Every time I died, I always received a painful one. But this one wasn't painful at all.
It was an instant death. A death given by Anna's Contracter, A Great Writer who granted Anna the skill of infinite lives and began her journey as the main protagonist of a dream whose end couldn't be seen in the books, An Endless Dream.
But was this contractor of Anna actually stronger than my contractor, Void?
The answer is pretty simple that even I don't need to explain it. The one who reigns over this dream is the strongest. The one who knows the end of this dream is the strongest. And that is none other than…
***
The spikes that were shot to pierce my body had now turned to dust, leaving nothing but blood. I staggered a bit before properly standing on the ground; my gaze was on the blood I had lost.
Then it shifted to the message written on the floating screen.
[The Void has prevented your death!]
[The Void has rejected the death penalty imposed by Anna's contractor!]
[Anna's contractor is enraged due to Void's interference!]
[Anna's contractor has noticed your link with Void!]
An evil smirk formed over my lips as I read the messages. I had won. I won against a great writer by using my Contractor. I clenched my fists in excitement as I looked up at the stars, basically at the point where this great writer was sitting.
I couldn't see him, but I knew he was there because I knew what his position was in the night sky.
The brightest star in the night sky, the star from where he was looking down at me. The star also known as Sirius.
[Anna's contractor is looking at you.]
With a small smile, I shifted my gaze to the main protagonist standing in front of me. Her trembling eyes resembled how astonished she was.
"Yo"
"…how?"
My eyebrow twitched a bit, and I opened my mouth, trying to show myself clueless, "What?"
The dreamers who were trying to attack us were now standing still, looking at the sight that just unfolded in front of them. They knew that they couldn't underestimate me. They knew that this man standing unfazed is someone they can never dare to kill.
[The Void is side-eyeing you.]
[The Void- I never thought something like this was possible.]
[Kang Hong- Just keep helping me.]
"… that's how you survived the dungeon?"
I nodded my head and shifted my gaze to the open jaws of the dreamers. I smirked and started taking heavy steps towards them. My cloak danced with the breeze, and I unsheathed the Soul Breaker.
[Fire Element Lvl.1 has been activated.]
Flames engulfed my Soul Breaker, creating a beautiful spectacle of a sword and flames. I tightened the grip on the sword and swung it lightly in the air.
Flames moved with the sword, leaving small sparks that made the dreamers gasp in astonishment. One of them took out their pistol and pointed it at my head.
"… Don't move!"
Anna tightened the grip of her sword and tried to move forward, but before she did—
"Anna, don't move!"
Anna's frustrated gaze shifted to me; she didn't say a word, but her frustrated eyes said everything. They were asking why I was stopping her.
"…I can't die more than once!"
"…it's not like I'll die every single time."
"Don't joke… you don't have any other skills."
"Tsk."
I could feel why Anna was frustrated; for her, I was in the way of her battle. But, for me, it was a moment where I needed to become stronger in order to complete Dreamer's Delusion #1.
A small smirk formed over the Dreamer's lips. He had thought that he had won. He shouted while looking at his companions, "You guys heard him! He'll die for sure this time!"
But his words barely changed anything. The looks on his companions' faces were still stiff and unsure about his words. In simple words, they couldn't gather the courage to accept his words.
I tightened the grip of my flaming soul breaker and pointed it at the hesitant Dreamers. A small breeze engulfed the area, and the flames blew aggressively from the sword. As the Dreamer's expression became more stiff, I broke my silence while a smirk formed over my face.
"… what are you doubting? Of course I'll die..."
The Dreamer's expression lightened a bit, and he lowered his gun, then looked at his companion in relaxation.
"See? We just need to attack him together."
***
As those words continued, the Dreamer shifted his gaze in front of him to look at Kang Hong.
But something wasn't like how it was supposed to be. Kang Hong was now dashing towards the dreamer, reducing the distance between them.
20..10..5.
The distance between them shortened in a short amount of time, which barely gave the dreamer time to point his gun at the running body. But still he started raising it, his expression resembling fear and recklessness. The recklessness of shifting his gaze from Kang Hong to his companions.
Before he was able to properly aim at Kang Hong, his right wrist got sliced with flames, and Kang Hong got past him.
His burning wrist fell on the ground, leaving burning marks on his remaining arm. Surprisingly, only his wrist caught the fire, not his whole arm.
The Dreamer's eyes trembled at his burning wrist. He gritted his teeth in pain and frustration. But he didn't scream nor cry in pain.
That was the resisting power of a former soldier who devoted their life to the country. He clenched his left fist and picked up the gun, then looked back at Kang Hong while screaming.
"You bastard!!"
But before he was able to look back at Kang Hong's eyes, his gaze tilted drastically, and he found his gaze at the night sky.
He wondered what happened. Wasn't he standing? How'd he fall on the ground? Why can't he feel the rest of my body? Just what in the world happened?
He couldn't feel his hand, nor his legs or any part of his body. It was like his whole body had gone silent.
His vision started getting blurry; soon his irises lost their shine, and he stopped hearing or feeling anything.
He had met his end.
***
The Dreamer's head rolled on the ground. His body was engulfed in the flames, leaving nothing but ashes behind.
I watched the sight unfold right before my eyes. I stood unfazed; my grip over the sword still hadn't lessened.
My gaze tilted towards my sword.
I might doubt my victory against monster species, but there's something I can say without any doubt…
I looked back at the dreamers.
…that victory is mine when it comes to dreamers.
My stats had increased so much that I could easily fight against humans and still win. I wasn't weak but the strongest when it comes to human strength.
