Chapter: 246
Crack.
The demon’s fangs sink into my shoulder.
Blood splatters everywhere, and my mind is about to reel, but I endure the pain and unleash a flame.
Blaze—
What a truly feeble flame it is.
It serves as a grim reminder of just how pathetic my level is, and the flickering flame tells me about my life.
A life no better than that of a bug.
An utterly useless existence.
That was the overwhelming summary.
Grrrr!
Demons keep pouring in.
Like waves in an endless sea.
Should I call it a knot of despair?
I’ve long since tossed aside any hope of survival.
[But this is a bit much.]
Looking at the hellish scene before me, I can’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
How could I expect to find hope in this situation?
I wonder how many miracles I need to survive.
A couple simply wouldn’t suffice.
[Haha.]
Is it too late to badmouth that crazy woman, Snow Phoenix?
Or when the Water Dragon called me insane, should I have just told him to take my place instead?
Or at the very least, perhaps I should’ve said something else when the Celestial Sword begged me with tears not to go.
All of this is just pointless thinking now.
Even if I could return to that moment,
I would have made the same choice, no doubt about it.
[Shitty life.]
It seems it’s finally coming to a close.
After living such a pointless existence, should I feel touched that I can at least lend a little help now?
Sadly,
I’m not that emotionally driven of a person.
So, there were none of those warm thoughts.
Roaaar!
Demons gather in one place and roar.
Can I stop them?
Of course not.
I’ve only managed to draw their attention to me.
Even that, I couldn’t pull off entirely.
Just a momentary distraction.
And even that might feel vital to them.
I burned my body.
Blaze.
The flames encompassing me were weak,
Yet they surpassed my own level.
In the face of the overwhelming onslaught, my Dantian was swiftly drained and squeezed dry.
[Ugh.]
With wounds all over my body and my Dantian crying out, pain engulfed me completely.
Yet still, the flames burn higher.
Consuming my body as fuel.
Pouring in my innate energy to burn even brighter.
It’s about burning my own life.
I’m going to die anyway, so what’s the point?
Might as well use it as fuel rather than let it go to waste.
[So this is what it feels like.]
As I burned my innate energy to increase the flames,
Ironically, I felt a sense of enlightenment dawning upon me.
How to control the flames.
And how to make them grow bigger.
To have such realizations at the brink of death.
[I really am just unlucky.]
Roaaar—!
Demons charged towards my flames.
Like moths drawn to fire.
If I had to pinpoint the difference,
[Ugh…!]
There were far too many moths, and the flames just weren’t large enough to handle them all.
Crack.
I felt my arm get bitten.
The flames surrounding me should be searing their mouths, yet the mindless demons didn’t care at all.
They only had eyes for the prey in front of them.
[Shit…!]
Blaze—!
I intensified the flames and incinerated the demon that was biting me.
Then, I drew a wall of fire in a circular motion.
Grrr!
Roaaar!
But there was no way a wall like this could stop these senseless beasts.
[…Sigh.]
Demons continue to spill out.
With me as the sole light source, those demons who spotted it began to gather closer, increasing in numbers.
Could I stop them?
[No.]
Rather than asking if I could stop them, it’s more appropriate to ask if I could hold out.
But even that was impossible.
The demons just kept pouring in, and my body wasn’t strong enough to cope with them.
Their claws pierced through my skin.
I could feel their fangs sinking into my collarbone.
The excruciating pain was overwhelming, but annoyingly enough, my life didn’t come to an end that easily.
So, I burned even brighter.
Just to hold onto these beasts for a little longer.
[Retarded bastard.]
In this situation, to think I’d still try to do something more.
If I wanted to do this, I should have just tried harder back when I had the chance.
Then, I might’ve had a life that wasn’t this pitiful.
Am I realizing this only now, because I’m about to die?
No, I probably already knew.
I just chose to look away.
The thought that I wouldn’t succeed even if I tried hard is what drove me to flee.
So here I am, regretting my choices.
