Turning
Chapter 829

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Chapter 829

In the brief moment he watched Yuder Aile in battle, the man once known by various names—Sage, Wise One, Ajihen Toom—reminisced about his old name for the first time in ages. Once, he had been known by the plain and unsophisticated name of Karl Enfile. His occupation was equally unremarkable: a low-ranking official.

Such positions often attracted destitute nobles. The job involved nothing impressive and frequently required dealing with commoners, making it both tedious and demeaning.

However, for those without an inherited estate or sold titles, without the means or physical ability to become a knight, and with only the remnants of past glory, being a low-ranking official was their only line to success.

If one played their cards right, they could rise to a high-ranking official, perhaps even to the fourth rank, living enviably in a grand house in the capital.

Karl Enfile too had dreamed of this as he became a low-ranking official.

He possessed enviable self-interest and the eloquence to mask it well. He was an unmatched talent in softly deceiving those in misfortune, understanding their hearts.

Yet, even with his abilities, true success eluded him. He realized this when he first met the current High Minister Hebreyina Reiflang, understanding that with his level of skill, he could never win against a 'real' contender.

Hebreyina entered the administration later than Karl, but she was from a notable noble family and popular in social circles for her decent looks.

It wasn't rare for noblewomen, unwilling to marry, to become officials. However, Hebreyina had even married.

Yet, upon her arrival, she effortlessly snatched the promotion Karl had long coveted—a bolt from the blue for him.

Karl fiercely contested her promotion, even proposing a public debate to prove who was more deserving, but the outcome was disastrous.

Until then, Karl had dismissed Hebreyina Reiflang as just a well-connected woman, incapable in her work. Rumor had it, she wanted to reform the corrupt practices of the administration, which seemed far-fetched.

A pampered noblewoman besting him seemed impossible.

But he was wrong.

On the day of the debate, she was like an overwhelming monster beyond human capability, with her commanding eloquence and encyclopedic knowledge, even on matters outside her responsibility.

Karl Enfile, who had prided himself on his manipulation of people, was thoroughly outmatched, unable to muster any significant rebuttal. Even those who disliked Hebreyina couldn't object to her promotion after witnessing the debate.

Karl's downfall was met with ridicule and pity. Hebreyina, after her promotion, thoroughly audited the work Karl had done, demoting him to a position like Blue Crown’s archivist.

The fallout severed his ties with a family he was discussing marriage with, and as Hebreyina ascended unprecedentedly to High Minister, everyone began to shun Karl Enfile.

And now.

Long having discarded the name Karl Enfile after gaining new powers, the sight of Yuder Aile, who literally obliterated everything, momentarily brought back memories of that public debate to the sage's mind.

The sage had speculated that the greatest reason the Cavalry appeared to have an upper hand against them was likely due to Nahan's betrayal. Of course, this didn't mean their skills were utterly hopeless, but in a game of collusion, real skill seemed irrelevant.

Thus, he had undervalued Yuder Aile's abilities, assuming them to be nothing extraordinary.

He had heard rumors about Yuder being an Awakener who could wield multiple attributes. However, the sage, having encountered numerous Awakeners, knew well that mastery of multiple attributes didn't necessarily imply greatness.

He also believed that Yuder's rise to fame as the hero of the West, particularly in the monster subjugation event, would have been impossible without the aid of the Star of Nagran's prominent Awakeners in the West. Yet, no one seemed to acknowledge the existence of the Star of Nagran.

Wealth and fame had accrued solely to Yuder Aile and the Cavalry.

A cunning whelp.

A young Awakener in his twenties who had snatched away the opportunity for success the sage had been preparing for so long.

He had become a commoner who received a noble title from the Emperor after decades, and was awarded many honors. Though the barony he received was a single-generation title, that didn't matter.

Once a noble, even minor achievements could pave the way to higher ranks, a fact well understood by anyone with some sense.

'That's what I had thought...'

But upon finally facing him, Yuder's gaze completely defied the sage's expectations.

He was merciless, yet not swayed by emotions, possessing a fearsome and overwhelming aura.

This wasn't the look of a youth inflated by early success.

There was no trace of the typical excessiveness of young, powerful but inexperienced individuals.

The Awakeners sent by the sage crumbled helplessly under a few gestures from Yuder Aile.

If there ever was a human embodiment of a grim reaper, it would probably look like him.

His relentless demeanor, the way he eyed the sage during the fight as if marking his next prey, his overwhelming ability leaving no room for response, all reminded him of the debate with Hebreyina Reiflang.

Even the sage, so adept at feigning goodness and righteousness, couldn't maintain his composure recalling the event that had turned his life upside down.

His carefully established bases had crumbled, whereabouts of many of the sufficiently brainwashed Awakeners unknown.

Even after achieving the incredible feat of infiltrating the Sun Palace, the attitude of Duke Diarca hadn't changed significantly. Kiolle da Diarca, the Duke's son, showed a strange contempt and aversion towards the Sage, seemingly ignorant of everything yet.

The sage had considered brainwashing Kiolle out of frustration, kept hidden, but seizing the opportunity was difficult as Kiolle openly despised the sage's side.

The sage concluded it was better to quickly brainwash Duke Diarca and silently kill Kiolle, rather than expend effort on the arrogant young noble.

Capturing the young Crown Prince had been a stroke of luck, but even in his brainwashed state, his mental stability was as precarious as a hastily stacked tower of stones.

The Crown Prince's capricious nature, his self-love, and self-prioritization made him too risky for a long-term alliance. The fact that Duke Diarca held the real power further diminished the Crown Prince's value as an asset.

If things had gone as originally planned, the sage should have built his influence through the Crown Prince and successfully completed the tasks assigned by Duke Diarca, summoning the power of Star of Nagran to the capital. Utilizing their strength, he would have already broken more than half of the Cavalry's momentum and suppressed the Emperor's forces. Even the cunning old fox, Duke Diarca, would have eventually felt trust in him.

'I could have brainwashed him quickly then...'

Where did it all go wrong? He had carefully considered and neutralized each potential obstacle, proceeding cautiously.

Watching Yuder's rampage for that brief moment, the sage bit his lip, feeling a mix of unfairness and regret.

His brainwashing ability was immensely useful, but it had many limitations. He could force his way through these restrictions, but such forced exertion of power was short-lived and harmful to both his mind and body.

The sage had already used his power several times forcibly on those around him to counter Nahan. Though he didn't show it, his body was now half-paralyzed, and the rapid use of his mental abilities made it difficult to maintain coherent thoughts as usual.

Simple, fleeting thoughts, intense emotions, desires, and instincts began to slowly consume him.

He trembled in pain, overwhelmed by the desire to give up and flee.

But as his mind simplified and momentarily forgot his rage towards Nahan, a new possibility he hadn't considered before dawned on him.

'It won't be easy to flee from such a foe, even if I risk everything. But Yuder Aile choosing to confront me alone might actually be an opportunity.'

As Yuder Aile exerted his power to take down the last Awakener the Sage had sent, he noticed Duke Peletta seemingly conversing with Nahan's side in the quickly shifting view. Other members of the Cavalry were busy attending to their fallen comrades, moving them to safety.

'Even in this state, I still have some power left. A power that, in this situation, could be more useful than anything else...'

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Read up to the latest chapter (1288) 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."

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[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.'

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