episode_0246

I have a dream.

Dark hallway.

She walks down the creaking wooden hallway again today.

The view you see when you walk while looking up at the ceiling covered in spider webs.

I force open the sliding door at the end of the hallway.

『… … .』

It is a dark room with only a single dim candle illuminating the surroundings.

A ‘right hand’, apparently belonging to a woman, is placed like a trophy next to a candle, while a knight in old armor sits leaning against the wall opposite the sliding door.

A one-armed warrior without a right hand or head.

Just looking at it makes my heart pound as if it’s going to break.

“… …Who are you?”

The woman says.

A dream that repeats itself every night like deja vu,

Here the woman was a person walking down a dark corridor,

It was a warrior who opened the sliding door with great courage.

『… … .』

but,

The moment I opened the sliding door and came face to face with the ‘one-armed warrior’,

The woman who was a warrior returns to being a mere human, and is held back by the fear of death.

Thump. Thump.

The woman holding the sword at her waist holds her breath.

The existence before my eyes,

A monster that cannot be explained by anything,

I’m so scared, so scared…

My heart is pounding.

“That spirit, that aura… Are you perhaps… the previous swordsman…?!”

『… … ?』

“There is a scene in the comic book where a sage appears in the protagonist’s dream and teaches him martial arts!”

Where did the heavy atmosphere from just now go?

Ignorance is bliss,

The woman was braver than anyone in the world.

『… … How did that guy get here?』

“I am the one who inherited the name of the Sword Demon! Please teach me a trick!”

“Ah, go away.”

But the moment the woman stepped into the dark room with her eyes sparkling,

The floor gave way and I fell into the dark shadows.

Pouring darkness.

The end of a dream is always,

There was nothing.

… … .

… … .

“Huh?!”

Wow!

A woman who had a dream of falling… Kim Sa-rang, the only daughter of [Changcheon Swordsman], wakes up with a single scream.

A bedroom with a charming atmosphere like a martial arts novel.

Looking up at the ceiling, the glow-in-the-dark star stickers I put on when I was young are giving off a soft glow.

“… … I saw it again today. The previous swordsman…!”

Kim Sa-rang, who had been waking up and staring blankly at the ceiling, gets out of bed with light movements.

I turn off the fan that I had left on all night, and fold up the blanket I kicked off in my sleep and place it on the bed.

Simple but obvious tidying up.

Movements created through repeated learning from an early age.

Kim Sa-rang, who had made her bed at a speed that was unexpected for a D-class hunter, took off the black uniform she had been wearing while sleeping and took out a new black uniform from the closet and put it on.

‘I couldn’t enter the room today either… Is my internal energy still lacking?’

Meanwhile, the corners of Kim Sa-rang’s mouth twitched and rose toward the sky.

It’s thanks to the ‘strange dreams’ I’ve been having every night these days.

A dream of walking down a dark hallway and meeting the ‘one-armed warrior’.

The main character of the comic book [Sword Ghost Reincarnation], which she was obsessed with when she was young, also learned peerless martial arts from a sage she met in a dream.

With the peerless martial arts he learned in that way, he erupted the volcano of the Hwasan faction and defeated 2,000 martial arts masters of the Sacheondang family, establishing the Icheondang family.

‘I too will quickly learn the martial arts of the previous swordsman… and show them off to my mother and the Eunha Daoryo!’

Kim Sa-rang.

A woman with a backpack filled with wuxia novels and comic books.

She ‘recognized’ that the ‘one-armed warrior’ was a coincidence that came to her.

Knock knock.

“Honey, are you going to eat breakfast?”

“Oh, your mom….. No, that’s right, my goodness.”

“Then let’s go straight to the restaurant.”

At that moment, the guild leader, Kim Ha-yang, dressed in a pure white uniform, opens the door and comes inside.

Kim Sa-rang, who gave a natural answer, thought about telling her mother about the ‘predecessor’s swordsman’, but decided to keep quiet, thinking that it wouldn’t be too late to surprise her later.

Kim Sa-rang, who quickly placed her beloved sword next to the bed on her waist, follows her mother out of the room.

