Seok-Hyun's gaze was like the abyss, dark blue yet hollow, as if he had seen the endless expanse of time and had no interest in anything that might happen next. His eyes locked on me, and I could feel the weight of his presence pressing down on me, adding to the unbearable ache in my head.
The teleportation had done nothing but worsen the pain, making everything blur into a haze. I could barely keep my balance, but to my surprise, I didn't fall. Kira was there, his hands steady on my waist, helping me stay upright. His small hands were firm, and despite the chaos around us, there was an odd sense of comfort in his support.
The villagers, now standing in front of me with whatever makeshift weapons they could find—forks, brooms, and even kitchen knives—faced Seok-Hyun. They didn't move back, even though fear was written on every one of their faces. They were standing their ground, defiant in their own way.
Seok-Hyun's voice broke the silence, smooth and almost wistful.
"It's beautiful," he said, the words drifting in the stillness. "Humans are funny. I was one too... If you're poor, you seek wealth. If you're rich, you seek laziness. Yet, if you're lazy, you become poor."
His words cut through the tension, like a chill wind sweeping through the forest.
"I was weak," he continued, his tone distant. "I sought power, and I was given it. But I lost the reason to wield it."
For a moment, I couldn't help but wonder if Seok-Hyun had simply been searching for someone to listen. For someone to understand, or at least, for someone who could share in his burden. Despite the force of his power, there was something almost... human in his voice, a moment of vulnerability.
I stood there, the villagers holding their ground, and the more I listened, the more I realized how powerless we all were in this moment. Seok-Hyun wasn't a being to be reasoned with; he was a force of nature, beyond comprehension, beyond reach.
From behind, a quiet whisper caught my ear:
A legend of history, a god of sorts,
Seok-Hyun, the divine beast.
He needs not a single support,
For all who dare approach, deceased—
The words faded into the air, and for the first time, I could see the fear in the villagers' eyes, yet none of them took a step backward. It was a strange kind of courage, the kind that comes from knowing that there is nowhere to run.
As the whispers and the weight of the moment pressed down on me, I realized something—my head was no longer throbbing. Slowly, the pain began to subside, the healing magic I had unknowingly worked on myself taking effect. The ache was still there, but it wasn't crippling anymore.
I closed my eyes and focused. In the midst of the chaos, I had managed to form a new spell, one that was simple but effective—a spell of clarity. It allowed me to comprehend things with greater ease, to focus when the world was swirling around me.
I stood taller, the power of the spell giving me a moment's clarity, and I wrapped a protective barrier around the villagers. One by one, they began to fall asleep, their bodies relaxing as the barrier's magic gently lulled them into unconsciousness.
With the villagers safely asleep, I teleported them far from the forest, to a distant place where they would be safe from Seok-Hyun's wrath. As they disappeared, I decided to erase all memories of me from their minds, leaving no trace of the encounter. They would wake up, unaware of the terror they had faced, and continue their lives as if nothing had ever happened.
I couldn't let them carry the burden of knowing me, or the knowledge that the forest had almost claimed their lives. This was the only way I could ensure their safety—and my own peace of mind.
As I stood alone, with only Seok-Hyun left in my presence, I couldn't help but wonder how many more twists and turns this strange world would bring me.
The sky darkened as clouds began to swirl overhead, charged with raw energy. I clenched the hilt of my sword, my knuckles white with tension. Lightning crackled, illuminating Seok-Hyun's figure for a brief moment—his expression unreadable, but something about it felt heavy. Sadness? Regret? I didn't know, and I wouldn't waste time trying to figure it out.
"Lightning descent!" I shouted, thrusting my free hand toward the heavens. A jagged bolt of pure energy tore through the sky, aimed directly at him.
Seok-Hyun barely moved. With a flick of his wrist, a barrier of shimmering blue light appeared, absorbing the lightning. The energy shattered harmlessly against his shield, scattering sparks like dying fireflies.
"Pathetic," he muttered, his voice calm but laced with disappointment. "If this is all you have, you'll never survive."
With a sudden movement, he raised his hand, summoning a spear of black fire that twisted and writhed unnaturally. The air around it seemed to warp as he hurled it toward me. I barely had time to react, raising my own barrier just in time. The spear collided with it, exploding in a burst of heat and pressure that sent me skidding backward, my boots digging into the dirt for support.
"Fight back, or I'll end this now," he said, his voice echoing with authority.
I didn't need further encouragement. Gritting my teeth, I summoned a wall of flames that roared to life, encircling me in a protective ring. With a sharp gesture, I sent the flames spiraling outward like a cyclone, forcing Seok-Hyun to leap back.
He countered effortlessly, summoning shards of ice from thin air. They glinted like diamonds as they launched toward me. I barely managed to dodge, the shards slicing through the air with deadly precision. One grazed my arm, and I hissed as a thin line of blood appeared.
"Focus!" Seok-Hyun barked, his tone sharp. "You're too slow."
The frustration boiled within me, and I channeled it into my next attack. Slamming my hand to the ground, I summoned jagged spikes of earth that erupted beneath him. He danced around them with ease, his movements fluid and almost graceful.
"Good," he said, almost mockingly. "But not good enough."
With a wave of his hand, the earth spikes shattered, fragments flying in all directions. He followed up with a devastating gust of wind that hit me like a freight train, lifting me off my feet and slamming me into a tree. The impact knocked the air out of my lungs, but I forced myself to stand, gripping my sword tightly.
"Enough playing," I growled, summoning every ounce of strength I had. Focusing on the knowledge he had burned into my mind, I began to weave a complex spell. A glowing sigil formed beneath my feet, radiating golden light as the air around me crackled with raw power.
Seok-Hyun's eyes narrowed, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of interest—maybe even respect.