00459 Choice: The Great Hero or Magna Carta? ------------------------------------------------------------------------

White. Everything was white. The air shimmered with a pale light, and a gentle mist rolled across the ground. It was a dreamlike world where small lights appeared and vanished before my eyes.

“Who are you…?”

As I quietly surveyed my surroundings, a serene voice drifted through the air.

I turned my gaze to the right, searching for the source of the voice. But there was nothing to see—just the endless white void.

Then, another voice spoke.

“Ho. I never expected a mere human to enter this place… Wait a moment.”

This time, the voice came from the left. Unlike the calm, unwavering voice of a woman from the right, this one was deep and resonant, like a man speaking with a mouthful of water, making it hard to understand.

I stopped looking around. It seemed they were aware of me, but I couldn’t see them. Searching further was pointless.

As I thought this, the voice from the left continued.

“Forgive my rudeness for not recognizing you sooner. I am Magna Carta, the Dragon of the End, and I humbly greet you. You, who bear the ancient flame, what brings you to this place?”

What? The Dragon of the End, Magna Carta? The ancient flame?

The sudden formality caught me off guard, but I suspected it had something to do with Hwajeong.

Hwajeong?

“Hmph.”

A haughty snort was the only response. It seemed the anger hadn’t subsided yet.

I sighed and calmed my racing heart. From what I gathered, the voice on the left knew Hwajeong’s true identity, and that identity was the Dragon of the End, Magna Carta.

This meant the voice on the right was likely the Great Hero the man had mentioned.

With some clarity on the situation, I turned to the right and spoke.

“I came here at the request of a man. Are you the one they call the Great Hero?”

“Hmm… A human revered by a dragon. How curious. If you’re looking for the Great Hero summoned by that man, it must be me. But what request did he make that led you to seek me out?”

The melodious voice echoed softly in the void. I paused to think. Before explaining the man’s request, I felt it necessary to describe the current situation, including Magna Carta’s revival and the souls’ ascension.

As I spoke, the Great Hero’s reactions shifted with each revelation.

Concern at the dragon’s revival, awe when the souls of former comrades fought the dragon, and shock when I mentioned the souls’ ascension after defeating it. Finally, when I spoke of the Oath Sword and the complete lifting of Magna Carta’s curse, a sigh of relief escaped.

“Phew. I see. The curse of Magna Carta is lifted, and the comrades have gone where they should… That’s a relief. Truly a relief.”

The Great Hero’s reaction was understandable, yet it left a bitter taste. Regardless of the circumstances, what the Great Hero did to their comrades was something even I couldn’t condone.

The man’s words echoed in my mind.

“Thousands of years. It was a difficult time. Truly horrific.”

“I entered the mountains ready to die, but at least in death, I wanted to return to the home of my heart… I never wanted to live on as a wretched specter.”

Having heard the man’s perspective, the Great Hero’s voice, seemingly relieved of some guilt, was unsettling. I couldn’t understand why the Great Hero was here in the first place.

But it was over. It wasn’t my place to judge, and I wanted to finish the conversation and leave.

I spoke quietly.

“Before ascending, the man asked me to find out why it had to be that way, if it really had to be done.”

The Great Hero didn’t answer immediately. Though I couldn’t see their form, the silence seemed to speak volumes about their feelings.

After a moment, the Great Hero finally spoke.

“I… I feel sorry for my comrades. But it was a choice I had to make.”

The first words sounded like a feeble excuse, almost laughable.

“A choice you had to make… Is that what you want me to tell him?”

“You seem to think poorly of me. But truly, it was an unavoidable situation. The Stone of Wishes, empowered by Ganesha, the god of language and wisdom, wields divine power, but it comes with restrictions.”

“Restrictions?”

“Yes. There are many, but two are most important. One, you only get one chance to make a wish. Two, the wish doesn’t automatically come true. If personal greed is at the forefront, Ganesha will not grant the wish, regardless of the reason.”

“If personal greed is at the forefront… the wish won’t be granted?”

“Exactly. I was called the Great Hero, but I was also just a human woman. Didn’t I want to leave the mountains, celebrate victory, and live with my loved ones? Of course, I did. But I couldn’t. With only one chance to make a wish, my true desire was likely driven by personal greed. I couldn’t take that risk. Do you understand now why I made that choice?”

