The path to Twilight Valley was long and treacherous.But the three steadily closed the distance.
As the sun dipped toward the horizon,they set up camp near the valley.Sparks danced above the fire, casting a gentle glow.
The wind was cold.The air around the valley carried a strange energy.Aknan stared blankly into the fire, lost in thought,a faint trace of magic circling his fingertips.
Then—
"You keep avoiding us.""But what lies within you is no different from us."
The familiar whisper returned.Aknan stiffened, closing his eyes.
'…Again, it's here.'
"Are you here to awaken us, or to suppress us?"
The voice drifted away, then came closer again,like a breeze brushing past his ear, shaking his thoughts.
He stood quietly and looked around.Lee Do-hyeon and Reyna were chatting beside the fire.Without a word, Aknan slipped away.
'I only want to know the truth.'
He walked toward the edge of the valley.Mist coiled between the dark rocks beneath the moonlight.
And there, the whisper grew clearer.
"Do you fear us?""Or are you seeking the power you once desired?"
Aknan clenched his jaw."I… won't be swayed by you."
But the whisper almost smiled in return.
"It's not us that wavers—it's you."
While Aknan was away,Lee Do-hyeon sat quietly, cleaning his sword.
The camp seemed calm,but a subtle tension clung to the air.
Then—
A strange vibration rippled through the atmosphere.And faintly—so faintly—a voice spoke.
"You want power."
Do-hyeon froze.There was no one around.
"I can give you power.""I have enough to spare."
The voice pierced into his mind.He took a deep breath and focused,circulating his naegong and mana.
The whisper began to fade.
But then—
"Is it your home you truly wish to return to?"
His hand trembled.
It was his deepest, most buried wish.
But he stood firm.
The flow of naegong steadied his mind.The whisper weakened, then vanished entirely.
He slowly opened his eyes.
"…Titan."
Whoever it was,one thing was certain—this was no mere whisper.It was a being trying to exploit his truest desire.
He gripped his sword tightly.
'I won't be someone's pawn.'
Aknan stood at the edge of the valley for a long timebefore returning to the camp.
His expression was calm as ever,but the shadows behind his eyes told another story.
Do-hyeon watched him in silence.Reyna, without a word, continued tending the fire.
Aknan smiled lightly."Just needed some fresh air."
But Do-hyeon said nothing,the whisper still echoing in his mind.
'Is Aknan hearing the same thing?'
He didn't ask.This wasn't the time to expose what lay beneath the surface.
The next morning,the three began their exploration of Twilight Valley in earnest.
Questions and unease still lingered.But they had no choice but to move forward.
They were searching for a dimensional rift.
But the real question was—
What would come out once it opened?
***
Chapter : The Twilight Valley – The Burning Golem
Deep within the Twilight Valley,Lee Do-hyeon, Reyna, and Aknan felt an unusual heat.
At the far end of the canyon,a massive shape loomed.
A towering figure.Blazing flames.A weight in the air, pressing down like a storm about to break.
It was a moving golem.
Its body was made of stone,but fire raged within it.This was no ordinary construct—it was a burning guardian,protector of Twilight Valley.
Boom…!Each step it took sent tremors through the ground.
Reyna narrowed her eyes."This isn't your average golem."
Do-hyeon tightened his grip on his sword."It's infused with powerful magic."
Suddenly, Aknan clutched his head.The whisper returned.
"Who are you…?""One who runs, or one who accepts?"
He clenched his teeth.
'Again…'
The voice tried to burrow into his mind.But this time, he was ready.
Before he could lose himself,he placed his hand on his lute.
As he strummed the strings,a clear melody spread across the campsite.
And in that moment—the whisper faded.
Do-hyeon and Reyna felt it too.
Their bodies lightened.Their energy surged.Their senses sharpened as if awakened.
Reyna looked surprised."This is…"
Do-hyeon swung his sword."My body moves like wind."
Aknan continued playing.As long as the melody endured,Titan's whisper had no hold.
And in that moment, he understood—his song was a shield against Titan's whisper.
He poured more strength into his playing."Alright… my role is clear now."
To support Do-hyeon and Reyna.To keep the whispers at bay.
The melody surged with power.
And then—the burning golem moved.
BOOM!It raised its massive arm.
Flames erupted around its fistas it swung toward Do-hyeon and Reyna.
Do-hyeon leaped sideways.Reyna dashed in the opposite direction.
KA-BOOM!The ground split apart.A wave of heat exploded,threatening to engulf them.
But—
"Ha! Now it's a real fight!"Aknan shouted as he strummed harder.
Energy burst from Do-hyeon and Reyna, visible to the naked eye.
Enhanced naegong.Amplified mana.And a fortified mind.
At that moment,Titan's whisper could do nothing.
Do-hyeon raised his swordand charged.
Reyna summoned five phantom blades—Chilgeommuu, the Seven-Sword Technique.
THUD!The flaming golem moved again.
The true battle had begun.
***
Chapter : The Battle Where Flames Never Die
Lee Do-hyeon and Reina's swords struck the blazing golem.A powerful blow split the creature's massive body.
CRACK—!Searing flames burst out as the golem's body shook violently.THUD!At last, the colossal golem fell to its knees.
But—
Sizzle…!The burning flames did not extinguish so easily.The golem's crimson eyes flared back to life as it slowly rose.
"So it's this tough, huh."Lee Do-hyeon tightened his grip on his sword.
Reina smirked."Good. Now the real fight begins."
