At first, she only licked it lightly with her tongue. But perhaps because she truly felt the power of the energy, Lee Yoo-jung trembled all over, then plunged her head into the flowing golden sea and drank deeply. Just as she took a gulp and was about to swallow it down her throat—
“Maybe…”
At that moment.
“It might be because of me.”
A voice echoed somewhere, brushing through her mind, which had turned completely white. Her throat, which had been about to make a small sound, suddenly began to sink slowly.
“She’s a crazy woman. A blood-crazed woman. They called her the Madwoman.”
“Haha… Such a bright girl, and yet a blood-crazed woman? That’s nonsense.”
Almost losing her grip on reality, Lee Yoo-jung clenched her fists without realizing it.
Why? Why?
This can’t be happening.
All she had to do was swallow the energy in her mouth, so why was she hesitating?
In a situation where she absolutely shouldn’t be able to hear anything, why did her brother’s voice suddenly reach her ears?
Her brain was in chaos. Torn between the urge to swallow quickly and the last thread of reason still clinging on, Lee Yoo-jung felt like collapsing right there. Then, inexplicable tears welled up and streamed down her cheeks—not from sadness, but for no reason she could understand. Everything was just so confusing.
—There’s no time!
—Swallow it now!
Just as the Barbarian King’s voice barked at her in urgency,
“Actually, it doesn’t really matter to me. Because I think it’s already way too late… But Yoo-jung, you’re not there yet.”
“You’re too precious to just watch change happen to you. Whether as a person or as a user.”
The calm, resonant voice gripped Yoo-jung once more, as if telling her not to do it, to stop.
—Grrr…!
The Barbarian King grimaced deeply and let out a low growl. The space around them was on the verge of collapse. There was no time left. Yet now, with the final ritual moments away, Yoo-jung was hesitating for some unknown reason. The muscles around her jaw, which had been tense from holding the energy, were slowly relaxing.
A moment later.
—Damn it! Forgive me!
The Barbarian King grabbed Yoo-jung’s jaw roughly with a hurried motion.
“I don’t know anymore. Lately, I’m not even sure if I’m doing the right thing, or if I ever did.”
“No one’s telling you to get immediate results. Didn’t you hear Kim Soo-hyun’s words?”
“They’re waiting for you to realize it yourself.”
“Then at least make an effort to show it.”
At the same time, the voices of Kim Soo-hyun and Heo Jun-young overlapped, shaking Yoo-jung’s energy-addled mind awake. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Her blurry vision snapped back to normal in an instant.
And then—
“Ptooey!”
Just as her head was about to be forced back, Yoo-jung spat out the energy she’d been holding in her mouth with force. This time, the Barbarian King’s eyes went wide in shock.
—W-What the hell are you doing?!
“Cough! Cough, cough!”
But Yoo-jung paid no mind and expelled the remaining energy, staggering like a drunk. Her forehead still throbbed, and her abdomen ached, but a refreshing feeling cut through the dizziness in her head. Soon, unable to keep her balance, Yoo-jung collapsed onto the ground.
—Hey!
“Shut your damn mouth!”
Smack!
The Barbarian King quickly reached out, but all he got in return was a thick string of curses and a sharp slap. Dumbfounded, he rubbed his arm in disbelief as Yoo-jung spat and quickly got back on her feet, clutching something silver and shining tightly in her right hand.
—You… you’re refusing?
“Refusing? Hell no. What? Forgive me? What kind of crazy thing were you trying to do?”
Grinding her teeth, Yoo-jung wiped her chin and snorted. Tear marks were clear on her cheeks, and though her eyes still glistened, she glared at the Barbarian King as if ready to kill him. A flicker of unease crossed his face.
—L-Look, you’re going to die soon anyway, right?
“I told you to shut up. And what does it matter if I’m already dead? I don’t care if others live or die.”
—Don’t joke around…!
“I’m human!”
Suddenly shouting, Yoo-jung’s fierce energy was enough to make even the Barbarian King flinch and step back. She huffed but kept gripping the object in her right hand tightly. The Barbarian King’s eyes widened as he recognized the faintly glowing headband.
“Dying in battle, living for slaughter, cheering for carnage? If that’s what it means to be a beastman, then I don’t want to be one.”
