SAFBIAN Ch 152

Chapter 152

“Ugh!”

Yungak staggered briefly and lowered his body. His eyes gleamed fiercely. He seemed to realize that Haban had changed direction despite being able to sever his right arm.

“Damn it! Don’t underestimate me!”

Yungak launched a fierce counterattack.

Screech!

The sharp trajectory aimed at Haban’s heart was easily dodged with a slight twist of his body.

Realizing the blade missed, Yungak swung again, but could not catch Haban, who had already moved away.

“Don’t run!”

Grinding his teeth fiercely, Yungak shouted as Haban’s sword lunged at his exposed neck.

“Ugh!”

Surprised by the sudden counter, Yungak gasped, raising his chin. Immediately, a sharp blade swept up in front of his eyes.

He felt a bright red slash across his cheek, and a drop of blood fell onto his collar.

“Grrk!”

Yungak stepped back, wiping the blood. Haban waited for him to regain his stance, sword at the ready.

‘Such an insignificant brat.’

A harsh expression settled on Haban’s face.

As time passed, small scratches appeared on Yungak’s body.

The lack of deep cuts or stabs was purposeful. His clothes were tattered and soaked with blood dripping through. Despite desperately thrusting his sword, Haban effortlessly blocked every strike.

Ching!

With one swift push, Haban shoved Yungak and kicked him hard in the abdomen.

“Ugh.”

Groaning, Yungak rolled sideways and quickly stood up. Without hesitation, Haban stabbed his sword into the spot Yungak had been standing, then pulled it back and turned.

“Argh!”

Half-maddened Yungak swung his sword horizontally, but the forceful block sent him stumbling and bouncing.

Though Haban could end it quickly, he waited until Yungak rose with a miserable expression.

No matter how hard he struggled, he never even came close to cutting Haban’s sleeve. Yet, the moments when Yungak’s blade came dangerously close left burning wounds spread over his body afterward.

“That worthless beast…”

Agitated, Yungak spoke of the white fox again, prompting a flash of blue light beyond Haban’s eyes.

“Shut that filthy mouth.”

Without giving Yungak a chance to reply, Haban surged forward with a flurry of attacks.

‘He’s going to die if this continues.’

Chunks of flesh flew in seconds, and blood clouded Haban’s vision.

Cold sweat dripped down Yungak’s back. His spine tingled as dread filled him. Instinctively, he searched for a way to survive.

‘Run.’

He had not come all this way to die like a beaten dog.

Yungak charged to stab Haban, eyes flashing, looking for an escape route.

“Ahhh!”

Haban stepped back once, then deeply stabbed his sword into Yungak’s thigh as he tried to use deception and bypass him. He had no intention of giving any chance to flee.

‘Struggle to live. I will continue until you want to die yourself.’

“Die! Just die!”

By now, Yungak wildly swung his sword as Iyeok failed to appear despite expected.

‘Why!’

Did he flee alone?

Impossible! He had never betrayed me!

“Ugh!”

Instead of stabbing blind Haban, Yungak cut his master’s palm. Exhausted, Yungak flailed until Haban’s force pushed him sprawling.

Had Haban mocked him, Yungak might have laughed, saying he was no better underneath. But Haban remained silent and met him with his sword alone.

“Don’t act so proud in front of me!”

Why can’t I become emperor? What makes me different from Haban? We are born of the same imperial bloodline!

But when Yungak learned he was the bloodline of Yeon, he felt an inviolable boundary was drawn.

“Ahhh!”

Imperial soldiers surrounded them tightly.

This was where Yungak would die.

In a deep forest where few wandered, his rotting corpse would lie undiscovered, flesh becoming fertilizer and finally serving a purpose.

The sickening stench of blood filled the air.

Iyeok gazed long at the unrecognizable lump of flesh before covering it again with dirt.

Wonwoo, barely escaped, hid in the village. It was a mere moment’s difference.

Creak.

Startled by the sound of an old door opening, Wonwoo tensed.

Iyeok entered quickly.

“Your hands are covered in dirt. What have you been doing?”

Wonwoo grumbled, but Iyeok, who had coldly eyed him even before Yungak’s presence, passed by silently to lean against the shed.

