The Ghost King's Revelation
For a moment, I froze, mouth slightly agape as I struggled to find the right words to say.
Kim Yeon, watching me with a faint smile, let out a bitter chuckle.
“Finally… I thought you were about to accept my heart. I kept… I kept liking you, you know. And when we met in dreams, you were giving me the impression that you liked me… so I thought that was all I needed to know.”
With a soft swish―
She rose from her seat.
“But… it was all a misunderstanding. I don’t know why, but Eun-hyun oppa isn’t looking at me. He’s looking at someone else, right?”
“…”
My face turned rigid; I couldn’t find my voice.
Looking at another person.
Yes, that was true.
In a way, I hadn’t saved Kim Yeon of that past loop to fall for her now. I had saved her for the Kim Yeon I knew back then, the one tied to Goe-gun, and now I was trying to love this version of her.
But in the end, I had simply deceived myself once more.
“…I’m sorry.”
I apologized to Kim Yeon and made a decision.
‘I will speak.’
Regressions were hard, but I would tell her everything I could.
“In the past… aside from Kang Min-hee, there was someone else who liked me.”
I began recounting the story of Kim Yeon from the previous loop.
I referred to her simply as “that woman.”
A thousand years of time became “a very long time,” yet the meaning came through clearly.
We sat for a while on a hill overlooking the entrance to Jinma-gye, sharing our stories.
And finally, I told her everything about the Kim Yeon of that past loop.
“That’s all of it. She… died. In the end, she met me and gave me her heart. I might be projecting her onto you now.”
“…”
Kim Yeon nodded slowly.
“So that’s why I’ve been feeling that lingering warmth from you. Now I understand.”
After those words, a heavy silence settled between us.
A while later, Kim Yeon spoke again.
“Um… Eun-hyun oppa.”
“Hm?”
She hesitated for a long time, her voice faltering. Yet even so, she closed her eyes tightly and asked me.
“…”
“You already know, don’t you? That… I like you… Eun-hyun oppa…”
Kim Yeon buried her face in her knees, her cheeks burning crimson.
I forced a bitter smile.
“…”
“…”
For a moment, an indescribable feeling passed between us.
“…”
“You don’t plan to accept my feelings, do you?”
I remained silent for a long time.
I hadn’t expected her to dig this deep so quickly.
I realized I didn’t even know my own feelings at that moment.
The Kim Yeon of that past loop had been loved, but this current Kim Yeon…
‘I don’t love her.’
She was still just a cute junior to me.
“…”
“I see. Haha… I asked the right question.”
Kim Yeon fell silent for a moment, then continued.
“Actually, I thought we were already dating. When you talked to me in dreams, I couldn’t tell your intentions clearly. You kept showing me how much you missed me, always talking to me, comforting me, laughing with me, sharing stories… and even came crashing in to save me from Goe-gun…”
Kim Yeon laughed.
A bright, genuine laugh.
“If you hadn’t said anything, I would’ve been seriously confused. Hehe…”
With a soft swish―
Kim Yeon stood up from her seat.
“Thank you for being honest with your feelings. If I’d been lying just to comfort you, my condition might have been even worse…”
She turned her back to me.
And still facing away, she spoke.
“I’ve set a goal now, Deputy Seo Eun-hyun.”
I tried to say something, but no words came out.
I felt I didn’t know what to say.
“I’ll keep confessing to you. I’ll keep confessing my love over and over again, truly, until you fall for me.”
Even with her back turned, Kim Yeon rubbed her face and turned her head around.
“I like you, Deputy Seo Eun-hyun.”
Kim Yeon was crying.
Tears weren’t falling, but she was weeping with a deep, blue-black sorrow.
I hesitated for a moment, but seeing her resolve, I made my decision.
No more hesitation.
“Alright.”
In this life, I did not feel romantic or devoted love toward the Kim Yeon of today.
Acknowledging that, I recognized that Kim Yeon was endlessly sending her heart to me.
If her heart didn’t break, there might come a time when mine would.
No, actually, I had already fallen several times before.
To Buk Hyang-hwa.
To the Kim Yeon of the past loop.
To Hong Su-ryeong…
“I can’t accept your heart today.”
“Then I’ll give it to you tomorrow as well.”
Her gaze hardened.
“Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, whenever. Always!”
I met Kim Yeon’s eyes for a moment.
No matter what.
Eyes full of resolve shone brightly.
She was shining.
“Keep trying hard.”
People’s hearts change.
But sometimes there are hearts that never do.
And those who maintain and temper such unyielding hearts…
Occasionally are reborn as a new species with fresh perspectives.
Would she be able to push her own heart this far?
All I could do was cheer her on.
I couldn’t like her right now.
That would be deceiving my own heart.
But if, as time passed, she continued sending me her heart…
‘I don’t know what I’ll do then.’
Our relationship would change from now on.
Until now, I had deceived myself into liking her, and she had strangely believed we were already dating.
But at this moment, I had revealed my true feelings, she had heard them without giving up, and she had declared she would push her heart toward me again from the very beginning.
I suddenly became afraid of Kim Yeon.
If that unyielding heart eventually changed or cooled down, it would be fine.
But what if it didn’t?
In that case, perhaps Kim Yeon would one day hold an enormous weight inside me.
Valuing someone was natural, but loving them beyond that was terrifying.
