Chapter v19c15

## A Midnight Scream

– Where’s Bi Ryu-Yeon?

“Hey, No-Hak! Have you seen Eldest Senior Brother?”

“No, I haven’t. Why, Hyun-Woon?”

“He’s been missing since dinner.”

“Then that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“Well, yeah, but… When he’s not around, I get worried he’s up to something.”

“That’s true.”

No-Hak nodded in agreement.

* * *

“Aaaaaaaaaah!”

A bloodcurdling scream pierced the night.

“Huh?”

Bi Ryu-Yeon thought he had been diligently guiding the foolish youngsters who dared to challenge him. But it seemed his reputation as being faster than a thousand-mile horse had failed him this time. The challenges were endless. He didn’t exude a particularly strong aura, and he didn’t carry any visible weapons, so he must have seemed easy to target.

Well, that’s why it’s a waste…

He believed in keeping a low profile. A sheathed sword was more dangerous than a drawn one.

“Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!”

Another scream echoed through the night.

“Huh? Where is that coming from?”

He looked around, but he couldn’t see anything.

“Gah! Gah! Gah!”

Another series of screams, closer this time.

“Squeal!”

A final, desperate squeal, like a pig being slaughtered. He finally looked down at his feet. A figure was writhing on the ground, struggling to free himself. All the screams, except the first one, had come from beneath his feet.

“Huh? When did you get there?”

He asked, as if he had just noticed him.

“I’ve been here all along.”

The young man beneath his feet replied, tears streaming down his bruised face.

“Oh, right.”

He seemed to have remembered.

“I forgot about you.”

The young man was speechless.

“Please! Spare me! I won’t do it again!”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Then do you know why you’re getting beaten up?”

“I… No…”

“Then keep getting beaten up!”

“Aaaaaaaaaah! Help me! Waaaaah!”

“Don’t worry! I’m not going to kill you.”

* * *

“Huff… Huff…”

The young man ran through the dark streets of Nanchang, his body aching.

He was fleeing from a terrifying presence.

His internal energy, cultivated for the entrance exam, was draining rapidly, like water spilled on sand. His muscles, carefully honed for months, screamed in pain and fatigue.

The entrance exam, the culmination of his lifelong efforts, was just two weeks away…

‘Damn it! What happened?’

His entire life had been dedicated to passing this single test. He had been forced to swim towards this narrow gate since before he could even understand his own heart, his own future, his own identity.

And what was he doing now? Fleeing in terror, unable to face the threat head-on. He had never learned anything but how to pass the Ascending Martial Arts Competition, so he didn’t know how to handle this situation. He was lost.

‘What am I supposed to do?! Damn it!’

His parents and his sect had always made decisions for him. He had never questioned it. It was the only reality he knew.

It was convenient. He didn’t have to think for himself. His brain had atrophied, its folds covered in moss and mold. He had never learned to make his own decisions and face the consequences. No one had taught him. All he had learned were techniques to pass the Cheonmu Academy entrance exam.

How to live a fulfilling life, how to react to danger, how to realize his potential – these were all irrelevant topics. He had believed that entering Cheonmu Academy would guarantee him everything.

But now, he was facing a threat he couldn’t handle, without even reaching the academy’s gates. He felt despair.

He called it a fight, but it was more like a natural disaster that had struck him out of nowhere. All he could do was run.

“What should I do? What should I do?”

He cursed, his mind racing, as he ran blindly, avoiding the terrifying presence.

But the darkness of Nanchang was an endless maze, offering no hope.

‘Should I give up?’

A voice reached him as he gasped for breath.

“What? Giving up already? How pathetic.”

His pursuer, who had been behind him, was now in front of him.

“H-how…?”

He managed to choke out the words.

“The night might conceal your form, but it can’t hide your sound. You can’t even run properly. Tsk, tsk, tsk!”

His tone was filled with concern, but his words were harsh.

“Th-then what am I supposed to do? Is there a right way to run?”

He wasn’t seeking life advice at the brink of death. He was just trying to buy time.

“Good question.”

His opponent humored him.

“I’ll answer you sincerely.”

He seemed to have some time to spare.

“Not all escapes are the same. You can’t be the strongest from the moment you’re born. There’s a reason they call it a strategic retreat. You have to think constantly about where to run, how to run, how to deceive and evade your pursuer. You have to be strategic and efficient. Keep that in mind, even when you’re running away.”

He added,

“Only those who are prepared for the worst can escape properly.”

He had never heard of such a detailed method of escape.

“B-but I’ve never learned anything like that.”

The young man had only ever considered two options: fight or flight.

“Tsk, tsk, so you can’t do it just because no one taught you? How pathetic. Then what’s that round thing on your shoulders for? It’s just a burden.”

The stranger stared at him with disdain.

“What’s your name?”

He asked, then waved his hand dismissively.

“Never mind! It’s pointless asking someone who doesn’t even know who they are.”

“I have a name!”

“You do?”

The stranger’s voice rose slightly.

“Y-yes, I do.”

The young man cowered. The stranger seemed satisfied.

“Your life is controlled by others, isn’t it? Your name, your past, your present, your future. Why bother living? You’re wasting air and water.”

His words were scathing.

“Th-that’s so mean…”

The young man, who had never been scolded before, teared up.

“Pfft!”

The stranger burst out laughing.

“Hahahahahahaha! Hahahahahaha! Ahahahahahaha!”

He laughed loudly, unconcerned about being overheard.

“So you’re saying you haven’t even decided what you’ll do after you enter Cheonmu Academy? If you have, I’d like to hear it. Tell me! Tell me!”

“Well…”

His mind was blank. He couldn’t remember anything beyond the entrance exam.

“See? You don’t even know what you’ll do after you get in! What can you possibly accomplish in a place you don’t even know why you want to enter? Do you think you’ll suddenly achieve enlightenment once you’re inside?”

The stranger continued his verbal assault.

“B-but… Once I get in…”

The stranger shook his head, cutting him off.

“That’s why it’s pointless. You don’t have the ambition. Just die. It’s easier, isn’t it?”

He spoke casually, as if he were inviting him to dinner.

“You’re already dead, even though you’re breathing. Nothing will change if you die.”

He might be right. It might be like cutting the strings of a puppet.

“The world will keep spinning without you. There are so many of you that no one will even notice if one goes missing.”

The young man’s spirit sank with each word.

“But don’t worry. I’ll let you die peacefully as a reward for amusing me.”

Clink!

The stranger stepped out of the shadows, bathed in moonlight. He was dressed in black, his long sleeves concealing his hands, his long hair covering his eyes. A gentle smile played on his lips.

Rustle!

The wind blew, carrying the invisible touch of death.