The World’s Greatest is Dead

The World’s Greatest is Dead – Chapter 47

“What on earth is this?”

Those were the first words I uttered upon opening my eyes. I squinted and surveyed the surroundings. It was truly a pale white world.

Everything, from the floor to the ceiling, was painted in white, making it impossible to discern anything.

“Hmm”, I thought as soon as I saw it.

“It’s a nightmare. Damn it.”

It was indeed a nightmare. Lately, I had been so exhausted that I would fall asleep immediately, thereby avoiding such experiences. It had been a long time since I had such a dream.

I carefully rose to my feet. Only then did I notice that I had been sitting. Even after surveying my surroundings, there was nothing substantially different.

Everything was still white, making it impossible to understand anything.

After cautiously checking around while moving a bit, I came to a conclusion.

“This is not sleep paralysis. Maybe a lucid dream?”

It didn’t seem like it was sleep paralysis caused by a ghost. Despite facing such a bizarre situation, my expression remained calm as usual. I had experienced such things so many times in my past life that there was no reason to be startled.

It only made me chuckle. I knew exactly how to handle situations like this.

I closed my eyes tightly. If I closed and reopened them after a short while, I would wake up from the dream…

“Should have woken up by now…”

Despite reopening my eyes, nothing changed.

“Damn it.”

I scratched my cheeks.

“This isn’t good.”

If things continued this way, it wouldn’t just be a simple nightmare anymore.

“It seems like there’s a spiritual influence mixed in”, I thought.

When the influence of a spirit affects a human’s dream, it is called a spiritual dream. If it affects the body, it’s called sleep paralysis, but if it intervenes in dreams to convey a message, it’s a spiritual dream.

I stroked my chin and scanned the surroundings once more.

“It’s definitely not sleep paralysis… But a spiritual dream.”

If a dream was this vivid, and one remained conscious yet unable to wake up, it was undeniable. Something was off.

I had always monitored the positions of the spirits around me and made sure not to intervene unnecessarily if I sensed something strange. Thanks to that, none of the ghosts around me had any connection to me.

“Hmm”, I pondered. What could it be then?

I thought for a moment, then nodded. I had figured it out.

Turning around, I said, “Who is it?”

As expected, there was someone standing behind me. It was obvious that this entity had brought me into this space. If it involved spiritual energy, it must have been a ghost. But I only knew of one ghost around me.

“Grandpa”, I sighed.

“Oh”, responded the familiar voice. Standing there, looking at me with a bright expression, was Yu Chun-gil.

My expression contorted at the absurd attitude of Yu Chun-gil, who was seemingly disappointed for some reason.

“Ah, I thought you’d be a little flustered, but you’re so calm, it’s not fun.”

Yu Chun-gil remarked.

“It’s hard to be startled by something like this; my life has been too bizarre for such things.”

Having endured all sorts of strange experiences, something like this hardly startled me anymore.

“So… What is this exactly?”

I asked. I knew it was a space influenced by spiritual energy, but it puzzled me how the old man had managed to do this.

Yu Chun-gil stroked his beard and replied, “I don’t know. I thought it might work, so I tried it, and it did.”

“That’s an absurd answer, isn’t it?”

The answer was so ridiculous it was frustrating. He just decided to try it, and it worked? What kind of bizarre explanation was that?

‘No… Is it really something you can do just because you want to?’

I thought internally.

Interfering with someone else’s dream wasn’t something normal spirits could do. Sleep paralysis could be achieved by spirits with considerable experience, but spiritual dreams were different.

“Only general-level spirits… Or spirits known as mountain gods… Or perhaps those that have completely turned into evil spirits could do this.”

I had to click my tongue internally while looking at Yu Chun-gil, who seemed pleased with my accomplishment.

Yes, that man might be able to do it. That was why I thought so.

“Are you happy with yourself?”

“It’s a bit surprising.”

“… Yes. I see. Then, can we end this soon? I’d like to sleep more peacefully.”

Although I was asleep, the dreamscape caused significant mental fatigue.

It meant that sleeping didn’t really feel like resting.

“Hmm.”

With my request, Yu Chun-Gil slightly nodded his head. Seeing his response made me uneasy.

‘… His eyes.’

His fierce eyes slightly squinted. It was the look he had before causing trouble.

“Grandpa… What are you planning to do-”

Just as I was about to ask.

Thud-!

“Ugh!?”

