#100 Always Face Fear Head-On
Choi Kang-ho stood silently, gazing straight ahead. This world felt just like staring into a mirror—a dream, without a doubt.
A dream? He seemed to be standing in the middle of a vast blue ocean. All around him, thick blue mana filled the air.
"......"
It was as if he'd sunk to the depths of the deep sea; the entire world was utterly still. Kang-ho found that silence strangely familiar.
Silence. He liked the peculiar allure that word evoked. The sensation of everything in the world settling quietly into place. Perhaps that's why he'd made his home in Cheorwon's snowy plains, he thought.
Snow piling softly, layer upon layer, forming vast, endless white expanses. An infinitely quiet world devoid of people. Time spent there, accumulating like the falling snow, layer by layer.
Memories flashed by like a montage. Regrets, satisfactions, times of sorrow, joy, despair, happiness. All of it gathered and stacked into that immense snowy plain.
Witnessing that world, it felt as if the quiet realm itself was speaking to him.
Will you remain... or advance?
And Kang-ho offered no answer for a very long time.
Guuung—
He turned his gaze back to the figure ahead—another version of himself.
He was asking.
Are you prepared?
Kang-ho hesitated. Accepting him might bring changes utterly different from his current life. If he could keep avoiding it forever, that too might be an answer.
But sometimes, a time comes when you must choose. When avoidance is no longer an option.
What creeps in then is fear. An vague dread of an unknown world. And fear of losing oneself.
That fear multiplies exponentially with every new responsibility.
* * *
Theo had been glued to his smartphone since early morning.
Theo's SNS was in a total stagnation.
'What's the reason?'
Theo pondered seriously. King's SNS was soaring daily, surpassing 20 million followers and nearing 30 million. That made him a global celebrity beyond national fame, yet Theo's account sat at a measly 1,200.
'My face?'
Theo shook his head right away.
'No way.'
'Lack of skill?'
'Absolutely not.'
'No collabs with celebrities, then?'
'That has some merit.'
Theo fell into the dilemma of a lifetime. Celebrities were practically overflowing around him. Even next-door Ian was a superstar, and Carron, off exploring somewhere, was the same.
'And create some buzz...'
Come to think of it, hitting SS-rank first might be best. For that, he'd need to challenge someone in the rankings. The easiest target...
Theo looked down at the sleeping King and grinned.
[Hm?]
Then he noticed Kang-ho, drenched in cold sweat despite being asleep. For such an extraordinary guy to show signs of distress was rare, so Theo watched with interest.
"Nngh......"
Watching Kang-ho sweat profusely, Theo snorted.
[What a sight.]
Theo fetched a damp towel from the kitchen.
Snooore—
On the floor, King hugged Seol-a tight, snoring away. Irritated for no reason, Theo kicked his butt before wiping Kang-ho's forehead.
Suddenly.
Guuuung—!
A power on the verge of bursting emanated from Kang-ho's entire body.
[......!]
This wasn't the usual power from Kang-ho. It felt like the vibrant force of spring, brimming with life, clashing against his mana.
Guung— Guung—!
Theo flinched. The reason was simple.
'This feels a bit like...'
It resembled the odd coziness he'd been feeling lately.
Staring at the power emanating from Kang-ho, Theo slumped down with a deflated expression.
'It was this guy's fault!'
The reason his mindset had shifted. The reason his mana started wielding that strange power.
'Unbelievable.'
He wouldn't lie and say he hated the change. Theo quite liked it. But on the other hand, he couldn't help but be awed.
'A power that changes everything around just by existing...!'
That was the power of the Eternal Crystal. The Choi Kang-ho before him was the Eternal Crystal of the first dimension, Earth—and its heart's owner, no less.
Suddenly, Kang-ho opened his eyes.
[......]
"......"
Kang-ho stared blankly at the ceiling, as if awakening from a long, ancient dream.
"Me."
He slowly spoke.
[Yeah?]
"Gonna head out somewhere."
[Huh?]
"Might take a while."
[......Where to?]
"Don't follow."
As Theo blinked dumbly, Kang-ho rose and gazed out the window. Endless snowy plains stretched before him.
. . . . . .
Crunch— Crunch—
Each slow step crunched clearly through the snow, leaving distinct footprints that marked his path.
Kang-ho had reached the white zone. No spring had touched this world yet; only swirling snowflakes and a dim sky loomed.
