An Unwelcome Awakening
"What is this now?"
Those were the first words out of my mouth the moment I opened my eyes.
Squinting at the sight before me, I scanned my surroundings.
It was a completely white world.
The floor, the ceiling—everything was painted in pure white, making it impossible to tell where I was.
"Hmm."
I knew what this was the instant I saw it.
"A nightmare. Dammit."
It was a nightmare. Lately, I had been so exhausted that I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow, which had kept them at bay.
It had been a very long time since I last had one.
I carefully pushed myself up. As it turned out, I had been sitting down. I looked around again, but nothing had changed.
Everything was so blindingly white that I couldn't make out a single detail.
After moving my limbs slightly and checking my body, I came to a conclusion.
"It's not sleep paralysis. Just a lucid dream?"
It didn't feel like sleep paralysis caused by a ghost.
Despite the sudden, bizarre situation, my expression remained as calm as ever.
I had experienced this sort of thing to the point of nausea in my past life.
There was no reason to be surprised by something like this.
It only made me chuckle. I knew exactly how to handle these situations.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
If I kept them closed for a moment and then opened them, I would wake up...
"...Shouldn't I be awake?"
I opened my eyes, but the scenery remained unchanged.
"Well, then."
I scratched my cheek. Ah, this wasn't good.
"This is going to be troublesome."
This was bad. If this was the case, it wasn't just a simple nightmare.
I sense spiritual energy mixed in here.
When a spirit's influence seeped into a human's dream.
If it affected the physical body, it was called sleep paralysis. If a spirit intervened in a dream to convey a message, it was called a Spiritual Dream.
Stroking my chin, I surveyed the area once more.
"It's definitely not sleep paralysis... which means it's a Spiritual Dream."
A dream this vivid was suspicious enough, but the fact that I couldn't wake up even after realizing I was dreaming? It was a dead giveaway.
It was strange.
I had made sure to keep track of all the spirits in my vicinity, and I had been extremely careful not to get involved with any that seemed suspicious.
Thanks to that, none of the ghosts currently around me had any connection to me.
"Hmm."
Then what was this?
After a moment of thought, I nodded. I had figured out the answer.
I immediately spun around and spoke.
"What is it?"
Sure enough, someone was standing behind me. It was obvious they were the one who had dragged me into this space.
Since it was caused by spiritual energy, it had to be a ghost. And there was only one ghost around me.
"...Old man."
"Oh."
"Oh" my foot. Meeting my gaze, Yoo Chun-gil widened his eyes and reacted with bright innocence.
His absurd attitude made my face twist in annoyance.
Seeing my reaction, Yoo Chun-gil wore a strangely disappointed look.
"Tsk. I thought you would be at least a little flustered, but you are perfectly fine. How boring."
"My life is far too bizarre for me to be surprised by something like this."
Having survived all sorts of bizarre and grotesque experiences, a mere dream space wasn't enough to startle me.
"So... what is this now?"
I understood that this space was created by spiritual energy, but I had no idea how the old man had pulled it off.
When I asked, Yoo Chun-gil stroked his beard and replied.
"I do not know. I felt like I could do it, so I tried, and it worked."
"...What kind of nonsense answer is that?"
What kind of explanation was that? He just tried it because he felt like it?
It was an incredibly absurd response.
I was utterly speechless.
...Is this really something you can just do because you want to?
Ordinary spirits couldn't interfere with another person's mind like this.
Sleep paralysis could be induced by ghosts with a decent amount of experience, but a Spiritual Dream was a different story.
You'd need to be at least a general-grade spirit...
Or a spirit revered as a mountain god... or an evil spirit that had reached the absolute peak of malice.
...
Looking at Yoo Chun-gil, who was delighted by his own success, I clicked my tongue inwardly.
Then again, if it was this old man, it might actually be possible. That was the thought that crossed my mind.
"Are you happy now?"
"It is quite fascinating."
"...Right. Good for you. Now, could you please end this? I'd like to get some proper sleep."
Although I was technically asleep right now, a Spiritual Dream drained a massive amount of mental energy.
It meant that even if I slept, I wouldn't actually feel rested.
"Hmm."
In response to my plea, Yoo Chun-gil merely tilted his head. That gesture filled me with a sudden sense of dread.
...His eyes.
His fierce eyes and the slight curve of his eyelids. That was the look the old man got right before he caused trouble.
"Old man... what are you planning to—"
Before I could finish my question.
Thud!
"Ack?!"
