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Chapter 282

People called the city of Hwayeon before the regression the “Shattered Mirror Labyrinth.” This was due to the cracks spreading outwards from the clock tower like shards of glass.

If a mirror in a house were shattered to this extent, I would think the only way to ensure my safety was to throw it away at once. Thus, Yeon-woo looked up at the sky.

“Ugh, it’s like a complete spider web, a spider web.”

The countless cracks drawn in the air sent chills down my spine just by looking at them. The golden eyes of the dragon were currently drilling into my mind what this phenomenon unfolding before me actually was.

“Something consumes time, what on earth does that mean…?”

According to the dragon’s analysis, it was exactly that. Something had devoured time, and as a result, the boundary of the present had collapsed, mixing time into a jumbled mess.

However, it was the Demon King’s behavior that forced me to accept such nonsense. Statements like it looks delicious, or I want to eat it…

The reasons behind those remarks and why I felt no desire to live despite anticipating death all became clear.

The Demon King had no intention to kill, yet needed to be fed afterward, showing no concern for the other party’s circumstances.

“I guess there’s no way we can coexist.”

As I thought this, a figure caught my eye.

A man slowly stepped onto the road, walking forward as if he were completely unconcerned by my intense stare.

“To be precise, he might not even be aware.”

Even as I performed high jumps and the moonwalk right in front of him, the man showed no response.

I attempted to halt my body, but he simply glided past me like a ghost.

When the man reached the end of the road, stepping onto the cracks engraved in the space, his figure vanished and then appeared again at the starting point, continuing forward once more.

“…This is unsettling.”

There was no other way to describe it as anything but disturbing.

It was painfully obvious that what unfolded before me was the past. The surroundings were a meticulously tidy city, in stark contrast to the current Hwayeon city.

Among the generally neat scenery, a very worn-out wristwatch stood out. I felt a familiarity with that watch.

With my enhanced memory due to the contract with Shar, I could recall where I had seen that watch.

“Was it the wristwatch I saw when I arrived at Hwayeon with the children…?”

The past was unfolding right before my eyes. With the absence of the present time, someone’s old memories embedded in the old wristwatch had forcibly resurfaced into reality.

Without time, nothing can exist, so it persisted by substituting old memories as a placeholder.

In that past time, I awkwardly fiddled with my neck. No matter how I thought about it, I felt like an impurity. Why was I able to roam so freely?

As far as I knew, the people tangled up in the Hwayeon incident were not moving freely like I was, but rather repeating the same actions as the man before me.

Trapped in the prison of the past, they had forgotten who they even were.

Since interference from the outside was impossible, they essentially appeared to be in a state akin to death…

“But why am I still walking around just fine?”

Muttering to myself seemed fine, and while I dared to act out all sorts of antics, I felt no oddness.

Surely, in this past landscape, there could not possibly be a monster spinning windmills in the middle of the street.

At this rate, I had only one option left. I didn’t know what had happened to me, but when in doubt, courageously advancing was the way to go.

Thinking this, Yeon-woo stood before the rift in space where the man continued to rush forward.

Honestly, I was scared. What if I pass through and can’t return? What if I’m just the common cerebrum? What if everything is an illusion?

Facing the unknown fear, I entered a slight state of delusion, while the man, existing in the past yet simultaneously as someone in Hwayeon, walked forward with no sense of hesitation.

“…I can’t afford to hesitate.”

Feeling as though my back was being pushed several times, I smiled and took a deep breath. This feels tense.

But well, if someone was behind me, it wouldn’t be impossible.

Thinking so, Yeon-woo stepped forward without hesitation. Alright, let’s take a look at this so-called rift in time.

When I thought about it, I had crossed between spaces before, so it shouldn’t be that different.

*

“Woohoo!!”

Yeon-woo dropped down to the ground after executing a powerful dropkick into the rift of time.

That’s what a dropkick is. It’s a double-edged sword; if the target disappears, you’ll be left flying into the air uncontrollably.

While groaning from the pain surging through my back, I suddenly realized something. Just earlier, it had been asphalt road, but the pain now striking my back wasn’t due to the asphalt.

“Whoa!?”

Startled, I sat up and stared at the ground. The soft earth had revealed broken tree roots. Did I break these with my back…? So it seems the man is quite sturdy.

Thinking this, I looked around to see a cabin that seemed to have sprouted from the tree roots. Was the memory clock inside there? Who was trapped in this time?

I thought in such a way as I smoothly phased through the door like a ghost, revealing a familiar face sitting inside the cabin, calmly sipping tea.

“It seems somewhat fitting yet completely out of place.”

