Turning

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Chapter 775

"What do you think happens to the dead?"

Even Nathan Zuckerman, who had been conditioned by countless peculiar questions from his Lord, found it unusually challenging to answer this one.

Where do the dead go? What could the meaning behind such a question be? The knight from the soYudern lands, having been silent, finally spoke with a heavy voice, "In the temples, they say one goes to heaven or hell, don't they?"

According to the doctrine of the Sun God, it is believed that after death, based on divine judgment, one either goes to heaven, where angels dwell, or hell, the realm of demons. However, eternity is not spent there; once all deeds are accounted for, one is embraced by the Sun God, becoming eternally a part of the burning flame.

Kishiar would know this, yet for some unknown reason he asked.

“So, by mentioning the temple, you imply that this differs from your personal beliefs, Nathan?”

“As you know, I have little interest in tales of gods or the like. To me, death is the end. I care not for what follows.”

Nathan, born to desert warriors but raised in the empire north of the sands, always maintained a distance from such beliefs. To him, the people and the master before him were far more significant than any deity. He didn't wish to waste the living moments for the sake of the afterlife.

His knowledge of such matters stemmed solely from following the master, an imperial family member, to numerous temples in his youth, nothing more, nothing less.

“Interesting. Do the people of the south hold a different view on this?”

“In the faith of the SoYuderners… I've heard that when one dies, they become a star in the sky. Beyond that, I'm not certain,” he replied, recalling tales told by his parents in childhood, unsure if they truly become stars.

“So, either embraced by the sun or becoming a star... What then, do you think of the existence of ghosts?”

This third question compelled Nathan to reveal his doubts to his master.

“It seems to me that these are questions better suited for priests, not for me. Is there a reason you ask?”

“Just that I've never deeply pondered the afterlife, but now it seems I might need to explore these matters. I was curious about others' views, and you, being my subordinate, were the first I thought to ask.”

“…You’ve come to inquire about the afterlife?”

“Sharp hearing, yet you question me again.”

Despite knowing why Nathan had asked, the master seemed disinclined to explain. Nathan remained silent for a long time, his extensive experience usually preventing any disconcert. His prolonged silence indicated the profound seriousness he found in this question.

Unconcerned with his subordinate's reaction, Kishiar urged for an answer, “So, your response?”

“…Having never seen a ghost with my own eyes, I do not believe in them. Any claim to the contrary would be a delusion or madness.”

Hearing this blunt response, Kishiar's lips curled into a faint smile.

“I see. As expected. Very well, you may go.”

“...”

As Kishiar waved his hand dismissively and turned away, Nathan gazed at his retreating figure, deep in thought. He had a strong suspicion that his master's unusual behavior was somehow connected to the broader intrigues of Yuder Aile.

If the absurd question truly held significant importance for the master, Nathan, as his adjutant, felt compelled to gather any information he could to assist.

'Regarding the afterlife,' he mused, recalling days long past spent with his parents. A recent visit to the village of his youth had sharpened these memories.

Among these, he spoke of a recollection that suddenly flitted through his mind. "Now that I think about it, there was an elderly Southerner in our village who spoke about what happens after death. He said that not everyone becomes a complete star when they die; parts of life get filtered out like dregs, forming the darkness of the night."

Kishiar, who had been walking, stopped and turned his head. Nathan Zuckerman noticed that his story had struck a chord with the master.

"Dregs that get filtered out..."

"It seems to be the Southern version of the idea that those who do wrong are barred from heaven."

"No, it's rather similar to something else."

"Pardon?"

"Consider this: isn't there a similar notion here too? That after fulfilling their deeds in heaven and hell, souls are embraced by the Sun God to burn eternally. However, there are deeds that, no matter how much time passes, cannot be erased. Whether good or bad, the unerased signifies remnants, dregs."

Kishiar, deep in thought and stroking his chin, uttered in a somber tone, "...But our side doesn't elaborate on what happens to these remnants. Only that they cannot return to nothingness, only mentioning becoming part of the eternal flame of the Sun God."

"I see."

"Deeds that can't return to nothing. Remnants buried in darkness..."

In the ensuing silence, Kishiar was lost in thought. His red eyes, visible beneath his lowered eyelashes, held a deeper contemplation than ever before. Nathan Zuckerman waited quietly for his master to gather his thoughts.

The response that came was once again unexpected.

"Even the remnants left after burning were once part of a whole. Then, is it meaningful to speculate and judge based on just those remnants?"

