episode_0085

*****

I’ve said this before, but souls exist in this world. Memory, self-consciousness, essence, etc. There have been many attempts to define the soul, but they have all ended in failure.

Even as someone who knows everything about this world, I cannot give an accurate definition of the soul. Because the original work didn’t cover the setting in that much detail.

All we can know is whether the soul exists and the phenomena that occur due to it. Potential, as well as the detection and use of magical power, are all based on the existence of the soul.

Of course, both a person’s mind and body are not unrelated to the soul.

“Your soul has already begun to change.”

It is said that the soul, which was originally scarred and distorted, sometimes loses its shape. No matter how much I am, I get cold feet when I hear that the soul is being kneaded like clay.

“Now, wait a minute. I didn’t notice any difference.”

“If there was awareness, it would be too late. Don’t you have any guesses?”

Even if you say that, there is no way there is any symptom if you are not aware of it. Because I can’t see souls.

… Although there are some parts that I can guess a little bit. Did the medicine I drank while fighting Cheongun affect my soul?

“That’s it. Are you out of your mind to drink a pill like that?”

The priestess’s gentle tone seemed more like a simple confirmation of facts than an accusation. I mean, it seemed like he was seriously wondering if I was sane. Of course, it goes without saying that that side is more hurt.

But at that time, if I hadn’t drank it, Sia would have been in big trouble, so there was nothing I could do. Wouldn’t it be a rather cheap price to pay for exterminating a dragon that entered the middle of the city without causing any casualties?

“The level of your soul, which has been trained repeatedly, is very high. It is thanks to him that you are now in human form.”

The soul of an ordinary person is crushed the moment it enters the body of a dragon. However, in my case, the dragon’s body actually changed under the influence of the soul.

The priestess predicted that this small girl’s body would be the information ‘if that giant dragon took human form’. It’s as if Cheongun is taking human form.

The problem starts from there. The dragon’s body has already completed its transformation from a great monster to a human girl. But my soul continues to refuse change. Of course, he must have been under that much pressure.

Up until now, I had been able to withstand the pressure with the strength of my soul, but it seems like the medicine I took was the final blow.

“So, is that why I shouldn’t fight?”

“Yes. From now on, each time you use magical power, your soul will get closer to your body little by little. Needless to say, if you use the power of the dragon.”

“What happens when the soul gets close to the body? Is it possible that the potential becomes very weak?”

If that happens, it will be very difficult. The current situation is that I am unable to show my skills due to lack of output. If there is a problem with potential, it will interfere with hero activities.

But for some reason, the priestess did not answer and hesitated. It was an unusual reaction for her, so I questioned her and got an unexpected answer.

“… no. Rather, it becomes stronger.”

“… ? What do you mean, becoming stronger?”

“It means literally. Ha-min, you said your concern is that the output is weaker than before, right?”

I immediately nodded to the priestess’ question. Compared to the absolute lack of output, things such as the poor body used and the small size are all minor problems.

Last time we fought with Emperor Lei, we were ahead in terms of numbers, but weren’t we pushed back due to lack of power?

“In the first place, your body is that of a dragon. It may not be as powerful as the main body, but there is no way it can be defeated by an ordinary human body.”

“You’re being pushed around by a girl in your class?”

“That’s because your body and soul are completely out of sync.”

My soul is still a human soul. Therefore, it is said that, excluding magical power, it can only produce the power it appears to have. Because that’s natural for a human girl.

The change in potential was only part of it. The discrepancy between soul and body was limiting more things than I thought.

“So, the closer the soul gets to the body, the stronger it becomes? … Isn’t it good?”

“It can’t be good!”

It’s a surprise. I was a little surprised because he suddenly raised his voice so loudly. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a priestess get angry.

” Changing the soul doesn’t mean saying ‘yes, it has changed’! Your thoughts, tastes, and values will all change!?”

“Hey, calm down for a moment… .”

“If your body is different, your soul is different, and even your thoughts are different, then you are a stranger who only has memories! You declared suicide in front of your colleagues who were happy to see you alive!”