I had lost too many loved ones in front of my eyes, and I knew just how painful and heart-wrenching it felt when love vanished.
Yes, Kim Yeon would become my most painful finger in the future.
After clearing up our relationship, time passed.
* * *
Kuuuung!
From the entrance to Jinma-gye, massive flying ships descended.
Survivors of the human army.
Strange as it was, the Black Dragon King never appeared, allowing the human forces to advance without hindrance.
And among them stood out Jeon Myeong-hoon, leading the remnants.
Jeon Myeong-hoon returned with a calm face and spoke to me.
“Because those fools tried something like the Heavenly Void Extermination Array, I tore everything down and came back. I killed a few of the leaders, but they’re all at least Four Pillars, so they’ll resurrect on their own.”
“…”
“Did you kill the leaders?”
“Jealous?”
“Um…”
“Even though we need to get out quickly, they refused to listen and insisted on activating the Heavenly Void array all the way to the end. They’re really something. The Heavenly Magistrate might be able to make excuses, but since you’re also a Heavenly Magistrate now, you should at least defend them appropriately.”
I was a little surprised by Jeon Myeong-hoon’s carefree attitude, but at the same time I thought it was very much like him.
“Well, you did well.”
The Four Pillars who could resurrect didn’t actually die, so I didn’t care.
Killing a few of them and bringing the survivors back quickly was actually a good thing.
And then…
A while later, I met Oh Hyun-seok.
“Long time no see, Seo Eun-hyun.”
“It’s been a while, hyung.”
He looked exhausted.
“…”
“There have been many things. And… I heard you became a Heavenly Magistrate?”
“Yes.”
“Haha. Jeon Myeong-hoon grew unexpectedly, and you’re already that strong. Hoo, I’m the only one left like this.”
Oh Hyun-seok looked as if something was wrong. He was currently at Core Formation.
Jeon Myeong-hoon crossed his arms and explained.
“Originally you were at the Integration Grand Completion of the Nascent Soul realm, but in the end you took a fatal blow blocking the invasion of the demon race. Your current realm has fallen.”
I sighed.
“…”
“I’ve felt so much. When I return to Changcheon Gaebyeokmun, I plan to focus on raising my realm. This world really… is a place where you need power to live as a proper human.”
“That’s right.”
I agreed with Oh Hyun-seok.
But I smiled faintly and added, “However, rather than just returning and raising your realm, how about continuing to travel with us?”
I made a certain proposal to Oh Hyun-seok.
In the past life, I had failed to gather my colleagues.
In this life, I had already gathered Jeon Myeong-hoon, Oh Hyun-seok, and Kim Yeon in one place.
And now, if I called back Kang Min-hee, everyone who could gather here in this situation would be together.
The first goal of this life was to develop the Mansang Inyeondo.
So it would be best to train alongside talented colleagues and operate it.
‘There’s also the regret of not having seen my colleagues in one place from the previous life…’
However, Oh Hyun-seok shook his head with a sad expression.
“Um, I’m sorry, but the training method of Changcheon Gaebyeokmun is actually more efficient and powerful than any other sect. If I train there, I’ll become quite strong. I plan to grow even stronger there with the most efficient method.”
“…”
‘Changcheon Gaebyeokmun is indeed efficient.’
“If you want to be with me, how about you coming into Changcheon Gaebyeokmun? You could stay as a guest, not just a disciple.”
“…”
Changheon Gaebyeokmun had no guests.
No, there were those who wanted to become guests, but they all ran away before even three days had passed.
‘The longest-surviving guest was probably seven days and nights?’
Moreover, since guests weren’t inner disciples, no one bothered to chase them down. They could just run away.
Inner disciples, if they ran, the senior and junior brothers would chase them with burning eyes to “train” them, but what was one to do if a guest said they were leaving?
Anyway, the important point was that Changcheon Gaebyeokmun wasn’t a sect that left guests alone, and it was a place where even guests ran away.
Perhaps if Kim Yeon or Jeon Myeong-hoon went there, they would run away within five days, I could swear.
Of course, saying it so bluntly would be rude, so I spoke more mildly.
“I’m sorry, but training with us would be more efficient than at Changcheon Gaebyeokmun.”
“Huh? What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Well… Changheon Gaebyeokmun’s Changhoja is a Four Pillar, right?”
“That’s true.”
“Right now, I, Jeon Myeong-hoon, and Kim Yeon all have power above Four Pillars. And I already hold the qualification of Heavenly Magistrate of the Human Alliance.”
I extended my hand to him.
“Honestly, at this point, traveling and training with us is better than training at Changcheon Gaebyeokmun. And I can obtain several cultivation methods that would suit you, Hyun-seok hyung.”
“Um…”
“Just think about it. If you really prefer Changcheon Gaebyeokmun, then there’s nothing I can do.”
Oh Hyun-seok said he would think about it, and after chatting with them for a while to clear my mind, I stood up.
“Then, since we’re all gathered, how about finding Kang Min-hee as well?”
“Ah, you said she was in Black Ghost Valley, right?”
“Yes. Then I’ll head over.”
Kuuuung―
After connecting with my colleagues and the human army, I took a step toward Black Ghost Valley.
Paaat!
And in an instant using the Earth Immobilization technique, I arrived at Black Ghost Valley and was momentarily startled.
Before Black Ghost Valley stood Oh Hye-seo in a pure white uniform, sitting on a nearby rock and watching me.