Turning Chapter 843

Chapter 843

Unknowingly, Yuder felt a strong urge to reach out and gently caress Kishiar's cheek.

Had they not been within Gakane's space, Yuder would have already acted on that impulse, regardless of whether there was Nahan in front of him or not.

His heart raced as if in anger, a storm of emotions raging within him, both rough and desirous of an immediate embrace and kiss. He struggled to suppress these feelings when Kishiar quietly spoke.

"Seeing such stubbornness... it's not as bad as I thought."

"..."

"So, don't worry about me."

At those words, Yuder's patience reached its end.

It mattered not whether Gakane and Nahan were aware of their plight.

Yuder closed and then opened his eyes before striding towards Kishiar with fierce steps, wrapping his hand around Kishiar's neck. On tiptoes, before the other could react, he pressed his lips against his.

The swift and rough action hurt a bit where they collided, but it was bearable. As he pushed his tongue forward, filled with boiling emotions, Kishiar's tongue responded a beat late.

A deep, brief entanglement. Then their lips parted again.

Yuder glared at the face so close yet seemingly far, as if to etch it in his memory. A sigh. The slightest touch of breath tickling his lips sent heat coursing from head to toe, causing an involuntary tremble in his hands and feet.

It seemed Kishiar felt the same; the heat radiated from his nape could even be felt through the thin leather of his gloves.

In a world of darkness and illusions where everything was in disarray, only their shared warmth was vivid.

Yuder, steadying his breath, spoke towards those red eyes.

"Do you remember... our experience in the arena?"

"There's nothing from our times together that I don't remember."

"I believe... this might help in 'recovery' to some extent, like back then. It's all I can offer for now, but please bear with it."

He muttered almost as if chewing on his words, then they finally separated. The man, a bit dazed, listened to Yuder's words and then burst out laughing.

"I thought you did it just because you wanted to... Well, that's a good reason too. If Gakane or anyone else asks, I'll say that."

"I did want to."

Admitting gruffly, Kishiar's laughter abruptly stopped.

For a moment, he seemed at a loss for words, unusually covering his mouth in silence, then finally he sighed deeply.

"...I hope that just now, it won't affect your strength."

"It doesn't matter. If my strength is to diminish over such a thing, let it be so."

A strength that fragile was of no use to him.

It had been a choice made of his own volition, ready to face any consequences.

Yuder spoke again, perhaps watched by unseen eyes in the darkness.

"I don't know what kind of strength you've granted me, Commander, but I'll use it well."

"It's a strength that protects both body and mind. Even in my absence, you'll be able to fight as usual for a certain period."

"I see. Understood."

Yuder drew his sword, turning his back on Kishiar.

"I believe you'll know the signal without me saying. I'll see you again soon."

Their last gaze exchanged softened gently.

Yuder, imprinting this moment in his mind, dashed in the direction of the vibrating shadows, feeling as heavy as if drenched in water the moment he left Kishiar's protective range.

-Wooooo…!

‘Here.’

Guided by his instincts and ingrained experience, Yuder slashed through the darkness with his sword.

-Clang!

The swung blade was met with a sharp metallic sound, obstructed by something.

Following the force he had gathered, Yuder's bright golden eyes, the Eye of Magic, pierced the darkness, revealing the hidden form within.

A blurry but distinct figure of a person appeared – a knight wielding a sword. It was a figure Yuder, or rather Yudrain, recognized.

‘...The Knight of Frost... that's what he was called.’

The Knight of Frost, a swordmaster from a small northern kingdom, had garnered immense attention in his previous life as the first swordmaster to become an Awakener. Comparable figures were few, limited to the likes of King Ejain, the Silver King followed by six stars and Guardian of the Barrier, and Yuder himself, hailed as the world's greatest Awakener.

Though challenging King Ejain was difficult due to his royal status, a mere knight was not so exempt.

The Orr Empire, which had formed the first Awakener organization in the form of the Cavalry, was curious to test whether this new force could threaten their renown. Naturally, this led to Yuder stepping forward.

Under the guise of a friendly exchange, Emperor Katchian invited the Knight of Frost in a demeaning manner, pressuring his country and orchestrating a duel between him and Yuder.

After a long battle, the victor was inevitably Yuder, but not without his own losses. Among the many formidable opponents he had faced, this knight ranked among the strongest, and Yuder had fought without holding back.

As a result of this duel, the knight's country suffered considerable losses. While Yudrain's strength became widely known, Yuder personally gained nothing. It was later revealed that Emperor Katchian's henchmen had cunningly poisoned the knight's close aide before the duel began, adding only to his reputation as the emperor’s cowardly dog willing to do anything.

The Knight of Frost, who had shown some respect for the Commander of the Cavalry before the duel, spat at Yuder's feet and left.

-You're a dog with neither honor nor pride. Who would grieve losing to a dog?

‘Yes, that's what he said…’

Yuder had tried to contact the Knight of Frost again for an investigation related to the world's destruction, but the knight had refused all communication. It was an expected outcome, given the circumstances. There were a few more like him after that, thus it wasn’t that special of a case.

‘Anyway... the important thing is that the Knight of Frost before me now is definitely a figment of my memory.’

But this illusion felt different from those he had encountered before.

The clash of swords felt too real, and the way the attacks were parried felt genuine. And crucially...

Yuder's gaze slowly scanned the Knight of Frost, who had crossed swords with him, and the shadow of a man standing behind.

A man staring blankly, his limbs twisted and entangled in a surging, out-of-control aura. The altered aura and nearly unrecognizable face made identification difficult, but the burn scars on one side of his face were unmistakable.

"Nahan."

"..."

Nahan did not respond. However, Yuder clearly felt that he was being targeted. The simultaneous sensation of immense malice and murderous intent made his hair stand on end.

Simultaneously, the figure of the Knight of Frost also violently reacted.

Through this, Yuder was able to glean some information about the situation.

‘Indeed, this must be an illusion of the most skilled enemy in my memory.’

The real top talent in Yuder's memory was undoubtedly Kishiar, but he had never seriously fought with him. So, it seemed that the next in line was this man.

The Knight of Frost was indeed one of the toughest adversaries Yuder had faced in Yudrain Aile's numerous battle records, excluding monsters.

An illusion nearly as tangible as reality.

Had it not been for the rampage, Yuder could not have even imagined the existence of such a phenomenon. It was an immense ability.

However, Yuder was not afraid. He had somewhat expected him to resort to similar tactics.

"Unable to face me directly due to lack of combat ability, so you come at me like this. Fine, think I can't handle it."

A foe he had once defeated. Could he not beat him a second time?

Yuder coolly swung his sword before engaging the oncoming Knight of Frost.

In an instant, the sound of swords clashing dozens of times echoed in the darkness. Each collision saw Yuder's blade graze the sharply splintering fragments of ice.

The transparent ice attack that could be materialized through the sword. That was the Awakener's ability that earned the Knight of Frost his epithet.