Chapter 25

Ancient Desert (5)

A village located in a certain desert.

A child holding a spear was walking through the sand.

The weather was quite chilly.

The sun had set, and the temperature was dropping rapidly.

Whoosh!

Humans were trembling in fear amidst the swirling winds.

“……”

The child, who had been trudging along, stopped.

Because he sensed someone’s presence.

“Oh, Mom?”

The target was a young human girl.

The girl was staring at the child with a fearful expression.

‘It’s understandable.’

More than 80% of the people here

were cut down by the child’s spear.

“Mom, Mom!”

The girl, helpless in the face of fear, sought her guardian.

The child felt bitter.

Because it was an experience he had gone through as a child.

When humans forcibly gouged out his eyes.

The name he had constantly called out.

‘Mom.’

Swish!

The child quietly raised his spear.

The blade was caked with crimson blood.

“Hng, hnghng! Mom, Mom!”

“……”

The child paused at the girl’s cries.

Normally, he would have beheaded her immediately.

Or pierced her heart and buried her in the sand.

But now, he was clearly hesitating.

“……”

It was a dilemma.

Who exactly was his clear ‘enemy’?

The somewhat enlightened adult humans?

Or the entire human race, including that girl?

To heal the wounds he had received.

Was it right to inflict the same wounds?

The young Tae Yang-chang was in agony.

Meanwhile.

“Ki, kid!”

Someone who appeared to be the mother ran over and embraced the girl.

The scene the child had so desperately longed for when he was born.

“……”

Eventually, the child turned his back.

After all, humans were toys that could be killed at any time.

He didn’t want to kill that parent and child and fester his wounds further.

Yes.

Wasn’t forgiving someone also

the right of the victim?

The child nodded and walked away again.

But what was happening?

Thwack!

A chilling sensation was felt from behind.

A stinging and painful sensation put his nerves on edge.

“……?”

He could feel it.

Who was holding a knife to him.

“Di, die! You monster!”

The girl he had shown compassion to.

“Die! Disappear! You demon! Magical Creature!”

The action chosen by the human he had tried to show mercy to.

Ah.

So, humans were ultimately incorrigible animals?

Tae Yang-chang was sad.

So he screamed.

A bloodbath raged in the desert.

I walked towards Tae Yang-chang.

“……”

Without even my old staff.

Without the Skeletons who always guarded my side.

All I had was my transparent body.

Thud, thud.

And so, I finally arrived.

Where Tae Yang-chang’s aura and the Old Man’s aura intertwined.

‘Normally, I would have been torn to shreds. No, I wouldn’t have even been able to approach, would I?’

The reason I can endure now

is because I clearly recognize that all of this is a figment of my imagination.

“Tsk, what an odd fellow.”

The Old Man grumbled and stepped back.

“Well, he was an odd fellow from the first time we met. That’s why I liked him.”

Beyond the relationship of master and disciple, respecting my intentions as a person.

I was grateful for that fact. Also, it was reassuring.

‘Thank you, Elder.’

I paid my respects inwardly.

Even though he grumbles every time.

Even though I sometimes think of him as a senile old man.

I know that everything he does is for my sake.

Whatever the purpose.

If you’re human, shouldn’t you be grateful?

“Filthy humans! Treacherous and sneaky humans!”

And now.

“Someone like you! Just a human! Do you think you can understand me!”

Tae Yang-chang’s resentment and obsession were being poured out entirely on me.

“Don’t be ridiculous! I hate humans! I curse humans! Do you know what I felt after studying humans and observing their ecology for hundreds of years?”

“……”

“Humans are unnecessary beings in this world! They are worse than waste garbage! Worse than germs!”

The cry was desperate.

The rough voice rang out as if torn.

At the same time.

Crash!

Tae Yang-chang’s slash poured into the center of my body.

The spear pierced my heart and shattered my bones.

It tore my muscles and gouged out my eyes.

“Kuhuhuhk.”

My insides were shaken and I vomited blood.

Crimson liquid flowed from every hole in my body.

[Using skill, ‘Pain Tolerance’ (B-grade).]

Ah.

It hurt.

It was painful.

If the Old Man hadn’t developed my Pain Tolerance, wouldn’t I have already lost consciousness?

‘But I’m fine.’

I definitely felt the pain, but.

I existed.

I didn’t die.

Because.

This place is a world within my imagination.

Because it’s not real, it’s an illusion.

The body that had been torn and ripped apart was reattached.

I am like an Undead in this place.

“I see.”

I glared.

At the same time, I stared directly at the enraged Tae Yang-chang.

“Go ahead, your resentment.”

I raised a spear.

Clack!

Because it was an illusion, a splendid spear appeared in the air and wrapped around my hand.

“Pour it all out.”

Frankly, some might call it a complaint.

Some might call it sophistry.

Didn’t you hurt others just as much?

Could say that you used excessive violence for the amount of damage you suffered.

But I didn’t sneer.

I tried to understand completely.

Because I saw it.

Because I felt it through the skill.

“My resentment?”

Tae Yang-chang sneered.

The weapon he was holding was filled with murderous intent.

It contained the terrible bloodlust that had pierced thousands of people.

“You said you would accept my resentment? How ridiculous. Something that is impossible even if you fully understand me. Is that something a guy who hasn’t even felt the ‘mis’ of misfortune should say? What an arrogant statement!”

The spear flew once again.

No, it wasn’t the spear.

It was emotion.

The emotions of a child who was threatened with death in his youth.

The fear of losing sight.

The fear of losing parents.

The fear of being left alone in the world swirled in my heart.

