“Ugh.”
A sudden wave of nausea surged up, and my back instinctively arched as I clamped my hand over my mouth. It didn’t make the queasiness disappear, but I forced myself to swallow down the unpleasant sensation clawing at the back of my throat. Still, it lingered. Ever since I entered this strange space, the feeling had only grown stronger with time. Right now, it felt as if someone was ruthlessly tearing through my entire body. Like a few steel ballista bolts had been driven into my abdomen. The sensation was so vivid it was as if my belly was about to burst open—horrifyingly real.
“Ugh! Waaahhh!”
“Yoo-jung!”
I couldn’t hold it in any longer. Just as I barely managed to straighten my back, I collapsed to my knees. I clenched my teeth, trying desperately to hold it back, but eventually, I vomited. The sour stench mixed with the metallic scent of blood made me gag repeatedly. After emptying my stomach, I felt a little better, but soon a different emotion crept in to fill the void. Seeing the filthy mess scattered before my eyes, I felt ashamed and humiliated. It was a kind of self-loathing.
“Even Ansol held it in…”
Someone patted my back, another asked if I was okay, their eyes full of pity. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and tried to stand. Just then, a sharp pain stabbed my abdomen again, and the arm I had just raised bent halfway down. A sudden, inexplicable weakness washed over me. I bit my lip hard and clenched my fists until my knuckles cracked.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Kim Soo-hyun’s voice reached me, asking if I was alright. I snapped back to full awareness. This spot I’d barely managed to secure—I couldn’t afford to be a burden. I especially didn’t want to show this side of myself in front of Kim Soo-hyun. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to stand.
“I’m fine!”
“I don’t think so. You look really—”
“No! I’m really okay!”
“……”
Without realizing it, I was shouting. Kim Soo-hyun stared at me silently for a moment before telling me not to push myself and turning away. I struggled to steady my breathing and took slow, painful steps to follow. I gently placed my hand over the branded mark on my abdomen. The pain still burned cold.
How much time had passed?
Leading my comrades, soaked in pain, down the endless path, I suddenly stopped. Before me stood an ancient fortress, weathered by the passage of time. About fifty meters away. Facing the dark, shadowed entrance, I took a shallow breath. Suddenly, my heart raced. Though the clarity of my vision had dulled under the influence of the “third eye,” I found myself running forward without thinking. Without hesitation, I passed through the gate.
The scenery no longer changed; it brushed past me like a blur. Passing between rows of pillars, I quickly crossed a corridor and finally saw a massive iron door. Over five meters tall, its corners engraved with metaphysical patterns. Just as I was about to push it open, I noticed my breath had grown ragged. Passing through the mist had drained my stamina; I was far from at my best. But it wasn’t just fatigue—I felt as if someone else inside me was gasping for air.
Calming my chest, I turned to see my comrades had caught up. Each wore a grimace, their eyes fixed on the door with strange expressions—pain, hatred, anger, loss… even resentment.
“I’m going in.”
I muttered quietly and pushed the door open without hesitation. Inside was a wide, circular chamber. There was no need to look around. A large altar stood ahead, and someone was perched on it. I raised my blade cautiously and stepped forward. My comrades followed, weapons drawn.
Did she not notice us? Even though we were less than twenty meters away, the figure on the altar didn’t move an inch. Approaching and looking up, her form came into sharp focus.
Was the Sleeping Beauty like this? The figure was a chillingly mysterious and captivating woman—young and stunning. Underneath a deeply slouched witch’s hat, her thick purple hair cascaded beautifully. But her face, angled downward, looked somehow hollow, her eyes tightly shut. The witch’s face still didn’t turn toward us.
Then—
“Hey…!”
Just as someone lunged forward, I immediately stretched out my hand to stop them. The energy around us was tense; it seemed some of us had grown excited on the way here. More importantly, I had just noticed the witch was awake. Though she appeared to be sleeping quietly, she had just moved slightly—turning the hourglass in her left hand.
A moment later.
“…Interesting.”
A high-pitched, feminine voice echoed softly through the still space, as if whispering right beside us. The witch slowly opened her eyes, revealing empty-looking violet irises beneath long lashes. She lifted her head slightly and calmly scanned us.
“Most who come this far charge in like they’re fighting for their lives…
So this means you’ve mastered yourself. Yes. You, or rather, you might be a little different.”
She crossed her legs leisurely. The dark robe fluttered down, revealing dazzling calves. Then, resting her hands on the altar, she fixed her gaze squarely on me.
“So, how does it feel? To retrace centuries of history and stand before me once again?”
“……?”
“Can you understand the feelings, the emotions from back then? Third Crown Prince?”
“…….”
Third Crown Prince. I immediately understood what she meant. The first was the original Crown Prince himself, the second one of the caravan members who came before, and the third was me. In other words, my current body was connected to the Crown Prince’s soul.
“What happened to the fifteen who came before?”
Instead of answering, I raised my blade.
“I asked first. If you don’t answer, I won’t tell you either.”
But the witch shook her head.
“I don’t know feelings or emotions.”
“That’s not enough of an answer.”
“I said I don’t know. All I think is that they were stupid.”
“…Stupid? The Crown Prince?”
I nodded calmly, and her eyes widened slightly. For a brief moment, a flicker of something passed through her otherwise empty violet gaze. Then, suddenly, her pale cheek puffed out with a “Pff.”
“Kyahahahahahaha!”
Her laughter tore through the air like a scream, filling the chamber. It was lively and spirited, unlike the cold feeling I’d sensed earlier. She bent at the waist, laughing uproariously, shaking her body and stamping her feet. The tight robe accentuated her voluptuous figure.
