The World’s Greatest is Dead

The World’s Greatest is Dead – Chapter 150

A faint sense of reality started to return to me.

I felt an unusual sensation as my body floated gently.

*Bubbling.*

Oxygen escaped from my mouth, forming bubbles.

Feeling this, I opened my eyes wide.

This meant I was underwater. Why suddenly in such a space? My senses instinctively sharpened as I tried to gather myself.

*Cold.*

That was the first sensation I felt.

A piercingly cold feeling. I was immersed in frigid water.

‘What is this?’

Flailing, I moved my body. I struggled as I sliced through the water.

The problem was…

‘I can’t see.’

There was nothing visible. Although I could sense I was underwater, it seemed as if my vision was completely blocked by harsh darkness.

‘Where am I?’

Where in the world was this place? How did I awaken in such a pitch-black space?

Moreover…

‘Gulp!’

Without oxygen, I was slowly suffocating.

‘What on earth…?’

What in the world was happening? I hastily clutched my throat.

Desperately wishing to escape, yet it wasn’t easy.

What should I do? How can I escape this?

‘…… Grandpa….?’

Where had Yu Chun-gil gone? I wanted to call out, but no sound emerged, making even that impossible.

‘Damn it. ‘

Was I going to die like this? With suffocating breath, my mind grew more and more frayed.

*Woong.*

‘!’

Suddenly, something appeared in front of me.

In the pitch-black space, two red lights emerged.

I focused my gaze on the sudden apparition. What could that be?

Moreover, it wasn’t just there; it was drawing closer.

What is this? What is approaching me?

Even as I questioned, a feeling crept onto my back.

A chill.

A shiver ran down my spine. Confronted by the red light, an inexplicable fear arose.

Before long, as the light neared…

‘Ah…?’

I was able to identify what the light was.

It wasn’t just light.

‘It’s a gaze.’

It was someone’s stare, a pair of red glowing eyes.

‘Who is it?’

Who could it possibly be that was looking at me with such a fierce gaze in this place?

The gaze, without blinking once, steadily approached and stopped within a couple of steps’ distance.

Yet still, nothing else was visible.

Only the eyes stood out.

‘What is it?’

What could it be? Was the owner of that gaze the one who dragged me here?

If so, for what reason?

What reason would there be to bring me? As I questioned this, amidst the looming fear, I sensed a peculiar emotion.

It was…

‘Familiarity.’

It felt as if I had seen those eyes somewhere before. A sense of familiarity stirred in a corner of my heart.

Where had I seen those eyes?

Where had I seen eyes like that?

I couldn’t remember. Clearly familiar, but it wouldn’t resurface.

‘…… No way.’

I rarely forget something once I’ve seen it. How could I not remember such strange eyes?

It was absurd.

*Gurgle.*

‘Ugh!’

Suddenly, my breath twisted.

I was nearing my limit.

At this rate, I felt like I might truly die.

‘What should I do?’

Was there no way out?

Desperately trying to think of a solution, yet under these circumstances, none seemed to exist.

Thus, I was left merely gasping painfully.

Suddenly, the red gaze in front of me began to move slowly.

It regarded me for a while then flickered as if it were speaking to me.

-…… Path.

It whispered something to me.

‘…… What?’

In pain, I focused on the voice.

It wasn’t by choice. Hearing it, my entire attention was naturally drawn in.

Just as my breath halted and I was on the verge of losing consciousness, the voice pierced through completely.

– Don’t trust Yu Chun-gil too much.

With those words…

My mind had been completely severed in pain.

* * *

“Gasp!”

I gasped for breath and jerked upright.

“Huff… Huff…”

I panted heavily, as if trying to catch my breath after being unable to breathe. My tense body relaxed, and heat rose within me.

With trembling eyes, I looked at my hand.

My palm was clammy with sweat, and I wiped my equally sweaty forehead with a shaky hand.

My forehead was just as damp.

