This was the territory this time. Startled, I reflexively reached out into the empty air.
‘Then what? Is Salina still here with Lukit?’
As soon as the thought crossed my mind, multiple system windows popped up simultaneously.
[That is not the case! The mages have already left.]
[What remains here are only traces of their presence. But be careful! The passage has not yet closed.]
Did that mean Lukit still had power left?
I frowned slightly and tried to move closer to the system, but Kyle grabbed my hand tightly as I reached out into the air.
“What’s wrong, Shu?”
“Oh.”
From Kyle’s perspective, the system was invisible, so it was only natural for him to find my actions strange. I hesitated for a moment before lowering my voice to a level that wouldn’t be heard by the knights.
“The system just informed me. It’s true that the mages abandoned this place. However, there’s still power left. The passage hasn’t closed yet.”
“Passage, huh.”
Kyle pondered for a moment before giving orders to the knights.
“Search the Mage Tower! No one moves an inch without a partner. If any issues arise, use the magic communication link to send a signal. Do not touch any dangerous objects—seek assistance from a mage!”
“Understood, Your Highness! We’ll proceed immediately.”
“I’ll move with Shu. Shu, where do we go?”
I turned to look at the system.
[↑↑↑↑↑↑]
“We’ll go up. The others should search the lower levels.”
“Understood.”
With that, we decided to split up and search the tower.
As I climbed the crumbling ice-covered staircase, I felt more and more bitter about the system’s choices.
‘Why does it have to be the extreme difficulty route?’
I had assumed that the Mage Tower would be slightly warmer underground, but the higher we went, the colder it became. By the time we reached a partially collapsed wall, the broken window let in a freezing wind that poured in like a storm, making my whole body tremble.
I cursed under my breath and rolled my shoulders in frustration. Seeing this, Kyle took off his cloak and draped it over my shoulders.
“Here.”
“……I…….”
“You’re not okay, are you?”
“Of course, I’m not okay.”
I tilted my head slightly to glance at Kyle. He wasn’t the type to openly fuss over others, so he hadn’t said a word, but the tip of his nose and ears were red from the cold.
“But it’s not like my body is damaged or anything.”
“You’re tougher than I thought. That’s a relief.”
There was no need to get overly sentimental. I pressed my lips together and pulled the thick cloak tighter around my shoulders. It was a bit cumbersome to move, but honestly, it was a lifesaver.
As I casually exchanged small talk with Kyle, the system continued relaying information.
[The rift between worlds has been generated.]
[The connection between worlds is unstable. The door is closing!]
[Warning level is changing.]
[Time remaining until passage collapse: approximately 13 days and 20 hours]
“Salina and Lukit seem to have crossed into another world.”
“I didn’t feel any ascension happening. But since the obsessive researcher, Nox, is dead, Blake’s faction must have seen this as their opportunity.”
“That makes sense. They were running out of time anyway.”
It was unfortunate that the Mage Tower members had moved as a group to another world, but for us, it was a relief. At least they disappeared before causing any major harm to the territory.
“Ixias… so he’s gone to Jopralia?”
“He failed to settle on this land, so he must have gone in search of a new one.”
“Well, I suppose so. Even though he declared war against the royal family of Meinhardt….”
“With Lorenz dead and Belial officially crowned, that declaration doesn’t mean much anymore.”
We continued climbing the staircase, and soon, the top of the tower, its ceiling partially blown away, came into view. We had climbed quite high, yet there was no sound. Most of the things that could collapse had already done so, leaving the remains below.
Except for one thing.
“That over there must be the ‘passage’ the system mentioned.”
I stared at the mass of unstable darkness swirling in the empty air.
“The passage?”
Kyle’s gaze followed my hand. Though it was faint, something seemed to be writhing in the air. Only by focusing carefully could one recognize it as a form of magic.
“There’s definitely magic here. It’s small, but surprisingly strong. It could be dangerous.”
I repeated exactly what the system had told me.
“It should naturally collapse in about two weeks. Besides, wouldn’t the magic only react to those who can use it?”
“That’s true.”
“Yes. And among us, there’s no one who can use that kind of magic.”
So, while it might feel unnecessary, avoiding it was the safest option. Neither Kyle nor I were the type to seek out danger for fun. Yes, safety first.
“Then, just in case, should we call a mage to examine it? Looking at it from a distance might be enough.”
“Alright. Then let’s head down.”
We turned to join the other knights.
At that moment, a red system window suddenly flashed before my eyes, its intense brightness momentarily blinding me. The shock was so unexpected that I jerked back, nearly losing my balance.