This seemed more of a rhetorical question than a direct inquiry to Nathan, as Kishiar’s gaze was fixated on the unknown void.

"If we must ponder... it wouldn't hurt, I suppose."

Kishiar looked up at Nathan Zuckerman.

"Is that so?"

"People say not to judge a person by a part of them, but that part does indeed speak about the person. That is my view."

Kishiar nodded slightly, his gaze once again drifting out the window. There, unchanged, was Yuder Aile.

Dressed in a dark uniform, the pale man was surrounded by people from various groups, all fervently speaking to him. Despite the chaos, Yuder, with an unflustered, expressionless face, addressed and resolved each person’s concerns in turn.

At a glance, he seemed like someone who had been doing such work for decades, but in reality, he was only in his early twenties, in his first year with the Cavalry. Yet, no one around him seemed to acknowledge this fact.

Anyone in his presence soon realizes that his words are mostly correct, even if the advice is unpleasant. They accept it as if it were from a superior. This was the peculiar aura that Yuder possessed, a strange influence that made others agree with him.

As Nathan observed the scene, Kishiar spoke up.

"Nathan, can you look into that part you mentioned earlier in more detail?"

"Do you mean the tale about the remnants that failed to become stars? If it's needed, I shall do so."

"Thank you. I realize it must have seemed like a strange question."

Instead of replying, Nathan let out a small sigh, directing it towards the hand of his master patting his shoulder.

"It’s far easier than when you proposed creating a bestiary and map for the monsters around Peletta."

That was his attempt at a joke, and Kishiar, recalling that time, smiled.

"That was necessary for everyone, but this is solely for me. So, it need not take precedence over other tasks. I entrust it to you, Nathan."

"Yes."

With a nod, Nathan Zuckerman left. Kishiar stood still, gazing down at his own hands.

'I said it couldn't be speculated with the knowledge I had, but in truth, emotions could lead to conjecture. Especially if it were a part of me.'

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Read up to the latest chapter (1205) and more than 1000 chapters of BL novels here

[BL] Cloudless Sky

Jin Soram, the top-ranked hunter representing South Korea's Rift Phenomenon Management Headquarters, is stronger than anyone else and lazier than anyone else. As soon as he arrives at the office, he buries himself under a blanket and falls asleep. When he goes out on a mission, he causes accidents and returns to the office, often shirking his duties.

"Do you know how it feels to play a game that's already messed up? ...Anyway, the next round will come, so this time, I'm just going to play it recklessly."

In fact, his true identity is someone who has regressed through three lives, trying to save the world from the Great Rift but failing each time. After repeating a life where he couldn't sleep peacefully even for a day, he became completely exhausted before this life even began.

"I know. You worked hard, Jin Soram."

And then there's Han Tae-un, the man who saved Soram and died in all three previous lives. As he did in every life, he comes to Soram's side once again. The Great Rift is approaching soon. It's impossible to resolve it in this life without any preparation. Soram vows to save Tae-un in this life and die himself. At least, he won't let Tae-un save a failure like himself again.

"For now, until then, let's sleep..."

As Soram sluggishly lives his life waiting for that moment, a gradual change occurs in his heart.

'I thought this was a messed-up round... but I want to live a little longer here.'

[BL] Bermuda

Leonardo Blaine, the true war hero of the Raina Logia Empire and the commander of the Armsilver 11th Squad, is dishonorably discharged for disobeying orders during the final battle that could have led the Empire to victory in the territorial war. People criticize and point fingers at him, and after being released on parole from prison, he disappears without a trace.

Three years later, his name has been forgotten by the world. The Council has been persistently pursuing him, but he has proven difficult to capture. Frustrated by this, Hugo Agrizendro, the commander of the Council's army, decides to personally apprehend him.

"Since when have you been watching me?"

Leonardo was calculative and astute, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had been observing Hugo for some time now. However, Leonardo's answer was something that even Hugo had not anticipated.

"From the very beginning."

[BL] The Mist (Same author as Turning)

In the autumn of his 18th year, after winning the high school kendo championship finals, an unexpected accident occurred.

Due to that incident, Kang Mu-heon lost one of his legs, his closest friend, and his promising future. He closed off his heart and shut himself away alone.

A few years later, the world's first real virtual reality game <THE MIST> was announced, where even those with physical disabilities could play in healthy bodies.

