SWNOVELXO Chapter 338
Chapter 339. River of Blood, Mountain of Screams (2)
The first emotion Keter felt upon seeing Akra’s face was curiosity.
‘She looks exactly like I imagined.’
Beautiful features. Eyes that seem to hold a story. A pure yet deeply maternal aura.
Before Keter could finish observing, Akra spoke.
“Keter.”
Her voice was a mix of emotions—sorrow, regret, and joy.
“It’s late, but I’m glad I could see you like this.”
Akra cautiously reached out her hand but didn’t step closer, fearing Keter might dislike it.
Keter stared at her intently before speaking.
“Are you the mother who gave birth to me?”
Akra nodded slightly in response.
Keter stepped closer to her and said accusingly,
“You came pretty fast.”
Keter’s words weren’t kind. Akra, understanding, replied with sad eyes.
“I had no choice. As you might have guessed, I’m not human.”
“Save the personal details for later. Explain the situation first. Starting with where we are.”
“This is your mental world. You were dying, and I couldn’t bear to watch, so I came to see you.”
“Hmm.”
Keter stroked his chin. He was dying? Not entirely wrong. His heart wasn’t functioning properly.
But that was by human standards. Keter was the disciple of Franken, the greatest physician of this era.
He could create an artificial heart. He even knew how to make a heart purely out of mana, transcending humanity.
He had plans, but the dragon’s heart had appeared on its own, taking the place of his heart.
Yet, Akra spoke as if his death was certain, which felt strange.
Akra, sensing his thoughts, continued.
“Keter. Dragonkin are also called godkin. And godkin are inherently immortal. Though dragonkin are nowhere to be found now, they haven’t vanished. They’re either hibernating, resting, or waiting for the right time. And the dragon heart you possess is targeting you.”
“In short, the dragon heart wasn’t trying to save me but to take over my body.”
“Yes. And you can’t resist it. Dragonkin are one of the seven primordial races. Humans, created last, can never resist them.”
“So, you appeared before the dragonkin could take my body.”
“You understand well.”
“So, what happens now?”
Akra, who had already extended her hand slightly, opened her palm to Keter. Even without touching, her hand looked as soft and delicate as a duckling’s down.
“I came to see you not just to save you but to correct my past mistakes.”
“Mistakes?”
“Abandoning you. That’s my greatest regret. It’s late, but I want to make it right now. So, come back with me, Keter.”
“Back? You mean…?”
“Yes. Let’s go back 19 years. To the time I gave birth to you and abandoned you. But it’ll be different this time. I’ll never abandon you again.”
Akra’s words were what Keter had longed to hear, a wish come true.
If he hadn’t been abandoned. If he had been born and raised in the archery noble house of Sephira, his life would have been completely different.
Akra was offering to fulfill his wish.
Keter’s response was almost immediate.
“Bullshit, you’re out of your mind!”
“……?”
The unexpected answer left Akra momentarily frozen. Keter placed a hand on her shoulder and said,
“Something that convenient would never happen to me.”
Crunch.
Keter gripped her shoulder tightly, preventing her from pulling away, and clenched his fist.
“Bite down hard, mother.”
No matter what, would he really punch his own mother, and in the face at that?
Yes. Keter would.
And with full force.
Thud.
But it was blocked.
Akra’s delicate index finger stopped Keter’s fist, which could crush steel.
Akra, with a face holding back tears, said,
“Keter. I understand your doubt and anger….”
“Ayrus, I like that guy’s songs. Do you know why I killed him?”
Ayrus, the singing madman. Now a lich collecting dark documents.
“He only needed to sing the first verse, but he tried to go for the second. You’re the same. You fooled me once, but why push for the second verse?”
“What are you….”
“From the moment you appeared exactly as I imagined my mother, it was suspicious. Then you offered to grant my wish? I was sure. You’re not my real mother but something trying to tempt me.”
“I understand. Coincidences piling up aren’t common. But that’s what makes it possible for a god.”
“Annoying. Even if that’s true, even if you’re the real Akra, it doesn’t matter. I have no intention of going back to the past.”
“…Why? You must be suffering greatly now. I know. This is your mental world. You only defeated Eslow because of this situation. In a direct fight, it would’ve been impossible. Will other lords be as careless as Eslow? Even if they have some favor toward you, the world of battles is cold, Keter. It’s not that you’re weak. You just need more time.”
Hug.
Akra gently embraced Keter.
“I know, my child. Growing up in a harsh place like Ruquer, it’s natural to doubt and be wary. But you know this too. I can turn back time, and you can keep your memories. If we go back to the past now, Keter, you can become anything, do anything.”
“…I suppose.”
With just one regression, Keter had grown faster than ever before.
What if he went back to the past again? Starting over from infancy?
Lords wouldn’t be a problem. He could solve all of Sephira’s issues in a day, or even prevent Sephira from being politically attacked in the first place.
He could forget the painful childhood in the lawless city of Ruquer and live a peaceful, enjoyable life in the archery noble house of Sephira. Loved by his father Basil and mother Akra.
That’s what Keter wanted. Even if just for a moment, the fragile, tearful Keter longed for that life.
Not having to dig through trash to avoid starving, not having to wander until his feet bled to find a safe place to sleep, not having to lie awake in anxiety.