The golem raised its arm.In that instant—
A wave of fire surged forth.
A massive inferno exploded, engulfing everything around it.
Lee Do-hyeon dove to the side, rolling through the air to dodge the flames.Meanwhile, Reina unleashed the Seven Sword Dance.Seven blades spun in the air like a graceful whirlwind.
With a single gesture, she commanded the swords,slicing through the waves of flame.
"My blades can even part fire."
Where her swords had passed,the fire was cleaved clean in two.
BOOM!With an explosive sound, the battle resumed.
The golem unleashed a relentless barrage.Lee Do-hyeon weaved through the gaps with agile movements,while Reina blended defense and offense through the flow of her swords.
Steel met flame.
Lee Do-hyeon bided his time.He activated the Aether Tracker and read the golem's movements.
The moment he deciphered its attack pattern—
Slash!
His sword flew straight toward the golem's core.
At the same time, Reina crossed her seven blades.Their synchronized strike generated an overwhelming force.
BOOM!
The enormous golem finally collapsed.Its red flames died down,and its form slowly crumbled to the ground.
However—
The ground suddenly shook.
Lee Do-hyeon and Reina leapt back in unison.And then, from the space the golem had occupied—
New figures emerged.
As the golem vanished completely,five smaller forms took its place.
Unlike the previous giant,these new golems were humanoid in scale.
But—
Flames still flickered across their bodies.
Reina frowned."Is this… division?"
Lee Do-hyeon analyzed swiftly."Destroy one, and five emerge."
These weren't mere chunks of rock.The golem's magic still lived.
The five new golemsrushed toward them all at once.
Lee Do-hyeon and Reina gripped their swords again.The battle wasn't over.
In fact, it was only just beginning.
**
Chapter : The Burning Guardians – Five Calamities
As the massive golem crumbled, five new figures appeared in its place—sleeker, more refined forms, each radiating powerful magical energy.
Lee Do-hyeon adjusted his stance."Split-type, huh."
Reina scanned the five golems carefully and murmured,"This isn't just a simple division. They have individual will."
The flames on their bodies began to shift in hue.Red. Blue. Black. White. And gold.
Aknan narrowed his eyes."These aren't ordinary fire golems… each has a different elemental attribute."
As he lightly strummed his lute,the whisper of Titan returned to him.
❝You think music can stop this...?❞
Aknan trembled,but he didn't stop playing.
"Damn it… these things aren't just golems. They carry shards of Titan himself."
Lee Do-hyeon lowered his posture, gripping his blade."This won't end with brute force alone."
Reina slowly raised her seven swords into the air."We'll need to read each one's traits and take them out one by one."
Aknan took a deep breath, continuing to play."I'll back you two up—just deal with them as quickly as you can."
The red flame golem moved.A massive fireball formed in its hand.
KRAKOOOM—!
In an instant, the battlefield turned into an inferno.
Lee Do-hyeon dashed through the flames, narrowly avoiding the heat.Reina summoned a shield with her swords.
"The blast radius is too wide!"
Lee Do-hyeon pushed forward with a leap,bringing his sword down on the red flame golem.
But—
CLANG!
The golem raised its arm, blocking the attack.Its skin, like hardened steel, deflected the blow.
Reina quickly assessed the other golems.They were beginning to move, each taking a distinct position.
"This isn't a simple fight. They're working together."
The blue flame golem vanished.And then—
WHOOSH!
It reappeared behind Lee Do-hyeon,its sharp hand slashing out swiftly.
BANG!
Lee Do-hyeon blocked just in time,but the blue flame golem dissolved like smokeand reappeared from another direction.
"It's way too fast."
Aknan muttered,"That one's like a phantom. You can't beat it head-on."
Reina spread her swords."Then we attack from all directions at once."
Her seven blades flew in multiple directions,encircling the blue flame golem.
And in a flash, they all struck simultaneously.
BANG!
The golem resisted fiercely,but Lee Do-hyeon took the opening and drove in his sword.
SHUNK—!
"One down."
But the next one was far trickier.The black flame golem stepped forward.
Even when Lee Do-hyeon and Reina struck with all their might—
BOOM!
It absorbed every hit.No matter how powerful the blow, it left no mark.
"This thing… is built for defense."
Reina clenched her teeth."Then we'll need one focused strike."
She gathered her seven swords into one point.Seven Sword Dance – Piercing Slash.
All the swords stabbed into a single target.But—
THUNK!
They bounced off.
Aknan shouted,"That one gains more defense the more it's hit! Don't attack carelessly!"
Lee Do-hyeon switched strategies immediately."Then we'll keep it from defending."
He darted around the golem, throwing off its balance without attacking,using continuous movement to disrupt its stance.
THUD!
The golem staggered.At that moment—
Reina's blade struck.
BANG!
Finally, the black flame golem fell.
All that remained was the golden flame golem.It hadn't attacked yet.
"A commander type?" Lee Do-hyeon narrowed his eyes.
Among the five, it held the most potent magical aura.It raised its hand, channeling power into the remaining golems.
"They're getting stronger!"
Reina gritted her teeth."Then we have to take this one out first."
She and Lee Do-hyeon charged together.
As their swords crossed with its flame—
The golden flame golem retaliated, bursting with blinding light.
BOOM!
The two were blown back by a powerful shockwave.
Lee Do-hyeon got back on his feet, gritting his teeth."This one's not going down easy."
But Reina smiled."That's what makes it fun."
Their final showdown had begun.