“Oh my gosh. I disagree.”

“I see.”

Early morning.

The time when the morning sunlight pours down warmly through the wooden hallway.

Today, too, Kim Sa-rang, a devoted daughter, turned around Kim Ha-yang, who was walking in the wrong direction, and headed to a restaurant with her mother.

… … .

… … .

[Euncheon Hunter Training School] aims to train professional hunters.

Abbreviated as [Euncheon Academy].

There is a prestigious academy in Euncheon-gu that is recognized not only domestically but also internationally.

Highest academic enthusiasm, highest mock exam scores,

The interior is top notch,

Highest tuition,

Highest rate of expulsion and dropout due to poor academic performance…

There is no way to miss out on the best in any field.

“I’m dropping out. Don’t stop me.”

“Yeah~ I won’t stop you~ If you just graduate from 4th year, you’ll be at least a C-class hunter, and here you go.”

“The graduation requirement is to pass the C-level promotion exam, so don’t say something obvious.”

The existence of the academy was to create a starting point different from others.

[Euncheon Academy] was considered one of the most prestigious schools among them.

It is only natural that all academy cadets take pride in their [Euncheon Academy] uniform.

“… … .”

And, [Euncheon Academy] 3rd year.

[Changcheon Sword Song] The only daughter, Kim Sa-rang, sat in the back corner of the classroom again today and looked out the window with eyes as sharp as blades.

The academy uniform covering her body seems awkward, and she can’t sit still, flapping her sleeves.

“Sarang got first place in the practical test this time too? I told you she’s a real monster…”

“Okay. Now, Sarang-i just needs to get her written test score.”

“Since Love’s average written test score is 30, if you just study a little bit, your ranking will definitely go up, right? I’m so jealous~!”

Break time.

A few students gathered around Kim Sa-rang’s desk gave her some barbed encouragement with smiling faces.

Are you just going to blurt out whatever you want because you’re stupid?

Although knowledge and intuition are separate things, some people sometimes confuse them.

“… … Hmm.”

The voice was filled with jealousy rather than kindness,

Because it is a kindness sent to the only daughter of [Changcheon Swordsman], not to Kim Sa-rang,

The blacksmith Kim Sa-rang only repeated vague answers with a formal smile.

Soon after, the cadets who had become formally acquainted with us began to leave one by one.

So alone, Kim Sa-rang lets out a comfortable breath and looks out the transparent window.

A cloudless sky.

When I look up, I think of the Milky Way.

The only woman who treated her as the swordsman Kim Sa-rang, not as the only daughter of [Changcheon Swordsman].

You must be working at a cafe with a smiling face right now.

‘Ah… I wish class would end soon… I want to go to work…’

The smile of the galaxy that comes to mind most in the stuffy academy.

I’m more aware of my heartbeat now, so I can breathe more easily than before.

She looks around the bustling classroom, wearing a stylish academy uniform.

“Hey. Did I see a really pretty person coming down from the mountain behind me earlier? ”

“Pretty person?… Better than Kim Sa-rang over there?”

“Way~ much. Well, well, her body is really…… She jumped so hard that her shirt ripped?”

Did an outsider enter the academy?

The sound of schoolgirls chatting away can be heard from afar.

Kim Sa-rang turned her attention and opened the martial arts novel she had placed under her desk.

Knock knock.

Soon the class bell rings and a young female professor enters the classroom.

[The Blue Dragon Family] The professor, sitting at the podium with his signature blue hair fluttering, began the class without much small talk.

“Let’s go ahead. Please look at the mana distribution chart on page 59. In the last lesson, we…”

The same old Academy.

Sitting at a desk is just uncomfortable and boring…

But you can overcome it.

Now she’s a cafe worker… a cool social person.

“Sigh!”

Kim Sa-rang, who was full of energy, opened her textbook.

… … .

“Sword Demon…… Would you like to practice the double-handed technique with me?”

“Galaxy Doryeo (道侶)… Good. Come to my throne quickly.”

Hohoho.

Hehehe.

… … .

Wow!

Kim Sa-rang woke up and raised her head.

Did you doze off for a bit?

