Chapter: 901
I couldn’t say anything.
The wind that flowed in brushed past Shin Noya and headed towards me.
The scent of plum blossoms carried by the wind was fragrant, yet somehow carried a touch of sadness.
It’s empty. And it’s cold.
I simply widened my eyes and stared at Noya.
I couldn’t utter a single word while trying to comprehend what I had just heard.
‘The demons that leap out from the Magic Gate…’
Are beings of the world that vanished upon the arrival of a new master? My head felt dizzy with this unheard information.
When the master of a world disappears and a new master emerges, all the life within that world perishes.
That was the law of the world, and it was information I thought I knew.
But that was as far as I understood. I thought that was all there was.
‘Was this connected to the Magic Gate?’
The extinct beings do not simply vanish; they are ejected as demons through the Magic Gate. And then there’s the fact that…
‘We hunt.’
The demons that appeared in the Central Plains were dealt with by the swordsmen.
Yet, I had never once pondered deeply about what this Magic Gate actually was or what a demon truly is.
The reason? It’s rather simple.
‘Because there was no need to.’
It was simply something that didn’t require deep thought.
After all, it was just common sense.
There were some occasions when the Murim Alliance or other sects sought to investigate this process in detail, but even so, the information they gleaned was minimal.
At most, they could only gain a slightly better understanding of the monsters.
In that situation…
‘How far are we entangled in this?’
Just where are all these occurrences connected?
Why do extinct beings reappear as monsters?
And…
‘If what Noya said is true…’
What was that being Noya mentioned moments ago that almost became a monster?
Furthermore, what is this place I’m in right now? I had to frown at the barrage of information and questions overwhelming me.
Just then, as I was lost in a whirlwind of thoughts,
“Get a grip and move. It’s not time to stop yet.”
I widened my eyes at Noya’s words. Shin Noya was already striding ahead.
I hurried to follow and asked,
“If what Noya said is true, then who were those guys just now?”
“I told you. They were almost monsters.”
“That’s hardly a comprehensible explanation.”
If you’re going to leave it at that, what exactly do you want me to understand?
“If they were supposed to disappear or turn into monsters, there’s something odd about their leader.”
“Odd?”
At my words, Noya turned to face me.
“Incorrect.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s not odd. It’s just how it is.”
“What….”
“If they almost became monsters, that means they aren’t monsters at all. Therefore, it’s only right to view that appearance as their original form.”
“…!”
Hearing that made my eyes widen.
What that implies is…
“… Are you saying they are beings from another world that never turned into monsters?”
“Correct.”
“Didn’t you say living beings lose their masters and turn into monsters?”
“That’s how it’s supposed to be.”
“Then how….”
Are they here without becoming monsters? I was trying to ask that when…
“We’ve arrived.”
Noya cut me off and turned his head. The way he did it seemed deliberate. I frowned at that.
At that moment…
“… Huh?”
I had to gasp at the sight that unfolded before me. What on earth was that?
‘A tree?’
A gigantic tree loomed before my eyes.
It was so immense that if it were any bigger, it would reach the clouds.
And what about those blooming leaves?
‘Isn’t that a plum blossom?’
With its unique hue, it filled the surroundings. It was surely a plum tree.
What on earth is such a plum tree doing here?
But it wasn’t just the tree. Something was hanging beneath it. What could it be?
‘A barrier?’
Could that possibly be a wall? The tree is already bizarre, but what’s with the wall?
As I sat there chuckling at the absurdity of the situation,
“Let’s go in.”
Shin Noya nonchalantly headed in that direction.
“Excuse me?”
“Aren’t you coming in?”
“… Is that the destination?”
“Of course. We can’t just chat on the ground, can we?”
“…”
The ground didn’t really matter, but that wasn’t the crucial part.
Why would there be something like that in a place like this? I was about to ask when…
“If you have questions, you can ask them inside.”
I had to swallow my words at Noya’s suggestion.
I obediently followed his wide back. However, it was virtually impossible for me not to ask anything at all.
At least one question was a must.
“Noya.”
“Hmm?”
“So, what exactly is that place?”
What kind of place are we heading to?
In response to my question, Shin Noya smirked and replied,
“Volcano Sect.”
“… Excuse me?”
My expression crumpled at that answer.
I approached the barrier following Noya.
It was a massive wall made of stones.
I eyed the wall with a peculiar expression.
“… Huh.”
So, it really is just a wall.
I wondered if something was hanging down like before, but there was nothing. It was simply an ordinary wall.
I paused briefly to consider if hitting it would break it. Then I thought,
“You seem to be having strange thoughts. Just a heads up; don’t do anything unnecessary.”
“No. Don’t blame me.”
Caught red-handed.
“Tsk tsk.”
Noya clicked his tongue, glancing up at the barrier.
“Open up.”
Who is he talking to? I attempted to raise my voice for clarification.
– Oh.
Someone up there reacted to that voice. I saw a head peeking out.
After a brief look at Noya, their gaze returned to us.