I see. If that’s true, it changes things. I hadn’t expected such restrictions, so I crossed my arms thoughtfully.

But even after considering it, my feelings didn’t change. The abilities shown by the man and the woman’s souls were astonishing, even to me.

“It still seems like a hasty decision. It was a choice for humanity, but if I were you, I might have trusted my comrades more. I would have revealed the truth and worked together to lift the curse or found another way. You told your comrades after the fact, and as a result, they suffered in despair for thousands of years, even after death.”

“I know. My decision was undeniably a unilateral one. But you have no idea what those times were like. Without the common enemy of Magna Carta, how long would human ideals have lasted? I was worried about what would happen afterward.”

Humans are ever-changing. I could partially empathize with the Great Hero’s words, though I didn’t fully understand.

In any case, I had fulfilled the man’s request. I could tell him when I summoned him with the Oath Sword later. There was no need to linger, and I was about to leave when—

“Mother, the Great Hero is lying.”

The deep, resonant voice vibrated through the air. Magna Carta, who had been silent until now, spoke.

For a moment, I wanted to retort, “I don’t remember having a child like you,” but I calmly turned to the left. I knew the term “Mother” wasn’t directed at me.

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. While the events described weren’t false, the Great Hero’s intentions are not as they seem.”

“Silence, Magna Carta. Though much time has passed, your vile plan was thwarted and crushed today. You have lost.”

The Great Hero quickly dismissed it as the ramblings of a defeated foe, but Magna Carta continued undeterred.

“Though you have shattered my chance for revenge, it was done by Mother’s will. I cannot complain. But consider this: I wished for all humans entering these mountains to suffer, or for their descendants to suffer. Yet, for some reason, the Great Hero chose the former and entered this place alone, where I am sealed.”

“Indeed, the Great Hero’s soul wasn’t among the others. I was curious why they were here alone.”

“Though they speak of acting for humanity, I suspect I know the Great Hero’s true intentions. You saw the seven stones surrounding the coffin, didn’t you?”

“Seven stones… You mean the Stones of Wishes? Wait, a coffin? Not an altar?”

“Yes. The conditions to activate the Stones of Wishes are still present here, and what you saw was not an altar but a kind of coffin where the Great Hero’s body is frozen. Despite sacrificing all their comrades under the guise of worrying about my curse, the Great Hero chose to remain here, sealed with me. Do you understand now what this means? The Great Hero left a path for resurrection, anticipating a future visitor to this place.”

I scoffed again. Sure, there was room to think that way. But the likelihood of Magna Carta’s words being true was slim, and frankly, for something called the Dragon of the Apocalypse, its words seemed rather petty.

“That’s ridiculous! If you really thought that, you would’ve just left on your own after everything ended that day!”

The great hero seemed to feel the same, as his voice, tinged with indignation, reverberated through the floor. Yet, Magna Carta mocked him with its usual wavering tone.

“Heh. No, no. You were probably too scared to leave alone. You couldn’t face the families of your comrades, your acquaintances. And I remember when we first met. You persistently asked me which of your comrades I cursed. You seemed relieved when I answered.”

“Even after thousands of years, your nature hasn’t changed. Surely, you don’t believe that loser’s nonsense, do you? We sacrificed everything for our descendants. I’m here to keep an eye on Magna Carta’s potential schemes, nothing more, nothing less. So, that lunatic’s…”

At that moment, I raised my hand calmly. It was a signal sometimes used during clan meetings, a habit to quiet things down when they got too noisy.

Surprisingly, the heated exchange between the two entities came to an abrupt halt.

I stood silently for a moment, then quietly turned away.

The reason I came here, as I mentioned earlier, was because of a man’s request. It wasn’t to judge who was right or wrong, but to repay the kindness he showed us.

Besides, I’m a user. A user of the Hall Plane. Unless there’s a compelling reason, there’s no point in staying here any longer.

As I turned, I saw an entrance about two meters high directly ahead. If I went through there, I could return to the original space. Just as I was about to take a step, a voice stopped me.

“Mother, are you leaving now?”

Magna Carta’s earnest voice halted my steps. I considered ignoring it and leaving, but I changed my mind and turned back.

