Chapter 161 ·The Truth

Jin ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Crow gazed down at Ean Jung beneath his feet with eyes that seemed endlessly indifferent and still.

Yes, ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍at least that was how it appeared to everyone else.

But ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍not to Ean Jung, who had been with him ever since that wretched laboratory.

Meeting ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Jin Crow's violently trembling black eyes, he let out an uncontrollable scoff before whispering through gritted teeth.

“……You've ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍always looked at me with those eyes. ……Khk. Why? Did we look that pathetic to you, struggling because we were never completed?”

“……”

“You say there's nothing to gain from killing everyone? No! We have the right to do it.”

Wordless madness seeped from his crimson pupils.

It wasn't a battlefield they had chosen to be thrown into.

How many deaths had they endured there, and how many had they dealt with their own hands?

“If it weren't for us in the first place, it would've been a war that couldn't be won!”

A delusion twisted beyond recognition.

It had already transformed into a warped conviction.

And he certainly wasn't the only one.

In fact, quite a few within Hound shared the same opinion.

Jin Crow did not answer.

No, it would have been more accurate to say that he couldn't.

The pounding headache that had been hammering at his skull since moments ago had frozen his body in place.

Ean Jung did not miss the anomaly.

Buzzz-.

A brief flash shimmered from the fingertips gripping Jin Crow's ankle before extending outward.

Then, twisting lips that could have been either laughing or crying with madness, he murmured.

“So if you're going to stop me, then kill me, Jin Crow.”

Booooom!

The hand clutching Jin Crow's ankle exploded.

Blood sprayed everywhere, and together with the ruined hand, Jin Crow's ankle was also torn into a mangled mess.

“Kh!”

Jin Crow instinctively tried to pull away, but Ean Jung's brutal grip surpassed that fleeting burst of force and violently dragged him back.

The result was truly horrific.

Even while feeling the agony of the arm that had been blown off at the wrist, Ean Jung stared at Jin Crow's shredded ankle, where the bone was now exposed, before bursting into manic laughter.

“Ha, hahahaha! Hahahahahahaha!”

Everyone watching froze.

Unlike Jin Crow, whose injuries still retained enough form to regenerate, Ean Jung's wrist had been nearly torn off and hung by a thread.

Yet he bent backward at the waist as though exhilarated, laughing like a madman.

‘……He's insane.’

Jin Crow silently stared with his black eyes at his former friend, Ean Jung, who remained trapped in an isolated timeline and could no longer recognize the person Jin Crow had become.

His ankle was already regenerating rapidly.

Naturally.

Unlike Ean Jung, who had exhausted his Psionic energy and recklessly scattered the Oparts' abilities through his battered body, the Psionic energy sleeping within Jin Crow's flesh restored him as though mending a torn piece of cloth.

“……There isn't much time.”

Jin Crow barely managed to speak.

It was inevitable that he would feel pressed.

Ean Jung himself did not realize it, but his already ruined mind had deteriorated even further, and no conversation in that condition would change anything.

However, because he had overlooked the fact that his current body could not withstand the Oparts' abilities for long, his mind was being dragged deeper into the abyss with every passing second.

...Though that had been intentional.

He had less than a minute left.

The blow Ean Jung had landed earlier had turned the already unbearable headache into the sensation of a bullet piercing his skull every second.

In that fleeting instant, Jin Crow gathered his thoughts and completed the best sentence he could possibly utter.

“……She'll be back soon.”

To the Ean Jung standing before him.

And also to the other 'me,' who, if only for an instant, had switched places and was listening from within him.

“Argoetia.”

Jin Crow slowly raised his head toward the sky.

Yet his gaze reached beyond the galaxy into the void.

To somewhere...

Where she was.

After running his tongue across his split, blood-stained lips, Jin Crow quietly murmured.

“……I.”

It was an endlessly bitter, self-mocking confession.

“I'm going to kill her.”

“What?”

The madness-filled laughter vanished from Ean Jung's face.

He heard the words, but he couldn't comprehend them.

He stared blankly at Jin Crow with eyes full of confusion.

