Chapter: 904
Plum leaves continue to fall.
Looking up, the sky was so full of branches and leaves that I could hardly see it.
Light poured in through the small gaps. It spread out, embracing the blue ground as if it were alive.
It was beautiful. It was so splendid that even I, who typically have no interest in scenery at all, found myself entranced.
Amidst the fragrant scent of plum blossoms and the cool breeze blowing, I followed Noya’s lead.
The distance to our destination wasn’t far. As I walked a bit faster, I scarcely realized it before arriving at the place I had wished to reach.
‘It’s big.’
It looked large from a distance, but it was even more impressive up close.
This was my first time seeing such a massive and thick tree in my life.
How high could it be? The land sloped downwards, yet the top nearly touched the clouds.
“What on earth is this?”
What kind of plum tree could be this colossal?
Seeing me dumbfounded even after looking again, Shin Noya glanced at me and replied.
“Well, I’m not sure exactly, but I’ve heard it called Shinmok (信木).”
“Shinmok?”
A tree of the gods? It sounded absurd, but given its size, it seemed to deserve such a name.
“It shouldn’t be that surprising. Haven’t you seen something like this before?”
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
“Where have I seen something like this… Ah.”
It baffled me at first. Are we talking about that?
‘Muah.’
The World Tree whose name has been forgotten. Originally, the master of the Central Plains.
And the one responsible for turning back Yeonilcheon…
‘The being that designated me as an apostle.’
That tree was indeed massive in size.
Though it was dry and twisted, looking like it might crumble at a touch, when compared, they definitely felt similar.
However…
‘The presence is very different.’
The sense of presence it exudes is on a different level altogether.
Was the plum tree in front taller? No, it wasn’t.
‘Muah is far more overwhelming.’
In terms of existence, they were on contrasting planes.
The tree before us could be seen as merely a tree, but it was not Muah.
It was akin to…
‘Mother or Kkureungi.’
The sensation of witnessing something that couldn’t be matched.
I felt that from Muah, but the tree before me didn’t emanate anything like that.
It was simply a tree. A rather large and beautiful tree.
Of course, there was an overwhelming sense of size.
Given its enormity, how could there not be?
At last, I approached the so-called sacred tree. Only then did I look around.
Flowers were blooming where the light spilled in, enhancing the beauty all the more.
As I took in the sight of each one, I sought to find something important.
‘Where could it be?’
According to Noya, Kkureungi was somewhere around here, but I saw nothing of the sort.
There was no way it could hide such a size. Where on earth could it be?
At this point, it should have been visible, yet no matter how much I looked, I couldn’t see it.
In the meantime, Noya continued to approach the sacred tree.
Noya eventually moved towards a gap at its base.
As I watched that, I opened my mouth to inquire.
“Noya. Where exactly is that creature…”
“Hey, are you okay?”
Shin Noya looked through the gap and questioned.
‘Hmm…?’
I frowned at that.
The gap, due to the sacred tree’s size, resembled a cave, but it wasn’t extraordinarily large.
But speaking toward that place, could it be…?
Grrrr.
“…!”
At Noya’s words, a low, heavy sob echoed from within the gap.
Upon hearing it, goosebumps prickled across my arms.
It was just a sound of crying, yet my body reacted instinctively.
I entered a combat stance involuntarily. My heart thudded heavily, stopping me from moving closer.
This felt dangerous.
It felt far more threatening than when I saw that enormous shape from a distance last night.
Yes, this is it.
‘…the difference in class.’
Something I wouldn’t even dare look up at.
An entity that felt as though it hailed from an entirely different dimension, making me tense just by its presence.
I held my pounding heart as I carefully breathed.
At that moment.
“If you’re awake, come out already. It’s broad daylight; why are you sleeping?”
Shin Noya chuckled and spat those words. Then, dust fell with a thud from the gap!
The presence of something loomed over me.
Something enormous stepped out from the gap…
Krrrr.
“…Huh?”
I squinted my eyes at the creature emerging from the gap.
It was something considerably smaller than I had expected, strolling out.
It was more or less what I anticipated.
“So cute…?”
It appeared incredibly adorable.
A lot so, in fact.
*
I sat down with Noya beneath the sacred tree.
There were a chair and table placed below, likely set up by someone. Seeing Shin Noya sitting there so comfortably made it seem like it had been there for ages.