“And?”

“Forgive my boldness, but before you go, I have a request.”

“A request?”

“Yes. Since the revenge is over…”

I scratched my head. If it were something related to me, I might care. But I’d been tolerating its nonsense for a while, and now it was starting to get on my nerves.

“If you’re going to ramble, just get to the point.”

The great hero’s voice echoed beside me, but I brushed it off and looked to the left.

After a moment, Magna Carta spoke again.

“Personally, I wish to enter eternal rest now, to continue my revenge against the great hero, and to see.”

Eternal rest, revenge, and to see. Can all three wishes be fulfilled simultaneously? And what does it mean by ‘to see’?

Confused, I furrowed my brow slightly, prompting Magna Carta to continue.

“I wish to see the human world. During the war, I always wondered why humans were so intent on rejecting us. We dragons coexisted with humans and desired it, but it was the humans who refused. I want to see what they achieved by rejecting us.”

“Hah. Magna Carta. Coexistence? You lorded over all races, demanded tributes…”

Sensing another argument brewing, I raised my hand again and spoke calmly.

“So, you want freedom. That’s amusing. Humans went to great lengths to seal you, so why should I risk freeing you? Give me a reason.”

“I don’t understand your words. Risk? Revenge against the world is impossible and already abandoned. The revenge I speak of is against the great hero. My true form is beyond revival, and in this era, isn’t Mother here? Why fear me? Mother is the fire that created the world, overseeing all existence. Though I bear the name of the apocalypse, my origin is the primordial flame. All who have attained wisdom in the flame revere Mother. Even in this incomplete state, what child would challenge their mother?”

“That’s nonsense.”

At that moment, Hwajeong finally spoke. I almost burst out laughing but managed to hold it in with superhuman patience.

“Thinking back to when I raised that troublemaker… What? No child challenges their mother? What a load of crap.”

Hwajeong continued to grumble. I stifled a laugh and spoke nonchalantly.

“I get what you’re saying. Sure, I have the being you call Mother, but I’m not the Mother you’re talking about. I’m human, a man, in fact. So, keep that in mind and stop calling me Mother.”

Magna Carta mentioned being in an incomplete state. It likely knew what happened to Hwajeong, which is why it revealed itself.

And even if Magna Carta did attack, it was an opponent I had nearly defeated alone once before. With an elixir and the help of my comrades, we could handle it.

With that, a serene silence settled over the dreamlike space. But it was short-lived. Another voice soon shattered the quiet.

“Surely, you’re not considering listening to that dragon, are you?”

I didn’t respond to the great hero. I simply gazed at the space where I assumed Magna Carta was. If it was a dragon with a working brain and understood the human world, it would grasp the meaning behind my words.

“I see. But no matter how human you are, the fact remains that you hold Mother.”

Magna Carta’s voice, still respectful, reminded me of Hwajeong’s stature. I spoke quietly.

“So.”

“Consider that you’re human. Do you understand what I’m saying? Then how about this?”

Suddenly, a strong gust brushed past me, and several messages appeared in the air.

『The Dragon of the Apocalypse, Magna Carta, acknowledges user Kim Su-hyun!』

『Five dragon powers are bestowed upon user Kim Su-hyun.』

『As the most powerful and feared dragon in history, the powers granted are immensely strong. However, with user Kim Su-hyun’s current information, not all can be fully utilized. The number and abilities of usable powers are limited.』

『Therefore, only two dragon powers can currently be used…』

“How about it?”

Magna Carta had pinpointed exactly what I wanted.

“Hmm. Not bad.”

Dragon powers, huh? I’ll have to look closely, but if Hwajeong acknowledges it, it can’t be too bad.

I spoke quietly to myself.

What do you think?

“About what?”

Freeing Magna Carta.

“That’s up to you. But if you want my opinion… well, that creature is, in a way, my child. Seeing it like this doesn’t sit well with me.”

Though Hwajeong said it was up to me, it seemed she subtly wished for Magna Carta’s release. I’d need to hear more to decide, but I felt my mind leaning in one direction.

I shrugged, signaling if there was anything more, and heard Magna Carta’s laughter.