The dreamers gasped at my gaze and took some steps back.
[Fire Element Lvl. 1 has been deactivated.]
The flames engulfing Soul Breaker vanished with small sparks, and I closely observed the condition of the sword.
Back in the dungeon, I had Flame Reaper with me, which I wasn't able to find anywhere. Soul Breaker isn't as strong as Flame Reaper, but when Soul Reaper meets flames, it turns into "Soul Excursion."
[Soul Breaker's evolution is near!]
[You've used 20% of your magic power!]
I shifted my gaze over to Anna, who had her jaw open by seeing my strength. She noticed my gaze and nodded like she understood what I was trying to say here.
I nodded back, and then both of our gazes shifted to the remaining dreamers. Anna pointed her sword at them and then dashed towards them while I followed her steps.
The Dreamers hurriedly took some steps back while trying to pull out the guns that were on their hips. But there wasn't enough time for them to pull their guns out.
Anna chopped the hand of a dreamer to distract his attention. He shifted his gaze over to his hand while not noticing who was dashing towards him.
I sliced his head off his neck and engulfed the rest of his body in flames. I quickly shifted my gaze to the other targets in front of me. Anna had already sliced their hands, legs, or heads.
I quickly ran and sliced off their heads; a lot of screams were heard, and blood drenched the whole ground red. Blood was dripping down from my tattered cloak.
I wiped the blood on my cheeks as I saw the last three dreamers running away from me and Anna, screaming for help.
I took a running stance, but before I was able to run, Anna stopped me by slapping lightly on my shoulder.
"Wait."
I looked at her with a confused expression. She shifted her gaze from me to The Running Dreamers.
"…they won't survive."
…won't survive? What does she mean?
I didn't question it but instead sheathed my sword and looked over to the dreamers. Their images were slowly, slowly dimming, so they ran. Anna noticed my silence and opened her mouth.
"Someone is coming."
"…who?"
Anna's expression was stiff and confused. She couldn't believe her eyes and watched the floating screen in front of her constantly while blinking several times.
She gasped out in surprise, "… How'd he survive?"
I was astonished by her gasp and shifted my gaze over to the dreamers, whose running bodies couldn't be seen anymore.
What could only be seen now was blood showering down from their necks, while their heads rolled onto the ground.
Until, the foot of a certain someone could be seen over the head.
***
Kim Jeong floated in the sky while yawning out of boredom. He was bored of this side quest.
"Making dreamers fight each other is ridiculous and boring."
That was true. No one in the endless dream enjoyed watching dreamers killing each other. It was the most boring thing to ever see in the Endless Dream.
Kim Jeong yawned more and turned his screen on to look at the fights going on between the dreamers. His eyes sometimes closed and then suddenly opened to wake him up.
He was getting more sleepy as he watched the Dreamers fight. He truly doesn't enjoy fights like these.
His eyebrow twitched a bit as he switched the screen to a fight of two Dreamers, which he knew pretty well.
Anna and Kang Hong could be seen in the floating screen; a smirk formed over Kim Jeong's lips. He got out of his resting position and started turning to papers as he muttered.
"…this is getting fun."
***
My jaw dropped lower while I stood still, not knowing how to react to the current situation.
Meanwhile, Anna's eyes and hands trembled with shock; small amounts of tears formed under her eyes. She couldn't believe that this was actually happening.
Someone whom Anna had lost in a dungeon was now standing right before her eyes, covered with blood.
Anna started taking some heavy steps as she walked towards the lost party member. I couldn't follow her or ask why she was so surprised. I could only watch this scene unfold by being a complete extra. I wasn't needed here; I could only form a light smile and look at the person standing in front of me.
Blood dripped down from his sword to the ground, and he stood still while looking at Anna, who was coming towards him.
I didn't know what happened with him, but I could understand what Anna had felt in his absence. Only this much understanding was enough to bring tears from my eyes.
I wiped the tears while smiling happily, and Anna started running towards Hyunwoo. Tears dropped from her eyes. She had missed him. She was alone without him. This was a person she was going to fall in love with.
And just with that thought, Anna hugged Hyunwoo tightly, which made him take some steps back.
Anna looked up to him and opened her mouth with tears, "Welcome back, Hyu…"
[Skill "Infinite Lives Lvl.??? Has been forcefully activated!]
A sword pierced through Anna's stomach, and blood sprayed out of it. My eyes widened with shock at the sight, and the happy grin over my face vanished like nothing special had actually happened.
Anna tried grabbing onto Hyunwoo's shoulder, but she fell on her knees before she could get a proper hold on it. She coughed blood while her eyes trembled. Her gaze was locked on her shaking hands. She couldn't accept the fact that she was just stabbed by her own comrade.
I watched Anna's miserable expression and wanted to take my steps forward to hug her from the back tightly and provide her support in this. I wanted to tell her that she wasn't alone and I am here to stand with her.
But I couldn't take those few steps; it felt like my feet had become part of a stone monument.
I clenched my fists in frustration and kept continuing my role as a mere extra in this endless dream. I wasn't a part of this episode; I was just a mere extra watching the whole episode unfold right before my eyes.
The only thing I had to do was to continue my gaze over the reunion of the side protagonist and the main protagonist. I wasn't required at this reunion. But was the reunion still the reunion we were looking at?
It wasn't.
So was there any requirement for me to continue my gaze over this reunion?
There wasn't.
Can this still be called a reunion?
…No
Then why am I still acting as an extra?
***
I unsheathed my Soul Breaker and walked towards the side and main protagonist of the story. To provide help for the main protagonist and eliminate the side protagonist.