Chapter 67: Memory! Truth-Seeking Moth!

Karn suddenly stood in a sea of bodies, the scent of gunpowder lingered heavily in the air. His body had returned to that of his 22 year old self. His skin was smooth, without a single wrinkle, and his muscles felt as though they had never known the passage of time.

Karn barely noticed his younger body. His eyes were fixed on the battlefield before him. Bodies were scattered across the muddy ground in every direction. Some wore military uniforms. Others were dressed in clothing Karn could no longer remember the names of.

Smoke drifted through the air, mixing with the metallic scent of blood. Karn slowly looked down at his hands.

They were clean for now, no blood or wounds.

“Koko…” His expression became complicated. He recognized the place, there were some memories a person could never truly forget.

“This is…” Karn’s voice trailed off. A gunshot suddenly rang through the battlefield.

Bang!

Karn’s body instinctively dropped. Another bullet tore through the air where his head had been moments before.

‘I’m not actually here.’ His expression changed.

Karn quickly realized he was in his memory. A memory from almost fifty years ago but unlike his usual memories, this one felt unnervingly real.

He could smell the smoke, feel the mud beneath his boots and hear the distant screams of the enemy and allies alike. Even the heat of the sun against his skin felt genuine.

Karn slowly rose and a young soldier stumbled out from behind a destroyed vehicle. His face was covered in dirt. His hands trembled as he held a rifle.

The moment their eyes met, the young soldier froze.

Karn stared at him and the soldier stared back.

For several seconds, neither moved. Then suddenly, the soldier raised his rifle. Karn’s body moved before his mind could.

He charged and the rifle in the young man’s hand fired.

Bang!

Pain exploded through Karn’s shoulder but he didn’t stop. He slammed into the soldier, knocking the rifle from his hands.

The push caused the two to crash onto the muddy ground. The soldier immediately reached for a knife strapped to his waist.

Karn saw the glint of steel and his hand caught the soldier’s wrist. The young man struggled desperately.

“Get off me!” The soldier spoke but Karn gritted his teeth holding the man’s wrist for dear life.

The soldier was strong, much stronger than Karn had expected. The knife slowly moved closer to his chest even though Karn pushed against the man’s wrist with everything he had.

Their faces were inches apart. The soldier’s eyes were filled with fear and so were Karn’s as well.

This wasn’t a martial arts match and there were no rules. No one would stop them if either went too far. Only one of them was going to leave this battlefield alive.

The knife continued inching toward Karn’s chest and his breathing became heavier. His grip began to slip.

‘If I don’t kill him… he will kill me.’ The blade touched his uniform. For the first time in his life, Karn understood what it truly meant to fight for his life.

Not to win or prove himself but to simply survive.

Karn’s eyes hardened. With a desperate burst of strength, he twisted the soldier’s wrist.

“AHH!” The soldier screamed and the knife fell from his hand. Before the soldier could react, Karn grabbed it and the young man’s expression changed.

“Wait-!”

Karn froze for a moment. For the briefest moment, he hesitated. Karn saw the frightened face of another human being.

Karn’s hand trembled. He had never killed anyone before. The soldier saw his hesitation and he lunged.

Karn’s eyes widened.

Thud.

The knife sank into the soldier’s chest.

Silence.

The young soldier stared at Karn. His mouth opened, but no words came out. He slowly released the knife and the soldier collapsed onto the mud.

Karn remained frozen and his hands began to tremble. He looked down at the blood spreading across his fingers.

“Koko…” His younger self stood there silently.

Instead of delving into the depths of darkness and fear, Karn’s face carried a grin.

Karn’s hand moved to his pumping heart. The beast became faster and faster until it rang out in his ear. A deep ecstasy rose within him in the heat of combat that required him to put his life on the line.

The memory faded, and Karn’s consciousness returned to the Dream Plane. He was once again standing beside the fireplace with Old Ghost Zhi.

“Ahh! How delicious.” Old Ghost Zhi licked his lips, relishing the memory.

“Koko…” Karn had been impacted by the memory as well as he tried to control the grin that was slowly forming.

“In all of the memories I have shared, that was the first time I’ve seen weapons and uniforms like that. Keke…” The Old Ghost chuckled.

“To think I could relive that moment once again.” Karn chuckled.

That was the first time Karn had fought for his life. It was also the moment he discovered how much he enjoyed it. The war had unlocked it and it had come back now. Thankfully, he lived in this new world now. He could fight to the death whenever he pleased.

“You got any other questions?” The Old Ghost licked his lips in interest.

Karn shook his head and started walking towards the forest that the Old Ghost pointed him towards before.

“Maybe later.” Karn spoke as he disappeared into the shrubbery.

“Youngsters these days, only asking one question. He will regret not asking them sooner.” The Old Ghost stared into the flame.

Karn continued walking through the dense shrubbery. The forest that Old Ghost Zhi had mentioned was still some distance away, but Karn’s pace was noticeably faster than before.

His hand remained against his chest.

Thump.

His heart was beating faster than usual.

Thump.

The sensation from the memory still lingered within him. The fear, the desperation and the moment his life had been placed on the edge of a knife.

And most importantly the exhilaration.

‘This old man’s hands are getting restless.’ Karn thought.

As Karn walked deeper into the forest, a massive white glow appeared beyond the tree line.