Especially when it came to drinking tea. If I knew Baek In-hwa, that should’ve been vodka instead.

It might be a historical error, but I guess it can’t be helped. The owner of this memory seems to be an elf, after all.

Well, if you were to ask if the atmosphere felt elfish, I suppose it did. Glancing at the half-broken wall clock entwined with the tree roots hanging on the wall, I thought about it.

“But there were elves in Hwayeon city after all…”

Considering the elves’ love for nature, living in Hwayeon must have been quite challenging.

Even among humans, numerous individuals possess unique characteristics, so elves would be the same, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a bit peculiar.

“But, hmm…”

With a memory blending in so flawlessly, seeing Baek In-hwa enjoying tea in the sunlight left me slightly flustered.

Even as an Aura Expert at the end of the day, could one really become so indistinguishable from their memory?

Then why was I so free? Did I consume time before falling? That couldn’t be it, though.

“For now, should I try to find Shar and Tae-oh….”

It would be nice to search for my Master too, if possible. If it’s an Aura Master, who knows? They might have some degree of freedom.

Other people wouldn’t matter, but Claire was definitely reliable.

Well, it’s best not to think about what can’t be helped. With that thought, I momentarily gazed at Baek In-hwa, who was savoring tea and sunlight with a faint smile.

It felt a bit absurd to say, but was there such a thing as someone who looked so out of place while smiling?

“Just wait a bit. I’ll figure out a way to get you out.”

If I had planned better from the very start, things wouldn’t have come to this. Despite doing what I thought was preparation, lacking in skill and the like had brought me to a standstill.

Overwhelming guilt washed over me, but I couldn’t let myself stop to dwell on it.

*

“Hmm, this is a bit of a situation.”

Examining the outside, Delain stroked his chin.

The phenomenon of time disappearing and space collapsing was something even he, an ancient vampire, had never witnessed before…

“What’s it like outside…?”

One of the Hunters gathered on the street asked Delain, who sat atop the highest building.

How should I answer? As he pondered briefly on this dilemma, Delain decided to speak honestly.

“Not good. I believe the Demon King has done something.”

“In that case, we can’t just stay inside…?”

“No, not now. The Demon King is still above, and if we released it now, it would spell disaster. Please wait. It should be safe when the space stabilizes shortly.”

Upon hearing Delain’s words, the crowd murmured about the stability of space… but he wasn’t particularly concerned.

The important thing was that if they opened it now, the repercussions of the shattered time would rush in, and the space they had barely managed to maintain could collapse entirely.

“In other words, it means we all die.”

As someone responsible for the northern part of this city, that was something he could not tolerate. As for what happens outside… well, someone else would take care of it. There wasn’t anything he could do here.

For caution’s sake, his blood thrown into the rift gave no feeling. With reconnaissance out of the question, stepping out carelessly would only hinder something’s movement instead.

Fortunately, perhaps due to his recently gained fame, the Hunters were complying well with his orders. Given the crimson sky that was soaked in blood, it was, understandably, quite a source of unease.

Well, if they could at least remain peaceful, he would appreciate it. Honestly, if he hadn’t absorbed the blood of the ruling class, he wouldn’t have been able to maintain this position at all.

“Truly, it seems to stem from the bloodline of the ancient Demon King.”

Only a Demon King or a Hero could truly oppose such powers. Regardless of how ancient the strength of that bygone Demon King was, such principles evidently remained unchanged.

“Please, Yeon-woo.”

With those principles in mind, he hoped that Yeon-woo, possessing the qualifications of a hero, could spark some change. With that thought, Delain once again glanced at the outside.

*

Hahaha, a strange laughter echoed. To pull myself back from somewhere vague, Shar struggled desperately.

My body wouldn’t move as I willed it. The mana was the same. Like a lost child with no destination, I quickly glanced around.

Just as I thought I saw nothing, cracks began to appear in the dark before my eyes, as if hatching.

“…Gah!!”

Shar’s eyes flew open, staring at the figure before her. It was Tae-oh. He sat in a flower field, fiddling with the blossoms.

“Look, sis! I made a flower decoration!”

Yet, Shar’s eyes told her that it was not really Tae-oh. It seemed as if Tae-oh was merely playing a role as something else.

Watching Tae-oh repeat the same actions like a video with lag, Shar called out her brother’s name, tears brimming.

“Tae, Tae-oh….”

“Look, sis! I made a flower decoration!”

She couldn’t precisely discern what was happening. But, there was no doubt who she needed to find.

“Help me! Daddy! Tae-oh is acting strange…!!”

“Shar!? Are you alright!?”

At Yeon-woo’s urgent voice, Shar couldn’t help but burst into tears.

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

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