Damn that bastard.

Wonwoo muttered to himself.

‘That looks like blood.’

Red stains dotted his dirt-covered palms, and his sharp sense detected the smell of blood.

He had come looking for Yungak—but as Yungak was alone, he must have failed or died.

Indifferent to the miserable human, Wonwoo pondered what to do next.

He had found Dori. Just knowing his mate nearby made his head pound and body swell with energy.

He longed to taste that flesh, to merge bodies and complete the half-mark to claim Dori as his.

“…You.”

His thoughts shattered like smoke by Iyeok’s voice cutting through the silence.

“Why?”

Wonwoo tilted his head coldly.

Was this some kind of good opportunity?

Although he distrusted humans and wanted to ignore him, he needed to cooperate to take Dori out.

“I suppose you can shoot a bow well.”

“…Yes.”

Iyeok, who had dismissed him as a beast and fox, now stared at Wonwoo with wild eyes. He seemed insane.

“The emperor must die.”

“But Dori comes first.”

“If the emperor lives, you will never have him. That fox is in the emperor’s hands.”

“…”

At those words, Wonwoo’s pupils slit vertically.

Riri remained energetic. Watching her dart quickly inside the box, Dori nodded with resolve.

“Thank you.”

Taking the box, Jipyeong hurried out. They had delayed to say goodbyes while Dori lingered.

Dori approached Haban with a wistful look. Haban ruffled his hair with a large hand.

“What makes you so sad? We will meet again in the palace anyway.”

“Just… even so.”

“Your Majesty, we are ready.”

Lady Jang announced from outside the door.

“Let’s go then.”

Haban led Dori, who now clutched the jewelry box tightly with one arm.

Inside was a letter. He hoped the belongings would be passed on properly after he died. Though this alone could not express his gratitude.

Stepping barefoot into the yard, Dori saw the box briefly set down by Jipyeong. Riri stretched her neck, flapped her feathered wings, seeming ready to escape soon.

“No.”

Dori covered the box with a wooden board to keep Riri from escaping. A breathing hole allowed the chick’s beak to poke in and out repeatedly.

That troublemaker. Who could he possibly be like?

Dori watched Jipyeong pick up the box again and slowly surveyed the house.

The house still remained in autumn.

In the novel, Dori died in the cold of winter. The yard was frozen solid, and the branches dry and barren.

That was why Haban, risking the danger of Dori regaining memories, decided to leave this house and return to the palace. Dori must have wanted to return before the day of his death came.

Recalling the original story, Dori slowly walked a lap in place.

‘So if my memory is correct…’

In the end, Haban who came to capture ‘Dori.’ When ‘Dori’ in the yard recognized him late and tried to step back, men dressed in black appeared.

It was no problem for the imperial soldiers to fight them, but the arrows were a problem. Arrows fired from afar made movement difficult.

And just as the most dangerous arrow flew toward Haban, ‘Dori’ jumped in and was struck instead, collapsing and dying.

‘When Dori dies, the story ends on a cliffhanger.’

‘I will wake in reality as soon as I die.’

In the cold, lonely room.

The possession ends with the novel’s ending, so I should read the epilogue after returning. I worried what would happen to Haban left alone.

‘…Here it was, huh?’

Dori looked up at the sky in the yard’s center.

High and blue. The original Dori died on a winter’s day, but it was described as clear as autumn.

The scene the glow showed him in the dream was just that. Standing silently in this house as seasons reversed from winter to autumn. Dori’s death day had changed to autumn.

Then, this must be the day.

“Shall we go now?”

Haban held out his hand.

The wagon loaded with supplies began to move slowly. Originally, the emperor’s carriage would lead, the wagon following behind, but worried about Dori who had just awoken from a long sleep, Haban ignored formalities. Guards each led a horse, waiting where the wagon had left.

“Hurry.”

Haban urged.

Dori took Haban’s hand, stepping heavily as if the yard were muddy.

‘…I’m scared.’

The glow last told him the only way to avoid death was for Haban to be hit by the arrow instead, just as in the original.

In other words, he had to choose death himself.