The vision came worst this time
It slammed into Jae's mind.
"GHH—!"
Jae dropped to one knee instantly, gripping his head as pain surged through his skull like a blade being twisted deeper and deeper.
The vision flickered violently.
Fragments.
Voices.
Flames.
Screams.
"…It's getting worse…"
His breath trembled.
"I can't keep taking this…"
The Divine Flame of Curses remained silent.
Uncaring.
Unyielding.
And then—
The world reformed.
Night.
A suffocating, oppressive night.
The air itself felt wrong.
Heavy.
Like something was watching.
Waiting.
Hunting.
Jae slowly lifted his head.
"…This one feels different."
Before him—
The forest stretched once more.
But it was no longer calm.
It was alive.
The ground trembled.
Branches cracked.
And then—
They came.
Dozens.
No—
Hundreds of Yokai poured from the darkness.
Distorted bodies.
Claws scraping against the earth.
Eyes glowing with unnatural hunger.
They didn't roar.
They didn't hesitate.
They attacked.
Eryndor stood at the front.
His expression calm.
Cold.
Focused.
Behind him—
Kaelira, Lyn, and Rael took their stances.
"Here they come," Rael muttered, tightening his grip on his sword.
Lyn spun her daggers once, a smirk forming.
"Took them long enough."
Kaelira stepped closer to Eryndor.
"…There's too many."
Eryndor didn't move.
Jae clenched his jaw.
"…He's not scared at all…"
The first wave hit.
Chaos exploded.
Rael charged forward with a heavy swing.
His blade cleaved straight through a Yokai's torso.
Lyn moved like a shadow.
Fast.
Unpredictable.
Her daggers flashed as she cut through throats and joints with surgical precision.
Kaelira fought beside them, her movements sharp, refined.
But Eryndor—
Was something else entirely.
He didn't rush.
He didn't panic.
He flowed.
A Yokai lunged at him.
He stepped slightly to the side—
Just enough.
The claws missed his neck by inches.
And in that same motion—
His hand ignited.
A blade of cursed flame formed instantly.
Clean.
Controlled.
He sliced upward.
The Yokai split in half before it even realized it was dead.
Jae's eyes widened.
"…That movement…"
There was no wasted motion.
No hesitation.
No overcommitment.
Every step.
Every breath.
Every strike—
Was efficient.
Deadly.
Perfect.
Another Yokai came from behind.
Eryndor didn't turn.
He didn't need to.
He dropped low—
His body twisting unnaturally—
The attack passed above him.
And in the same motion—
He drove his flame blade backward.
Straight through its skull.
No wasted effort.
No wasted energy.
Jae exhaled slowly.
"…He fights like he's been killing his whole life…"
The Divine Flame of Curses whispered.
"This is the result of his training."
But then—
The air changed.
The shadows deepened.
The temperature dropped.
And everything…
Went quiet.
A figure stepped forward from the darkness.
Slow.
Calm.
Silent.
The Yokai stopped.
They moved aside.
Like soldiers making way for a king.
Jae's eyes narrowed.
"…Here we go."
The hooded figure lifted its head slightly.
A faint smile appeared beneath the shadows.
Ernydor looked at the ground, and then slowly looked up.
"…Found you."
Eryndor's eyes sharpened instantly.
"…One of the divine contractors....Shadow Contractor."
Kaelira felt her chest tighten.
"…So it's really one of them…"
Rael stepped forward.
"I'll help—"
"Stay back."
Eryndor's voice cut through the air.
Cold.
Absolute.
"This one is mine."
Jae felt his heartbeat rise.
"…He's serious."
The Shadow Contractor chuckled softly.
"oh?"
The ground beneath them darkened.
Shadows stretched unnaturally.
Like living things.
And then—
He vanished.
Eryndor didn't react immediately.
He closed his eyes.
Breathed.
Once.
Twice.
The world slowed.
Then—
He moved.
A shadow erupted behind him—
But Eryndor was already gone.
He stepped forward—
No—
slid forward.
His body low.
Unpredictable.
The shadow strike missed.
And Eryndor countered instantly.
A slash—
Fast.
Precise.
But the Contractor twisted unnaturally.
Dodged.
And countered.
A blade of pure darkness shot toward Eryndor's neck.
Eryndor leaned back—
Just barely.
The blade grazed his skin.
A thin line of blood appeared.
But his eyes didn't waver.
Jae clenched his fist.
"…This is different…"
This wasn't brute force.
This wasn't power.
This was—
Skill.
Instinct.
Killing intent refined to perfection.
Eryndor moved again.
Faster now.
His steps light.
Unpredictable.
He closed the distance instantly—
A flurry of strikes followed.
Left.
Right.
Up.
Down.
Each attack flowed into the next seamlessly.
Like water.
Like fire.
The Contractor blocked.
Dodged.
Countered.
But—
Eryndor never overextended.
Never gave an opening.
Every movement had purpose.
Every attack had intent.
"He's reading him…" Jae whispered.
The Shadow Contractor smirked.