As expected, lectures at prestigious academies are difficult.

It was a very happy dream.

I don’t remember it exactly, but… I had a dream where my face got hot without me knowing it.

However, perhaps because I lacked imagination, I woke up struggling in a landslide as the mountain behind me melted away like an iceberg.

‘Is class…still in session?’

He turned his head, touching the mark on his cheek.

The backs of students sitting around the classroom and concentrating on the class are visible.

A quiet classroom.

What you see is the back of the cadets’ heads.

“… … .”

Did you turn on the air conditioner?

Kim Sa-rang, exhaling pure white breath, looked down at her textbook.

The ink spreads from the spilled saliva, making it difficult to read the contents.

‘I guess I’ll get scolded by the swordsman Jeong So-ra.’

I pretended to be listening to the class, flipped through the pages and underlined anything that seemed plausible.

Square, square…

The sound of a ballpoint pen drawing a line echoes through the quiet classroom.

‘… … The ‘predecessor swordsman’ didn’t appear in this dream. Are there any specific conditions required to meet him?’

Even in the midst of all this, thoughts about my dream continued.

That’s because I can’t concentrate in class.

… … .

The ‘one-armed warrior’ has been appearing in my dreams every night since the day Eunha came to visit the guild building a while ago.

What on earth is the identity?

(How about a sword fight?)

( 『Gyaruruk~!』 )

At first it was pure curiosity.

That day, I was curious about what movements Eunha showed in the indoor training center.

At the time, the galaxy explained that it was the power of the ‘artifact’, but no matter how much I thought about it, it was not the movement of a human being.

Ah! Then it must be the power of a ghost!

Kim Sa-rang, a blacksmith with a unique way of thinking, thought that far.

‘I too! I too have always wanted to learn martial arts from ghosts!’

Do you truly believe in ghosts?

A bit of a difference of opinion.

And from that night on,

Kim Sa-rang meets a one-armed warrior in a ‘dream’ of walking down a dark wooden corridor.

… … .

The play.

How much time has passed like that?

Kim Sa-rang, who had filled a page of her textbook with underlines, raised her head.

This is to check when class ends.

“… … .”

A quiet classroom.

The back of the heads of Academy cadets concentrating in class.

I looked up at the clock and the second hand wasn’t moving.

“… … ?”

A feeling of discomfort.

Kim Sa-rang quietly put down her pen and looked around the classroom.

A quiet classroom.

A classroom viewed from the back corner.

The backs of the cadets’ heads are visible.

“… … .”

Even if you look ahead,

Even if you turn your head to the side,

Only the back of the head is visible.

The female student sitting right next to me,

Only the back of the head is visible.

“… … .”

『… … .』

Even though everyone is sitting at their desks and facing forward,

Everyone is turning their backs on Kim Sa-rang.

‘What is this?’

Thump thump thump.

Am I still dreaming?

But the cold air entering my lungs tells me this is reality.

Thump. Thump.

A quiet classroom.

A silence so quiet that it seems as if the sound of one’s own heartbeat could be heard by others.

I looked ahead with trembling eyes.

[Be quiet during class]

There are letters written on the corner of the blackboard that professors use.

So the second hand of the clock also stopped.

I’m afraid it might be noisy.

『… … .』

“… … .”

『… … .』

Silence is loud.

My eardrum hurts.

Kim Sa-rang felt a similar fear as when she encountered the ‘one-armed warrior’.

The LED lights illuminating the classroom blend in with the scenery before your eyes, creating a breathtaking and eerie feeling.

‘Look, Bobobobobonjwa is a ghost with a sword that cuts through all things… Mom, I’m scared… No, that’s not it…’

Knock knock…

Is it because of fear?

To get out of here, I unconsciously got up.

Knock knock!

The chair was pushed and made a noise.

Knock knock!

and,

The heads of ‘those things’ that were only visible at the back of their heads,

He turns around and looks at Kim Sa-rang.

“Ugh…! Ugh!”

Kim Sa-rang, who had suppressed a scream that was about to burst out, stops moving.

[Be quiet during class]

A quiet classroom.

