Chapter 135

Chapter 135

Chapter 135 – Training (1)

“Argh…”

Clutching his throbbing skull, Lee Jun-young forced himself to sit up. The pressure inside his head was so intense it felt as though his skull might split open.

Scanning his surroundings, he noticed his companions in a similar state, groaning and struggling to rise.

‘What exactly took place?’

One after another, his friends had collapsed, and then a sudden, irresistible wave of exhaustion had dragged him into unconsciousness as well.

‘It feels as though I was trapped in a bizarre dream…’

He could recall a vision of countless souls, himself included, ascending toward a massive floating landmass suspended in the heavens.

“Urgh!”

Lee Jun-young clamped a hand over his mouth, desperately fighting back the bile rising in his throat.

“Ugh.”

The nightmare had been absolutely horrifying.

Though the precise details slipped through his fingers, the raw emotions of the experience remained painfully fresh.

He remembered blinding flashes of light, agonizing pain, and a profound, inexplicable dread of his very soul being erased.

The deep terror carved into his mind still felt incredibly raw.

‘Could that really have been nothing more than a dream?’

Was it truly just a nightmare?

Even if it were, how could anyone explain the bizarre event that occurred right before they lost consciousness?

Every single person around him, his allies, and even Lee Jun-young himself had collapsed at the exact same moment. It was undeniable proof that some external force had acted upon them.

‘Yet we all seem to have woken up without any physical injuries…’

He cast his eyes upward toward the sky where the floating fortress had once lingered, but the heavens were now completely empty.

Filled with skepticism, Lee Jun-young glanced over at Kim Tae-hyun, who was sitting beside him and massaging his temples.

“Tae-hyun.”

“Yeah?”

“Did you experience some kind of bizarre nightmare just now?”

“A nightmare?”

“How should I describe it… something completely terrifying? Initially, I was soaring up toward that sky continent, and then…”

Before he could finish, Kim Tae-hyun interrupted him with a grim expression.

“It felt like I was plunging into a vast ocean alongside millions of others. And this sea was caught in the middle of a violent tempest, churning with massive whirlpools.”

“What?”

“And there was a light so blindingly intense that it felt like my consciousness was about to dissolve completely.”

Staring at Kim Tae-hyun’s pale, shaken face, Lee Jun-young felt his suspicions confirmed.

“…So it wasn’t just a simple dream, was it?”

“No.”

Kim Tae-hyun ground his teeth together, his gaze locked onto the area where the sanctuary had been.

“Those cult bastards definitely did something to us.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Their memories of the event were fragmented, but the sensations they had felt were deeply etched, and among them was a profound hatred toward the JHS cult.

A quiet anger burning inside him, Lee Jun-young spoke up.

“Should we raid them?”

“Where?”

Kim Tae-hyun stared at him as if he had lost his mind, but Lee Jun-young defended himself, feeling vindicated in his anger.

“To their holy ground, obviously. Let’s go over there and tear the place apart.”

Kim Tae-hyun shut down the idea immediately and without hesitation.

“Absolutely not.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ll get killed.”

“I’m not saying the two of us should go alone. Look around; we clearly weren’t the only ones affected by this. If we rally everyone and launch an attack…”

“No one is going to stand with us.”

Kim Tae-hyun’s blunt refusal made Lee Jun-young scowl in frustration.

“We won’t know that unless we try.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Kim Tae-hyun began to reason with him.

“While you were busy searching for potential recruits, I managed to gather some intelligence about this place. One of the details I uncovered was about a faction known as the Trump Knights. Supposedly, every single one of them is an Awakened. The only reason the Jamsil area is relatively secure from monster attacks is because of their presence.”

Having survived as wanderers amidst the ruins of Seoul, Lee Jun-young and his group understood the terrifying nature of monsters better than most.

“…Are they truly that powerful?”

“Yes. And what is even more startling is that the woman who rescued you and escorted us here, Kang Ye-eun…”

“Right.”

“She isn’t even a member of the Trump Knights. The actual Trump Knights wear distinctive insignia on both of their shoulders to signify their rank.”

“Which means…”

“It means anyone with ordinary skills doesn’t even qualify to join their primary forces.”

Lee Jun-young pictured the memory of Kang Ye-eun easily rescuing him from the fearsome Blade Golem.

‘…You’re telling me there are dozens of individuals even stronger than her?’

It was an incredibly sobering realization.