“Yes, you are right. So please let go of your anger… .”

It took a while to soothe the angry priestess. It’s all good, but I really want you to see the tears that form when you get angry. How old is he, but he still hasn’t gotten over this habit.

But honestly, I wonder if they will take it that seriously. Memories are not that simple, and I have a lot of things to carry. There’s no way the things I’ve built will disappear just because my soul has changed.

Wouldn’t it be worth taking a little more risk if you could become stronger?

“You might be thinking that it doesn’t matter as long as you can play a hero properly anyway.”

That’s what I thought, and I figured it out right away. Actually, I thought it was the most important part.

“Not to that extent… .”

“It’s written all over the face. Really, this hasn’t changed since long ago.”

It was a long time ago. After hearing that, it seems like something similar happened. No, I think there were quite a few. Mainly when they decided to attack Genesis Base.

Once I became aware of it, I felt a strange sense of longing even though I was being scolded. Perhaps the priestess was similar, crying and then laughing, making a strange face.

” Then you get angry on your ass.”

“You’ve already got it in your head.”

I did not expect this kind of counterattack. The priestess laughed as she touched the horn, feeling as if she had been hit.

When she opened her mouth again, her voice was softer than before.

“It means we shouldn’t fight anymore. I knew you wouldn’t listen.”

There were too many records to deny that it was not true. At that time, the situation was much worse than it is now, and there were a lot of things I had to do.

“But if you continue like this, you will no longer be yourself. You may say it’s okay, but you don’t know how painful it is.”

There was too little history to deny this either. I feel sorry for the priestess, but honestly, I still think it’s too much to worry about. Because I have already overcome myself in two lives.

“So, I will ask you for the last time. Please don’t fight anymore.”

If things continue like this, you will definitely be unhappy.

The priestess bowed her head and pleaded.

Unfortunately, there is only one answer I can give back.

“… Sorry.”

“… Is that so.”

The priestess’ concern was appreciated. However, there is a blind spot there. The priestess said that fighting makes you unhappy, but does that mean you will be happy if you don’t fight?

There were already too many things I had to carry for me to let go of things like that. If I end up unhappy no matter which direction I go, I want to choose unhappiness with my own will.

There,

“There’s no law that says your prophecy will come true, right? It’s okay, I’ll destroy the unfortunate future you saw. Just like it used to be.”

He grinned and was so confident. In fact, I overturned the priestess’ prophecy several times. That’s why it’s sometimes called a cult.

If just because of this incident, being in this body is the problem, wouldn’t it be okay to change to a body with less problems? It’s still impossible, but I’ve thought about the method itself.

In the past, if you said this, the priestess would agree as if there was nothing she could do. I know that there was anticipation behind that expression. I thought this time would be no different.

“Hehe. I hope so.”

But why? The priestess was actually smiling as if she was looking forward to it.

I felt deep sadness in her eyes as she looked at me.

***

“Senior, what are you thinking like that?”

“Huh? … ah. When I met the cult yesterday, I did some work.”

Suddenly, I was pulled out of my thoughts by a hand shaking in front of my eyes. When I’m deep in thought, my body shivers from the cold that I wasn’t conscious of.

Confronting monster waves on the front line is a daily occurrence. However, having to kill monsters directly every time causes excessive fatigue.

Therefore, on the actual front lines, most of the battles are from long distances, relying on the barriers built along the Yalu River. There may be students who went out to the guerrilla unit for training, but today I am in charge of patrolling the wall.

“What did you talk about? I’m sure it’s not me, right?”

“A story about my soul. Your story wasn’t even mentioned. What, did you do something worthy of that?”

“Ahaha… .”

It was meant as a joke, but Sia smiled awkwardly and avoided eye contact. What did this guy do when I wasn’t around?

I was very curious about that too, but I didn’t have time to think about it. Yesterday, the priestess threw a huge bomb at me, saying it was a bonus.