An impact rattled my skull, sending me straight to my knees.
"Argh...!"
The pain was excruciating. What was this? What just happened?
Clutching the crown of my head with trembling hands, I looked up.
Yoo Chun-gil was standing right in front of me. He was looking down at me with his fist raised, looking intrigued.
Don't tell me...
"...Old man. Did you just hit me?"
"Oh... The impact feels remarkably solid."
"Are you out of your mind, old man?!"
Attacking me with his fist out of nowhere? As I stared at him in disbelief, I noticed something strange.
Wait a minute. He hit me?
I reached out and grabbed Yoo Chun-gil's leg. I actually caught it. I could feel the incredibly thick muscle beneath my grip.
"...Why can I touch you?"
Being able to touch him was weird enough, but there was an even bigger problem.
"Why does it hurt?"
My head throbbed. It seemed Yoo Chun-gil had indeed struck me with his fist.
"Why does it hurt so much...?"
This was definitely a dream, yet the pain felt incredibly real. As my eyes shook in confusion—
"Splendid."
With that chilling word, my vision spun.
"Urgh?!"
Yoo Chun-gil grabbed my neck with his massive hand and lifted me straight off the ground.
"I was wondering how to correct the manners of this insolent brat, and to think such an opportunity would present itself."
"Gah..."
His grip choked the air right out of my lungs. His hand was so large it easily wrapped around my entire neck.
"I believe I can beat some manners into your body this time. What do you think?"
"...Ugh... cough..."
Enduring the pain, I reached up and grabbed Yoo Chun-gil's wrist.
At that moment, the pressure on my throat eased slightly. He was loosening his grip, letting me speak.
What kind of answer did he want?
Did he want me to beg for forgiveness out of fear? Or did he want me to bow my head and promise to behave better next time?
Whatever it was, it didn't matter.
Because I had absolutely no intention of doing either.
"...Stop this shitty joke... and put me... down."
As I spat the words with pure irritation, the grin vanished from Yoo Chun-gil's face.
"Tsk."
He clicked his tongue sharply.
Thud!
His grip released, and I crashed onto the floor.
"Cough! Cough!"
As I hacked and coughed, Yoo Chun-gil spoke to me in a deeply disappointed tone.
"How boring. I thought you would be at least a little startled. For a youngster, your heart is dreadfully cold."
"...Did you do all this just for your own amusement?"
I already knew Yoo Chun-gil wasn't actually trying to kill me.
He wasn't the type to do something like that without a reason.
"Hmph."
"Hmph my ass. If you've had your fun, wrap this up. Why are you exhausting me like this?"
"Ho, look at this brat."
Yoo Chun-gil chuckled. His face was as terrifying as ever.
"Child, you must know I can torment you as much as I want in this place. Your attitude is lacking. Shall I torment you a bit more?"
"Do you think you don't torment me in the real world?"
He just didn't physically beat me out there, but the level of harassment was pretty much the same.
"And even if you truly want to see me bow down to you, that will never happen, even if I die."
"Hmm? Why is that?"
Yoo Chun-gil asked, his eyes filled with curiosity.
Why wouldn't I bow to him?
There was only one reason.
"No matter the situation, I never bow to a ghost."
Yoo Chun-gil let out a dry laugh at my response.
"That is a rather strange thing to say for someone whose leash is held by me."
"Some things are simply beyond my control."
"To be precise, you change your principles whenever it suits you."
"But the core remains the same."
I would never swallow my pride for a ghost. If Yoo Chun-gil were still alive, that might be a different story.
But since he was a ghost, I had absolutely no intention of doing so.
"Hmm."
Yoo Chun-gil stared at me quietly.
We locked eyes—his glowing blue—for a brief moment.
"Well, do as you please."
Yoo Chun-gil tilted his head and waved his hand.
Then—
Clatter!
"...Huh?"
Something dropped in front of me. Looking closely, it was a sword.
And a sharp, well-crafted real sword at that.
"...What is this?"
Where did a sword suddenly come from...?
"Pick it up."
"Did you do this, old man?"
"Indeed."
...He can even do this?
This was a trick I had never seen before. I had experienced Spiritual Dreams a few times in my past life, but my presence had been too overwhelming for spirits to linger long.
Even the ones that did manage to enter had never done anything like this.
But this...
I've never seen anything like this.
Feeling physical pain from being hit in a dream was absurd enough, but this went far beyond that.
Seriously, what is this old man?
At this point, it was starting to get genuinely terrifying. I picked up the fallen sword.