Not only that, but my entire body was drenched in sweat.

“Huff… Huff…”

I forcibly controlled my breathing and recalled the moments before.

“Was it a dream…?”

Was what I just experienced a dream?

‘Well, yes.’

Why would my body be submerged in water I’ve never seen before out of nowhere?

Logically thinking, I should have realized it quickly.

‘… I couldn’t perceive it correctly.’

I failed to recognize it within.

How long has it been since something like this happened?

‘This means it was no ordinary dream.’

Even lucid dreams are easy to recognize.

A nightmare that muddled my perception so much.

‘What?’

I frowned, retracing recent events.

Nightmares like that are usually related to evil spirits.

And high-ranking ones at that.

‘I haven’t tangled with any evil spirits.’

Recently, there had been no reason to get involved with evil spirits. I had been careful enough, so how could I?

At least nothing like that existed in my memory.

‘Then what is it?’

What was the source of the problem?

Furthermore.

‘… And what’s with the last words?’

Do not trust Yu Chun-gil too much.

It was what those inexplicable red eyes had said.

‘So, he’s related to that old man?’

As I was frowning at the thought.

『Awake, are you?』

“!”

I lifted my gaze. Yu Chun-gil was lying on the ceiling, looking down at me.

“Were you here?”

『Yes.』

“…”

Perhaps it was because of the recent event, but looking at Yu Chun-gil felt a bit awkward.

『Why the hesitation?』

“It’s nothing. Just a weird dream.”

I got up. My sweat-soaked body was incredibly uncomfortable. I knew I had to do something about that first.

Just as I was about to step outside.

“… Ah.”

With my muddled mind clearing, I turned to Yu Chun-gil again.

Come to think of it.

“… How is this possible?”

I shouldn’t even be awake like this, right?

I was in the middle of that Small Moon Division or whatever it was.

Besides, I was in a duel with Chun Hye-In.

‘Why…’

Why did I wake up in my own bed?

Feeling this strangeness, the situation at that time surfaced in my memory.

“That wasn’t you, grandpa, was it?”

『…』

Some presence that had entered my body.

It wasn’t Yu Chun-gil. I clearly remember. At the moment I was possessed, I saw a startled Yu Chun-gil watching me from outside.

『No, it wasn’t me.』

“… Then, what was it? What happened?”

If it wasn’t Yu Chun-gil, then who suddenly entered my body?

『Hmm… Well, even I’m not quite sure.』

I frowned at Yu Chun-gil’s words.

‘Not sure?’

It’s not strange not to know.

‘But the reaction.’

Yu Chun-gil’s response was odd. It wasn’t just from lack of knowledge. His expression was ambiguous in some way.

What is it? What kind of attitude is this?

The unknown reaction brought to mind the words I had recalled unconsciously.

-Do not trust Yu Chun-gil too much.

“…”

I shook my head. Dispelling those thoughts, I asked Yu Chun-gil.

“Then what about the duel? How did the duel end?”

Some other presence had entered my body. It’s a disturbing and strange occurrence. But aside from that, what happened to the duel?

That was more important to me, and upon hearing this, Yu Chun-gil responded with a somewhat uncomfortable expression.

『Go outside and you’ll find out.』

“… What?”

Go outside?

I tilted my head, frowning at his response.

* * *

Following Yu Chun-gil’s words, I stepped outside. After all, I needed to wash off the sweat soaking my body, and I had other things to do as well.

After coming outside, it didn’t take long for me to understand the meaning behind Yu Chun-gil’s words.

“… What was that…”

I changed my clothes and started to walk. The paths of the Blue Moon Sect, now familiar, stretched before me. However, I felt eyes watching me from all around.

I had no choice but to pass by the training ground, and as I appeared, the martial artists in the wide open space froze completely.

Every single one of them did. They seemed to be the 3rd-generation disciples of the Blue Moon Sect.