‘Oh. I forgot to mention this. ‘Your soul is being eroded by a vengeful spirit.’

‘what!?’

They said the soul was being manipulated, but now they say the soul is being eroded. My soul, is the security too lax?

The presumed cause was the vengeful spirit that came from the corpse of the dragon, the main culprit that put me in this situation. I thought I had attained Buddhahood or been exorcised a long time ago, but it seems that my soul entered the dragon’s body along with it.

Maybe that’s why my soul looks black. Because they are hundreds, maybe even thousands of vengeful souls.

I thought it might be possible to remove it, but it seemed impossible as it had stuck properly to the egg while it was still there. If it is not possible to become a priest, it means that it is impossible for anyone, at least at this point.

‘What happens if this gets eroded?’

‘well. It may be eaten by the vengeful spirit’s emotions, a fight for dominance may occur to take over the body, or surprisingly, nothing much may happen. Either way, the level of your soul will increase.’

Good thing I’m going to get stronger, right? There was a gentle smile on the face of the priestess who said this. Even though his eyes weren’t smiling at all. It’s really petty to hold a grudge for refusing a favor.

Anyway, that’s why I’m worried about the praise. After hearing something like that, I guess I’m reluctant to use my strength. I feel uncomfortable for no reason.

Of course, there is no option not to fight. The pillar of magic is finally starting to get back on track little by little, so let’s just say that we will refrain from using too much force for the time being. huh.

“Senior, we’re in big trouble!”

… I never thought that something would happen less than a minute after I made my decision.

“The core of the other world around here is coming this way right now!”

“What!? Why!?”

Cracks that grow larger than a certain level turn the surrounding environment into another world. In this case, the environment cannot be purified unless the crack is destroyed, so this crack is called the core of the other world.

Since a crack is not something that can be easily moved, the core of the other world is usually in a fixed location. Conversely, this means that in unusual cases, the core of the other world may move like it does now.

“Is there an owner?”

“It’s called Elder Lich. I heard that it is the second largest force in this area.”

The first one goes without saying. It must be the monster perched at the top of Mt. Baekdu. Even though it is the second, if it is compared to it, it can be considered a considerable powerhouse.

What was puzzling was the method. Moving the otherworldly core, the foundation of their power, literally means all-out war. Information may have leaked out that Jun-seok is not here, but even without the Emperor, the power of this front base is strong enough.

Is there anything you believe in?

The information seemed to have spread to other places as well, as bustling noises rang out from all over the front lines. By the time the monsters were seen over the horizon, the barrier had already completed preparations for battle.

“What about the other kids?”

“It would have been divided into both a defense wall and a guerrilla force.”

“What about Chinese people?”

“… It’s a guerrilla unit.”

In times like this, it definitely hits me in a bad way. In some ways, it can be said that he is like a protagonist.

“Are you going?”

“Of course I have to go,” I tried to answer, but paused for a moment. If I go to rescue Hwa-in here, there is no point in being separated from Hwa-in after all this time.

Let’s think about it calmly. Although they are called a guerrilla unit, they are accompanied by students. First of all, it can be said that there is no need to go to the center of the battle.

I am concerned about the effects of the near-death experience, but if there were any noticeable abnormalities, the executives would have stopped the sortie. Even a small amount of influence can be easily overcome if you have the cover of a colleague.

So isn’t the current situation actually the ‘moderate crisis’ I was expecting?

“… First, let’s look at the situation.”

“Are you okay?”

“Because Hwain has become quite strong too. Unless some serious accident happens, you won’t be in trouble.”

Of course, you have to be prepared to run if the situation arises. For that, it is necessary to clearly understand the situation of the war.

The wall was truly the center of chaos. The sounds of shouting, gunshots, and magic bullets were echoing loudly from all directions.

Some people are embarrassed, but most are moving well as they trained. As someone said, the monsters that crossed the priestess’s barrier that blocked the other world could not even climb half of the barrier properly.