—Didn’t you say you hated being weak? That you wanted to be strong?
“That’s right. I hate it. But I don’t want to become strong at any cost. I want to be strong on my own terms, in my own way. …Yeah, I’ll become strong as a human, at least.”
—…Your resolve is admirable, but face reality. Do you really think you can survive here without my help?
“Fine, so shut up already. If you’re not going to help, just stand there and jerk off or something.”
—……
Yoo-jung snapped fiercely and turned away without a hint of hesitation. She still didn’t know what to do, but she had a clear idea of the method. That meant there was only one thing left to do. Just as she spotted the red curtain ahead and was about to rush forward—
—Hmph, you pass.
The gruff voice stopped her in her tracks. She whipped her head around to see the Barbarian King smirking.
—You should’ve done this from the start… The Miao tribe really knows how to give us a hard time.
“What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?”
—Hey, I’m not a dog. Call me a lion if you want. And… sorry about earlier. I was in a rush too.
“……?”
The Barbarian King scratched his head sheepishly, and Yoo-jung gave him a puzzled look.
—But it wasn’t a lie. I could definitely awaken you. What happens after that, I can’t promise…
He stepped forward confidently and shrugged his shoulders, narrowing Yoo-jung’s eyes. Come to think of it, the golden glow that had been flickering around her body had noticeably dimmed.
—So, let’s change the subject. It’s a bit embarrassing, but help me out.
The Barbarian King looked Yoo-jung straight in the eyes.
—You said you want to save your friend, right?
“Yeah.”
—Me too. I want to save my friend.
“Huh? Friend?”
Yoo-jung asked, confused. She figured a dead person wouldn’t have friends. The Barbarian King gave a bitter smile and exhaled deeply, staring into the void.
—This place is my tomb, but it’s also where my foolish… friends who came to save me are buried. They still wander this space, unable to let go of their determination to save me.
He stammered slightly when saying “friends,” then spoke with emphasis. Yoo-jung didn’t fully understand, but she listened quietly.
—For hundreds of years… It’s time for us to be freed. But if the world ends like this, we’ll be erased without a trace. Waiting for hundreds of years only to have our souls vanish—that’s just cruel.
The Barbarian King lightly tapped Yoo-jung’s shoulder with a fist.
—That’s why I’m asking you to help. Please set us free from this abyss.
Yoo-jung remained silent. His voice was serious, but the Barbarian King’s eyes, staring into the void, held an inexplicable sadness.
—Waiting endlessly like this is exhausting… Even though we’re dead bodies, our minds are still alive. Me, and those foolish friends of mine. Now, I want to let us return to the nature we longed for and rest peacefully.
With that, the Barbarian King said,
—That’s my final wish. Even if the Crown Prince gets cursed by future generations for being an idiot… When they realize I truly came to be saved, I won’t feel so bad. …So now, it’s my turn to save my friends.
—So please, free me and my friends from this abyss, Miao tribe girl!
He smiled gently and placed his hand on Yoo-jung’s shoulder. Since he was already a dead soul, no shadow was cast—only a faint golden aura shimmered like heat haze.
Yoo-jung still didn’t fully understand, but at least she realized they shared a mutual understanding.
“…I don’t care, but if it means becoming a beastman, I’ll pass.”
—Heh heh, don’t joke. Don’t worry. I’ve already accepted you.
Whoosh!
Before she could even ask what he meant, the Barbarian King’s entire body began to shine brilliantly. Like a candle’s last flame burning fiercely, he radiated desperate warmth and light. The intense glow obscured his form completely, leaving only a blazing golden figure beckoning Yoo-jung forward.
—Come on, hurry!
Yoo-jung instinctively reached out her hand but hesitated for a moment. This wasn’t the same seductive energy as before. It didn’t cloud her mind or tempt her with sweetness. It was rough, yet infinitely free and warm.
Perhaps drawn by that yearning for freedom, it wasn’t long before Lee Yoo-jung calmly slipped her hand inside. And within the light, she grasped something, as if it crumbled in her fingers.
“Got it!”
At that moment—
“Alright, let’s get this started! Heir!”
The world through Lee Yoo-jung’s eyes suddenly blazed with radiant fire.
