Chapter 488 – Beyond the Truth

An odd light, frequently perceived within the city.
Those who glimpse this light are said to plunge continuously into long, luscious dreams.

– What? Dreams? Such nonsense.

The term ‘luscious dreams’ has become a symbol of fear, so daunting that people are hesitant to even utter it.
Over the past week, I’ve managed to gather testimonies from several Hunters confined within the Tower.

– Be cautious of places akin to alleyways. The fallen people I see every dawn are mostly found in such locations.

This peculiar light can be observed exclusively in dim places.

– There are those who claim to have seen a sorcerer conjuring light.

The person stirring the ‘light’ is said to be a woman possessing a voluptuous figure. Before one beholds the ‘light’, time appears to warp abruptly, leading to strange occurrences like the sun rising at dawn.

– It’s like an eerie tale. Well… you know, akin to the comic books we used to pass around and read in elementary school. It’s as if that’s what’s happening to us now.

It may sound juvenile, but it didn’t feel odd.
The rampant rumors validate its existence… it’s just that I’m the only one who can’t validate it.

The growing number of victims. The fear that can’t be confirmed but slowly tightens its grip, is a terrifying constant in life.

Still, it’s not frustratingly bereft of progress.
Thinking thus, I prepared to venture out late into the night once again.

“Going out?”
“Yeah. As I mentioned before, if I don’t return after dawn, take a look around the vicinity.”
“Understood.”

Somehow, Ebony and I ended up sharing a studio apartment.
We used to sleep together when we were at the castle in District 3, so it didn’t change much of our daily routine.

Ebony, who was in the midst of dinner, dusted off her soot-stained hands and rose from the table.

“Mister…”
“Hmm?”

Ebony approached with caution.
I wondered why she was in such a hurry, only to see that she held today’s ration, a roasted sweet potato, tightly in her small hands.

“Eat this before you go.”

She grasped my wrist, propping the sweet potato onto my palm.
I chuckled at the warmth, holding the dark-skinned sweet potato in my hand.

“Why, worried because I’m not eating?”
“……”
“Thank you.”

I patted her head gently before departing.

‘Now that I think about it. Her reaction was different once.’

– Aren’t you going to eat?

An incident from our past in the dungeon.
Back then, Ebony was timid and passive. Now, she simply insists that I eat without posing any questions.

Is she gradually bestowing her trust upon me?
Smirking at this brief yet gratifying change, I stepped out of the building, chewing on the sweet potato.

Hopefully, there’s at least one more piece of information worth gathering today.
That’s the wish I harbored deep within my heart.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

‘Slow the passage of time.’

【 Understood. 】

As Baekyang’s words fell, a black aura seeped from Lee Se-Young’s body, painting the surroundings in shades of ash.

【 Be warned… Maintaining this level is challenging. 】

The white fur of her coat surged upwards, burning like crow feathers. As Se-Young moved, the space around her rippled.

In this decelerated world, those capable of observing her movements were scarce.

The power of 【Time】, formidable simply by its existence. It is absolute in creating variables, and it is why Lee Se-Young could overcome numerous obstacles and monopolize countless ventures.

When the spirits are summoned, her body shimmers as if cloaked in crow feathers.

– Thud!

Se-Young began to dash through the sluggish crowd.

The shifts in people’s expressions were starkly apparent. A mere second for them equated to ten for her. On a battlefield that divided joy and sorrow, this was no minor difference. Even the furrowing of brows was visible.

‘King Mokryeong… there could be a chance.’

The adversary could be Lee Si-heon, the king.

If he were to be the king, all that transpired until now would turn to dust.

【 What if, he is not? 】

Se-Young furrowed her brow at Baekyang’s question.

‘It would be perilous.’

She might face the same terror as when she encountered him as a crow.

‘Yet, it has always been this way. Every task I undertook was fraught with danger.’

When she nurtured the crow, when she expanded her power. Men often targeted her, drawn by her cursed appearance. Overcoming these was solely due to Se-Young’s indomitable resolve.

‘I must uncover the truth.’

Now Se-Young knows.

Following the announcement of Lee Si-heon’s death, she obsessively investigated his intentions, clinging onto every shred of information. Back then, she felt her sanity would crumble if she didn’t.

She pleaded until her relationships collapsed,
accrued debts,
sought to uncover every detail by scrutinizing every movement. Eventually, the truth unveiled itself.

Who Si-heon tried to save. Why his actions were as they were.

The more she delved, the harsher the reality became. From the unnatural demeanor he occasionally displayed to his peculiar behavior during their first encounter, Se-Young turned over every stone.

[If Lee Si-heon, the potential husband of the World Tree, is a candidate for King Mokryeong, how did Sang-chang, a product of the World Tree, manage to corner him?]

Regrettably, all records pertaining to Lee Si-heon had been erased.

A formidable force in the information war seemed to be guarding him.
Another discrepancy appeared here.

The World Tree had no reason to erase Lee Si-heon’s information.
It was likely his intent to do so. Why? To keep himself and his lovers uninvolved, for it was too dangerous.

Thus, he chose death. Or could it be that he had feigned it?

Upon uncovering this much, Se-Young suppressed her tears and pondered.

He must survive.

If it’s a disguise, it must be unveiled.

The power of the Time Tower was exceedingly apt for this mission. Se-Young had identified a strong suspect.

“I have no reason to die. Attend to your own matters,” he had said.

