I sometimes believe there are invisible forces in the world. Intangible forces that cannot be seen with the eyes, cannot be touched with hands, cannot be smelled or heard.
I believed that those threads stretching out like a spider’s web connect person to person, pull someone toward another, and sometimes forcibly separate them from each other.
If the force I imagined becomes one thread, two threads, a handful, then an armful, and slowly rolls along—
Wouldn’t that be the wheel of fate?
“You were right.”
My head knows it’s an absurd act, an unreasonable bravado.
But I just couldn’t back out. If I entered the shelter like this, would there be anyone to protect this child left behind?
‘I’m in no position to help anyone myself.’
Could I, who had barely wielded a real sword, pull this off? To be honest, I wasn’t confident. It would be fortunate if we both didn’t die.
Even though I knew better than anyone that I wasn’t in a position to save anyone.
“Hyungnim… wh-what are you planning to do…?”
Still, seeing how I felt that doing something rather than nothing would raise your survival rate by even 1 percent—
“What am I planning?”
In the end, this was fate, and I had no choice but to accept the fate I’d been trying so hard to turn away from my door.
“I’m betting my life on this fight.”
It was a moment when I had no choice but to think that way.
You were a kid who had struggled all the way up to this cold land to meet me. A half-blood relative who I’d only pushed away throughout, yet who called me Hyungnim every single time while tearing up from being rejected, insisting we were family.
If such a ten-year-old died a tragic death here, you would think of my face in your moment of death. Rather than becoming an important person to you, I hated more the idea of remaining in you as such a final memory.
The creature that had staggered down opened its maw wide. Blood-stained teeth revealed themselves in a terrifying display.
I quickly recalled what I’d said while teaching the kids.
‘Being strong doesn’t mean you can do many things. Of course, it’s good to know how to do various things. Because you can’t rise higher by being good at only one thing.’
‘Then how do I get a black belt like Master?’
‘Right! Black belt is the strongest! I want to get a black belt like Master too! Black belt is the end, right?’
‘Being strong means doing even one thing properly. What I do isn’t much different from what I taught you guys. And black belt isn’t the end, you little ones. Where is there an end to training… You’re not listening to Master again!’
“Downward strike.”
I tensed my body and slowly raised my sword.
“I just need to do that one thing well.”
I had no flashy techniques or amazing skills. I’d only learned one thing—striking downward.
Even if it was unfortunate, it couldn’t be helped. That didn’t mean I could suddenly do now what I’d never been able to do before.
The fortunate thing was that I at least knew how to hold a sword. How lucky to have even one thing I could do. Then I just needed to do this one thing well.
I could hear murmuring sounds. Something seemed to be happening behind me.
Of course, I had no capacity to look back. I kept my gaze fixed on the wyvern. I waited only for the exact moment when that creature would fly toward Lenox behind my back.
It couldn’t be too early or too late. If there was only one life, there was also only one chance.
Three, two, and… one.
“Haaaaaaah!”
I put strength into the sword I’d raised high and brought it down. Without hesitation, without wavering, without being pushed back.
Kiaaaaaaaaaak!
An earsplitting noise rang out. The wyvern, with one wing torn, shrieked madly and soared back into the air.
Hot blood poured down over my head. An indescribable stench rose thickly, making my breath catch in my throat.
“…Haah.”
I somehow did it.
I’d been so tense for this result that my arm, which had lowered the sword slightly, trembled violently. It felt as if my entire body was drenched in cold sweat.
But it wasn’t over. I gritted my teeth and put strength back into my arm.
The wyvern that had been flying lopsided to the right spun once in midair. The tip of its long trailing tail was sharp like prison bars.
“Hy-Hyungnim…?”
I heard Lenox’s voice from behind me.
The voice was trembling so quietly that it would be missed without listening carefully. The sound was muffled as if blocked by something, so it seemed he was still wearing the cloak over his head as I’d instructed.
‘That’s fortunate.’
Good that he wouldn’t be covered in blood, and it was an excellent choice that he couldn’t see my current state either.
