Chapter: 957
“Everything.”
The turtle laughed when he heard my ambition. It was definitely not a proud smile.
If you want to be precise, it was more of a scoff. Or a hollow laugh of disbelief. Closer to the latter.
“You seem to be overflowing with confidence. But do you really think that’s possible?”
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s possible or not. There’s something an old man I know once said. Do you know what it is?”
“What is it?”
“Make the impossible possible. It’s the only advice I like from that ignorant old man.”
“…”
There is no such thing as ‘can’t.’
We must make it happen.
Whatever it takes, it has to get done. That’s the life I need to live now.
Therefore…
“Please let me know. I have to do everything I can.”
“…”
The turtle stared at me with the same expressionless face as I said those words.
You’re not saying it can’t be done now, right? I felt a pang of unease but decided to wait.
At that moment,
“You.”
The turtle spoke.
“What do you think witchcraft is?”
Witchcraft. That word made my eyes flicker slightly.
‘So they also call it witchcraft here.’
This might be the first time that a discussion about witchcraft has come directly from the turtle’s mouth. To be precise, it would be the first time the word itself has been uttered.
Hearing that, I felt a bit perplexed.
‘Isn’t ‘witchcraft’ a term used solely in the Central Plains?’
Or do the words spoken here sound similar to those in the Central Plains?
‘Is the turtle’s speech sounding different to me now?’
Maybe so.
Because nothing happening here made any sense with my common knowledge.
‘Furthermore…’
The very concept of witchcraft is also questionable.
‘They claimed that witchcraft was a power bestowed by dragons.’
I heard it was a power left behind by dragons long ago.
To be honest, the turtle doesn’t radiate any dragon vibes at all.
But it seems he has quite a bit of confidence when it comes to witchcraft.
‘Witchcraft isn’t strictly the power of dragons…’
I thought maybe the so-called dragons were simply a part of that power.
After contemplating that, I concentrated on the question the turtle directed at me.
‘What do you think about witchcraft?’
I mulled over it.
What is witchcraft? This was a question I had already considered just moments before.
“It’s transformation.”
“Transformation?”
The turtle reacted to my answer.
“Transformation…? Why do you think so?”
“Well, it just feels that way.”
It presents a truth that seems false.
Creating and changing scenes that would typically be unimaginable.
Isn’t that witchcraft?
‘Even now, it’s still like that.’
The current scenario.
Suddenly standing in a field without a tea house in sight.
The powers the turtle had displayed until now.
All of it was transformation, and I needed that power.
‘Especially to use the Heavenly Demonic Art.’
The strength to perform what appears impossible.
There’s nothing more necessary than this.
Combining two martial arts and making them work together. This is something unimaginable under normal circumstances.
Witchcraft made all this strange and unusual possible.
But…
‘It’s not perfect.’
Even if I keep trying, it isn’t flawless. I’m ignorant of the theoretical parts about making it possible.
The knowledge I possess is shallow and limited.
‘This isn’t enough.’
It’s woefully insufficient.
To achieve what I want, I need to reach deeper and go higher.
Should I, as a martial artist, tame such personal power?
I’ve pondered about that as well.
‘Stop being ridiculous.’
Since when have I been just a martial artist?
Martial arts are merely a means to achieve a goal.
Perhaps some gain enlightenment and value from this journey.
‘But that’s not me.’
I am not simply a martial artist.
That’s what only losers like those in the martial arts world brag about.
Now, I understand better.
I was not a martial artist.
And it didn’t matter that I wasn’t.
‘I must do everything I can.’
If I linger over trivialities, nothing will get done.
Right now, I have much to protect.
There’s a lot to accomplish.
Now, this moment is also for that purpose.
“Transformation… not a bad answer.”
“Are you saying that’s not the right answer?”
“Hmmm.”
In response to my question, the turtle motioned with his cane.
As the end waved, something shifted in the air, much like waves.
“First, let me correct that part.”
“Pardon?”
With a light thud, the cane struck the ground.
Whooosh-!!
The wind flowed through, causing the field to sway.
At the same time, flower petals bloomed.
There were no flowers, yet petals flooded down from the sky out of nowhere.
At that moment…
“There is no correct answer in witchcraft.”
The turtle gazed at me and continued speaking.
“If you thought it was transformation, then that’s indeed correct. If later on, you think differently, that too is correct.”
“…”
That was rather ambiguous.
There is no right answer?
“Then… what should I pursue?”
What should I aim for?
A question arose in my mind.
If a martial artist simply seeks enlightenment or grasps reasoning to gain wisdom, what do we pursue in witchcraft?
Is it not exceedingly vague to consider it simply as transformation?
So I asked him for clarification.
“Figure that out for yourself. The pursuit itself is something you must discover on your own.”
“…”
Frowning, I pondered. He told me to find it myself.
I wasn’t supposed to find more quests here. That was troublesome.
The good news is…
“What I’ll share with you from now on isn’t to show you a path but to help you choose the path you want to take.”
The turtle is going to teach me witchcraft after all.
“Show me the ring.”
“A ring?”
“Yes, the ring.”
If he means a ring…
‘Is he referring to the thing bound to the heart?’
The thing that’s wrapped around my heart.
It seems that’s what he means.
“… How do I even show that?”
How does one do that?
Confused, I asked him.
“… What?”
This time, the turtle seemed taken aback.
“How do you show it…? Surely, you’ve done this at least once, right?”
“Yes.”
“…”
The turtle stared at me for a moment, sighed, and then waved his cane.
