Mirel then became silent. Yoonhwan realized what she meant by the silence.

"You're saying that it will make me 15-year-old with more information."

Mirel smiled, "You are quick to understand. Right, that is what Rupture is doing. We are giving you 'ways' to fight against adults."

"And that is the 'unique world' from the Rupture?"

"We call it 'Sea of Blood, Mountain of Corpses'."

"That is a terrifying name."

"But it is fitting enough to fight against bad adults, right?"

She was right.

"Awakeners who receive a new unique world are mentally very weak. If you earn the 'Sea of Blood, Mountain of Corpses', however, it becomes a different story. You are still a 15-year-old, but a strong one at that. No adult will look down on you."

Yoonhwan became excited. He was going to receive the power to fight against Lords and Vicegerents. He'd receive the power to change the world. That's when Imai interrupted.

"Boring. So, what is the new method anyway?"

"I will show you now, so please don't interrupt."

"Hah, sure."

Soon, Mirel guided Yoonhwan and Seoyul to the small dome inside the lab. The dome's entrance closed and Seoyul looked at Yoonhwan with a concerned look. Mirel's voice came to them.

-Don't be afraid. Everyone within [Rupture] has gone through this.

The s.p.a.ce around them then distorted immediately. There were now millions of people on a large, swampy land. Yoonhwan had a sword in his hand. Was this an illusion? Or was it real?

-Now, fight.

With her voice as a signal, a fight broke out. Yoonhwan frantically dodged the sword that was swung at him. There were familiar faces around him. He remembered their names. Sakamoto, the Science Teacher, Hw.a.n.g Inchan the Swordpanic, Jay the Blacksmith… those were the members who fought through Tower of Nightmare with him before.

-Fight, until you kill them all.

Yoonhwan then realized where he was now. Kas.h.i.+m once told him that most of the members of Rupture were from what happened 700 years ago, when millions of people killed each other.

Screaming came from all sides as people killed each other. It was the repeat of what happened 700 years ago. This was worse than the Tower of Nightmares.

-If you become the last one standing, you will earn the [Sea of Blood, Mountain of Corpses] and become the strongest 15-year-old.

Yoonhwan remembered Mirel's smile as she pushed him into the dome. He felt a chill from the smile as he thought about it. He felt like crying.

He wanted to say that he didn't want this. He wanted to become strong, but did not want something like this. Yet in next moment, he felt a sharp pain in his back. Thick, warm liquid was flowing down his back. He turned and there was a face that he wanted to see.

"J-Jaehwan…"

The sword penetrated deeper and Yoonhwan moaned.

"Jaehwan…"

Yoonhwan realized this was an illusion. There was no way that his only friend would try to kill him. But he wasn't so sure at the same time. Was this an illusion?

-Don't worry. You will feel pain, but you won't die. If you die, everything will start again.

Even if it was an illusion, could he forget everything he did because it was just an illusion?

-Remember. You will leave this place until you are the last one standing.

Yoonhwan fell to his knee. He thought it wasn't important if this was an illusion. There was something more important. No matter what it was, if he killed Jaehwan right now, he'd be an entirely different being from before.

He would only earn the power to get revenge by killing a friend he cared about. That was the only truth he had.

Jaehwan went on to kill others as he thought he had finished off Yoonhwan. Yoonhwan looked over to Jaehwan's back. He stood and saw Jaehwan's back clearly.

It was the back he trusted. It was the back he followed for a long, long time. Many thoughts pa.s.sed by him. There were the memories of terror within the tower, and the fear of the future for being weak. Hatred toward his weak self. Despair and mourn… and the anger.

He clenched his sword as he walked forward.