“True, life in Ruquer was shit.”
Push.
Keter pushed Akra’s chest away. A faint smile appeared on his face.
“But it’s because of that shitty life that I am who I am today. I endured, I persevered, I won. Start over? Even if I could create a perfect life that way—”
Keter closed his eyes, reminiscing about his life in Ruquer. It wasn’t all good.
But there was joy amidst the pain. He met many benefactors he wouldn’t have met if he hadn’t lived in Ruquer.
“I’ll live an imperfect, finite life. So, get lost.”
Crack.
The world split.
The background melted like paint.
“…….”
Akra, who Keter had thought was his ‘mother,’ also shattered like a mirror.
Akra was a fake. Keter felt relieved but also a bit regretful.
Touch.
The crumbling fake Akra caressed Keter’s cheek.
“You’ve grown up splendidly.”
“……!”
Keter tried to grab Akra’s hand, but it only swiped through the air. Akra’s form vanished in an instant.
“…Damn.”
The background of Ruquer disappeared. The world became complete darkness. A soundless, infinite world amplifying human fear.
But Keter had experienced this before. The Abyss of King Kwonseong. Compared to the place where evil gods were sealed, this was paradise.
Keter raised his head and shouted,
“Stop wasting time and come out.”
“Whether it’s a waste or not isn’t for you to decide.”
A voice came from right behind him. Keter immediately swung his fist, but there was nothing there.
“Keter. You act unfazed, but you’re just like other humans. You feel fear. You just try to solve it with violence.”
“Got a problem with that?”
Again, the voice came from behind, but when he turned, there was nothing.
It was frustrating. Of course, there were ways to sense presence, but that wasn’t working here.
“This is what I mean by a waste, Keter. You can’t control me.”
“You tried to tempt me, and now you’re acting tough.”
“That was the greatest mercy I could offer you.”
“How about introducing yourself? Before I call you a piece of crap.”
“Paratool Uramag Yeban Kwalaya Mowun. You humans call us dragons, revere and fear us.”
“That’s too long. I’ll just call you Paratool.”
“Do as you please. You’re a fleeting existence anyway.”
“If you could’ve done that, why didn’t you?”
Keter remained unfazed even after seeing the dragon.
But Paratool spoke as if he knew everything.
“…You’re truly insane. In this situation, you’re ‘expecting’ what I’ll do.”
“Can you read my mind? So what? Do whatever. I’ll handle it. I’m expecting it, whatever you’ll do.”
While Paratool knew everything about Keter, Keter knew nothing about Paratool except that he was a dragon.
“Aren’t you curious how this happened, why I’m doing this to you?”
“The dragon heart was dormant, right? And you want to take over my body to resurrect.”
“Not wrong. But this is a predetermined ‘destiny,’ Keter.”
“Destiny?”
“Alter had my heart. Alter gave you my heart. You lost your heart fighting Eslow. Do you think it’s all a coincidence?”
“Funny. Keep talking.”
“You are the sacrifice Akra offers to me.”
“How cliché.”
“Consider it an honor, Keter. Your sacrifice will liberate this world. The filthy phenomenal world will vanish, and a pure world will come. Then, true equality without distinctions of race will begin.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Got more to say? I’ll take a nap then.”
“I know there’s a reason for your arrogance. But from above, you’re just a tiny dot. From the universe, this world is just a pale blue dot. From outside the universe, this planet is….”
As Keter lay down and closed his eyes, Paratool had no choice but to stop.
“Keter. You’re right. I can’t just take your body. I can only take it if you allow it or if your mind breaks.”
“Then hurry up, will you? I want to wake up and tease Hisop.”
“Hohoho. Keter. You’re mistaken. You don’t need to pass my test. This is a battle. Over who will claim this body.”
Rumble!
The dark world shook, and the environment changed. Keter found himself standing on a narrow pillar, barely wide enough for his feet.
Whoosh.*
Below, there was no visible ground. The sound of the wind suggested it wasn’t a low height.
“Let’s see. Who will tire and fall first after tens, hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of years here.”
Paratool was confident. Humans, who live at most a few hundred years, could never endure tens of thousands of years.
Moreover, time here flows differently. Tens of thousands of years here would be just an hour outside.
‘I won’t even need to wait tens of thousands of years. A thousand years will break a human’s mind. They’ll beg to be let out.’
This wasn’t speculation. Paratool had conducted countless experiments on humans.
Ordinary humans go mad and beg after just ten years. Master-level strongmen last five years, grandmasters seventy.
Primes last much longer, up to two hundred years. The longest any human endured was eight hundred.
In short, humans can’t endure a thousand years. Especially in a situation where they can do nothing but wait!
Meanwhile, for Paratool, a dragon, a thousand years was a short nap.
“Tens of thousands of years?!”
As expected, even Keter was shocked.
“That’s too long. I can’t stand boredom.”
“Hohoho. To use your words, that’s not my problem.”
“Huh? Weird. If you know me so well, you should know what I’ll do. Can’t read my mind directly?”
This was a mental world, but not just Keter’s. It was also Paratool’s.
So, reading Keter’s thoughts wasn’t instantaneous.
But without a second’s hesitation, before Paratool could react, Keter jumped off the pillar into the bottomless abyss.