– What’s this? You brought another disciple?
Shin Noya’s face twisted into a frown at that comment.
“Disciple? This brat is nowhere near fit to be my disciple.”
“Why are you suddenly slinging insults without any intention to act?”
How ridiculous. Who even said that?
I felt a vibration right in front of me as I made a bewildered expression.
Rumble—!!!
The massive barrier door began to creak open.
It took a surprisingly long time to open due to its considerable thickness.
After waiting for a bit, the iron door finally swung open, revealing someone stepping out from the inside.
‘Hmm?’
I squinted at the figure that appeared.
They were quite small. It was about the height of my waist.
From the beard on their chin, they didn’t appear to be a child…
As I discreetly observed them, the little old man addressed Shin Noya.
“Jang Moon-in, you’re later than I expected.”
Jang Moon-in?
I furrowed my brow at that unexpected term. That doesn’t sound like something I should hear here.
Shin Noya snorted at the old man’s words.
“I was just bringing along an idiot.”
“Are you referring to me?”
“Then who else would I be talking about?”
“I had initially hoped it wasn’t me.”
“It seems you have higher expectations than your appearance suggests.”
“Your words are getting more severe.”
The moment they were about to start trading verbal jabs, the old man interjected, saying,
“Let me ask you something first.”
The old man tilted his head in confusion.
“Are you two family? You look quite alike.”
“Do you wish to take a beating?”
“… Please don’t irritate me upon our first meeting.”
“Oh, or else what are you angry about?”
Those were truly unpleasant words.
What comparison was he making to that ill-tempered old man?
“Who are you comparing this ill-tempered brat to?”
“… Shouldn’t you at least be cursing me in your thoughts? Look at this. Even if I improve, I’m still better!”
Bam—!
“… What the heck!”
Crap. I got hit again.
“This crazy old man…”
“What, brat?”
“… Aren’t you going in?”
Just as they were about to ignite each other, the old man swooped in to mediate.
“If this goes on, I’ll be losing sleep. Doesn’t that lady over there think so too?”
He pointed at Cheonma, who responded with a nonchalant nod.
“See? We should head inside first.”
“… I’ll deal with you later.”
“I won’t look. Why would I want to see such a scary face?”
“Huh?”
“… Please.”
I barely managed to halt because it felt like he was pulling me along desperately.
Finally, we entered the barrier.
The interior was fairly spacious, and there were quite a few people inside.
It was bustling everywhere.
Assessing the laughter that floated through the air, it seemed to be a pleasant atmosphere.
‘I feel a bit strange.’
I squinted at that. It was a vibe I had sensed somewhere before.
Where had I felt this before?
After pondering for a moment, I recalled.
‘Oh, right.’
Shaanxi.
This was exactly the atmosphere I felt when I arrived in Shaanxi Province.
Even back then, I thought the lively atmosphere was quite pleasant.
‘They look alike.’
It resembled the scene back then closely.
So that was the issue.
‘Why am I feeling this here?’
Not just in the Central Plains, but it even carried the scent of Shaanxi. How on earth did this happen?
What’s even more absurd is…
‘They’re all so small…?’
Most of the people wandering around, almost all like the earlier old man, were diminutive.
There were some beings that weren’t human, but even they were far from being people I recognized.
No, wait.
‘Initially… in terms of humans, it’s just Noya.’
In effect, Noya was practically the only human. I didn’t think Cheonma counted as human either.
“… Wait a minute.”
I began to look around, pulling my thoughts together.
“Where did she go?”
Cheonma, who had been following behind, was nowhere to be seen. Did she run off?
‘Then maybe that’s a good thing.’
It would be better to avoid entanglement, but alas, that wasn’t the case.
I spotted a black-haired woman in the midst of the road over there.
It was Cheonma.
“What are you doing?”
What on earth was she up to over there? As I approached, I noticed she was holding something in her hand.
Was it a skewer? It vaguely looked like food.
“Hey. What are you doing?”
“This.”
Instead of answering, Cheonma showcased the skewer to me. No, do you honestly think I’d understand based on just that?
“What is this? What are you trying to say?”
“Eat.”
“What?”
“It’s delicious.”
“Do you even know what that is?”
I had no clue what sort of food it was, really.
It appeared to be an ordinary skewer, but this was undeniably a different world.
The street vendor in front of me piped up, who was also small as expected.
“I noticed you looking intently, so I gave you one to try. Just eat it; it tastes good.”
“… No, that…”
“It’s delicious.”
“Hey, you haven’t even tried it! Why are you insisting it’s delicious?”
Looking closely, it seemed like it was the first skewer he had handed over.
When I inquired about why he wanted me to try it without even tasting it himself, Cheonma replied.
“It’s tasty. So, you eat first.”
“…”
What’s the meaning behind that?
Was it a test to see if it’s poisonous, or does she genuinely mean it’s tasty enough for me to go first?
Caught up in confusion about their intentions.
“What are you dawdling about?”
Shin Noya had already approached us.