Woohoo.
Something emerged from the cane.
It was a ring. Eight light yellow rings floated in total.
Eight rings adorned the staff.
I concentrated on it.
What just happened?
‘What was the flow like?’
A peculiar sensation rose in my body.
As I focused, everything around me faded from sight.
All that remained was the turtle’s staff and the ring hovering above it.
The sense of strangeness and flow I felt when it was displayed.
While I focused intently on that…
Thump.
My heart raced.
“…It’s not difficult. You just need to….”
Flick.
“…Move….”
“Got it.”
A light shone, and a ring formed on my hand.
Unlike the turtle’s rings, mine was blue.
Four rings circled my arm like that.
“So this is how it’s done.”
Easier than I thought. Why didn’t I know this before?
As I embodied the sensation in my body and spoke to the turtle, I noticed…
“…”
For some reason, the turtle seemed at a loss for words, alternating his gaze between my arm and me, his expression somewhat bewildered.
“…Rotten.”
“What?”
“…Never mind. I’ve half-given up already.”
What’s this? Wasn’t this how it’s supposed to work?
No, judging by the reaction, my answer seems correct.
I moved my left hand around.
The rings moved fluidly along my arm but didn’t make any noise or jingle.
As the turtle observed my rings, he spoke.
“Four rings. That’s not bad.”
“Is it alright?”
“Yeah, looks good quality. Seems like you’ve put in some effort.”
“I didn’t try that hard.”
“Then how long did it take? At least ten years…”
“Well, I don’t think it’s been a year.”
“…Oh, right.”
The turtle stumbled over his words but nodded. He seemed to have been about to say something just now. Was I mistaken?
“Yeah, I’m not startled anymore. Nothing special about it.”
“Elder?”
“All right. Anyway, so it seems there are four. I asked you to tell me everything, but for now, what do you need most?”
The most crucial thing.
As soon as I heard that, I replied immediately.
“The power to cover something that’s about to explode and prevent it from doing so.”
It was about the Heavenly Demonic Art.
Controlling and stabilizing the force that tends to explode due to friction.
“I wonder if witchcraft can help with that.” I asked the turtle.
“Hmmm… the power to prevent explosions.”
For a moment, the turtle appeared to be deep in thought.
Time passed like that.
“I understand what you want. You’re hoping to apply it to what I was about to show you earlier, right?”
“Exactly.”
The very power intended for use in the turtle’s tea house.
The turtle seemed to recall that.
“…In that case…”
Thud.
With another soft hit of his cane, a book materialized in the air.
There were two volumes in total.
One hovered in front of the turtle, the other came flying toward me.
Thud! As soon as I caught the book, the turtle said,
“What you’re going to learn from now on is called ‘Manhwa’ (满化).”
“Manhwa?”
“Yup. It’s the power to maintain a shape without changing it.”
Flick.
The book opened on its own without me moving my hands at all.
Flip-flap-!
The pages turned and stopped at a certain point.
I frowned upon seeing it. The text was densely packed.
Moreover, the characters were utterly foreign to me.
But.
‘Can I understand this?’
I was actually reading it. Strangely enough, even though I didn’t know the language.
While I stood there in disbelief…
“I won’t tell you twice, so you better focus.”
The turtle’s voice echoed.
“Do not worry. Even if you don’t understand, you will. This is quite a tough subject, after all.”
The turtle confidently said that and proceeded to explain the book’s content.
I began listening while feeling a bit apprehensive at the mention of “difficult.”
*
As time passed, the sun gradually set, and it was nearing sunset.
“Oh…”
I couldn’t help but let out a strange sound of admiration. The reason was.
‘So this is how it was done.’
After the turtle’s teachings, I felt a change in my heart that had never occurred before.
The threads of witchcraft I was exuding had grown sturdier and far more numerous.
It seemed that when tied like this, it could last quite a while.
Though I still had a long way to go before I could use it effectively, I was satisfied with the change itself.
“Indeed….”
Coming to learn was a good decision.
Though the material was challenging and the lessons were complicated, it was still valuable.
I raised the corners of my mouth and spoke to the turtle.
“It’s definitely tough, but worth trying out. Is it because you’re such a good teacher?”
Feeling good, I tried to butter him up a little, but the turtle showed no reaction.
What gives?
“Elder?”
I cautiously called out to the turtle.
At that moment…
“…You bastard…”
“Huh?”
“You rotten piece of…”
A somewhat gruff voice came from the turtle.
Did I mishear that?
As I tried to call the turtle again…
“…Elder.” “You damn guy…!”
BANG!
The turtle rudely shouted and slammed his cane onto the ground.
“You should at least keep it reasonable!”
“Pardon…?”
“Shouldn’t it be done to a level where it’s understandable?”
“Elder, why are you suddenly acting like this?”
“Half a day? Half a day? It took me a year of being beaten up! Half a day!?”
“Calm down, please. Just take a moment to chill…”
“Chill my foot! Get out! I can’t stand to see your face anymore, just go!”
“No, why would I leave? I’ve only learned one thing—”
Whoooosh-!!
The air trembles and suddenly a pressure crashed down on me.
By the time I realized what was happening, I was already outside the tea house.
I had to evaluate the situation, wearing a look of utter confusion.
“What the…?”
Suddenly, he gets angry and kicks me out.
“What is this?”
I stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the turtle’s tea house in this bizarre situation.
At that moment, the four rings in my hand had turned into five and were glowing brightly.
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