“This is the limit for now. But if you release me, I have one more gift to offer. As I mentioned, there’s a device here that can activate the Stone of Wishes.”

“So, you’re saying you’ll help us use it?”

“Exactly.”

“Oh.”

The great hero said the Stone of Wishes could only be used once. And there were twelve clan members here besides me.

This meant, regardless of whether it was possible, we could make a total of thirteen wishes. The offer was tempting.

Then it happened.

“What are you doing?!”

A voice, sounding utterly flustered, struck my ears. It was the great hero.

“We, we sacrificed everything for you. What you’re about to do will nullify that noble sacrifice…”

“Personal revenge or wanting to see the world isn’t my concern. Ultimately, it wants eternal rest. And I’m not even from this world. I came from another. So, your noble sacrifice has nothing to do with me.”

“What, what did you say?”

“Sigh. It would’ve been better if the world ended back then… Then I wouldn’t have had to come to this wretched place. Anyway, as long as it benefits me, there’s no reason not to do it, so stop the nonsense.”

I meant every word. If the world had ended back then, I wouldn’t have had to come here.

I didn’t blame the great hero, nor did I pity him. The man had left the decision to me. And as I keep saying, I’m a user, not a resident.

Whether it was disbelief or speechlessness, the great hero fell silent. I looked to the left, where I thought Magna Carta was, and spoke calmly.

“I want to see the world, seek revenge, and find eternal rest. So, I’m curious to hear how I might achieve these three wishes. Just to be clear, I’m only planning to listen and then decide.”

As soon as I spoke, I had the strange feeling that Magna Carta was practically glowing with excitement, even though I couldn’t see it.

“Of course, naturally. But before we proceed… for a bit more trust between us, could you take out the item you have in your pocket?”

An item in my pocket? Instinctively, I reached inside and felt something small and round. A smile crept onto my face. I had a pretty good idea of what Magna Carta was up to.

A brilliant light filled my vision, then quickly faded back to normal. As I regained my senses, I found myself in a dimly lit, ash-colored hall. My hand was still resting on the altar—or rather, the coffin.

Suddenly, I felt countless eyes on me from below.

Turning my head, I saw the clan members staring up at me, wide-eyed. I thought they might be worried since I’d been gone so long, but their eyes were filled with curiosity, not concern. Just like when I first entered this place.

In that moment, I realized what had happened. Time in that space must flow differently from reality. No matter how long I spent there, only seconds passed in the real world. It made sense, considering it was a sealed space.

“Clan Lord! Are you alright?”

Jae-ryong Shin waved his hand energetically, calling out to me. I nodded a couple of times and looked at An-sol. She was already watching me, so our eyes met easily.

After about five seconds of silent communication, An-sol’s face suddenly lit up with realization. Her eyes widened, and she began nodding vigorously, her short hair whipping around her head.

‘What?’

I was momentarily confused, but her frantic nodding seemed to indicate she wasn’t against it.

With An-sol’s reaction confirming my decision, any lingering doubts vanished. I turned my gaze back to the coffin. Seven pale green orbs were neatly arranged on top. As I looked at them, I carefully recalled the instructions.

‘You’ll see seven orbs on the coffin. The operation is simpler than you think. First, you need to…’

Once I remembered everything clearly.

‘Press the orb on the far left.’

Without hesitation, I moved my finger and pressed the leftmost orb.

---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=

I’m so sorry. I tried to post by midnight, but my father unexpectedly held me up for 30 minutes. It’s entirely my fault. ㅜ.ㅠ

This morning, as he was leaving for work, I followed him to the door to say goodbye. Just as the door was closing, I gave him a farewell like a gangster from a movie—broadening my shoulders and bowing my head, saying, “Have a good day, boss!” Then I ran off.

He was in a rush, so he left without a word, but he came back late tonight, clearly having had a few drinks. -_- And he remembered my morning antics. Haha. My head, back, and shoulders are still sore. I can’t count how many times I had to repeat “Father!” tonight. Hehehe.

Oh, today’s update is a bit long, isn’t it? It’s technically two episodes’ worth, but content-wise, it’s just one. This is exactly where I wanted to end this part. I didn’t want to stretch it out and risk exceeding the planned number of episodes (though I might have already done that. Oops!), so I combined it into one.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. :D