Upon seeing him, the street vendor greeted with a beaming smile.
“Oh, it’s not Jang Moon-in. It’s been ages.”
It seemed they were familiar with each other. Hearing that, Shin Noya asked calmly.
“Are you doing well?”
“Thanks to you, I’m always good. By the way, would you like one? Since you’re a longtime patron, I’ll give it to you for free.”
“Sounds good.”
Noya casually accepted the skewer and took a bite. He chewed a few times and then grinned, saying,
“It’s nice. Give it a try. Just as he mentioned, it’s awfully good.”
“Aren’t you eating?”
Cheonma continued to press the skewers toward me. I sighed and reluctantly took a bite.
Honestly, it was my first-time experiencing such flavors, and it turned out to be quite decent.
Watching me eat, Cheonma finally bit into her own skewer like she’d been waiting for it.
‘… Did she just want to confirm if it was safe to eat?’
Seeing her dive right in would imply it was likely fine.
‘It wouldn’t really matter anyway.’
To begin with, I’m immune to poisons, so consuming weird foods won’t kill me, and I’ve never witnessed Cheonma getting affected by poison in my previous life.
“It’s delicious.”
Cheonma nodded. Although her expression remained unchanged, a hint of satisfaction crept into her demeanor.
Seeing that made the corners of my mouth involuntarily curl up.
The way she looked so content while eating reminded me of Wi Seol-a, and I nearly laughed without realizing it.
After finishing the skewer, I resumed walking.
Shin Noya moved along the street at a considerably slower pace than before.
“Jang Moon-in!”
“Oooh! Jang Moon-in! How have you been?”
“Who is this!”
As I wandered about, I found myself just as busy pretending to recognize Shin Noya.
In response to their hearty reactions, Noya exhibited an impassive expression as he continued moving forward.
He occasionally waved back, but that was about it.
‘What on earth is going on here?’
What is this place, honestly…
‘It feels like I’ve just arrived at the Volcano Sect.’
Just as Noya said, it felt like the Volcano Sect. If there were martial artists here, it would be absolutely perfect.
“Lower your body properly!”
Huff!
“Jolt your lower body straight!”
“….”
… There are indeed martial artists present.
As soon as I stepped in further, I discovered them.
Incredibly, there were martial artists in this place.
Just like in the present, all kinds of living beings were swinging wooden swords.
Besides that…
“What the…”
The sword techniques they were using felt exceptionally familiar. It was unsurprising.
Because that is the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
‘Why am I seeing that here?’
Even after I witnessed it, I couldn’t help but question Noya.
“What on earth is going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“What’s happening? Why… why are they here?”
“Are you asking if there’s a Volcano Sect?”
“… Yes.”
Upon hearing my response, Noya chuckled softly.
“Ha ha, thankfully, I’m relieved. Seems like it still resembles something.”
“This is way beyond mere resemblance…”
No matter the surface of it, this was without a doubt the Volcano Sect.
It carried features from the scenery I encountered when I visited, so how could I not recognize it?
The question looming here is why such a place exists in this realm.
Could it be?
“Did Noya create this?”
I wondered aloud, recalling the uncanny sights; did Shin Noya craft this place?
“Indeed.”
Shin Noya’s tone was calm as he responded, emitting a subtle laugh.
I was honestly just asking, yet I felt certain of the answer.
‘Who else but him would be capable of doing this?’
Out of the ordinary, a Volcano Sect in another world.
In my mind, only that old man would possess the capability to create something like this.
Yet…
“How on earth… how did you manage to create this in a mere few months?”
It’s a scene that should take decades to construct; yet, it had been crafted in what’s merely a few months. That was the part that left me the most flabbergasted.
Thus, my astonishment burst forth.
“Few months?”
Noya erupted into even louder laughter at my words.
I squinted at his mirth. What’s so amusing?
“Noya?”
“You naive fool. How could anyone create this in such a short time?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Is it possible it existed initially?”
“That definitely isn’t the case. Do you have any idea how much effort I put into building all this?”
“If that’s the case, did it not take long after all…?”
“It took at least a century.”
“… Excuse me?”
My body froze at Noya’s proclamation.
“… What did you just say?”
Was that not a mishearing?
“From a place that was utterly barren, it was rebuilt, establishing roots at a slow pace until it reached its current state. That much time is what’s passed.”
That sounded unlikely. A century? What sort of absurdity is this?
“That’s nonsense. Noya had vanished…”
“What did you say it was—how many months?”
Noya’s gaze fixed on me.
For some inexplicable reason, a sense of relief flickered within his eyes.
“Fortunately, it hasn’t been long.”
“… Noya?”
“Although it may have been months for you, it isn’t for me. That’s what I mean.”
Noya extended his hand towards the sky.
With one hand, he gently caught a plum leaf that was descending from above.
The leaves had been continuously falling since a while ago.
Presumably, they were cascading down from that colossal tree.
With the plum leaf in hand, Noya turned to me, stating,
“It means that it has been over a hundred years since I arrived here.”
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.