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The Mist Vol 3 Chapter 28
🕑 Added 2024-09-16 11:30:16 +0000 UTCVol 3 Chapter 28
The next morning, after finally seeing the sun rise with his own eyes, Kapros washed up quickly and made a video call to Yoon Seok-ho for the first time.
[ Ring... ring... ring... ring... Beep. ]
- Connected.
[ Mr. Kang Mu-heon? What's the matter? So early in the morning... I was skeptical when I saw the phone number at first, but it really is you, Mu-heon. I'm pleased. ]
As soon as Yoon Seok-ho's image appeared on the screen, perfectly dressed as usual despite the early hour, Kapros pressed his throbbing temple and got straight to the point.
"It's about that video from yesterday."
[ Hmm? That video... Oh. You mean the HZ? ]
Not knowing or caring what HZ meant, but sensing that the message had gotten across, Kapros nodded and continued.
"...Is it definitely the Dark Knight?"
Hearing Kapros's voice, clearly showing signs of fatigue, Yoon Seok-ho looked at him for a moment, then changed his posture from casually resting his hands on his crossed knee to propping his chin, wearing that inscrutable smile of his.
[ Pardon? Of course it is. I believe the mention of Dark Knight is in the video as well... Did you really make a confirmation call to busy me just for that? ]
Kapros felt his mood plummeting but managed to suppress it.
"No. What I mean is... is the quest user in that video really the Dark Knight user who has been performing the quest until now?"
[ Mu-heon. That's obvious, isn't it? ]
Yoon Seok-ho, still smiling, spoke leisurely.
[ If not, why would we have uploaded that user's video? You're asking strange things. ]
Kapros felt a surge of anger at the mocking tone. Damn it. So what I'm saying is...
"..."
As he naturally thought about the next words, Kapros stiffened.
...What I'm saying is, I want a definitive answer on whether that guy is Yu-wan or not.
Suddenly, he felt as if his blood was turning cold. The image of himself making phone calls since dawn, unwilling to believe what he had already confirmed with his own eyes, felt very unfamiliar.
What am I doing right now? I'm even doing things I don't usually do, vaguely hoping Yoon Seok-ho will give me an answer.
[ Mr. Kang Mu-heon? ]
When even Yoon Seok-ho's ever-smiling face began to look like it was mocking him, Kapros decided to drop it.
"...I understand. Sorry for bothering you. Goodbye then."
[ ...Ah... ]
Click.
It seemed Yoon Seok-ho was about to say something, but the screen turned off without delay. Kapros closed his eyes while sitting. Perhaps due to lack of sleep, irritation surged. He tried to think about what to do while suppressing that irritation, but ultimately concluded that acknowledging his current feelings was the best course of action.
Yes. To be honest...
"Are you kidding me right now?"
Kran slammed the floor with an expression full of indignation. Kapros looked at that, then turned his gaze to Un-o's expression that seemed to ask what was going on.
"No, seriously, if he was alive and well, why didn't he come find us? Weren't we companions? I thought it was a bit strange that he hadn't come for so long... If he didn't want to travel with us, he could have at least come to say so! He used to make such a fuss if anyone even touched Kap... I'm a fool for thinking of him as something close to a friend! He had time to film a video but not to come find us? This is the first time in my life I've felt so betrayed!"
Every word struck a chord. Kran's words matched exactly what Kapros had been thinking.
What Kapros had acknowledged this morning was anger so petty that he couldn't argue if someone called it that. It was even greater than what he had felt when he doubted Yu-wan in Zagreb before.
That was because the worry and emptiness Kran and Kapros had felt when they thought Yu-wan was dead were real. It felt like all their efforts to meet him again had been denied in an instant.
'But more than that...'
Above all, what was troubling Kapros in relation to Yu-wan was that brief and bewildering memory on the rooftop in Zagreb. Who would have thought that the guy who spoke as if he would never leave would end up like this after just a month? Anyway, it was fortunate that Kran seemed to share this emotion that Kapros had acknowledged while considering it childish.
"Kap. I'm just going to cancel what I said before. I can't stand it, I'm so upset. Think about it. If this bastard is really alive and has been messing with us, we're bound to meet him again someday as we continue this quest, right? When we do meet him, we'll just...!"
"I don't really want to meet him."
"What?"
At Kapros's words, Kran turned his head, and when their eyes met, he gasped and stepped back for some reason. Kapros continued without paying attention to that.
"Whatever we say here, it's all up to him in the end, so I'm going to stop caring."
"You..."
"Well, I have something to do, so I'll go out for a bit and come back."
This was the conclusion Kapros had reached. Just stop caring. If he said he wasn't a friend, then he wasn't, and if he said he'd come, he'd come on his own someday. Wondering why he had been worrying and waiting, Kapros felt very relieved after reaching this conclusion.
Even so, he didn't know how he would act if he were to meet Yu-wan later... He just wanted to focus on the current situation and concentrate on solving the quest for now.
Kapros went outside and walked towards a place he had spotted before. Following Yoon Seok-ho's advice, he was planning to try executing the magic in this state.
He still didn't understand what Yoon Seok-ho meant, but he thought he might gain something if he tried it anyway. Well... even if he failed, the worst that could happen was his mana being rapidly drained without the magic being executed.
"Hah..."
He stopped walking and stood straight. As he slowly regulated his breathing and tried to clear his mind of distractions, he felt his consciousness quickly sinking into a deep place, a familiar meditation habit from his long years of practicing kendo.
After some time had passed like that, when he became sensitive enough to pay attention to even the sounds coming from his surroundings, Kapros stretched out his arm and slowly drew a circle, trying hard to clearly recall the image of Aerial Servant he had been holding onto until now.
Whoosh.