I felt a shock to my head and fell to my knees.

“Arrgh-!”

It was an immense pain. What was this? What was happening?

Holding my crown with my trembling hands, I looked up.

Yu Chun-Gil stood right in front of me. He held his fist up and looked at me with curiosity.

No way…

“… Grandpa, did you just hit me?”

“Oh… The feel of that strike is quite something.”

“This crazy old man?”

He suddenly attacked with his fist? I stared in disbelief but sensed something odd.

‘Wait a minute. Hit me?’

I reached out and grabbed Yu Chun-Gil’s leg. I held on and could feel his incredibly thick muscles.

“… Why can I grab you?”

That I could touch him was strange, and there was an even bigger issue.

“Why does it hurt?”

My head hurts. It seemed like Yu Chun-Gil had struck me with his fist.

“Why does it hurt…?”

It was clearly a dream, but the pain felt vividly real. In my confusion, as my eyes wavered momentarily…

“This is great.”

With that chilling voice, my vision blurred.

“Ugh!?”

Yu Chun-Gil grabbed my neck with his large hand and lifted me.

“I’ve been wondering how to correct the manners of this rude brat, and now I’ve got the chance.”

“Erghh.”

I choked as his grip tightened around my neck. His hand was so big that it easily encompassed my neck.

“I think I can teach you some manners now. What do you think?”

“… Haa… Haa…”

Under the pain, I raised my hand to grip Yu Chun-Gil’s wrist.

At that moment, the pressure on my neck eased. It seemed he was letting me speak.

What kind of answer did he want?

Was he expecting me to be scared and admit my mistake? Or was he hoping I would promise to behave better next time?

Either way, it didn’t matter.

I had no intention of complying with either.

“Stop this crazy joke… and let me down now.”

I spat out with all my irritation, and Yu Chun-Gil’s smiling expression vanished.

“Tsk.”

He clicked his tongue gruffly, and then…

Thud-!

His grip loosened, and my body dropped to the ground.

“Cough-! Cough!”

As I was coughing heavily, Yu Chun-Gil spoke to me in a voice full of disappointment.

“This isn’t fun. I thought you would be more surprised. Why are you, a young guy, so cold-hearted?”

“… Did you do this just for your amusement?”

I already knew Yu Chun-Gil wasn’t serious.

He wasn’t the kind of person to do something like this for no reason.

“Hmph.”

“Hmph nothing. If you’ve had your fun, please end this quickly. It’s exhausting dealing with this nonsense.”

“Oh, this brat?”

Yu Chun-Gil laughed again. His face was always terrifying.

“Do you understand that I can torment you as much as I want here? Your attitude is terrible. Should I torture you more?”

“Do you think you don’t already torment me normally?”

Even though he didn’t hit me, he tormented me enough that it was basically the same.

“And, even if you’d like to see me bow, Grandpa, I would never do so, not even in death.”

“Hmm? Why?”

Yu Chun-Gil asked with a face full of curiosity.

Why wouldn’t I bow to Yu Chun-gil?

There was only one reason.

“I never bow to ghosts under any circumstances.”

At such a reply, Yu Chun-gil burst into a hollow laugh.

“It’s a bit strange for someone with a leash around their neck to say that.”

“There’s also the matter of the inevitable.”

“To be precise, doesn’t that mean you change it at your convenience?”

“Still, the essence remains unchanged.”

I never bent my pride before a ghost. Perhaps if Yu Chun-gil were human, it might be different.

But the thought never crossed my mind because Yu Chun-gil was a ghost.

“Hmm.”

Yu Chun-gil stared at me quietly.

For a moment, we locked gazes, green eyes looking into me.

“Well, do as you like.”

Yu Chun-gil tilted his head and waved his hand with a flick.

And then—

Thud-!

“…Huh?”

Something fell at my feet. When I checked, it was a sword.

A well-crafted, sharply made real sword.

“…What’s this?”

Where did this sword suddenly come from?

“Take it.”

“Did Grandpa do this?”

“Yes.”

‘…Was this possible too?’

It was a spectacle I witnessed for the first time. Though I had experienced a few spirit dreams in my past life, my presence was so strong that it was rare for spirits to enter.

Even the few that did never performed such tricks.

But…

‘This is my first time seeing this?’

Feeling pain from being hit in a dream was already absurd, but this was beyond that.

‘What’s with that old man?’

At this point, it was truly terrifying. I picked up the fallen sword.

