Episode 76: Facing Myself
White space.
Endless white.
A world where nothing existed.
Jinwoo exhaled slowly.
Moments ago.
He had been watching war.
Burning ships.
Collapsing defenses.
The black fleet.
But now.
Nothing remained.
No.
One thing did.
Someone.
Standing before Jinwoo.
A familiar face.
Familiar eyes.
Familiar expression.
Jinwoo himself.
Jinwoo frowned.
“…What is this.”
“Why are there two of me.”
The other did not answer.
Only stared quietly.
It felt uncomfortable.
Then—
From far away, Darin’s scream echoed.
“Who the hell are you!”
As Jinwoo turned,
the white space split apart.
And their figures disappeared.
Each one.
Their own space.
Their own opponent.
Their own battle.
Arena’s voice resounded.
“Warrior Project.”
“Phase Two.”
“Self Synchronization.”
“Traditional martial data
will now synchronize
with the mind.”
Jinwoo clutched his head.
Bow.
Wind.
Target.
Thousands of shots.
Tens of thousands of strings drawn.
Memories he had never seen
flowed into him.
“Ugh…”
It was not pain.
But it was strange.
Unknown skills.
Yet familiar.
As if he had always known them.
Then—
The other Jinwoo spoke.
“Why do you hold the bow?”
Jinwoo faltered.
“What?”
“Why suddenly ask that…”
The other Jinwoo.
“Do you want to fight?”
Jinwoo could not answer.
He had never thought about it.
He had not wanted to learn archery.
He had not wanted to be a warrior.
He only wanted to survive.
To protect others.
Then—
The other Jinwoo said.
“Lies.”
“You’re afraid.”
Jinwoo’s eyes trembled.
The other continued.
“Afraid to fail.”
“Afraid to disappoint.”
“Afraid you cannot prove
why you were chosen.”
Jinwoo clenched his teeth.
“No.”
“Yes.”
The other stepped closer.
“You’ve always hesitated.”
At that moment,
the trembling of the bowstring
filled his mind.
His hand shook.
The target blurred.
Anxiety.
Fear.
Hesitation.
The archery data began to falter.
[Archery Sync Rate: 17%]
[Synchronization Unstable]
Jinwoo looked up in shock.
“What?”
The other Jinwoo spoke.
“If you cannot accept yourself…
that bow will never be yours.”
Far away, Hanul’s voice rang.
“Damn it!
This isn’t who I am!”
Darin.
“Shut up!
You’re me too!”
Soyeon.
“…Yes.
That was me.”
Each space.
Each battle.
Each truth.
Arena’s voice returned.
“Skills can be given.”
A pause.
“But a warrior cannot be given.”
The white space grew still.
“A warrior must be completed
by oneself.”
Jinwoo stared at himself.
And for the first time,
he understood.
This battle
was not about learning martial arts.
It was about
accepting himself.