Then suddenly, a shadow looms in front of my eyes.
A demon steps forward with its mouth wide open.
It seemed to be considering ripping my head off in one bite.
My body was already battered beyond repair, and with all the blood I’d lost, I likely wouldn’t have a chance to survive.
I closed my eyes beneath that shadow.
I couldn’t do anything more at this point.
I think I’ve done well just to last this long.
Even my worthless life is about to come to an end.
Could I possibly feel a sense of comfort after death?
That thought crossed my mind in my last moments.
But then.
Drip.
I felt something fall on my nose.
[…?]
It had only been a brief moment with my eyes closed, but it was enough time for me to die.
Yet, I still retained my consciousness.
Or maybe I just couldn’t tell that I was dead?
I slowly opened my eyes.
[…Ugh!]
I almost shivered upon seeing the scene before me.
The demon stood frozen with its mouth still agape; the drool from its mouth dripped onto my nose.
[What the?]
It was only moments after I started to question that the demons, which had aimed to devour me, began to close their jaws and retreat. The fangs and claws that had been embedded in me also began to withdraw.
[Ugh…!]
I felt pain as they separated, but that wasn’t what mattered.
[…My wounds are healing?]
All the lethal injuries that had me convinced I was about to die began to knit themselves together in an instant.
The blood pooled around me disappeared, and my torn body returned to its original state in a manner I couldn’t explain.
[…What is… happening?]
As I struggled to grasp what was going on,
Grrrr…
[…!]
The demons surrounding me gradually pulled back.
One step, then another.
Those demons that had been slowly backing off suddenly began to lower their heads one by one.
[What the hell, what’s going on?]
These brainless beasts were lowering their heads to me?
Is this a dream?
Unless this is a dream I’m having after death, there’s no understanding this scene.
I was so taken aback, I reflexively took a step back too.
Tap.
Then, my back hit what felt like a wall, halting my movement.
Knowing I was on an empty plain, there shouldn’t be anything behind me.
When I frantically turned around to check, thinking it might be a demon,
[…!]
Be it my injuries healing instantly or the countless demons bowing their heads to me, those matters lost their significance.
Because a far bigger problem stood directly before my eyes.
[What is this… a tree?]
It wasn’t a wall that I had bumped into.
It was a gigantic tree.
Its size was so enormous I couldn’t even gauge its height, and its branches were massive enough to shade the very sky.
Yet, due to the absence of any leaves, I could only guess it was a dead tree.
But the real issue was how such a tree could just materialize out of nowhere.
[…Just how?]
It made no sense that no one had noticed this tree given its size, and indeed, it was absurd that none of the young prodigies had found it.
Where could a tree like this have come from?
With my head spinning from the bizarre circumstances popping up everywhere,
-Found it.
I heard a voice whisper near my ear.
[Who is it?!]
Startled by the sudden voice, I scanned my surroundings, but no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t spot any being that could talk.
-So you finally came.
Regardless of my reactions, the voice continued.
-The sacrifice to continue this long and arduous cycle.
Having searched for what felt like an eternity, I lifted my gaze to the towering tree.
I knew it to be impossible, yet my eyes found their way there.
[…Could it be…]
The one talking to me might be.
This tree?
-Nice to meet you.
Its greeting was incredibly gentle, but the profound presence it emanated made me feel nauseous.
My Dantian quivered, and I felt shivers rippling through my body.
-I am the Fifth World Tree of this False Land.
As the voice continued, I sensed my consciousness threading into a hazy abyss.
My weak vessel struggled against the resonance of the tree’s voice, gradually beginning to splinter.
-They call me Muah.
The moment I learned the tree’s name, I felt as if my very form was melting.
Then I sensed the roots of the tree spiraling around me, which had materialized from nowhere, shaking like crazy.
This meeting, born from the hellish experience, would mark the point at which I was destined to eliminate all the other young prodigies, and it would eventually lead to the Heavenly Demon taking an interest in me.
The seed of the Giant Tree.
