Chapter 1438
“I couldn’t believe what I just heard.”
“Mirage…?”
I rubbed my eyes and glanced at Asura and Cheon Woo-jin. No matter how much I looked, they were no illusions; they were real, solid beings, especially Asura, who had even gotten a body made for him through my creative powers by his spirit’s request. I had no doubt they were real, so I had to refute Cheon Woo-jin’s claim.
“What nonsense are you spouting? I’ve never heard that because they became Dream World residents, they can’t leave!”
“Do you seriously think they can step into reality with both soul and body?”
“Why can’t they? Explain it to me.”
“……”
Cheon Woo-jin fell silent, and instead, there was a puff of vapor from his electronic cigarette as he spoke up.
“Quit taking your anger out on Cheon Woo-jin, you idiot. Let me explain [Dream] in a way that even you can understand.”
“Cheon Woo-jin.”
“Asura, while you got a body crafted by me, I made my own body, right?”
I nodded as he raised his arm.
“Looks like it.”
“So how do you think I formed my body? I don’t have godly powers like you.”
“…I don’t know.”
Truth be told, this was something I had been curious about but had never bothered to ask. I had never received an explanation on how Cheon Woo-jin manifested his own body. I just assumed he borrowed his strength as a genius in illusion techniques and could wield the powers of the Void Record.
“The reason is that among the souls of the Great Bear Empire, I alone understand the nature of [Dream]. I also know how to wield power within that [Dream].”
Shhhffff….
A moment later, Cheon Woo-jin’s body vanished into the mist of his electronic cigarette, and when he reappeared, he was surrounded by hundreds of clones.
“……!!”
“Pretty neat clone technique, huh? But this isn’t actually clone technique. It’s just [Dream].”
“Not a clone technique?”
“No. This isn’t a power that I can wield for a specific reason. It’s not even a technique.”
As Cheon Woo-jin slowly walked toward me, the clone that had been summoned disappeared in an instant. He puffed out a cloud of vapor and spoke with an annoyed expression.
“Baek Woong, when a person dreams, do they set a limit on their stats in the dream?”
“Huh? Not really…”
“Everything I do in this domain—creating a body, generating clones, using techniques—follows that principle. Because it’s [Dream], there’s no limit. In other words, if a sorcerer fully masters [Dream], they essentially have no limits on their power within this world.”
“What…?! Really?!”
I was briefly shocked by Cheon Woo-jin’s words.
Power within the [Dream] realm, effectively limitless for someone who masters it—a concept I’d never heard before, and it blew my mind. Cheon Woo-jin nodded, continuing.
“Because it’s [Dream]. In reality, to create a body, you’d need godly powers like yours; to summon clones, you’d need to master the clone technique; and to fly, you’d need to learn spells. But just because it’s a dream, you’re exempt from all those causalities. The ‘why’ behind it is a trivial debate in dreams, isn’t it?”
“……!!”
“For someone like me who manipulates the [Boundaries] of dreams, what matters is imagination. Often, the size of your imagination becomes the size of your power.”
“Amazing… Can I learn it too?”
“I don’t know. I thought a dimwit like you wouldn’t stand a chance, but since you persisted with the Sun and Moon Spirit, maybe you could someday… But that’s not important right now.”
Cheon Woo-jin made a chair and sat awkwardly as he spoke.
“Once those who have lost their causalities enter the [Dream] realm, they can’t escape. Losing causality is basically like being dead; if not, it means they’ve dropped out of the [Great Cycle] for some reason. The moment we were summoned from the throne world, we were bound to the dream world.”
“……What?!”
“There are no exceptions. If we try to escape to the real world, we’ll be immediately erased. In this dream world, we are close to free beings who can do anything, but we can never leave.”
I stood there dumbfounded and spoke to Cheon Woo-jin.
“Hey, Cheon Woo-jin… You’re kidding, right? You’re just messing with me again?”
“……”
“We made it this far, and you’re telling me I can’t go back with you all? That’s just insane…”
Cheon Woo-jin didn’t retort as usual; he simply fell silent, lost in thought amidst the vapor of his cigarette. I realized then that he wasn’t joking and that everything he said was true, which sent a chill down my spine.