But at that very moment—

As Jin Crow's consciousness blurred beyond its final limit, what entered the edge of his vision was none other than—

“--Ean.”

Thud-.

With an utterly expressionless face, Baek Hwi-young stood behind Ean Jung, his spear piercing straight through the man's heart.

“Cough!”

Ean Jung's knees buckled.

Blood streamed down the scarred skin of his jaw, and with trembling fingers he tried to seize Baek Hwi-young, who had stabbed him from behind.

But Baek Hwi-young had already stepped back, pulling out his spear before swinging it directly toward Ean Jung's neck.

However, at that moment—

Clanggggggg!

A chain crashed down between them, pinning the spear's trajectory to the ground.

Along with the violent tearing of the air, Baek Hwi-young's gray eyes turned toward Jin Crow.

Even though he wore both a hat and a mask, he was easy to recognize.

Their gazes met.

But they never had the chance to speak.

At that very moment, figures broke through the crowd and charged straight toward Baek Hwi-young and Jin Crow all at once.

“Kh!”

Baek Hwi-young dodged the whipping strike.

Immediately afterward, Jin Crow, his vision now blurred as though shrouded in mist and his head splitting with pain, desperately defended himself against the attacks of the Setter Platoon.

And Kim Min, the Setter Platoon's deputy platoon leader, did not let that opportunity slip away.

“Everyone dies here. Hold them down until the very end.”

After coldly issuing an order no commander should ever give their own subordinates, she hoisted Ean Jung—who was barely holding his chest wound together—over her shoulder and immediately withdrew from the battlefield.

“Ean Jung!”

Naturally, there was no way Baek Hwi-young would simply let them escape.

But every single member of the Setter Platoon blocked his path, staking their lives to stop him.

“Move!”

“--.”

With dead eyes, they carried out their orders.

Not one of them hesitated to throw away their lives.

Yes...

As though the moment they received the command, the value of their lives had already been decided without the slightest need for consideration.

Perhaps that was why.

There had been the briefest hesitation before cutting them down.

And that tiny gap was more than enough time for Kim Min to carry Ean Jung past the followers of the Church of Cosmic Truth and escape.

“Kh!”

Baek Hwi-young turned to pursue them.

No—

He was about to.

If he hadn't seen Jin Crow collapsing.

Thud-.

The massive man who had always seemed as though he would stand forever without wavering crumpled helplessly to the ground.

His face buried itself in the rubble of the ruins as his eyes slowly closed.

Then, from behind him, the Setter Platoon members thrust the blades in their hands toward his vital points without the slightest hesitation.

“……!”

His body moved faster than his thoughts.

Baek Hwi-young deflected the blade aimed at his lung before scattering the radiance of Gae Assail and charging toward Jin Crow.

A burst of speed beyond perception.

In an instant, Baek Hwi-young reached him.

Grabbing those attacking Jin Crow by the throat, he whispered coldly with his frigid gray eyes.

“How dare you.”

Why was he so furious?

Even he couldn't understand it.

Yet his spear had already been leveled toward the Setter Platoon.

‘If I had followed them... I might've caught them.’

Ean Jung's heart had been pierced.

His life must have been hanging by a thread.

He didn't need much.

Just one swing.

That alone would've been enough to claim Ean Jung's life.

But Baek Hwi-young couldn't do it.

No.

It would be more accurate to say that he chose not to.

Save Jin Crow's life.

Or take Ean Jung's.

Faced with that wretched choice between two paths, Baek Hwi-young did not hesitate for long.

“……”

“……Enemy. Kill.”

The Setter Platoon surrounded them.

They radiated killing intent as though unwilling to allow even the smallest opening.

But then—

“The entertainment is over.”

Baekhong's leisurely, indifferent voice echoed through everyone's minds.

Endlessly arrogant.

Yet utterly detached.

Everyone realized it.

She had lost interest.

Perhaps because of that, both Baek Hwi-young and the Setter Platoon instinctively turned to look at her.

At that moment, Regcom Ging roared.

“Get down!”

-ROOOOOOOOAR!