Lee Jun-young reached into his pocket, pulled out an object, and muttered.

“Even so, a single shot from this…”

Kim Tae-hyun sighed deeply upon seeing the revolver in Lee Jun-young’s hand.

“Get a grip on yourself. What is wrong with you? You only have three rounds left in that thing.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“And don’t forget what she mentioned before. If you are an Awakened, you are instantly elevated to a higher social status. That implies there could be hundreds of superhumans residing inside that sanctuary.”

“Sigh…”

In this ruined world, raw power was the ultimate authority.

Consequently, those without power were treated with little more respect than common criminals.

For the weak, the paths available for survival were incredibly narrow and decided from the very beginning.

“Let’s run away.”

“…Yeah. That’s our best option.”

“But before we leave…”

Kim Tae-hyun paused, locking eyes with Lee Jun-young.

Lee Jun-young immediately grasped his friend’s underlying meaning and nodded.

“Right. We need to secure some provisions.”

The two of them quickly gathered the rest of their group to lay out the plan.

“Honestly, Jun-young, this is just a thief’s plan.”

“Ji-hyun, calling my strategy a mere theft? You’re being way too harsh.”

“Haha, I’m just messing with you.”

Their objective was to plunder as much of the cult’s stored food as they could carry.

It was their own petty way of getting even.

Unfortunately, their scheme fell apart almost immediately.

“…What is this?”

As they navigated past Olympic Road and drew closer to the sanctuary’s territory, they were met with a devastating sight: demolished skyscrapers and fractured roads stretching as far as the eye could see.

It looked as though a massive, catastrophic earthquake had ripped through the region.

And within the ruins…

“There are people buried under here! Please help us!”

“Aaaargh!”

“P-Please, save me…”

A chaotic, desperate struggle between life and death unfolded right before their eyes.

Lee Jun-young was the first to react.

He sprinted toward a man screaming for assistance nearby and strained with all his might to lift a massive piece of debris off him.

However, the block of concrete pinning the victim down was far too massive for a normal human to move alone.

He hollered back to his friends.

“What are you all standing there for? Lend a hand!”

“Ah, right!”

“W-We’re coming!”

It required the combined strength of twelve people to finally heave the concrete block off the man.

Yet, the result was disheartening.

“…….”

The man’s injuries were far too severe to be resolved simply by removing the debris.

Looking at his lower body, which was completely mangled and crushed beneath the weight, it was clear his life was rapidly slipping away.

He lay there on the dirt, unable to summon the strength to scream.

He was practically a corpse already.

Their efforts had been in vain.

The man was going to die in a matter of minutes.

“…Dammit.”

But right then.

“Move aside, please!”

A woman pushed her way through Lee Jun-young’s companions and stepped forward.

‘Eh?’

Lee Jun-young felt a strange sensation wash over him the moment he looked at the woman.

Specifically, it was triggered by the dark, smoky aura radiating from her entire form.

‘What is that energy…?’

Though it should have appeared threatening, there was something incredibly comforting and familiar about it.

‘I feel like I’ve encountered this somewhere before….’

Incredibly, just looking at the dark mist surrounding her made him feel a sense of warmth and relief, as if a weight was being lifted from his shoulders.

And he wasn’t the only one experiencing this strange reaction.

His friends were all staring, completely captivated by the dark aura swirling around her.

Then.

Swoooosh—

The dark energy from the woman’s palms washed over the dying man.

And in that instant.

“!!!”

An absolute miracle transpired.

The man’s mangled lower limbs began to piece themselves back together at an incredible speed.

Shattered bones and torn muscles snapped back into place, and his bruised, bleeding skin returned to its healthy, original state.

The horrific wounds vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving his body completely whole and unharmed.

“Please look after him.”

“Uh, right.”

With her task finished, the woman immediately sprinted toward another wounded victim, leaving Lee Jun-young and his group staring at each other in absolute disbelief.

“…What did we just witness?”

“I have no idea.”

While they remained frozen in shock, the man who had been on the brink of death opened his eyes.

He pushed himself up and stood on his feet as if he had never been injured.

Looking completely bewildered, he stared down at his healed legs for a long moment before turning to Lee Jun-young’s group.

“Excuse me… Did you guys save my life?”

“Well, in a way…”

“Thank you, thank you so much for rescuing me.”

The fully healed man bowed gratefully over and over again.

Witnessing this, Lee Jun-young and his friends were struck with awe once more.

‘He’s completely cured.’