At the same time, the 2nd-generation disciple who had been guiding them flinched at the sight of me. His face displayed intense tension. Then, he spoke.

“Everyone—!”

He called out loudly to the 3rd-generation disciples.

“Show your respects to Martial uncle.”

“… What?”

“We greet Martial uncle!”

At the 2nd-generation disciple’s words, all the 3rd-generation disciples bowed to me. I had to suppress my surprise at their perfectly synchronized stance.

‘Why are they behaving like this…?’

Though confused, I waved my hand dismissively.

“… Please, just continue with what you were doing.”

“No, we can’t—”

“It’s really fine.”

Being treated unusually was more uncomfortable for me.

Why were these people acting this way? I reluctantly left the area. As I hurriedly moved through the streets afterward, I noticed something unusual in people’s reactions whenever I passed by. Some were shocked, some showed slight fear, and others looked on with admiration.

‘… Seriously, what’s going on?’

Had something changed significantly while I was asleep? I had to find out what was happening.

“So, you mean…”

The situation was this.

“You’re saying I beat Chun Hye-In to a pulp? Until she was a bloody mess? And with my fists instead of a sword?”

Unlike the sound beating I had taken initially, it was said that I suddenly grabbed Chun Hye-In midway and thoroughly beat her. Not just beat her, but pummeled her as if playing with a toy, astonishing everyone with the brutality and intensity.

‘… Me?’

I even defeated Chun Hye-In without using a sword. She was known to be the most talented within the Blue Moon Sect since the Sword Saint. Her talent ranked among the top of the Seven Geniuses, yet I had beaten her without even drawing my sword.

‘… I proved it, didn’t I?’

There had been rumors about me being a monster incomparable to even the Seven Geniuses. This wasn’t just idle talk, and the debate about whether I was truly the Sword Saint’s successor ended with a single fight.

‘And it was said I intended to kill her?’

During the spar, they said I tried to kill the unconscious Chun Hye-In. It was the Virtuous Moon Sword, the Sect Leader, who reportedly stopped me, not just anyone else.

‘… This is insane.’

Hearing this made my blood run cold.

So, the Virtuous Moon Sword, suddenly cast as the one who saved his daughter, reportedly intervened after I made her into a bloody mess?

This meant…

‘I’m screwed, aren’t I?’

In a word, I was completely screwed.

‘… What kind of bastard is it?’

What kind of lunatic emerged and intervened to turn things into such chaos?

Here’s the kicker, you know what was even funnier about it?

‘After causing such a mess, I didn’t even stay to watch the end of the Small Moon Event; I just went back and slept.’

I left even before the event concluded and went to sleep. As a result, my current status was recognized as a world-class oddball whom even the Sect Leader couldn’t handle.

‘Isn’t that insane?’

What would one possibly achieve by turning me into this kind of person?

『Hahaha. What does it matter? In my younger days, I often lived like that, and it worked out just fine.』

Wasn’t he so proud of it?

‘Ridiculous.’

How impactful was it that people flinched every time I passed by? Surprised faces were one thing, but some even looked at me with fearful eyes.

‘Is this really alright?’

I sighed and was about to continue my steps when, “Excuse me… Martial uncle.”

“… Ah.”

I wondered if someone else wanted to bow to me, so I instinctively prepared to speak.

Approaching me was a 3rd-generation disciple, completely frightened. He looked at me, filled with tension, and said,

“… The Sect Leader is requesting your presence.”

“……”

Those words felt even scarier than an invitation to a slaughterhouse.

‘… This is bad.’

Tears might have fallen unintentionally.

With concern filling my mind, I arrived at the Sect Leader’s room. Contrary to my expectation of a tense atmosphere, what I encountered was utterly unexpected.

“I saw your spar. You did well.”

“… What?”

I approached, bracing for the worst scenario, only to find the Virtuous Moon Sword, surprisingly, praising the man who broiled his daughter’s face to a bloody pulp.