Baek Hwi-young raised his head to see beyond the brim of his military cap.

Soon, he saw the shadow looming overhead.

Without realizing it, he let out a faint chuckle.

“Qiongqi.”

A phantom from a past that had already become hazy descended upon them.

And what followed—

KWAAAAAAAAAAAANG!

Was nothing but a deafening explosion that shook the earth itself.

‘This place...’

The familiar sensation of sludge.

No—

It wouldn't have been an exaggeration to say he had known the moment his consciousness was dragged into the depths.

He opened his tightly shut eyes.

Silently, he waited for his vision to adjust to the pitch-black surroundings.

How much time had passed?

As corpses gradually came into view all around him, he realized he was lying half-submerged in blood-soaked water and slowly rose.

Splash.

Mud seeped into his military boots.

The sensation was unquestionably unpleasant.

Yet he felt nothing.

It was something that happened often enough when wearing combat boots.

Both in his previous life...

And in this one.

After getting to his feet, he passed the corpses floating atop the water and headed toward the mountain of bodies where a faint gloom could be seen in the distance.

‘Jin Crow.’

By now, he had already guessed—

No.

He was certain.

That the one sitting atop that mountain of corpses, whom he saw every time he lost consciousness and was dragged into the darkness within, was the 'real' one.

‘If he wakes up, what happens? No... who am I in the first place?’

Even amid the chaos filling his mind, Jin Crow continued walking silently.

Even if that man couldn't provide the answer, he would at least be there.

But after walking for what felt like an eternity and finally reaching the mountain of corpses, he could only stare in disbelief.

‘……He's gone?’

The Jin Crow who had sat atop the mountain of corpses—bound in chains among bodies piled high regardless of race, age, nation, or affiliation—was nowhere to be seen.

Nor was that all.

Of all the chains that had harshly and terrifyingly restrained his body, only a few remained, clanking softly in the occasional wind.

Nothing else remained atop the mountain of corpses.

‘……Why? Why?’

An instinctive sense of dread flooded his mind.

It was the instinct of every sapient being.

What if he had imprisoned me and gone outside?

What if I was the one who had gone insane?

What if all of this was nothing more than a delusion brought on by being captured and tortured by North Korean soldiers...?

One delusion gave birth to another.

‘……Why? Why do I have to go through this bullshit?’

Cold sweat poured from him like rain.

The empty eyes of the surrounding corpses seemed to mock him, and he clutched at his head before collapsing to his knees.

‘Wasn't it enough that they dropped a missile on the apartment where my family lived? Wasn't it enough that every one of my comrades, juniors, and seniors died? Why? Why the fuck do I have to go through this?’

If it were the usual him, these emotions would have made no sense.

They were far too impulsive.

Far too paranoid.

And unbearably weak.

‘I don't want to hurt anymore.’

‘I don't want to kill anymore.’

But he never realized it.

‘I don't want to feel relieved when my comrades take bullets and die in my place.’

‘North Korean soldiers are people too. They screamed in pain when I shot them.’

‘I was just scared. How was I supposed to know whether they were civilians or guerrillas?’

All the emotions he had buried and suppressed until now burst forth like a broken dam, painting tears mixed with blood across his cheeks.

How much time passed like that?

Then suddenly—

In the endlessly silent darkness, he heard the sound of metal.

Clank.

At the sound of something bound in chains slowly approaching, he turned his head.

And then, what entered Jin Crow's eyes was none other than—

“It isn't time yet.”

Slowly raising an arm wrapped in iron chains, the figure covered his face with a calloused hand.

Then he whispered softly.

“One day, you'll learn the truth.”

Those words alone carved themselves deeply into Jin Crow's mind.

And when he opened his eyes once more—

Jin Crow moved his curled-up body and instinctively reached out.

-ROOOOOOOOAR!

Above Qiongqi's head, as it unleashed a roar powerful enough to shatter the world itself, cracks spread across the sky.

Watching the scene, Jin Crow murmured absentmindedly.

“Pathetic.”

Clanggggggg!

At that instant, countless chains descended at once, piercing through Qiongqi's body and pinning it to the ground.

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