Is this really happening…? I’ve painstakingly gathered my 28 comrades, and now I find out we can’t return to reality together?!!
Unable to accept it, I yelled out, “No way!! So everything’s fine except we can’t even go to the Training World? Why isn’t that [Dream]? The virtual world created inside the Heavenly Secret was just as surreal as the dream world!”
Cheon Woo-jin shook his head.
“……”
“In simpler terms, since you entered this [Dream] realm, not a single second has passed in the real world. This space is one where time and space are rendered meaningless, didn’t you feel it?”
When I stood there like a deer in headlights, Cheon Woo-jin continued.
“You’re the only one here who can leave.”
“……Don’t joke around. You expect me to just leave you behind?”
I clenched my teeth and turned to Dharma, yelling, “Dharma!! You’ve been reincarnated way more than I have, surely you must have some knowledge or experience in how to bring comrades out of the dream world?”
[…….]
“Tell me right now!! I’ll pay any price!”
I was pushing my limits to find a solution, but Dharma, arms crossed, responded.
[I’m sorry, but I don’t know of such methods either. I’ve never had a powerful sorcerer like Cheon Woo-jin as a companion before. I’ve never even encountered such a being, and it’s quite astonishing that such a being exists…]
“What?”
[You have already surpassed the limits of my experience. No matter how real or not, utilizing what you’ve built up to defeat me means, as a Reborn Person, you’ve surpassed me.]
“Wha…?!”
I appreciated the compliment, but this wasn’t the time for flattery. If even Dharma didn’t know a way, it boiled down to Cheon Woo-jin. But I could see that Cheon Woo-jin didn’t have a solution either. How could he, when he was merely bound by the laws of the Book?
As I faltered, Asura chimed in.
“Baek Woong. Don’t put on a melodramatic show. It’s embarrassing.”
“……Asura!! What do you mean? So what if it’s a melodrama to others? Do you really think I could watch my comrades disappear without a fight?!”
“……”
Asura fell silent, breaking into a wry smile.
“Look, caring about your comrades is great, but don’t let it turn into a weakness. You’re clinging to a sense of brotherhood to resolve your lack of humanity after reincarnation.”
“……What?!”
Asura shrugged.
“It’s not cool at all. A comrade isn’t just a one-and-only romantic partner or family member. Sometimes you just have to let go, right? It’s not like you’re an antisocial hermit spending 24/7 chatting with clan members in a game.”
“No damn way… What does it matter if it’s cool or not? We could all vanish like a fleeting dream if this keeps up; why wouldn’t I go mad?!”
As my veins bulged with anger, Asura nodded.
“It does matter. Because the ones I consider comrades are the cool ones.”
“……”
“If you’re not one of the cool guys, I won’t consider you a comrade. And you—who put your all into the 28th round until the end—were cool enough for me to proudly call you a comrade. That’s why I’m doing my best to help you in this dream world too.”
Chirring!
Asura suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at me, his icy glare fixed on me.
“But right now, what’s up with this? No matter how chaotic the realms are, stumbling around while clinging to our lives is far from acceptable. Can you really call yourself a Reborn Person capable of conquering the entire universe when you’re so weak?”
“……!!”
“If you want to act like a clown, go ahead. I won’t consider you a comrade anymore, so we’ll both get what we want.”
Asura’s words hit me like a bolt from the blue, making me feel as if I’d been struck by lightning. In an instant, I grasped how much he relied on me, revealed through his stern words.
‘That’s right… I can’t be like this.’
Not just for my 28 comrades but for all the comrades I had passed by, I was carrying all their burdens.
Should I really show such a shameful side of myself?
For a moment, I bit my lip and nodded.
“…Alright. I’ll do my best to escape from here first.”
I continued with determined eyes, “And no matter how long it takes, I’ll save you all.”
“Heh, suit yourself.”
Asura chuckled. Once the conversation seemed to reach a resolution, Cheon Woo-jin cautiously spoke to me.
“Baek Woong… Don’t worry too much. They haven’t been completely bound to the throne; they’re just one of the infinite residents of dreams.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you find a way to connect to [Dream] itself later on, you might meet again…” Uh-oh!
Crackle!!
In that instant, Cheon Woo-jin reacted as if struck by lightning, and I was startled.