To actually watch someone be brought back from the very threshold of death—this was the first time they had ever witnessed such a miraculous feat.

‘Could she be… like a saint from a fantasy story?’

Lee Jun-young pondered deeply on the dark energy the woman had wielded, and suddenly, a realization struck him.

“Ah!”

In the final moments of his nightmare, when he had been drowning in pain and desperation, he had felt that exact same dark energy.

And shortly after sensing it, his suffering had vanished.

‘I can’t explain how, but that energy is what delivered us from that nightmare.’

His gut instinct screamed at him.

He needed to follow this woman.

Lee Jun-young spoke up.

“Sir, the one who actually saved you is someone else. If you are feeling well enough, would you care to join us?”

“Huh?”

Kim Tae-hyun, hearing this, questioned him.

“What are you planning?”

“I want to follow her and offer our help.”

“All of a sudden…?”

“Please. Just trust my judgment and follow me for now.”

“……”

Kim Tae-hyun hesitated briefly, but eventually gave a nod.

Ultimately, it was Lee Jun-young’s sharp instincts that had kept them alive throughout all their struggles.

So, he chose to place his faith in those instincts once again.

“Let’s move.”

Fortunately, they found the woman nearby assisting other survivors, but they quickly realized how foolish they had been to think she needed their help.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Hang on a bit longer! I will have you out in a moment!”

The woman was working to rescue a family trapped beneath a collapsed concrete structure.

Even though Lee Jun-young’s group attempted to assist, the heavy debris remained completely stuck, as if fused to the earth.

But then, they watched in awe as she shattered the massive concrete blocks as though they were nothing but fragile Styrofoam.

Crash!

Utilizing her incredible physical power, she cleared the blockage, reached inside to heal the trapped family members, and then walked away without lingering.

Watching her depart, Lee Jun-young whispered in sheer amazement.

“Unbelievable.”

What kind of monster was this woman?

Following that, they witnessed even more mind-boggling spectacles.

A man leading a squad of heavily armored warriors to rescue survivors; a beast-like bear-man carrying a wounded youngster to safety; a person levitating massive chunks of rubble using telekinetic power; and a man utilizing teleportation to rescue trapped civilians—these were just a handful of the many superhuman individuals they crossed paths with.

They observed not only powerful superhumans but also ordinary heroes, such as emergency rescue workers in 119 gear and medical professionals in white coats, working tirelessly to provide aid.

But the most staggering revelation occurred when they followed the crowd to a massive designated emergency camp.

“Woah.”

Steaming white rice, instant noodles, sodas, snacks, packaged meals, and even pristine bottled Samdasu water—everything was laid out in abundance.

Even more miraculous was the fact that whenever the stockpiles began to run low, fresh crates of supplies would materialize out of thin air.

Observing this, Kim Tae-hyun whispered.

“Hey, do you think we actually ought to join this organization?”

Lacking any real understanding of the circumstances, they had assumed all of these incredible feats were the work of some fraudulent cult.

“We might have severely misjudged them.”

Just then.

“Hey there, newcomers.”

A man working at the relief station called out to them.

Watching him effortlessly hoist five heavy crates of bottled water, it was obvious he possessed superhuman strength.

“You seem to have the wrong idea. This organization has absolutely nothing to do with those fraudulent cults like JHS or JMS.”

He lowered the crates to the ground and declared with a proud grin.

“The source of all these incredible miracles is a man named Kim Jae-hyun. If you keep his name close to your heart, it will bring you great fortune as well. Haha.”

Lee Jun-young, who had once nearly lost his life after being captured by a cult, felt a momentary wave of suspicion.

But as he looked around at the mountains of fresh food and clean water, his doubts quickly dissolved.

‘This is definitely something I can get behind.’

Chilled sodas, sweet pastries, nutrient bars, and more.

The quality of these provisions was incomparable to anything they had seen before.

And unlike the JHS cult, which forced people to recruit others, perform mindless prayers, and undergo evaluations, this group only requested a single thing.

To respect and hold the name of their benefactor, Kim Jae-hyun, in high regard.

He also appreciated the respectful demeanor of the staff member, who made it clear that following this path was entirely voluntary.

“I will definitely keep his name in my heart.”

At that moment, however, it was merely a polite response to secure his place.

At this point in time, he had no way of knowing.

Very soon, he and his companions would genuinely hold the name Kim Jae-hyun in their hearts for the rest of their lives.