The back of his head was no longer visible.

The girl sitting next to me, too,

The cadets in the front row,

He turns his head while sitting at his desk and looks at Kim Sa-rang, who made the sound.

You must not move.

You must not make any noise.

An intuition close to instinct holds onto Kim Sa-rang’s lifeline.

『… … .』

『… … .』

‘Somethings’ looking at me with faces as cold as corpses.

This is no longer the Academy lecture hall she knows.

Thump thump thump.

I didn’t know what they were.

It’s neither a hallucination nor a monster.

Then a ghost?

What is certain is that this is not an opponent that can be fought physically.

It is right to get out of here as soon as possible and secure safety.

‘You wicked evil spirits… If you just let go of my throne once, I will leave quietly…!’

I want to have hope if possible, but

The resentment that weighs on my shoulders is too heavy and ominous for that.

Kim Sa-rang, who had become sad, began to hold on to her awkward posture as she tried to get up from her desk, receiving the attention of all of those people.

『… … .』

『… … .』

『… … .』

Heavy gaze.

On the podium, ‘something’ that appears to be a teacher hangs from the ceiling, ticking like a pendulum.

The second hand of the stopped clock was there.

During class, only the teacher makes loud ticking noises.

Like that, 1 minute. 5 minutes. 10 minutes. 20 minutes.

My thighs are trembling and cramping as they gradually approach their limits.

What happens now? Am I going to die like this?

To evil spirits whose identities I don’t even know?

Bad thoughts clogged my throat.

There might be a way to survive, but her hardened mind couldn’t come up with a satisfactory answer.

(Learn how to make coffee slowly. I will continue to teach you.)

Then suddenly a beautiful voice comes to mind.

Why is that,

In the face of death approaching, the first thing that came to Kim Sa-rang’s mind was,

It was Eunha’s face, not her mother Kim Ha-yang’s.

… … .

… … Knock knock knock…

At that time.

The eyes of ‘those things’ are focused on Kim Sa-rang, and in the classroom where only silence screams,

A noise was heard from somewhere.

Knock knock.

There was a knock.

A knock on the classroom door.

“Teacher, class is over.”

Knock knock.

Immediately after, the heads of those ‘things’ that were looking at Kim Sa-rang,

I follow the new sound back to the front of the classroom.

The back of the head is visible again.

The gaze disappears.

Only then did Kim Sa-rang sigh and carefully get up from her seat.

“… … .”

A quiet classroom.

What you see is the back of their heads.

quietly.

Without making a sound, after a long time, I left my desk,

I sneakily approach the back door, avoiding the gaze of ‘those things’.

The back door was already wide open by someone.

The hope of survival has come into sight.

Thump. Thump.

Like the North Star that guides lost travelers,

Kim Sa-rang threw herself toward the wide open back door without hesitation.

… … .

… … .

Rattling.

The back door is closed.

“Haak! Haak! Haak! Woof…!”

Kim Sa-rang escaped from the classroom, knelt on the floor, and retched.

A sense of relief at being alive welled up in my chest, driving away the bad energy that had been blocking my throat.

“Are you okay? How on earth did you open your eyes?”

Beautiful voice.

I heard a familiar heartbeat.

Kim Sa-rang, who had stopped vomiting, quickly raised her head.

“… … Wow.”

When I raise my head, what I see is someone’s large chest.

I tilted my head back a little more with a small exclamation, and there was the face of Eunha looking down at me with a worried smile.

“Galaxy…… Sister Galaxy…”

“Wow. You must be really surprised. You’re talking like a human.”

It’s too much.

But that’s okay.

It’s just good.

Because I lived.

“… … I’m not scared at all…!”

The black devil Kim Sa-rang.

No, I am a third year student at the Academy, Kim Sa-rang.

She buried her face in the large chest of the galaxy that saved her and expressed her sorrow.

“Really… Really, I’m not scared!”

“Okay. Then I’m currently looking around the academy. Could you escort me for about 12 hours? Just in case.”

It was scary. It was hard.

But now it’s good.

Kim Sa-rang took a deep breath, immersed in Eunha’s softness.