He had declared he would not die.

“…hey.”

Her heart pounded faster.

The man turned his head and his gaze met Se-Young’s. His expression was of a chilling cowardice. He trembled, then kicked back, vaulting away. As Se-Young’s hand seemed inches from him, he swiftly distanced himself.

“Hey!!!!!!!!”

The man was fleeing.

A sudden desperation seized her heart. Could it be? Really? Her mind started to reel.

She strained her calf muscles. The hands of time seemingly slowed on Se-Young’s body.

Within this slow tempo, the power of the king remained relentless. It seemed impossible to catch up.

Se-Young, teeth clenched, fury flaring in her eyes, pursued him.

‘…do it.’

The last resort.

The erstwhile silent Baekyang opened his mouth.

【Yes.】

From behind Se-Young, a black aura grew stronger, engulfing the world in an ashen haze.

Time came to a complete halt.

-Thud.

The light entering her optic nerves ceased, her eyes awash in a deep blue hue. In this state, she could neither see nor sense space. She had to rely solely on memory to navigate her movements. Compared to the pain of heartbreak, this effort was insignificant.

She stepped onto the platform and entered the alley. Once she judged that she was close enough to the distant man, she released time.

The span Se-Young could freeze was barely two seconds, but for a hunter, those two seconds were ample to close the gap.

-Zing!

A fissure in the dimension appeared, and the frozen time resumed its course.

It felt as though she had teleported; she found herself ahead of the man. Se-Young seized the moment and swung around. The man, running at her, tried to change direction, but,

-Gasp!

It was too late.

Se-Young’s hand grasped the man’s neck and slammed him against the wall. The touch of the man’s skin felt disturbingly foreign.

“Haa… haa….”

Se-Young, gasping for breath, stared at the man with a pallid face. The king, devoid of any expression, merely looked down at her. He did not react, and she clenched her teeth.

-Drip.

Sweat dripped. Se-Young’s hair was soaked, hanging limply. The issue with this power was its poor efficiency.

“You… you’re the king, aren’t you.”

Her voice was heartbreaking.

“Reveal your face.”

Her voice, strained with tension, echoed. Rage was etched across her face.

The man, shrouded in black, caught Se-Young’s outstretched wrist.

In the throes of mounting certainty, Se-Young’s voice amplified, yet she refrained from uttering the man’s name.

“You, you… you truly–“

Lee Si-heon.
Baekyang remained silent. Magic pulsed and swelled from the man’s form.

Nestled between structures, an alleyway.
The swirling wind tousled the man’s hair into a wild disarray.

– A flash.

Within the warp of time, the moon ascended.
The sky, once ablaze with brightness, plunged into darkness. A chilling aura wafted between the man and Se-Young.

“Tru-“

Se-Young’s word stretched out, as if time itself had slackened. She sensed the full weight of the power she wielded.

Tru, truth… truth… The word she’d expelled echoed persistently within her ears. It was as if a videotape was being rewound and replayed continuously. In that moment, a fleeting rumor flitted through Se-Young’s mind.

– They say a light appears in the alley.
– Time disjoints, causing day and night to invert.

Why did it have to be now?
Se-Young’s head gradually craned.
A woman, garbed in pristine white, gazed at the scene, her face a mask of pallor.

– A start.

Encroaching clusters of light.

‘Baekyang-‘
【 It’s late! 】

Perhaps the connection with Baekyang had blurred, for his response was delayed. The moment she screamed in horror, the man’s previously still body shifted.

His arms enveloped Se-Young’s face entirely, bending protectively. Se-Young’s eyes widened in shock.

– A flash!!!

Leaving the newly discerned truth behind, consciousness fragmented.

The alabaster mage, standing solitary, muttered as he watched the two figures collapse.

[Your Highness, the order has been completed.]

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“We’re screwed.”

This was the sentiment left by the star who had borne witness to the morning’s tragedy.

“Even if Se-Young isn’t of S-class, she’s not so weak as to be handled anywhere.”

When news reached him, he found Lee Se-Young, abandoned in an alleyway.
All that remained at the scene were traces of a large figure being dragged away.

The star observed the prone Se-Young, his arms crossed, fingers tapping idly.

“There are no fingerprints left on her body. She wasn’t harmed physically.”

If magic had been used, there should be a trace, but there was none.
He perspired strangely, suggesting he had witnessed something truly horrendous.

“Oh, really… I’m worried.”

While it wasn’t unheard of for people to return from dreams, it was a rare occurrence, so it was somewhat comforting. Conversely, it was even more worrying.
The Se-Young that the star knew was not solely resilient. He speculated that she might be susceptible to this type of psychic assault.

“Yellow.”
“……”
“We may have to postpone our strategy a bit longer. I need to wake up Se-Young before we proceed.”

It seems I have no choice but to personally investigate what befell Se-Young.
The star that had gently tapped her arm reached this conclusion and sighed deeply.

“But…”

Gazing down at Se-Young, the star broke into a soft smirk.

“You seem at ease.”

What a sweet dream… I wonder what dream he could be having.
The face of Se-Young, usually clouded with a stern expression, now appeared tranquil as though true peace had found him.
There was a sense that he had transformed into a more beautiful, softer vision of himself.

“Shall we begin?”

The star, her hand flexing with an audible crack, opened the stack of reports that Se-Young had left behind.

From that day forward,
No more reports were received of anyone being affected by the light.