Perhaps it was because of that memory,
That beast’s claim of the seed of the Giant Tree caused it to spring to my mind unbidden.
My recollection of that day was hazy, as if ensconced in fog.
It seemed to suggest I think of it as a dream, yet despite my attempts, I couldn’t.
I knew too well it wasn’t a dream.
“…What is that?”
The bastard quieted down at my inquiry, but I had no plans to wait in silence.
When I extended my hand toward the marble…
[Wo…rld!]
The bastard rushed to reply.
It sounded as if it was straining to talk, its voice punctuated by ragged breaths, but I was not about to care about such trivialities.
“World? What kind of world? Explain it clearly.”
[…Seed is… seed… Tree… is world.]
“For god’s sake. Do you really think that’s an explanation? Do you want to die?”
I knew it could barely manage coherent speech, yet I couldn’t help but feel furious at the horrible explanation.
I was on the verge of snatching the marble when the beast spoke again.
[…If the tree… grows… it ends.]
…
I had to forcibly halt my hand after hearing those chilling words.
What the hell was that terrifying assertion?
“This is a seed, and if the tree grows, it ends?”
[Grr.]
“This world? If not, what else ends?”
[Grr…]
“Quit with the growling and just tell me what the hell you mean, you bastard!”
No matter what it suggested by the ‘end’,
“…But why is such a terrifying thing located here?”
That was the part that puzzled me most.
If the bastards’ words held merit, then this was indeed a world-threatening item, yet it was sitting here so carelessly.
[Grr?]
The beast reacted as if unsure how to answer that.
“I’m about to go insane.”
Whether the bastard’s words were truth or fiction, I couldn’t believe that a marble brought here by the ancestors would be so dangerously terrifying.
“And what does it mean by exploding if I touch it?”
[…Impossible… to handle.]
“Yeah, but I still don’t get what’s impossible about it — wait a second, are you saying you’d absorb it if I touched it?”
[…]
“Then it’s your problem, not mine!”
Isn’t it as simple as avoiding eating it if it’s dangerous?
“What a crazy bastard you are. You’ve ruined my life because you’ve sucked everything in sight.”
[…Grrr…]
The beast howled out in frustration, as if feeling wronged, but wasn’t I right?
Because of the beast’s insatiable hunger, I was the one left struggling.
“I’m about to lose it, seriously.”
I rubbed my throbbing forehead, wondering what the ancestors of the clan were thinking.
How did they even come by this item, and why did they leave it here?
“…Does Father know about this?”
I had no clue that this marble hid such secrets.
I assumed there was a reasonable explanation for the periodic checks.
But if what I just heard was true, I wondered if father actually knew.
I doubt he does…
The reason it explodes when I touch it might have been due to its immense energy overwhelming my ability to handle it.
It could mean that the marble would explode, planting its seed in the world.
The Giant Tree, huh.
Thoughts of the tree I met in the past surfaced.
-Would you like to form a contract?
That passable tree, which presented me only one option while feigning a choice.
I didn’t want to see it again.
…But I have to go back.
I’d have to find a way to return to the abyss I once fell into in my previous life.
That abyss held secrets.
How long did I spend tumbling in there?
At least a decade.
I spent countless years in that abyss, and even though many perished there, some had managed to survive a long time.
The Water Dragon was one, Snow Phoenix was another face, and even Heavenly Sword remained alive.
Those who, while once barely twenty years old, were now above thirty with the relentless passage of time.
That was simply the passage of time.
…What a crappy world this is.
When they returned to the real world, astonishingly, only ten days had elapsed in reality since they had fallen into the abyss, and those young prodigies who had perished there also came back alive.
They reappeared in the real world just as they had been before descending, as if no time had passed in the Abyss.
What’s worse is that the most crucial aspect was that nobody remembered what had happened in there.
Those who had died for others.
Those who had betrayed their comrades to live.
Those who screamed in agony begging for their lives.
Those who professed affection to each other.
No one recalled their experiences in the Abyss.
Except for me.