Inside the crimson veil, silence reigned. Most faces were etched with anxiety, yet everyone kept their mouths shut, all eyes fixed on the man leading within the barrier. The man—no, Kim Soo-hyun—stood firm, staring into empty space. His gaze was steady, unshaken, as if lost in deep thought.
“Everyone…”
As if making a decision, Kim Soo-hyun finally spoke softly. Naturally, all eyes turned to him. He glanced briefly behind.
“I will prepare the strongest, most impenetrable shield I can muster.”
“……”
“My magic is slowly running out. When it’s gone, this barrier falls. We’ll settle this before then.”
“……”
Everyone understood his words but said nothing. The harsh reality was that they had no choice but to rely on him once more. In other words, while the remaining fighters resist with all their might, Kim Soo-hyun would try to eliminate the source as quickly as possible. Whether that would resolve the phenomena caused separately was uncertain.
“Uh…”
At that moment, Heo Jun-young let out a strange groan, staring off somewhere. Reflexively, Kim Soo-hyun turned his eyes and frowned slightly. Something had brushed past the barrier like a gust of wind. It wasn’t just the two of them who noticed; some others also glanced outward.
Within the collapsing space, a surge of golden light was rushing forward like a storm.
Yes. It wasn’t a gentle trickle like a stream, but a fierce torrent, charging with unstoppable force. And as if dancing, fiery red hair whipped wildly in every direction. The thunderous gallop felt like a storm passing through, and someone let out a faint, weak groan.
“That is…”
Crackling, crackling!
At that moment, the ground collapsed directly in front of the golden figure rushing straight ahead. Not just the ground—where the line of light passed, even the air cracked, shattering the very space it crossed.
Of course, some patches remained intact here and there, though they were faint and fragile. Even now, the space crumbled as if falling apart, refusing any further advance. It felt like watching an endless ocean ready to swallow everything in its path. The problem was, that golden surge showed no sign of stopping.
The collapsing sky, the fractured void, the shattered earth—everything that made up this world was breaking apart and disappearing. Yet, one blazing figure shone brightly through it all. Leaving behind a beautiful afterimage, it sped forward in golden streaks, unhesitatingly plunging into the vast abyss.
“Hah!”
With a fierce shout, the figure soared above the broken ground. Then something astonishing happened. The expected fall of the figure was spectacularly avoided.
A powerful kick through the air landed on a small fragment of sky that had fallen from above, bouncing the figure back up. It slipped through the cracks in the fractured space like a ghost. The smooth S-shaped curve it traced looked like the aerobatics of a supersonic fighter jet.
In a world where a single misstep meant a fall, the figure stepped on a tiny shard and leapt over it, passing through the warped gaps like a living arrow. Step by step, again and again, repeating only that. Everyone watched tensely as the figure’s footsteps finally touched somewhat solid ground. More precisely, it reached directly beneath the source.
“Lee Yoo-jung…”
Kim Soo-hyun murmured quietly, recognizing the figure. For a brief moment, he wondered, “How?” but the thought vanished instantly. The incredible, almost supernatural movement was not what mattered now. Instead, something raw and fierce stirred deep within him.
Kim Soo-hyun knew well: the chance of his plan succeeding was less than thirty percent. Yet unexpectedly, the situation had changed. He hadn’t fully grasped it yet, but as the saying goes, even when the sky falls, there’s a way out. At the brink of despair, Kim Soo-hyun sensed a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a comeback had arrived.
Lee Yoo-jung, now directly below, tilted her head upward. The witch hung limply in the empty air, gazing down. No movement stirred, but her indifferent eyes flickered slightly—a sign she was still alive.
There was no time to hesitate. The moment their eyes met, Lee Yoo-jung slammed her foot into the ground with all her might.
“Hah!”
Answering her shout, her new form exploded upward.
She wasn’t flying. Neither she nor the beastmen had the ability to fly. But they could leap. And as a beastman—especially the king of beastmen—her body structure was different. A six-meter jump was more than enough to reach an enemy hovering in the air. A terrifying leap!
Using the full support of the Beast King’s power as a springboard, Lee Yoo-jung ignited her entire body and soared straight up, beautiful and fierce. Her final, all-out sprint slid through the air.
Nothing else crossed her mind. Her head was clear, her stomach no longer ached. She saw no passing scenery, felt no wind brushing her ears, and the few messages that had appeared earlier vanished. The only thing she saw was one: the hourglass floating before the witch’s chest, racing toward destruction. Nothing else entered her vision.