There, I sat quietly, my gaze fixed on something.
Grrrr.
“….”
Grrrrr.
Each cry made me flinch involuntarily.
The sensation remained heavy and tingling.
“Enough with the barking! How long are you going to keep that up?”
Grrung.
At Noya’s words, the creature slumped down, looking sullen.
Watching it made me feel an indescribable emotion.
It seemed completely out of place compared to the giant being I had witnessed just moments before.
Surely, I had sensed a gap that was beyond description…
‘What is going on here?’
Now, all I felt was confusion.
It had to be baffling.
Grrung.
The being I was facing was quite small.
If I had to quantify its size, perhaps it was about the size of a neighborhood stray dog.
It looked precisely like a dog.
It had a wolf-like appearance, but given that they’re quite similar, it didn’t seem that crucial…
In fact, it even felt more like a puppy than an adult dog.
Cute. The mere sight of it prompted such a thought.
‘…So this cute little guy…’
Grrung.
‘Is this the terrifying creature I saw last night?’
Kkureungi. I had named it that because it kept making those noises every day.
It was the little rascal who took over my body with Noya and created a fuss every time I tried to do something.
The one who would whine and complain endlessly when it was even slightly hungry.
An ongoing nuisance I wanted to shake off.
But…
‘That same creature was one that even the Blood Demon was wary of.’
I recalled the Blood Demon referring to it as a bottomless pit while being cautious around it.
Before arriving here, my encounter with the Blood Demon had been painfully one-sided.
Despite being the same verb, the levels vastly differed, leaving me feeling utterly powerless before it.
So helpless that I needed the Heavenly Demon, destined to be slain, to protect me.
It was absolutely humiliating.
I had surpassed the realms of my previous life and climbed to the upper echelons of the top ten masters.
It seemed plausible that I could even win against the strongest swordsman.
Yet here I was, feeling powerless before the Blood Demon again?
It struck me as shocking.
How much stronger must I become? How far do I need to reach?
A vague sense of despair loomed.
‘That Kkureungi was so menacing that even the Blood Demon felt threatened.’
Krrrr.
“…”
It was lying flattened on its belly in front of me, wagging its tail and rolling over.
It truly looked like a puppy. Not a hint of danger radiated from it at all.
“This… Is this really the thing?”
Noya chuckled at my reaction and asked.
“Why? Is it much less impressive than you expected?”
“Yes. It’s incredibly trivial.”
I replied without hesitation. There was no reason to sugarcoat it. In fact, it was excessively trivial.
What on earth is this… is this a puppy?
Krrrr.
The critter glared at me, seemingly displeased with my words.
Even that appeared trivial.
“…”
Is this truly that vast being? Doubts bubbled within.
“Don’t get too worked up. That creature didn’t wish to end up like this. In a way, it’s your fault.”
“Me?”
My fault?
And it’s not intentional?
As I contemplated those words, Noya added an explanation.
“Seems like it acted a bit aggressively to gain my attention, using too much force in the process. That’s how it ended up this way.”
“Gaining attention, huh?”
“Yeah, if it hadn’t, it could’ve turned into a big deal. Be grateful.”
It gained attention. The thought lingered in my mind.
From whom did it catch the attention?
“…Could it be…”
“Correct.”
Noya nodded.
“From your mother.”
“…”
What I feared turned out to be accurate.
That was the exact scenario during that time.
‘So, that’s why it hid me behind the curtain.’
Enduring such beatings at my mother’s hands.
Was all of it that?
Then…
“…Why?”
Why did it need to grab my mother’s attention?
“Didn’t I tell you? Meeting your mother is dangerous. If this creature hadn’t caught your mother’s gaze back then, you might not have made it.”
“I don’t comprehend. Why is my mother attacking me?”
“That’s…”
Noya gazed at me calmly, stating.
“Because you are a dragon.”
“…What does that mean?”
“I explained earlier why this place is called Man-gye. Do you remember?”
“…Yes.”
A world where the master has vanished.
Because of that, some beings meant for oblivion made it here without tumbling into monstrosity.
“Man-gye generally welcomes all kinds of living beings without discrimination. That’s the existence’s significance and purpose. However, there are races even in such a refuge that are rejected and expelled.”
“…”
Upon hearing that, I furrowed my brows.
I could somewhat predict what would come next.
