back felt the heat, and the smell of burning hair stung his nose.

The shooter, tucked under his arm, shouted something, but the roar of the flames drowned it out.

After running for a while and finally escaping the dragon’s line of sight…

“Hey, you…! You crazy bastard! Where do you think you’re touching!”

The shooter flailed and shouted, her voice filled with more confusion than anger.

Yeomyeong let her go without resistance, releasing her lightly just as he had grabbed her.

Perhaps not expecting to be let go so suddenly, she fell on her butt with a thud. The transparent cloth that had covered her slipped down slightly.

Peeking out from under the transparent cloak was a girl around Seti’s age.

She had pale skin, even paler long hair, a straight nose, a slender chin, and a thick blindfold covering her eyes.

Though her appearance was noble and mysterious, akin to a statue displayed in a temple…

Seeing a floating head in the air made it hard to appreciate her beauty. Yeomyeong gave a wry smile.

“You, you…!”

“…Are you thanking me for saving you? You’re welcome.”

“No, that’s not it…!”

Even with the blindfold, she somehow alternated her gaze between the burnt forest and Yeomyeong, her lips trembling.

“…Well, you’re right.”

“…”

“Thank you for saving me? Ha! I saved you first, so we’re even!”

Yeomyeong’s eyebrows arched, and a short silence followed. Just as it seemed the silence would stretch on, Kim Mansoo arrived, following the zombies, his mouth agape.

“Saintess?”

‘Saintess? Really?’

At the unexpected word, Yeomyeong furrowed his brow. The saintess he knew was the previous one… a kind and warm-hearted elderly woman.

Seeing Yeomyeong’s expression, the saintess seemed ready to raise her voice, but then there was a crashing sound as trees fell in the distance.

It was the sound of the dragon, having spewed its flames, regaining its mana.

“Damn it, not even a minute to catch our breath.”

The saintess stood up abruptly, extending a hand from under the transparent cloak.

Kim Mansoo recoiled at the sight of the floating head and hand, but the saintess ignored him, addressing Yeomyeong.

“Give me your sword and hand.”

“What?”

“No time. Now.”

As soon as Yeomyeong cautiously extended his hands, a light emanated from hers. Warm and gentle mana.

The saintess grasped Yeomyeong’s hands and infused him with mana. The soft glow spread through Yeomyeong’s body.

Where the light passed, the first thing to heal were the blood vessels torn from the aftereffects.

Next, his heart and muscles, fatigued from overuse, regained their strength, and finally, his depleted mana reserves were replenished.

It was the first time he had ever received healing magic.

Yeomyeong blinked in astonishment, and the saintess let out a long sigh.

“What have you been doing to your body to get in this state?”

“…”

“Damn it! Even with the blessing, three minutes is the most you’ll get.”

She glared at Yeomyeong through her blindfold, then pointed to the dragon, which was looking around for them.

“I’m going to bestow Ledox’s blessing on you now. The blessing will last only three minutes. I’ll cover you, so in those three minutes, stab that thing’s heart. If you fail, both of us…”

She glanced at Kim Mansoo briefly before adding,

“…No, all three of us are going to die. Got it?”

Yeomyeong nodded. In the next moment, the Saintess’s mana turned red.

Unlike the twisted, dark red mana of the shepherds, hers was a pure red mana.

While Yeomyeong marveled at the color, the Saintess began her prayer.

“Oh red god who governs all struggles and wars, your warrior beseeches you. Here and now, there is a warrior who needs your power…”

As her prayer continued, the faintly glowing mana began to swell larger and larger.

The light, which had been smaller than a flashlight, covered the back of his hand and soon grew large enough to envelop his entire body.

And in the next moment.

Flash!

A dragon turned its gaze upon seeing the sudden burst of red light shoot up into the sky.

Beyond the forest burned by its breath, the blue flames in its eye sockets distorted as it spotted the three humans.

[A Saintess? This wasn’t in the contract.]

It let out an annoyed growl and flicked its finger.

At that signal, the zombies that had survived the breath attack all started running toward them.

[I don’t like working more than what I’m paid for… but work is work.]

As the dragon growled, Yeomyeong, clutching the blood-soaked sword, started to run.

* * *

“I’ll cover you, so don’t worry about the zombies and just run!”

As Yeomyeong pushed off the ground, the Saintess pulled out an automatic rifle from beneath her transparent cloak.

Gunfire echoed among the conifer trees, followed by the wails of falling zombies.

Yeomyeong did as she said. Without glancing at the oncoming zombies, he ran straight towards the dragon.

He executed Shadow Skipping. On top of that, he used Pyangyeol, pumped his heart, and finally overlaid the foreign mana flowing through his body.

The power known as divine mana, or divine power.

The blessing granted by the Saintess pushed Yeomyeong’s body beyond its limits.

His entire bloodstream and heart, which had been teetering on the edge, now throbbed as if they would burst. In place of fear, a lust for battle filled him.

Yeomyeong increased his speed to give the dragon no time. As he layered acceleration upon acceleration, red mana trailed behind him like a tail.

Whoosh!