"…Interesting."
Shadows exploded outward.
Dozens of blades formed.
They shot toward Eryndor from all directions.
Eryndor didn't panic.
He stepped forward.
Into the attack.
Jae's eyes widened.
"…He went INTO it?!"
Eryndor twisted his body.
Bent.
Turned.
Shifted.
Every blade missed by inches.
His movements were inhuman.
Instinctual.
Like his body knew where every attack would land.
He reached the Contractor—
And drove his blade forward.
The Contractor blocked.
But—
Too late.
Eryndor's other hand ignited.
A second blade.
He stabbed upward.
The flame cut across the Contractor's chest.
Blood sprayed.
The Shadow Contractor stumbled back.
For the first time—
Surprised.
"…You—"
Eryndor didn't let him finish.
He pressed forward.
Relentless.
Like a predator that had finally cornered its prey.
Behind them—
Kaelira watched.
Her heart raced.
"…He's incredible…"
Lyn watched in shock.
" he's not normal."
Rael nodded slowly.
"…He's a monster."
But the fight wasn't over.
Not even close.
The shadows around the Contractor began to twist violently.
Grow.
Expand.
"…You're dangerous," he said quietly.
"So I'll kill you properly."
The entire battlefield darkened.
The ground itself turned black.
Shadows rose like pillars.
And then—
They attacked.
All at once.
Eryndor's body tensed.
He exhaled slowly.
"…Good."
Flames erupted around him.
Not wild.
Not chaotic.
Controlled.
Focused.
And then—
He disappeared.
What followed—
Was chaos.
Pure.
Beautiful.
Deadly chaos.
Eryndor weaved through the shadows like a ghost.
His movements unreadable.
His attacks relentless.
He struck.
Vanished.
Reappeared.
Struck again.
The Contractor countered—
But Eryndor adapted instantly.
Every mistake—
Corrected.
Every weakness—
Exploited.
Jae's breath slowed.
"…This is insane…"
But then—
A shadow pierced through Eryndor's side.
Blood spilled.
Kaelira's eyes widened.
"ERYNDOR!"
He didn't fall.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't stop.
Instead—
He grabbed the shadow blade.
Ignored the pain.
And pulled himself forward.
Closing the distance.
The Contractor's eyes widened.
And then—
He tried to struck with another divine flame blade but his body....
Suddenly paused as his divine fire suddenly felt like it was leaving.
The vision shook violently.
Jae's head throbbed harder.
The scene began to blur.
"…Wait—!"
But the memory was breaking.
The last thing Jae saw—
Was Eryndor's divine flame leaving him.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Jae dropped to both knees.
Breathing heavily.
"…This is too much…"
Then jae turned to the divine flame of curses.
"why did you stopped the vision!!!"
The Divine Flame finally spoke.
"…You're...." the divine flame of curses paused.
"I can't show the rest..."
Jae clenched his fists.
"…Why not....?"
His voice was low.
But it carried weight.
The kind of weight that came from someone who had seen too much—
And trusted too little.
The flame flickered.
For the first time since Jae had entered this endless void—
It hesitated.
"…Because…"
Its voice echoed faintly.
"…the System does not allow it."
Silence.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Jae's eyes narrowed.
"…What?"
The Divine Flame pulsed once.
"…There are things… you are not permitted to see."
Jae took a step forward.
"What the hell does that mean?"
The void around them deepened.
The air itself felt tighter.
Like invisible hands were pressing against reality.
"…Listen carefully, Jae." the Divine Flame said.
"…This may be difficult for you to accept."
Jae clenched his fist.
"…Try me."
The flame dimmed slightly.
"…The System… and I…"
A pause.
"…We are not your enemies."
Silence.
Then—
A cold smile slowly formed on Jae's face.
"…Not my enemies?"
He let out a short, bitter laugh.
"You dragged me into this."
"You show me visions of people suffering… dying…"
"You stop me right when I'm about to see the truth…"
"And you expect me to believe you're not the enemy?"
The void trembled slightly.
The Divine Flame flickered harder now.
"…You misunderstand."
"Then explain it better."
Jae's voice sharpened.
His eyes burned.
"…Because from where I'm standing…"
"…This looks like manipulation."
The word echoed.
Manipulation.
The flame dimmed again.
"…The System exists to maintain balance."
Jae scoffed.
"…Balance?"
"Yes."
"…It controls what can and cannot be seen."
"…What can and cannot happen."
"…What must be delayed."
Jae's expression darkened.
"…So you're telling me…"
"…You're hiding the truth because some system says I'm not ready?"
The flame didn't respond immediately.
That silence—
Was the answer.
Jae's fists tightened.
"…That's not your decision to make."
A pulse of energy surged through his body.
Subtle at first.
Barely noticeable.
But growing.
"…You don't get to decide what I can handle."
The Divine Flame spoke again.
This time—
More urgently.
"…Jae, listen to me."
"…If you see what comes next—"
"What?"
Jae snapped.
"…If I see what?"
