Chapter: 983
It’s a tree.
There was a tree.
The abundant leaves on this small tree were quite impressive.
At first glance, it looked like a plum tree, but the flowers that bloomed looked different.
When I caught a falling leaf, it resembled a feather.
It was a tree I had never seen before.
A tree bearing a light purple hue.
I quietly gazed at the tree before shifting my attention.
‘Where on earth is this place?’
Suddenly, the space shifted. It was a completely unfamiliar location. A clear lake was present, and at its center stood the tree.
Perhaps due to the continuous falling leaves, the ground was covered with a thick layer of foliage.
The faint fragrance of blooming flowers was incessantly tickling my nose.
Especially…
‘This scent.’
The aroma surrounding me felt strangely familiar. Where had I encountered this scent before? I pondered it for a moment before turning my head.
I made eye contact with Yarang, who was beside me.
Right, this scent was one I had been smelling from Yarang all along.
As I took in the scent, a warm feeling washed over me for some inexplicable reason.
I swallowed my emotions and asked, “Why did you bring me here?”
What could be the reason behind bringing me to this place? When I asked, as always, Yarang maintained her usual silence.
“…When someone speaks, could you at least respond?”
Annoyance began to creep into my tone. Just then.
Swish.
Yarang, who had been sitting still, suddenly moved. I squinted, scrutinizing her movements. Maybe…
Just like my current owner seems to have forgotten about me, I wasn’t sure what Yarang might do either.
But she didn’t do anything to me; instead, she took action for herself.
Her hand rose and grasped her mask.
And then…
Click-!
“…!”
Without warning, she removed the mask she was holding. Yarang’s concealed face finally came into view.
Just like last time, she still bore a striking resemblance to the divine sword.
With her brown hair and golden eyes.
The only difference from the Yarang I remembered was the color of her hair.
No, wait.
‘If I think back, her hair had always been brown to begin with.’
It wouldn’t be far-fetched to consider this appearance her true form.
As I recalled this, I stared at Yarang and said, “So, what’s your deal?”
Why did you take off your mask?
I thought she might be about to make a more dramatic move after suddenly removing it.
But she showed absolutely no reaction.
She merely stared blankly at me.
What on earth does she want? Seriously?
My furrowed brow showed no signs of relaxing. I expressed my emotions clearly.
“If you have something to say, then say it quickly.”
If you want to say something, just spit it out.
If you’re going to draw your sword, then do it already.
I really couldn’t stand her sulky demeanor.
Even after saying that, Yarang remained still.
Unable to endure any longer, I took a step closer.
“Can you say something…?”
Just then, when I was about to let out an inquisitive remark.
Phaaaaaaah.
A breeze unexpectedly swept through, gripping my feet.
Not exactly tying me down, but still having me instinctively halt my movements.
Something felt odd. The petals continued to dance in the air.
‘Wait a second, there’s no wind.’
There was no wind blowing in this space at all. So what did it mean for the leaves to be swaying?
‘It’s an artificial space.’
Honestly, I never thought it felt natural at all in the first place.
The problem was…
‘What’s your purpose?’
What was the goal of bringing me here? That mattered a great deal.
I hoped she wasn’t thinking of doing anything nasty.
‘I’m already in a bad state.’
It was a challenging situation. My severe internal injuries were the biggest concern.
If something were to happen now, it would definitely turn complicated.
While raising my tension and alertness, I shot a glare at Yarang.
She moved slowly once again.
Her hands extended, reaching for the wooden pillar.
At that moment…
Thud-!
Suddenly, something fell right before my eyes.
Before I could register it, I staggered back in surprise. I lowered my gaze to investigate the fallen object.
‘What is this?’
What just dropped down was a round fruit. A round fruit glowing a light purple, similar to the leaves.
Why did this unexpectedly appear?
Staring at the fruit, I glanced toward Yarang as if to ask what it was.
“Now what…?”
What’s the significance of the fruit falling?
What should I do about it? Confused, I looked at her but fortunately, this time, Yarang reacted.
She seemed to poke the fruit hanging in the air with her hand.
Could she possibly mean…
“Am I supposed to catch it?”
She nodded in affirmation to my question.
With her response, I glanced back at the fruit.
Should I pick this up?
I debated for a moment.
But then, before my concerns could fully manifest, my hand reached over and effortlessly picked up the fruit.
Swish.
The texture was felt right away. Nothing particularly special about it.
It was just like picking up an apple or some other fruit.
“What should I do now? Should I eat it or something?”
“…”
“…Oh, you want me to eat it?”
It seemed that picking it up was just the first step; now, eating it was the task at hand.
However…
“That seems rather… off.”
Eating it felt a bit like asking too much.