“That’s dragons.”
Just as I suspected.
Having anticipated that, the expected answer arrived.
The issue is.
“I can’t grasp this.”
That response inevitably raises further questions.
Dragons were expelled? If that’s true, then…
“Isn’t it said that Man-gye is where those without masters go?”
Those displaced due to the fall of the master of the world.
If Man-gye is where mercy is granted to them…
“Is there any reason for dragons to come here?”
I didn’t know how many dragons might still exist, but if they had previously gathered in a world…
Surely their realm must continue to exist.
Of course.
‘Because their master would still be alive.’
The realm where dragons lived. The master of that domain.
Anyone could clearly see that…
‘The Blood Demon.’
He must’ve once been the Dragon Emperor, so how could he be banished from the world?
Understanding my question, Shin Noya seemed to squint slightly as he spoke.
“Brat. I grasp your curiosity, but this portion is something I don’t fully comprehend either.”
“…Yes?”
“There were too few clues to form a clear picture… Isn’t it rather absurd to ponder it that way to begin with?”
Creak.
Noya leaned back deeply in his chair.
“If the Blood Demon—if he had a world, then there would’ve been no need for him to emerge in the Central Plains to vie for the throne.”
“…!”
Hearing that, my eyes widened.
…Surely.
‘…Is that really so?’
If the Blood Demon possessed his own realm, he wouldn’t need to come to seize the mantle of the Central Plains.
Then why on earth did he arrive, stoking such turmoil?
Furthermore, why do people linger in the Central Plains, yearning for paradise?
Everything here felt suspiciously odd.
‘On top of that, why is there hostility toward me for being a dragon?’
It seemed like the Blood Demon likely instigated this. If there were more dragons beside me that had been expelled, where did they go?
Moreover…
“…Noya.”
“Yeah.”
“In the first place… If Man-gye shuns dragons, then why on earth did that creature rescue me?”
If this entire world genuinely sought to reject and ultimately eliminate me, precisely because I was a dragon.
What intention did Kkureungi have in protecting me?
“You alluded that it was connected to my mother. I still can’t fathom why she attacked that creature.”
“…”
“I was warned against meeting my mother. Moreover, that was her response. What’s actually going on?”
Shin Noya, upon hearing my inquiries, looked at me quietly.
It was still possible to feel a subtle emotion beneath its calm exterior.
It was undeniably regret.
Why did that gaze hold so much sentiment? I pondered, albeit briefly.
“The reason this creature endeavored to save you, enduring its fate, is also due to your mother’s request.”
“Yes?”
“Your mother’s spirit residing within it was likely the same reason.”
“Is that…”
Because of my mother’s wish? I frowned. His statement seemed nonsensical.
“Then furthermore…”
Doesn’t this lead to a scenario that shouldn’t exist? That’s what I attempted to convey.
“Under such circumstances, how could your mother attack both you and him?”
Noya’s words preceded mine.
“…Yes.”
If that creature was the one protecting me at my mother’s request, then my mother had no reason to assault Kkureungi.
I also found it incomprehensible as to why she would want me dead simply for being a dragon.
For one reason…
“It’s a natural conclusion.”
After Noya’s follow-up statement, I ultimately needed to swallow my tongue.
“Right now, she is not the mother you once knew.”
My eyes widened upon hearing that.
“Is she not?”
How could that be? I understood everything else in the world, but this wasn’t something I could accept.
She was undoubtedly my mother. That conviction felt nearly absolute.
“Didn’t I tell you? If you expect even the slightest maternal affection from her, then discard those expectations.”
The voice of Shin Noya addressing me carried a discernible hint of a sigh.
“She probably harbors no mercy or affection towards you anymore.”
The more I listened, the more my gaze wavered.
It felt as though my heart trembled along with my shifting vision.
Creak.
Shin Noya rose from the chair he had occupied.
“If you fail to uphold your karma, punishment awaits. This is a rule dictated by the world. Your mother was no exception.”
“…Punishment…?”
“That’s what it stated.”
Noya gently stroked Kkureungi’s head.
There was an undeniable strength in his touch.
“Your mother, who neglected her prescribed duties, faced the consequences… The consequence is.”
Plum leaves kept cascading from the sky onto the ground.
“It’s referred to as forgetfulness, an inability to retain any memories.”
The fallen leaf felt like my very heart.
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