It was not physical pain, but mental pain.

“There was no one on my side in this world. A half-human, half-beast. A hybrid between an eagle monster and a human in the world. There’s no way there would be a human who would like someone like me!”

Tae Yang-chang’s weapon cried sadly.

“I was an existence that should not have been born. From the moment I was born, people held knives to me. They tried to take my eyes, they tried to take my hands, they tried to cut off my ankles. Do you know that terrible pain?”

“……I see.”

I nodded and took his attack.

“It must have been hard.”

“Hmph, yes. There were definitely people who pitied me like that.”

“……”

“But, they were all the same in the end. They were afraid of me. They stabbed me in the back. Until my emotions gradually died. Humans were ‘lies’ and ‘betrayal’ themselves.”

“I see.”

I just listened to his words.

I just wanted to do that.

To let him know my pain.

To know how hard it was.

It was like watching a crying child.

“It wasn’t just me! There were clearly thousands, tens of thousands of people suffering the same pain as me!”

“Looks like there were a lot of half-human, half-beasts like you.”

“Yes, humans massacred countless races for their own safety or prosperity. There was no responsibility or respect in the process.”

The spear of emotion he sent was sharp.

It continued to pierce my body and inflict pain.

“Humans resented me. They were afraid of me, who had torn them apart. They said. After all, half-human, half-beasts should have been destroyed from birth. They should have been killed. Ha, isn’t it funny? They don’t even know that they became monsters because they called us monsters.”

But, I could endure it.

Because it was an emotion I had already read through the skill.

The Old Man was also watching me with his hands behind his back.

Thwack! Thwack!

Bone, no, Tae Yang-chang.

He continued to pour out attacks as if he wasn’t tired of it.

He poured out his emotions.

‘……Is this a process of venting resentment?’

I definitely felt it.

The more he attacked.

The weaker his strength became.

The looser his emotions became.

Had about an hour passed like that?

His attacks had definitely become sluggish.

Now.

There was a little bit of a gap for me to squeeze in.

“Tae Yang-chang.”

I called him.

“How long are you going to be so sad? How long are you going to be in pain?”

“……”

“A person’s fate is like two sides of a coin. If there is pain, then there is happiness as much as that, isn’t there?”

Halt!

His eyes widened at the words I spat out as if scolding him.

He seemed surprised by the sudden counterattack.

“Think about it carefully. If you’re constantly tormented by being buried in the emotion of pain, who will suffer? Will it be those human bastards who are already dead and gone? Or will it be you?”

Whoong!

While speaking, I also stabbed my spear.

The ‘Thrust’ (C-grade) I learned from the Old Man.

I put emotion into it.

“Ho ho.”

The Old Man, with his hands behind his back, admired the sight.

“This guy. I thought he was a dullard, but he’s quite something. He’s already reached the point of putting emotion into his thrusts!”

The Old Man had now completely stepped back and was watching the situation with an interesting look.

Whoong!

I continued to swing my spear.

“Honestly, you know why you’re suffering.”

I knew this guy’s heart better than anyone.

Because I saw it directly through the skill.

‘He loves humans as much as he hates them.’

Frankly.

If you have no feelings for humans, there is no reason to suffer.

There’s no reason to be upset.

You can just think of them as targets to kill.

Because you don’t expect anything.

But, that guy is not like that.

He wants to try.

He wants to feel it.

The warm embrace of humans.

The scenery of peers laughing and chatting.

The love of a mother who gives her life to protect her child.

Human blood was clearly flowing in his veins.

“Don’t you dare!”

Clang!

Tae Yang-chang deflected my thrust.

“Don’t try to judge me as you please!”

That power was enormous.

I could only regain my posture after being pushed back dozens of steps.

“Hoo-oohk!”

I exhaled a deep breath along with the pain.

“You said you also know why I’m suffering? Fine. I’ll admit it.”

It was dazzling.

“But, isn’t it already over! I was abandoned and my emotions have dried up. It’s already festered and festered for hundreds of years and will remain a scar forever. What are you going to turn back now!”

The sunlight on the spear was too hot.

“Will the wounds of the bereaved family be healed if the murderer apologizes? Does the pain disappear when someone who commits violence apologizes? Nonsense! You can’t turn back what’s already happened! You can’t pick up spilled water!”

He pushed me away strongly.

But, I didn’t back down.

If I back down here, I’ll lose.

I must.

I have to persuade him.

I have to heal him.

And from experience, those kinds of kids.

It’s more effective to speak strongly than to soothe them.

“That’s right, you can’t turn back what’s already happened.”

I coolly admitted.

“I’m not asking for forgiveness.”

And continued to speak.

“I’m just telling you to be born again. Only for you.”

“……What?”

Tae Yang-chang frowned.

“You are a dead man.”

My spear movements became fluid.

“Your life is over there anyway. You’ve already killed all the humans in your world. There’s no more place to vent your anger, so how long are you going to be like a loser? You have to live a new life now. Isn’t it a waste of time? Aren’t you sorry for yourself?”

“……My life is over?”

His pupils widened.

As if he had just realized that he was dead.

He had a shocked expression.

“That’s right, come to think of it…… This is a pyramid. A tomb where I buried myself after slaughtering all the humans.”

A place where he buried the intense ‘resentment’ that he could only hate humans even after death.

I nodded.

“Yes, you were constantly suffering even after death. The guys who tormented you are already gone. You killed them all.”

“……”

He was silent for a long time.

The battle had subsided, and I slowly waited for him.

Soon.

His mouth opened.

“……Live a new life?”

It was a much softer murmur than before.