“Do you even know what this is before telling me to eat it?”
It was ludicrous that I had been dragged all the way here.
And suddenly, she suggests I eat some fruit whose nature is completely unknown? Absurd!
Obvious as it may be.
“There’s no way I’m going to eat this—”
Crunchy-!
“…Huh?”
I had been saying something when I was interrupted by a sound. Crunchy?
Where on earth did that come from?
Crunchy. Crunchy.
It came again, much closer this time.
What on earth was that? What did it mean? Suddenly, a sweet taste invaded my mouth.
Oh, what is going on?
Quickly, I covered my mouth with my hand while checking the fruit.
The fruit had marks from exactly three bites!
Seeing that made my jaw drop in surprise.
Gulp-!
My throat betrayed me as it swallowed something involuntarily.
“Damn it.”
There was no need to question what I just swallowed. It seemed I had indeed eaten some fruit.
How did this happen?!
‘What on earth am I chewing on without consent?’
My body acted on its own, taking bites and swallowing the fruit.
Fantastic. Should I really be doing anything about that?
What precisely did I just consume?
While I was wide-eyed over the unexpected situation…
Thump-!
My heart began pounding.
“…!”
I gripped my chest with my hand. It was not agony.
Just…
Hooo…
I felt energy surging from my stomach, not to mention my heart.
Could I say that my heart was devouring the energy generated from my stomach?
The amount of energy produced was astounding.
My heart was consuming it all.
“Ugh…!!”
This level of pressure could generate pains that were previously absent.
Especially considering my injuries.
“Ugh…”
I trembled and fell to my knees.
“Ugh… Hah.”
I was struggling to even let tears fall. Meanwhile, Yarang stood before me, gazing down quietly.
“You… what exactly…”
What did you just feed me?
What was the reason for bringing me here?
I wanted to ask that, but I couldn’t muster the strength.
Gwoooowww—!!!
The volume of energy kept escalating.
‘This is insane, seriously.’
What sort of nonsense is this?
The only thing I could do was grind my teeth and endure.
And the crux of the matter was…
‘…This feeling of greed is surfacing.’
The force that was consuming my energy wasn’t the “Demonic Absorption Technique,” but my own ability known as “Desire.”
Why is that? Why did this power, which usually only responds to energy, suddenly activate?
‘Could this fruit signify a form of power…?’
How could fruit even hold power? Moreover, why was I consuming it so voraciously?
The fundamentals were glaringly different.
This wasn’t mere absorption.
This was true gluttony.
Desire continued to consume my energy voraciously.
Crunch, crunch!
The greed that lingered in my heart indulged relentlessly in the energy it was devouring.
The more it fed, the harder it became to endure.
“Ugh…!”
My body, which had barely clung to life, was on the verge of collapse.
Crunch!
Desire consumed every bit of energy it found.
Gulp!
Once it felt satisfied, my strength gave way instantly.
Consequently, I began to falter.
‘…This is ridiculous.’
That meant I had lost consciousness once more.
*
Thud-!!
Gu Yangcheon collapsed to the ground.
The woman gazed at him, who was only panting shallowly.
“…”
She said nothing. Just like before, she remained silent.
Swish.
Despite not speaking, her movements changed.
Up until now, she hadn’t shown any particular actions.
As soon as Gu Yangcheon fell, she cautiously approached him.
Then, she knelt down and drew nearer.
Rustle.
Her white fingers reached out to gently stroke his hair.
“…”
Again and again, she caressed him gently.
In stark contrast to her impassive expression, her hands were infinitely tender.
As she continued to touch him for quite some time…
-I understand your feelings.
A voice reached her ear, and it was only after hearing it that she could stop her hands.
-It’s time for you to go now.
“…”
Upon receiving those words, she nodded faintly.
Then she stood up.
Her actions bore a clear sense of regret.
The woman, who had been gazing at Gu Yangcheon with an unwavering stare, ultimately turned away and walked off.
After taking a few steps forward, the tips of her toes touched the lake.
Whooooosh—!!!
Light poured in and the space transformed.
It was where she had originally arrived alongside Gu Yangcheon.
She lifted her head to gaze at the sky.
As time progressed, night began to creep in.
It was truly time to return.
-Do you wish to see more?
A voice questioned her. The woman shook her head in response.
While she wished to see more, she was fully aware of the greed in that desire.
Above all else, she understood that the one who truly wished for it was the voice’s owner, not herself, leaving her little power to act.
All she could do now was to simply gaze at him for a moment.
In that brief whisper of time.
Just a few seconds had passed, but in those fleeting moments, she fixed her eyes upon the fallen Gu Yangcheon.
Whoosh.
With a light leap, she took to the air.
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