…Was that why?
“W-Watch out!”
Heo Jun-young shouted.
The collapse had stopped by then. But it was no cause for relief. The lines of light that had been slicing through the area now spiraled upward into the sky. Their meaning was clear—it was a kind of reaction. In other words, the source had, for the first time, recognized Lee Yoo-jung as a dangerous threat.
“Lee Yoo-jung!”
Though he knew she couldn’t hear, Heo Jun-young yelled.
In that instant, the halted white light hesitated briefly, then locked onto Lee Yoo-jung approaching the source and began a terrifying dive.
There’s a clear difference between flying with wings and a normal leap: the ability to change direction midair. Unless you can generate magic in midair like Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Yoo-jung had no way to dodge that attack. In a few seconds, the line of light would strike her, shattering her to pieces—just as it had done before.
“…!”
Was evasion impossible? The straight-diving beam pierced Lee Yoo-jung without mercy. At the same time, those inside the barrier cried out desperately, and a flash of shock and disbelief crossed Kim Soo-hyun’s eyes.
“Ah…!”
Not long after, Lee Yoo-jung’s body melted away, dissolving like wax.
“Is that… the Transcendent Phantom Step?”
Heo Jun-young realized too late, his mouth agape in horror. The ability required a magical flow several times faster than normal users could manage, and no one had dared attempt it. Yet Lee Yoo-jung had succeeded.
In truth, Kim Soo-hyun wanted to call it the Divine Shadow Step, closer to the Transcendent Phantom Step, but he held back and gripped his sword tighter. He couldn’t afford to miss this chance.
Anyway, it was exactly as it seemed.
The golden light still climbed skyward, while the white beam plunged straight down.
The two streams of light crossed paths.
And finally, the source was within reach.
Three seconds, two seconds, no—one second until what he held in his right hand would touch it…
It’s here, it’s here, finally, at last!
Now it can be finished!
“Ahhhhhhh!”
Filled with joy, Lee Yoo-jung shouted and swung her hand powerfully toward the hourglass just before her.
Almost simultaneously, one of the witch’s frozen arms moved.
Just as the massive golden energy surged to shatter the hourglass—
Thud.
Right before contact, the fragile body froze like a robot running out of battery.
Lee Yoo-jung took a shallow breath. A sharp pain surged through her chest. Instinctively, she knew she’d been pierced by something. The witch’s eyes, slightly raised, were cold and icy—mocking, as if to say, “Did you really think you wouldn’t expect this?”
But.
Despite failing at the brink of success, Lee Yoo-jung didn’t wipe the smile from her face. In fact, from the moment the beam of light targeted her, she had been certain of victory. Because she wasn’t alone in this space.
A moment later—
“Oppa!”
Lee Yoo-jung exhaled the breath she’d been holding, squeezing out her voice.
“If we break the hourglass, it’s over!”
“Got it.”
A calm voice answered amid the screams.
Flap!
With a powerful beat of wings, someone suddenly soared beside the source. Before it could even turn its head, an invisible blade struck down fiercely, slicing the remaining hourglass clean in two.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Lee Yoo-jung: Hey, you crazy bastard! After all that effort, you just had to steal the final blow, huh?!
Ro Yoo-jin: S-sorry.
Lee Yoo-jung: Why’d you do that?!
Ro Yoo-jin: The achievement system counts the final blow… I wanted to give it to Kim Soo-hyun…
Lee Yoo-jung: Why?!
Ro Yoo-jin: After this part, I need to spend GP flirting with Seraph. The more the better, right? ‘- ^*
Lee Yoo-jung: &@#$%&(@#$&(@#$&(@#$&(@#$&! I’m gonna kill you!
Ro Yoo-jin: Wait, wait!
Lee Yoo-jung: Is that your final word?
Ro Yoo-jin: Don’t you want to be all lovey-dovey with Kim Soo-hyun? Don’t you want to cuddle up?
Lee Yoo-jung: …!
Ro Yoo-jin: Hehehehe.
Lee Yoo-jung: I’m such a bad person…
Ro Yoo-jin: If you don’t want me just sitting here twiddling my thumbs, then stay still, okay?