‘… It feels so real.’

Not just the feel of the handle; even its heavy weight was solid.

Could this really be called a dream? Confusion began to set in.

“Did you grab it?”

“Yes. But what is this for…?”

“It’s nothing special. I can’t always be fighting inside your body, and I thought it was time to teach you something because of your mind technique.”

“…!”

My eyes widened at his words. If that was the case.

“Are you going to train me? And here?”

“It’s a perfect opportunity, don’t you think?”

“Well…”

It was hard to deny. Moreover,

‘To receive instructions from that old man.’

Honestly, I felt excited.

No matter how much I cursed inside, my opponent was the previous World’s Greatest and the greatest warrior of all.

Receiving his guidance wasn’t a bad thing at all.

‘Yeah. If he had any conscience, it was time he did something for me.’

After all the hardships I went through, it was only fair that the old man took care of me. It was unexpected.

‘But will this be of any help?’

No matter how real it seemed, it was, after all, inside a dream.

Even if I trained, wouldn’t it all be for naught once I woke up? Such thoughts crossed my mind.

“Focus.”

“Yes.”

Whatever it was, I decided to give it a try. At that moment of resolute determination,

“Then, brace yourself.”

“Yes. Wait, what?”

At Yu Chun-gil’s strange words, I immediately looked at him. But—

“…What? Grandpa?”

Yu Chun-gil had vanished. Completely without a trace.

Where did he suddenly go this time? Just as such doubts arose,

“Who are you?”

A voice came.

When I turned my gaze, I saw someone standing where no one had been.

“…Who is that?”

I squinted my eyes. It was a person I had never seen before.

He wore a martial arts uniform stained heavily with blood, and his black hair was in a disheveled mess.

In his hand, he held a worn-out blade whose edge had long since dulled. It was a sword that had clearly seen better days.

Though it was hard to see clearly, I could make out his delicate, youthful features.

This implied that his age was similar to mine.

At most, he might be one or two years older? Additionally,

‘……Moon Eye?’

The young man had blue eyes, just like mine.

What kind of person was he? While I was briefly assessing him,

“What are you?” he asked.

His voice sent chills down my spine.

‘How can a human voice be this…?’

So rough and fierce?

My hands, holding my sword, began to tremble uncontrollably.

“You don’t seem to want to answer. No matter.” he said.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to speak; I couldn’t get any words out. The killing intent emanating from him overwhelmed my entire body.

At that moment, the young man moved closer to me.

“After all, you’re an enemy.” he added.

The next voice came from right beside me.

Though I had seen him from far away just moments ago, how could his voice be here now? I tried to turn my head in shock, but—

Slash-

With the sound of something being severed, my vision began to fall.

As my vision grew closer to the ground,

I realized too late that my neck had been cut.

* * *

“Haah-!”

I opened my eyes and shot up from my bed.

“Cough… Cough…”

I clutched my neck with both hands.

I could feel the texture of my skin against my palms.

“Huff… Huff…”

With trembling hands, I wiped my face repeatedly.

I had died.

I had just experienced death in a dream.

In the blink of an eye, I had been killed by someone whose motives I didn’t even understand.

“Damn it…”

It had been so vivid and terrifying.

Especially the sensation of my neck being severed and slowly falling to the ground – that’s something I would never forget.

“Huff… Huff…”

I took deep breaths and wiped the cold sweat off my forehead.

Though my hands still shook, I felt a sense of relief rising within me.

‘It was just a dream after all.’

No matter how vividly I had experienced death, the fact that I was back meant it had been a dream.

That was enough. I confirmed this for myself and refocused my gaze.

‘That blasted old man.’

Where was he now? I had so many questions to ask him.

With determination, I tried to turn my head, my eyes blazing.

“Oh my…”

“……!”

The voice I heard made my body freeze.

It was a voice that shouldn’t have been here.

Creak— Creak creak.

I forcibly turned my stiff neck.

The origin of the voice was the window sill, where the morning light poured in, proving it was indeed morning.

There, a woman was sitting gracefully.

She looked quite cold and serene but was simultaneously incredibly beautiful.

She smiled at me with crescent-moon-like eyes and then opened her cherry-red lips to speak.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

It was Chun Hye-In.

That confirmed it for me.

“This—is still a damn nightmare.”

“…?”

“A truly damn nightmare.”

“……”

A wrinkle formed between Chun Hye-In’s beautiful brows.