“Everyone, get ready to fight!”
I couldn’t just stand by. I gave the order. My comrades raised their weapons, aiming at the witch. Coincidentally, she was slowly calming down.
“Ah, poor Crown Prince… You came charging in all proud, but you weren’t even recognized by posterity. Yes, stupid. Truly stupid.”
She wiped tears from the back of her hand, then suddenly smiled seductively at me. Clear tears still glistened in her eyes.
“Are you going to fight? I don’t want to fight you. It’s a pointless battle anyway.”
“Mu—”
“And you haven’t answered yet. If you want to hear it, put down your weapon.”
“……”
If I were alone, I might have attacked already. But I couldn’t just rush in blindly. I had a mission, and I needed to know what happened to the fifteen who came before. Besides, I couldn’t read the witch’s intentions. This wasn’t the real world—it was the witch’s and the Crown Prince’s domain. Unless it was home ground, and unless the witch knew my full strength, foolishness was to be avoided. Maybe she was even stronger than Mavolo.
Grinding my teeth, I lowered my blade. The witch smiled brightly, like a flower blooming, nodding enthusiastically.
“Yes. Good, good. I like good kids.”
“Fifteen.”
“Oh, so impatient. Fine. They weren’t as polite as you. When they saw me, they charged like rutting dogs. So~ I caught them all and used them as nourishment.”
“Nourishment…? Preparation?”
I couldn’t help but ask. Something felt off. As before, the witch should have been sealed here, trapped in this space. I had thought the caravan members had awakened her sleeping soul. But her words didn’t quite add up.
“You weren’t recently awakened?”
“Awakened…? Ah, right. Crown Prince, I never thought you’d have such an achievement.”
The witch’s expression shifted as if she understood something. She tossed the hourglass in her hand into the air, then snatched it back with a scratch.
“But it wasn’t those guys who woke me. I’ve been awake for a long time—months, actually.”
“What? How?”
“I don’t know either. I never imagined there could be a being capable of meddling even in this astral plane. But anyway, I’m grateful to it. Thanks to that presence, I can finally get my revenge.”
“…”
The word ‘revenge’ caught my attention. Suddenly, memories from the past flashed through my mind. Something about this story felt off.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced you yet. Hey, get up. Come on, get up. We have a guest~.”
The witch said that, lightly tapping her chest before suddenly leaping down from the altar. She landed softly on the floor, grinning as she took off her hat. Aside from the witch and us, there was no one else around.
“Well then, let me introduce you. This is—”
Suddenly—
“Uh, huh?”
The witch faltered, lowering her head to stare at her noticeably swollen chest.
“Whoa! Why did you scream all of a sudden?”
“…Huh? Hell? What are you talking about right now?”
“Run? Run away? Why would I do that?”
“Who is that guy?”
Muttering to herself, the witch glanced at me briefly, then tilted her head in confusion before looking away again. At the same time, I felt a light tap on my shoulder.
“Mercenary Lord. Something’s wrong. Hurry…!”
Han So-young’s voice whispered urgently.
Without hesitation, I sprang forward.
The witch felt a strange sensation.
—Aaaaargh!
“Whoa! Why did you scream all of a sudden?”
She had just woken her friend up, only to be met with a scream the moment she opened her eyes.
—It’s him! It’s that guy! How? How is this possible? I was sure I sent him straight to hell back then!
“…Huh? Hell? What are you talking about?”
—No, wait. Run! Grab your broom and get out of here!
“Run? Run away? Why would I?”
—Damn it! There’s no time to explain! That guy isn’t someone either of us can handle!
“Who is that guy?”
Despite the echoing alarm ringing in her mind, the witch tilted her head calmly.
—No, wait! In front!
At that moment, the warning blared urgently.
The witch naturally lifted her head and saw Kim Soo-hyun charging toward her at terrifying speed. Yet, her face showed no sign of fear or surprise.
“Hoo, I really don’t want to fight…”
Suddenly, her body floated gently, then shot up into the air in an instant. Kim Soo-hyun leapt with all his might, but the witch calmly extended her right hand forward. Then something incredible happened. Without uttering a single spell, shimmering blue droplets formed around her hand, cascading downward in streams. The water, transformed into small ripples, pierced straight through Kim Soo-hyun’s body.
“See? I told you it’s useless.”
After confirming this, the witch climbed back onto the altar and let out a faint, pitying sigh.
“Useless, huh?”
But then, a voice behind her made her flinch. She caught sight of Kim Soo-hyun dissolving into thin air midair, as if melting into the void.
“An illusion? No!”
“Really?”
The witch’s startled voice overlapped with Kim Soo-hyun’s cold tone.
And then—
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Snap!
Before she could even turn around, a searing pain exploded near her neck. Her eyes widened as if they might tear apart, and her tongue stretched out unnaturally long. The last thing the witch heard was the furious voice inside her head.
—Damn it! You stupid woman! How much effort did I put into this?!
—Metamorphosis!
That was the moment everything changed.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Dear readers, you’re really something!
I left a note in the last post, yet the comments are still up on that site.
And now you’re calling it a pilgrimage?
I foolishly hoped someone might take them down.
Lately, I’ve been trying hard to update at midnight, but it’s been tough on my heart.
So, one last time, here’s my note.
No, since those comments keep showing up, I’ll keep trying to update at midnight and occasionally do some extra chapters.
Alright then!
TT.
P.S. Readers, I’m fine, so please don’t fight. :D