“Back away slowly.”
The soldiers who realized the severity of the situation would come running. By now they would be surrounding us and forming ranks.
As if proving that, the clamoring sounds grew louder.
“Escort Their Imperial Majesties!”
“There’s only one wyvern. Looking at the traces of injury, it seems to have fled after confronting the reconnaissance team.”
“Is that important right now? All archers prepare to shoot upward! You there. Bring His Little Imperial Majesty! Only then can His Grace the Grand Duke retreat!”
“But…”
“No!”
Someone seemed to have grabbed Lenox, as struggling sounds rang out. The wyvern, stimulated by the loud noise, also made a tearing sound in the air and began looking for an opening to attack.
“I can’t leave Hyungnim! I don’t want to!”
“This is not the time to be stubborn. Of course His Grace the Grand Duke will also…!”
“Hyungnim!”
I couldn’t answer those words. All my nerves were focused on the wyvern.
This time it wasn’t a downward strike. I couldn’t finish it with a downward strike. I might succeed like before, but there was no guarantee such luck would be granted to me multiple times.
I spread my legs a bit wider and changed my stance. I lowered my body much more than when doing a downward strike and extended my sword straight forward.
It was a stance my swordsmanship teacher Wieg had never taught, but it was also something I’d already mastered.
A defensive stance from Taekwondo.
Actually, I was better at defense than offense. In sparring, what was as important as sharp attacks was an ironclad defense that didn’t give up points.
Never yielding the flow to the opponent. Firmly grasping the end of fate in my hand, becoming the person who pulls rather than being pulled. It was the greatest principle I kept in mind when practicing Taekwondo.
On the wall of the dojo where I worked, there was a verse from the second chapter of Yongbieocheonga.
「A tree with deep roots does not sway in the wind.」
It does not sway. It does not overturn. It does not bend, nor does it break.
In this moment, I had to become a tree to protect just one person.
Craaaaaash!
I held on with all my strength, but my feet being pushed back was unavoidable. Fortunately, the soldiers seemed to have run over and snatched Lenox who had been behind me to evacuate him.
The tip of my sword that I’d extended straight pierced deep into the wyvern’s chest. It penetrated the tough, tough hide, split the flesh and left a deep wound inside.
“…Hk.”
My vision blurred dizzily. Pain that was difficult to describe as hurting somewhere in some way swept through my entire body. My vision flashed white then sank to black several times per second, and I struggled to stare ahead even with my hazy vision.
The wyvern that had writhed free from me tried to fly up toward the air again. Dark green fluid was flowing steadily from the wound I’d made. That sticky substance was smeared all over my sword and hands.
Arrows shot from all directions stuck into the wyvern’s body. Some failed to reach and fell weakly, but several lodged in firmly. Especially the sharpest shot pierced the creature’s eye, leaving a fatal wound.
With a sound that tore eardrums to shreds, the wyvern dropped.
Thud!
A thick cloud of dust billowed all the way to where I was. A acrid, stinging sensation poked at my eyeballs.
In my dimly distorted vision, only a pale blue light sparkled as it threw warning signals.
[Fate is entering a different trajectory.]
[Multiple entities realize that you are different from the existence they expected.]
[Caution! Actions that deviate from the ‘Character Guidelines’ are being continuously detected.]
[‘Actions befitting the Character Guidelines’ are required!]
[‘Actions befitting the Character Guidelines’ are required!]
[‘Actions befitting the Character Guidelines’ are required!]
[Current Chaos Meter: 90%]
[Current Chaos Meter: 80%]
[Current Chaos Meter: 70%]
[Current Chaos Meter: 60%]
[Cur□□□ □□ □□: □□□]
[Interference from ‘Unknown Power’ has been detected.]
[‘□□ That Devours □□’ is directly □□□□□ to you!]
[□□ □□, □□ □□□?]
I staggered as I looked at the system window with text so corrupted I couldn’t make out the contents. I felt a pain like something sharp scraping my insides…
Soon something surged up and was vomited out.