The distance to the dragon closed in an instant. Quick and decisive. That was all Yeomyeong thought about.

[It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a proper blessing.]

In a flash, Yeomyeong reached right in front of the dragon and transferred his momentum to his shoulder, swinging his sword at the dragon.

The dragon’s mana arranged itself instantly, preparing for the impact. A translucent shield formed between Yeomyeong and the dragon.

Clang!

The shield prepared by the dragon couldn’t withstand the True Strike. Hanging in the air, it cracked and spewed mana shards.

In that fleeting moment, an ice spike fell over the shield. Yeomyeong kicked off the shield and accelerated once more.

[But, earthling, how long will that blessing last? A minute? Three minutes? No matter how strong the Saintess is, she can’t maintain such a blessing for long.]

The dragon continued to unleash spells. Lightning and ice spikes endlessly disrupted Yeomyeong’s path.

While the spells couldn’t touch Yeomyeong, they managed to momentarily slow his steps. And that was the dragon’s aim.

As Yeomyeong stumbled for a moment, the dragon spread its wings and soared into the sky.

Its skeletal wings, possibly enchanted, lifted the dragon above the conifer trees with just a few flaps.

[You should’ve brought a helicopter if you wanted to fight a dragon. Do these wings look decorative to you?]

Ka-Hal Magdu sneered at Yeomyeong and opened its mouth. A breath, far weaker than before, spread wide across the ground.

‘What’s this?’

Yeomyeong frowned as he dodged the blue flames.

Then, looking at the burning forest, Yeomyeong realized what the dragon intended with the scattered breath.

The areas touched by the breath’s flames encircled the forest beneath the dragon.

Yes, its purpose was to burn all the trees that could serve as platforms for Yeomyeong to leap from. That was all.

[As I said before, you are inexperienced.]

The dragon, like a demon from hell, laughed heartily above the burning trees and smoke.

It was the laugh of someone confident of their victory, certain that a sword couldn’t harm it.

The dragon looked down at Yeomyeong, leisurely summoning its mana. A giant magic circle appeared above the dragon’s head, and the wind whipped through the conifer trees, making them tremble.

[Shall we end this little game now?]

But at that moment, Kim Mansoo shouted towards Yeomyeong.

“Rookie!!”

He was running towards the dragon and Yeomyeong, lifting a large conifer tree that the dragon had felled.

No explanation was needed. Realizing what the tree meant, Yeomyeong immediately changed direction towards Kim Mansoo.

“Climb up!!”

Kim Mansoo, his face flushed red, threw the conifer tree into the air. It was a throw utilizing all the strength of a superhuman.

Yeomyeong didn’t miss the moment and leapt.

Mana surged through his legs like a tidal wave, propelling him higher as he used the airborne tree as a platform.

But the next moment.

[Good idea. But…]

Ka-Hal Magdu, seeing Yeomyeong flying towards him, raised his hand. His fingers were curled into a circle.

[If you can’t change your stance in mid-air, it’s meaningless.]

Snap!

The dragon flicked his fingers towards Yeomyeong. Although Yeomyeong instinctively swung his sword, it wasn’t just one object flying towards him this time.

The shards of the bike that the Saintess had blown up earlier. Countless metal fragments rained down on Yeomyeong like shrapnel from a grenade.

Simple but effective. It was impossible to deflect all the tiny fragments in the air.

Thunk—

One of the metal shards pierced Yeomyeong’s right shoulder. Unfortunately, it severed a nerve, causing his grip to weaken.

Yeomyeong dropped his sword.

[lucky you.]

The dragon flicked his fingers again. The last shard pierced Yeomyeong’s body, and he began to fall in the direction he had been flying.

Yeomyeong gritted his teeth. There were 50 seconds left of the blessing, not enough time to leap again.

‘Was this the end?’

Unable to achieve revenge, after fighting against sudden misfortune and an absurd enemy.

‘Was it going to end like this?’

He couldn’t accept it. He didn’t want to accept it.

Even as he plummeted, Yeomyeong poured all his mana into his heart, increasing the blood and mana flow to his brain.

His thoughts accelerated, and reality seemed to slow down.

In that brief moment of clarity, Yeomyeong recalled the strongest human he had ever seen.

Freya Khan.

Could Seonggeom have overcome this moment? In this situation, falling without a sword, without wings… if it were her.

‘She would have flown through the sky and cut off the dragon’s head with Seonggeom.’

It was a meaningless thought. Yeomyeong had not been chosen by Seonggeom and couldn’t fly through the sky.

What he had were Pyangyeol, the Shadow Skipping of Martial Arts, and the Comet Blade—Hyeseonggeom—whose true meaning he had yet to realize.

At that moment, a line of text came to mind.

“The starlight overflows, heedless of left or right.”

Yeomyeong instinctively moved his left hand. He grasped the blue dagger he had kept in his bosom, a secret artifact handed down by Freya Khan.

“The starlight overflows….”

There was no starlight, but the divine power bestowed by the Saintess was overflowing within him. The red blessing gathered in the secret artifact.