Finally, I was able to grasp what that bastard meant.
The false world.
Both time and the world twisted and crumbled apart.
The Abyss was indeed such a place.
And soon, I had thoughts of making my way back to that location.
[Grrr… Grr.]
The beast, who was in the midst of all this, started writhing in apparent distress.
While it had been odd for a while since it began answering my queries, but this was the first time I had seen it react this way for something other than hunger.
What could possibly be the issue?
Can’t I ask any more questions?
So, plainly put, I was forbidden to touch the marble.
I was tempted to push it out of spite, but I couldn’t risk it if what the beast said held any truth.
Truth be told, that urge to seize the marble still lingered within me.
This impulsive feeling is a problem.
The marble almost seemed to beckon to me.
Regardless of its truthfulness, I felt I should escape this dreadful sensation at the earliest.
Yet I wonder if I could simply leave it here unguarded?
Regardless of how dangerous it might be, could I actually leave the marble unattended in this manner?
Given the barrier surrounding it, fighting against it might not even be an option.
…Maybe I should casually mention this to Father.
It is an item from the ancestors.
No matter how reckless I might have been, if I tampered with this without permission,
I could easily find myself on the receiving end of some heavy-handed punishment from Father.
“It’s still tough for me to stand up to my dad…”
Would it be possible even in the future?
After gazing thoughtfully at the marble for a while,
Splash—!
I swiftly turned and leaped outside.
“I won’t let you off the hook like this.”
[Grr…]
“So you better give me a proper explanation later.”
[…]
The creature was retreating like a spooked cat, but I had no intentions of allowing this to slide so easily.
I get that the world is vast.
But all the hidden secrets are staggeringly immense.
The upheaval in my head felt like it could explode any moment due to everything surfacing.
As I rubbed my aching head, I headed toward Moyong Hi-ah, who should have been waiting outside.
We needed to return to camp before it got too late.
As I emerged from the forest, I spotted Moyong Hi-ah, maintaining her stiff pose, turning her gaze as soon as she sensed my presence.
The moment our eyes met, she stepped toward me.
“Did you finish your business?”
“…Uh, um, yeah.”
Did I really?
No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t feel that way.
Perhaps she noticed my hesitation as Moyong Hi-ah’s expression shifted slightly, but she refrained from probing further.
She probably understood I wouldn’t respond.
…She really has keen senses.
Letting out a quiet sigh, I began to move.
“Young Master Gu.”
Moyong Hi-ah called out to me briefly.
“What?”
Feeling curious as to her intent, I observed as she extended her hand toward me.
I frowned slightly at her delicate white hand.
“What’s this…”
“Can we hold hands?”
“What?”
Glancing at Moyong Hi-ah, not quite believing what I just heard, I saw her looking at me with an unchanging expression.
What now?
Noticing my astonished eyes, Moyong Hi-ah slowly withdrew her hand.
“I suppose it’s not the right time.”
“…What are you doing now?”
“It’s alright. We have plenty of time.”
With no regrets, Moyong Hi-ah stepped past me and began heading down the path.
“…What…? What was that about?”
Moyong Hi-ah’s sudden odd behavior made me completely forget about the earlier marble incident.
As I looked at her, I caught sight of her ears turning red.
It seems she’s embarrassed too.
But then… what was that all about?
Could it be…
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
Was she trying to comfort me because I appeared conflicted?
There’s no way.
It’s Moyong Hi-ah!
“…No way.”
I thought to dismiss the notion, yet considering the conversation I had previously held with her, I couldn’t help but see that the current Moyong Hi-ah seemed significantly different compared to her from my past life, much like the Demon Sword.
Is that a good thing?
I couldn’t know for sure.
However, it likely wasn’t a bad thing.
I watched Moyong Hi-ah strolling ahead of me and decided to follow in her footsteps.
By the time we reached the camp, the sun was starting to rise,
“…Where… did you two… go?”
Namgung Bi-ah was waiting for me, her eyes sharp as needles.
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