It was much like the landscape when he'd first arrived here thirty years ago.
Whoooosh—
Standing amid the blizzard, Kang-ho closed his eyes.
Will you remain... or advance?
Memories flooded past. The despairing winter of fifty years ago. The heart of the battlefield, advancing with comrades. Seolhwa, like a single snowflake. Old friends who'd spent more time with him than family. Incheon's hellish dawn. That great mentor and friend, one guy.
Memories flowed slowly. Returning to this land after the long war ended. The shabby log cabin in Cheorwon, where he'd lived quietly, holding his breath for years. The little furball that started tagging along. Simple living. Snow piling softly over Cheorwon. The world growing quieter. Himself, left alone.
Memories kept flowing. The egg from which Seolhwa hatched. The little fox girl now so precious. The headache of a demon lord. The impressively grown King. His aging old comrades. Cheorwon's snowy plains, now bustling. People gathering one by one. An expanding world. Himself, no longer alone.
And. The mentor and friend he respected, whom he must face again. A day of many regrets, yet whose choice would always be the same, even through renewed regret and anguish.
Kang-ho.
That voice lingered in his ear.
When the time comes, kill me with your own hand.
That voice carried myriad emotions. Kang-ho recited it flatly and opened his eyes.
Shiiiing—
The vast snowy plain before him seemed to question him once more.
Will you remain... or advance?
Fear. For an instant, it dominated Kang-ho's entire body.
Not being alone. Ironically, that bred fear. His life and reason, once trivial, now terrified him to lose.
And now, the fear of possibly having to kill a past comrade, mentor, and friend.
"......"
Kang-ho took one step forward.
Crunch—
But Kang-ho always faced fear head-on. He knew well that no one else would do his work for him.
Goooooo—
Before he knew it, azure mana surged from his entire body, spreading massively to fill the endless snowy plains.
Goooooo—!
At the same time, he'd arrived at that place from the dream. Another self stood before him. Slowly, he extended a hand.
Kang-ho no longer hesitated. He placed his hand against it.
Goooo—!
In that moment, immense power welled up through his body. His eyes flashed, and the world distorted.
Kwaaaaa—!
A wholly different world unfolded in Kang-ho's eyes.
An endless universe! And within it, nine massive, distinct lights tracing infinite orbits!
Around those lights, countless stars gleamed like the Milky Way!
But that wasn't the end. As Kang-ho looked up, something loomed above, as if overseeing it all!
Suddenly, a cluster of green and blue light shimmered and poured toward him.
Kwaaaa—!
His whole body throbbed in agony. His mana hole swelled as if to burst, his body trembled violently.
"Kuh."
Kang-ho gritted his teeth. His body felt like it would crumble. His heart pounded abnormally, veins contracting and expanding wildly.
Unbearable pain surged. As his reason blurred, something tried to slip in.
Kang-ho's eyes widened.
'Not a chance.'
His mana boiled, engaging in a battle of wills. Now, he had many responsibilities. He had no intention of yielding his body.
In the fierce clash, his body screamed. Time dragged endlessly. Fleeting moments felt eternal, but Kang-ho never lost focus. He drew on his mana, clashing fiercely with the Eternal Crystal's power.
Steam rose from his body.
Finally.
His mana amplified massively, crushing the growing other self.
'This body is mine.'
Suddenly.
Well done.
Ironically, his own voice echoed in his ear.
Kwajijik!
Something shattered. Simultaneously, hot energy spread through his body, overflowing to surge outward everywhere.
Pass. Master of the First Dimension.
That voice vanished completely.
* * *
[Huh?]
Theo suddenly felt something odd and peered out the window. Though spring had come, Cheorwon felt strangely ominous today, with its unusually cozy breeze.
Suddenly.
[No way...]
Theo sensed something sprouting from the ground. From the log cabin's perpetually frozen soil, a sprout emerged. It quickly grew into green grass two knuckles tall.
And that was just the start. Rape blossoms spread across the snow-covered plains. Seeds long dormant pierced the thick snow, poking their heads out. The white world slowly bloomed in colors.
A grand, magnificent change!
Instinctively sensing something, Theo turned toward the distance.
The white zone! A massive blue light descended there. From that light, pleasant warm winds swept everywhere.
Layered snow, eternal as millennium ice, melted away. Spring, thought forever absent, blanketed Cheorwon.
Thirty years after the great war. The absolute being wintering in Cheorwon's mountains had awakened his power.