The flame flickered violently.
"…you won't understand."
Jae stepped forward again.
"...fine then...it doesn't matter anynore..."
"…Because right now?"
His voice dropped.
Cold.
"…I don't need to understand because right now I don't trust a single thing you say."
And then—
It happened.
A faint spark.
Red.
Electric.
It danced across Jae's arm.
Crack.
The sound echoed unnaturally in the void.
The spark grew.
Another followed.
Then another.
Red lightning.
It crawled across his skin like living veins of energy.
Unstable.
Violent.
Awake.
The Divine Flame dimmed sharply.
"…No…"
"…Calm down, and trust me!!!"
Jae slowly lifted his head.
His eyes glowed faintly red.
"…I'm sorry."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"…But I can't trust you."
And then—
He turned.
And ran.
BOOM.
The ground beneath him shattered as Jae launched forward at blinding speed.
The void stretched infinitely—
But Jae didn't care.
"I'm getting out of here."
His thoughts raced.
"I don't know what this thing is hiding…"
"But I'm not staying here to find out."
The darkness reacted instantly.
The ground beneath him twisted—
Then exploded upward.
SPIKES.
Massive, jagged spikes of cursed aura shot out of the void.
"WHAT THE HELL—?!"
Jae flipped mid-air.
Twisting his body as the spikes barely missed him.
Another wave came.
Faster.
More aggressive.
Jae landed—
Then pushed off again.
His movements sharp.
Reactive.
Instinctual.
"…And you expect me to trust you?!"
His voice echoed through the void.
The Divine Flame responded calmly.
"…I'm sorry, Jae."
"…But I cannot let you go that way."
The void deepened.
The darkness itself began to move.
Shift.
Breathe.
The flame began chanting.
Ancient.
Unfamiliar.
Each word felt heavy—
Like it was pulling on the fabric of reality itself.
Then—
The ground beneath Jae's feet melted.
And from it—
Hands emerged.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
Red, skeletal hands made of cursed energy.
They shot upward.
Grabbing.
Clawing.
Jae tried to dodge—
But one caught his leg.
Then another.
And another.
"SHIT—!"
He was dragged down instantly.
His body slammed against the ground.
The hands tightened.
Pulling him back.
Toward the flame.
Jae struggled violently.
"LET GO—!"
But they didn't budge.
Their grip was absolute.
Unbreakable.
Jae's breathing grew heavier.
The flame's voice echoed.
"…Calm down, Jae."
"…This is for your own good."
"THE HELL IT IS!"
Jae slammed his fists into the ground.
But nothing happened.
The hands dragged him further.
Closer.
Closer.
The void seemed endless—
Yet the distance between them vanished instantly.
Jae gritted his teeth.
"…Think…"
"…There has to be a way out…"
Then—
He stopped struggling.
The sudden stillness surprised even the void.
The hands paused slightly.
Jae closed his eyes.
"…Fine."
His breathing slowed.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
"…If I can't break free physically…"
"…Then I'll burn it all."
The red lightning surged again.
But this time—
It didn't flicker.
It flowed.
Jae began circulating his mana.
Deep.
Controlled.
Every ounce of energy within him moved toward one point.
His core.
The lightning followed.
Spiraling.
Condensing.
Compressing.
The Divine Flame's voice sharpened After realizing what jae tried to do.
"…Stop."
"…Jae, don't—"
Too late.
Jae's eyes snapped open.
Glowing red.
"…Let's see you stop this."
And then—
He released it.
BOOM.
The explosion wasn't normal.
It wasn't just energy.
It was disruption.
The red lightning burst outward—
Not as simple electricity—
But as unstable, high-frequency energy waves.
Scientifically—
It behaved like a collapsing electromagnetic field.
The lightning wasn't just striking.
It was interfering.
Breaking.
Disassembling.
The void itself—
Was made of condensed cursed energy.
Structured.
Bound.
Held together by precise control.
But Jae's lightning—
Didn't follow those rules.
It disrupted the "binding frequency" of the void.
Like noise interfering with a signal.
The cursed energy lost cohesion.
The structure collapsed.
The hands disintegrated instantly.
Not burned.
Not destroyed.
They simply… fell apart.
Like sand losing shape.
The ground cracked.
The darkness fractured.
The entire void began glitching.
Flickering.
Breaking apart like corrupted data.
The Divine Flame faded away violently.
"…Impossible…"
Jae stood slowly.
Red lightning still dancing across his body.
"…Nothing is impossible."
The void screamed.
Not with sound—
But with distortion.
Reality itself was breaking.
The darkness peeled away.
Layer by layer.
And then—
Everything collapsed.
Silence.
Jae stood alone.
Breathing heavily.
"…Did I… get out…?"
But before he could think further—
The world shifted again.
A new vision formed.
But this one—
Felt different.
Darker.
Heavier.
Wrong.
Jae's eyes widened slightly.
"…What is this…?"
The air itself felt suffocating.
Like something terrible—
Was about to be revealed.
And then—
The vision fully opened.