By chance, Kang Mu-heon encountered it and began a new life as the mage Kapros, facing unexpected meetings, reunions, and days of change....

***

"Why was someone like you born into this world to make me so miserable? Do you understand when I say it like this?! You were born with talent for the sword, a bright personality, everything - you must have been laughing at me always lagging behind! Did you even know how pathetic I felt because of your stupid hypocrisy? A genius? What does any of that matter!"

Seung-jo's cries stabbed at his heart, wailing as if he were crying even though he wasn't, but there was no time to think further. He quickly clutched my stomach, got up, and ran towards him.

He looked surprised for a moment, but he was desperate.

Just as the car was about to reach us, he shoved Seung-jo hard. Right after Seung-jo fell and rolled away with wide, startled eyes—

Screech!

Bang! With an impact that felt like his whole body was being shattered, he flew through the air.

And in that brief yet long moment of floating in space, he remembered his reflection in Seung-jo's eyes for the last time.......

***

[ Then in THE MIST, may you become the master of infinite possibilities. ]

Whoosh!

When his vision returned after everything went white, he was standing in the middle of a bustling town. Amidst the clamor, countless people were busily going about their business here and there.

He looked down at himself, standing dazed and wearing clothes of unknown origin. When he touched the sleeve, he felt the texture of fabric as real as reality. His hair felt the same, and even when he touched the wall of a nearby house, he could clearly feel the solid, cold surface.

Is this... VT?

It seemed like a joke. It truly felt as if he had come to another world and was touching everything.

As he stood there unable to think due to the shock, he suddenly remembered the biggest reason he had decided to play this game, and snapped back to attention. His two legs were still as they had been when he first stood.

'Can I really walk?'

He first stepped out with his left foot, then very slowly put strength into his heavy right foot. It felt like cold sweat was running down his spine.

And then,

He lifted it,

Moved it,

And took another step to touch the ground again.

So easily. As if there had never been any problem with this leg from the beginning.

"Ah..."

At that moment, something that was neither joy nor emotion shot up his spine. Suddenly feeling a lump in his throat, he lowered his head and leaned against the wall. His right foot, bearing his weight, was doing its job perfectly.

"..."

Holding back the tightness in his throat, he took another step.

It didn't hurt. It wasn't heavy. His leg was no longer a useless piece of wood that ached.

Damn it, to be able to walk so easily like this.

To be able to run so easily like this.

He had wished even in his dreams for the day to come when he could walk and run like this again.

And so he walked again, kept walking, slowly getting faster, until finally he started running like a madman through the entire town.

***

"Kap. ...There seems to be a misunderstanding. That's not what I meant."

Just as he was thinking he should throw a punch, Yu-wan sighed with a troubled look and said.

A misunderstanding? How could it be a misunderstanding when he said with his own mouth that he didn't think of me as a friend?

"I didn't expect to receive such a question suddenly, so my explanation was probably too brief. Let me rephrase."

Yu-wan reached out his hand, his face completely changed from before - intense yet resolute - as he stared at him. As he didn't reject the hand suddenly approaching his face and kept his gaze fixed, his cool large hand touched his cheek completely.

A shiver ran down his spine at that moment.

"I'm sorry to say this to you, but I don't see you only as a friend. ...This is the complete answer."

Check out the new project 2:

[BL] Cloudless Sky

Jin Soram, the top-ranked hunter representing South Korea's Rift Phenomenon Management Headquarters, is stronger than anyone else and lazier than anyone else. As soon as he arrives at the office, he buries himself under a blanket and falls asleep. When he goes out on a mission, he causes accidents and returns to the office, often shirking his duties.

"Do you know how it feels to play a game that's already messed up? ...Anyway, the next round will come, so this time, I'm just going to play it recklessly."

In fact, his true identity is someone who has regressed through three lives, trying to save the world from the Great Rift but failing each time. After repeating a life where he couldn't sleep peacefully even for a day, he became completely exhausted before this life even began.

"I know. You worked hard, Jin Soram."

And then there's Han Tae-un, the man who saved Soram and died in all three previous lives. As he did in every life, he comes to Soram's side once again. The Great Rift is approaching soon. It's impossible to resolve it in this life without any preparation. Soram vows to save Tae-un in this life and die himself. At least, he won't let Tae-un save a failure like himself again.

"For now, until then, let's sleep..."

As Soram sluggishly lives his life waiting for that moment, a gradual change occurs in his heart.

'I thought this was a messed-up round... but I want to live a little longer here.'