“Hey!! Are you okay?!”
“……”
Fizz….
Cheon Woo-jin’s form started to fade away like a hologram. After glancing at his wavering figure for a moment, he spoke.
“I exceeded my authority and ended up subjected to the constraints of the Book… I don’t have a lot of time left, so I’ll proceed quickly.”
Woom!
As Cheon Woo-jin spread his arms, a massive dark corridor appeared before my eyes, filled with countless starlight and the vast darkness of the universe. He beckoned me toward the passage, saying,
“Hurry… If you don’t go now, you might not get another chance.”
As I approached the corridor, a sense of foreboding washed over me, causing me to stop in my tracks. It was the instinct of a Reborn Person.
“Cheon Woo-jin. Are you really okay?”
“I’m fine, just hurry.”
Since he insisted he was fine, I had no choice but to trust him, though deep down, I felt uneasy. I glanced at Cheon Woo-jin again, then at Asura before speaking.
“We’ll definitely meet again later!!”
“Yeah.”
“…Hmph.”
I approached Cheon Woo-jin and embraced him, giving a reassuring pat.
“You’ve had a tough time too. Let’s come back together.”
“……”
Cheon Woo-jin trembled for a moment, and then, in a strangely nostalgic voice, said,
“Yeah….”
Bang!
Moments later, as I entered the corridor of darkness, I felt something pulling me upward, as if being sucked in, and I began to rise through the vast universe. Just as Cheon Woo-jin had said, this was a place like the [Bottom] of the Heavenly Secret, while the Training World was undoubtedly closer to the surface.
Whoa!!
After a brief moment, I could arrive at the Training World. As soon as I appeared in the Training World, I spotted the nostalgic Azure Dragon Martial Arts School and wore a deeply emotional expression.
“I’ve… finally made it here.”
There was still a long way to go back, but at least I had returned to this point!
With a smile on my face, I suddenly remembered and called out for Cheon Woo-jin.
“Cheon Woo-jin!! I’m going to turn right around and return to reality with the comrades from the Training World immediately. Hurry up and facilitate that!”
There’s a saying that it’s best to strike while the iron is hot, so I thought returning immediately was the best move!
….
But after waiting for a while, I didn’t hear Cheon Woo-jin’s voice.
“……?”
There wasn’t even a trace of him. Just a moment ago, they were all there, so what happened?
As I was puzzled, suddenly, the scenery in front of me changed, revealing a vintage table with tea cups, and across from me sat an old man with round glasses, sipping herbal tea.
“If you’re looking for Cheon Woo-jin, he’s no longer around.”
“Mephistopheles….”
The strong AI Mephistopheles, who had taken charge of the Training World in Cheon Woo-jin’s absence, appeared before me. As I stared at him, he fidgeted with his round glasses and said.
“Didn’t Cheon Woo-jin tell you? When he sends you here, all of his power is exhausted.”
“……What?”
As I was taken aback by this unexpected statement, Mephistopheles set his herbal tea cup down on the table.
“I was watching everything from the edge of the [Dream]. I don’t know where he went in between, but I managed to observe the fight against Dharma… You did quite well against Nailatop and Dharma.”
“……”
“Simply put, Cheon Woo-jin exhausted all his powers when he sent you here. He’s now trapped in the dream world, along with your comrades, involuntarily.”
“……!!”
Wha-what?!
I couldn’t trust Mephistopheles’ words, but I also had a niggling feeling of recognition. That unsettling gut feeling from just a moment ago was the proof. As I stood shocked, Mephistopheles continued.
“I don’t know why such a foolish choice was made, but it works out well for me. This way, I’ve basically become the terminal for the Heavenly Secret. Hehe…”
Turning my gaze to the smirking Mephistopheles, I suddenly spoke up.
“It was you, wasn’t it?”
Only once.
From the moment I faced Nailatop at the end of the Heavenly Secret, I had been aware of the fact.
I had nearly forgotten this fact, but his words hinged on that realization once more.
“What are you saying?”
Mephistopheles feigned ignorance, but that expression only enraged me further. However, I maintained a poker face as I continued.
“You deceived me into not letting Cheon Woo-jin rescue me, conspiring with Nailatop, didn’t you?”