“Heedless of left or right.”

His right hand was immobile, but his left hand remained. With his left hand, he assumed the stance of the Comet Blade.

‘Was this the true meaning of the comet sword? Had he interpreted it correctly?’

He didn’t know.

But one thing was certain. There was no other answer.

Yeomyeong swung his sword.

His swordsmanship, harnessing all his senses, cut through the air, and the blessing from the Saintess flared brightly in place of starlight.

The light that began from the dagger in his left hand…

[That swordsmanship, could it be…?]

…became a long-tailed comet. The dragon, faced with the red starlight, instinctively arranged its mana, but the sword energy was faster.

Crash!

The incomplete shield shattered. The intense starlight shot skyward, piercing the dragon’s chest.

“Roaaar!”

A red light extended through the dragon’s ribs, where its chest was pierced. Ka-Hal Magdu clutched his chest and plummeted to the ground.

Thud!

The earth, bearing the weight of the massive body, trembled, sending vibrations through the charred trees and stones.

* * *

“Rookie! Well done!!”

Kim Mansoo, who had caught Yeomyeong as he fell, cheered as he watched the dragon’s fall.

But the moment of joy was brief. Yeomyeong, panting heavily, spoke up.

“It’s not… over yet.”

“What?”

“I missed… the mark…”

True to his words, the dragon that had crashed to the ground began to rise again. Dust-covered, a rib bone fell from its chest.

Yeomyeong’s sword had only cut off a rib, not pierced its heart.

[The Comet Blade…]

Despite losing a rib, the flames in the dragon’s eye sockets burned even brighter than before.

[Earthling guided by the stars, you have earned my respect. I promise not to revive your corpse as an undead.]

Ka-Hal Magdu said this as he opened his mouth wide.

Mana from the surroundings gathered, and an ominous breath once again flared within the dragon’s maw.

Flames that neither the exhausted Yeomyeong nor Kim Mansoo could escape.

[Now, die.]

Kim Mansoo, sensing death, closed his eyes tightly. But no matter how long he waited, he didn’t feel the searing flames.

“…What?”

He cautiously opened his eyes to see the dragon had closed its mouth and was now looking beyond the conifer forest. The weary Yeomyeong’s gaze was also fixed in that direction.

Soon, an all-too-familiar sound reached Kim Mansoo’s ears.

Dududududu!!

The sound of helicopter rotors. Reinforcements from Manchuria were arriving.

[So reinforcements from the Manchurian base are already here. Pathetic fools, couldn’t stop even that.]

The dragon snorted and then looked back at Kim Mansoo and Yeomyeong.

[You’re lucky, Earthlings. I look forward to meeting you next time in a more suitable place.]

With those words, Ka-Hal Magdu flew away with all his might. His wingbeats were frantic.

How that massive body could move so quickly was a mystery, but in an instant, he had disappeared into the sky.

Just as when he had appeared, his departure was equally sudden and mysterious.

“…Why is he running away?”

Kim Mansoo watched the dragon’s body disappear into the darkness of the night and spoke vacantly.

It was the saintess, who had approached after swiftly eliminating the zombies, who answered his question.

“That wretch is a mercenary. He wouldn’t go as far as to engage in an all-out war with the nation.”

As soon as she spoke, Kim Mansoo’s legs gave out, and he sank to the ground.

Cheon Yeomyeong, who had been leaning on Kim Mansoo, also collapsed to the ground.

The aftereffects of the heart’s compression and the previously staved-off fatigue overwhelmed him, draining all his strength.

It was an issue beyond his regenerative abilities. Tonight, he would likely be in unbearable pain.

‘…It’s enough that we survived.’

Yeomyeong closed his eyes. He intended to pass out, but the saintess suddenly channeled healing light into his head.

“Don’t… need to heal me.”

Despite Yeomyeong’s words, the saintess did not cease her healing.

Eventually, somewhat revived, Yeomyeong reluctantly opened his eyes. In his view was the saintess’s face, hovering with a frown.

“Get up.”

“…”

“Reporters will be here soon.”

“…Reporters? So what?”

“Do you expect me to face them alone? You have to be in the pictures too.”

She forced Yeomyeong to his feet. Thanks to the healing light, he managed to stand, though his legs wobbled.

“Now that it’s known there’s a saintess, they’ll be rushing over. I bet one of those incoming helicopters is packed with reporters.”

“…”

Yeomyeong couldn’t hide his exasperated expression. The saintess pouted.

“Oh, come on, if I’m alone, they’ll just hound me relentlessly. ‘Saintess this, Saintess that’… Ugh. You fought too, so do the interview with me. Then I’ll forgive you for touching me earlier.”

“…I don’t think there’s anything to be forgiven for.”

Even as Yeomyeong said this, he groaned and moved. He remembered that he had come to Manchuria to gain fame.

There was no reason to refuse such an opportunity.

“Well… alright. I’ll help deal with the reporters.”

“Really? No backing out?”

Yeomyeong nodded wearily and looked out beyond the coniferous forest.

Beyond the dark horizon, numerous helicopters and military trucks were approaching.