...The texture is incredibly vivid.
The sensation of the hilt in my palm and the heavy weight of the blade were unmistakably real.
Could this really be called a dream? I was starting to lose my grip on reality.
"Have you taken hold of it?"
"Yes. But what is this for...?"
"It is nothing major. I cannot keep possessing your body to fight for you forever. Besides, it is about time I taught you something, if only for the sake of your cultivation method."
"...!"
My eyes widened at his words. That meant...
"You're going to train me? In here?"
"Is it not the perfect place?"
"Well..."
I couldn't really deny it. Besides...
...Receiving instruction from this old man.
Honestly, I was looking forward to it.
No matter how much I cursed him in my head, the man was the former World's Greatest and the strongest martial artist of all time.
There was nothing bad about receiving lessons from someone of his caliber.
Right. If he has a conscience, it's about time he gave me something.
After all the struggles I had been through, he was finally looking out for me. It was unexpected.
But will this actually help?
No matter how real it felt, this was strictly a dream.
Wouldn't all this training be useless once I woke up? The thought crossed my mind, but...
"Focus."
"Yes."
Let's just do whatever he wants for now. The moment I steeled my resolve—
"Now, let us see if you can endure."
"Yes. Wait, what?"
Startled by his strange words, I immediately looked at Yoo Chun-gil. But—
"...What? Old man?"
Yoo Chun-gil had vanished. Completely, right before my eyes.
Where did he go so suddenly? Just as that question arose—
"Who are you?"
A voice echoed.
Turning my head, I saw someone standing in the previously empty space.
"...What is that now?"
I narrowed my eyes. It was a person I had never seen before.
He had disheveled black hair and wore martial robes caked in dried blood.
In his hand, he held a broadsword with a chipped, ruined blade. It was a sword that looked as though it had survived countless brutal years.
Though I couldn't see clearly, his facial features appeared quite youthful.
Which meant he was around my age.
Maybe a year or two older at most? On top of that...
...The Moon Eye?
He was a young man with the same blue eyes as mine.
Who on earth was this guy? As I was observing him—
"I asked who you are."
The young man demanded instead.
A shiver ran down my spine at the sound of his voice.
How can a human voice...
...sound so rough and savage?
My hand holding the sword began to tremble of its own accord.
"It seems you have no intention of answering. Not that it matters."
It wasn't that I didn't want to answer; I literally couldn't speak. The sheer bloodlust radiating from him felt like it was crushing my entire body.
At that moment.
The young man took a step toward me.
"Since you are bound to be an enemy anyway."
The next voice came from right beside my ear.
I had just seen him standing far away, so how was he already right next to me? Startled, I tried to turn my head, but—
Slash—
Along with the sound of something being severed.
My vision began to plunge downward.
As the ground rushed up to meet my eyes, I realized—
Only then did I realize my head had been cut off.
"Gasp!"
I bolted upright, opening my eyes.
"Cough... gasp..."
I clutched my neck with both hands.
I could feel the solid touch of my skin.
"Pant... pant..."
With trembling hands, I wiped the cold sweat from my face over and over again.
I had died.
I had just met my death inside a dream.
In the blink of an eye, I had been slaughtered by some unknown bastard.
"Fuck..."
It was too terrifying, too vivid.
I would never, ever forget the sensation of my head being severed and slowly falling to the ground.
"Pant... pant."
I steadied my breathing and wiped the beads of sweat from my forehead.
My hands were still shaking, but thankfully, a sense of relief was beginning to wash over me.
At least it was just a dream.
No matter how vivid the death had felt, the fact that I was back proved it was indeed a dream.
That was enough. Having reached that conclusion, I glared into the empty air.
That damn old man.
Where was he? I had a lot of things to demand answers for.
With fire in my eyes, I was about to turn my head when—
"Oh my..."
"...!"
My body froze instantly at the sound of that voice.
Because it was a voice that absolutely should not be heard in this room.
Creak— creaaak.
I forced my stiff neck to turn.
My gaze landed on the window frame, where the morning light was streaming in.
Sitting gracefully by the window was a woman.
She looked cold and serene, yet she was unbelievably beautiful.
Her lovely eyes curved into crescent moons as she looked at me.
Then, parting her cherry-red lips, she spoke.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"
It was Cheon Hye-in.
Seeing her, I was absolutely certain.
"Ah, I'm still in a nightmare."
"...?"
"A fucking terrible nightmare."
"..."
A frown creased Cheon Hye-in's beautiful brow.