But the enemy’s plan is not over yet. Most of the monsters that came were in the form of animals. Those may be monsters under the influence of the Elder Lich, but if they are Liches, there will be a separate elite.

How will they be used? That’s what I was thinking about.

“Appeared!”

“It’s winter!”

“Don’t worry, focus on the monster!”

I saw a floating star floating in the sky in the distance. The castle, which had a splendid exterior that could only be seen in a fantasy world, was floating in the sky and moving as if the laws of physics did not apply.

At first glance, it appears to be slightly faster than the clouds, but considering its altitude, it may actually be quite fast. I think they made a base of that size into a mobile fortress.

That’s why I don’t understand the actions of those guys coming this way. That shouldn’t be a card that can be discarded so easily.

Pajik, Pajik. As the core of the other world got closer, it violently collided with the priestess’s barrier. Magical light struck several times like lightning in the air where the barrier was located.

Still, the castle showed no signs of stopping. No one thought that the castle would stop at the ‘right place’.

“Change goal! As soon as the 3rd unit recovers its magic power, it bombs the Winter Castle with all its might!”

“Destroy it!”

Of course, the wall didn’t just watch. Numerous gunfire and magic surrounded the Winter Castle.

Overwhelming firepower, enough to reduce a huge castle to rubble. However, numerous black spheres that appeared in the air absorbed all the incoming attacks.

“What is that!?”

“Stop shelling, stop shelling!”

The attack stopped with a cry of astonishment. It seems that there was someone in the command center who figured out the identity of the sphere. That magical-looking scientific technology was the villain’s trademark that both I and Sia were familiar with.

My eyes and Sia’s eyes crossed. The concrete gentleman has arrived. I don’t know what their purpose is, but if Hwa-in’s goal is, this is not a problem that can be resolved as a ‘proper crisis.’

“I’ll leave for a moment and come back.”

“Can’t you move around too much?”

“Rather, you should take care of yourself.”

Although it has improved to some extent, excessive use of magical power is still limited. Participation in this battle in earnest should be avoided as much as possible. There was a possibility that that castle was Yangdong, so Sia decided to wait here.

Thump, thump. He kicked the barrier and quickly went down to the floor. I felt eyes coming from above the barrier, but they were quickly withdrawn as Sia had mentioned something.

While I was running, I looked at the sky and saw that the black sphere was spitting out the absorbed attacks one by one. The first company that had been sucked in returned towards the barrier.

However, the barrier did not just sit there and watch. As soon as the firepower stopped, the barriers that were deployed blocked the reflected firepower. Even after the smoke that filled the field of vision cleared, the destroyed barrier was not visible.

Although it was a successful defense, it was difficult to say that it was completely successful this time. Because while the firepower was down, the castle was much closer than it is now.

“Those crazy guys… .”

It looks like they are going to storm the castle.

Kwazijic. The sound of the barrier being crushed echoed throughout the barrier. The priestess’s barrier was clearly an enormous object, but no one would have imagined that the core of this world would crush it with the mass of a castle.

The one-armed swordsman is probably also clicking his tongue. Even if you break it into two or four pieces by manipulating the concept, it won’t have much of an impact. If the person here was not a prosecutor but an S-class hero from another side, I wouldn’t have known it.

This is a situation where various measures have been taken. It would be correct to say that information is leaking from this side, but if they attack the entire base anyway, it will be difficult to stop it even if they know.

I would like to make such a fresh-faced operation a privilege exclusive to the main character.

“Prepare your shield!”

“Prepare for shock!”

In the end, the barrier was broken. Chanting continued in various places to prepare for the impact of a castle crashing into the ground. I also lowered my posture and prepared for an earthquake.

However, there was no shock as feared. The Winter Castle, which was falling rapidly, stopped just before it hit the ground, as if someone had caught it with a hand.

Floating magic now? No, no. That’s the kinetic energy itself being transformed into something.

“Coming!”

A dazzling light came out from the castle along with an unknown voice.

When I came to my senses, the world was filled with winter.

*****