“Shu?”
The system window flickered before vanishing, its afterimage resembling either a burst of fireworks or an explosion about to erupt.
[An irregular force has been detected!]
[⚠ Caution ⚠]
[Interference with □□□□ force detected □□□.]
[Adjusting…]
[Adjustment failed]
Wait, wait a second!
[(x_x)]
[Sorry541123#@.]
[A rift in dimensions is forming.]
“Hey, system!”
I shouted in alarm, staring at the writhing darkness that pulsed unsettlingly. Should I avoid it? Was that even possible?
At first, the rift was no larger than a fist, but in an instant, it expanded dramatically and lunged toward us.
Sensing imminent danger, Kyle rushed toward me.
“Shu!”
He grabbed me and turned us around.
But the inky darkness, oozing like spreading venom, showed no mercy—it swallowed us both whole.
[%^p≠✧□ | Tr@ns&@rtiNg.]
“Teleport!”
Half out of reflex, I gasped the word before sucking in a breath.
A suffocating darkness devoured my existence.
Was this what falling unconscious felt like? My body seemed weightless, drifting endlessly.
I clenched my eyes shut and clung tightly to Kyle’s arm. The only comfort I had in this disorienting void was the fact that, at the very least, I hadn’t lost my grip on him.
But then, suddenly—
“…Teleport.”
“……”
“Teleport?”
Nothing.
I couldn’t feel Kyle’s presence.
At some point, I had been wandering aimlessly through endless darkness with no way out. The fear and vertigo made my stomach churn.
How long had I been lost in this suffocating void? Whether I had let go of Kyle or was still clinging to him, I had no way of knowing. I only felt a sudden, blinding white light pierce through my closed eyelids.
And when I instinctively opened my eyes—
“…Huh.”
Beep.
An unfamiliar machine greeted me.
***
“Oh my! Doctor, doctor! Please come over here!”
“My goodness… The patient! Are you awake?”
“Thank goodness. You’re conscious! Do you know where you are?”
The mechanical beeping mixed chaotically with the frantic voices around me. The clean white ceiling. The smell of disinfectant.
The flickering fluorescent lights stung my eyes.
I slowly turned my gaze, scanning my surroundings through blurred vision. It was familiar, yet foreign. Nostalgic, yet unreal.
“…Huh?”
This… wasn’t the North.
It was a reality I had locked away, a world I had deliberately pushed aside. A past I had refused to acknowledge.
I had never even considered returning like this. This was a place I had long since left behind. My past, my former world.
A strange chill ran down my spine. I felt a creeping unease that I couldn’t shake.
Didn’t I decide to leave Baek Soo-hyun’s body behind when I stayed in the North? When I died, it should have vanished along with me. My soul was supposed to “return,” not… be shoved back into the empty shell of a corpse.
What the hell is this…
Before I could fully process my tangled thoughts, a voice called out, clear and sharp, like a knife cutting through water.
“Doctor, the patient is awake! Please call the professor.”
“Baek Soo-hyun? Baek Soo-hyun, can you hear me?”
“Thank goodness! You were unconscious for nearly half a year!”
A name I never expected to hear again struck me with full force.
It had been so long since someone last called me that. If Kyle hadn’t been calling my name for months, I might not have even recognized it right away.
“…Ah.”
I let out a short breath and forced my heavy body to sit up.
Even with a blanket covering me, I felt the chill creeping through my limbs. I had been lying down for so long that my muscles ached from inactivity. My hands, though gripping the sheets, trembled from the effort.
But right now, that wasn’t the real problem.
“Teleport.”
We were definitely swallowed up together. Since I had an empty shell here, I ended up in this world—but what about Kyle?
I had to find him.
Like someone being dragged out of the abyss, I forced myself off the bed.
But there was no way my barely-functioning body could walk properly. My legs gave out entirely, and I collapsed onto the floor, my knees buckling painfully. The nurses let out panicked cries, rushing to grab my arms.
“Kyle!”
My raw, hoarse voice burst out like a broken instrument.
“Kyle, then… did you not teleport with me?”
The nurses exchanged puzzled looks. When I tried asking again in a more urgent voice, using medical terms I didn’t understand, one of them quickly ran out to call for someone.
“…He’s not here?”
Wasn’t he supposed to be with me? Then what happened to Kyle?
Did the strange force that swallowed us up only send me here?
If I couldn’t return to that world—then… what happened to him?
The moment I realized it, I felt like I had been thrown into a massive error in the system.
Oh f*ck! What i feared most has happened!😭