Chapter 334
“What is that…?”
[The reason is simply that there was no other way. The child was crying sadly. That was all this old tree could do. If I try to find a reason, these are the only things that come to mind.]
“…”
[Going back in time is akin to laying karma upon your soul.]
An impression forms on my face, frowning.
That story was one that rang clear for me as well.
[The child made a choice, but it’s said that it’s impossible to go against what has been decided by reason.]
“That…”
[One, that child must have accomplished something. That’s why, Apostle, you can face me.]
As the World Tree said, Yeon Il-Cheon succeeded in sealing the Blood Demon.
This probably means that sealing was all he was capable of doing.
And.
In the future, the Blood Demon will be resurrected.
It also implies that the world doesn’t make the same mistake twice.
‘Eventually, the end comes.’
This is what Yeon Il-Cheon told me.
No matter how hard you try, the end will come. Whether it be the Blood Demon or not.
Or perhaps something else entirely.
‘The world the World Tree speaks of is a being akin to a god.’
A god held in reverence by shamans and Shaolin alike.
Could such a being exist?
‘That’s also strange.’
If the World Tree says that existence has been erased and no longer remains in this world.
That means it had originally existed.
What would the Daoism of that world have looked like?
Could one truly believe in a god when there already exists an overwhelming being known as the Master?
‘Now is not the time to ponder such things.’
I shook my head, clearing my mind. There’s so much more to comprehend.
This isn’t the time for trivial worries.
“…Then… Ha.”
A sigh escaped me halfway through speaking.
The current situation weighs heavily on me.
So, ultimately, this predicament stems from the mess our ancestors made.
Is it accurate to say that I am now in the process of cleaning up after it?
If we’re being honest, that might not be entirely true.
Yet, that is how it seems to me.
‘Where to begin…?’
What on earth do I even ask first?
There were so many questions, it was exhausting just to recall them.
Damn…
My head is in disarray.
How did it end up like this?
What should I start with?
Should I ask about the seeds?
Perhaps I need to inquire about what a Heavenly Demon is?
What is this place, I wonder?
Should I start with questions about my own regression?
Or maybe…
Unless it’s something else…
[Apostle.]
“…!”
Just when I was forcibly trying to sort through the chaos in my mind.
The voice of the World Tree echoed.
[You seem quite tired, Apostle.]
“…Not particularly.”
That was a lie.
I already knew the truth.
It was burdensome and heavy.
Which is why I found it so difficult.
“My regression, you said it wasn’t something you did.”
[Indeed, you going back in time is not something I did.]
I clearly remember saying that you didn’t have the strength left to do that.
Is that really true?
Could it not be a lie…?
Bam!
I smacked my head back into clarity with a swift fist.
I hit myself once to regain consciousness.
Evaluating each word.
Determining whether it’s true or false is an old habit of mine.
I can’t trust anyone.
Having lived through situations where everyone was an enemy.
In such moments, I remember all those who stood by my side.
The haunting images of those who died for me resonate deeply.
It was a habit forged from a desperate need to survive.
“…Everything is fine. Everything is fine…”
I cradled my weary head.
The thoughts I once had were set aside for now.
The words I yearned to hear, the questions I wanted to ask while gazing at this World Tree, were not about:
The truths about how the world operates.
It’s not even a secret wrapped within.
Simply put.
“What do you want from me?”
What am I meant to do?
How should I proceed from here?
In this crummy situation, what is it that these unknown entities expect from me?
I was dying to know.
[Apostle.]
“…You told me.”
A flame that would consume all karma.
The World Tree I encountered in my previous life had said that looking at me.
Was it purely because I could ignite such flames?
No matter how I look at it, that can’t be the case.
[Did I ever tell you that?]
“Yes, but I don’t know how to do that. Only people know how to ignite flames.”
The words about burning karma.
What was the reason you said that to me?
I can’t grasp a single clue.
That’s why I had to ask even more earnestly.
“Where do I start and what do I do?”
What should I even be doing?
The number of people around me is increasing one by one.
I’m finding them comically precious.
Even in such dire circumstances, a bloodbath approaches.
The assumption that halting the Heavenly Demon would solve everything.
There’s a more significant truth lurking beneath it all.
If I’m going to protect them, I need to understand.
Not for myself.
But for them.
“You said you could burn karma.”
[… Apostle.]
I will do it.
Whether it’s stopping the Blood Demon or halting the Heavenly Demon.
I have to survive, and if it means doing whatever I can for them to live, I will.
So please, tell me.
“Apostle, yes. Were you also an apostle of Yeon Il-Cheon? One who received the stigmata.”
When everyone mentions me as an Apostle.
Does that mean Yeon Il-Cheon is also an apostle like me?
[…Yes, that child was also an Apostle.]
“Yeon Il-Cheon looked at me and proclaimed I was a catastrophe. He said I would bring ruin to the world.”
The Blood Demon has failed.
Yet, the catastrophe will not cease and will come again.
If it follows the logic the World Tree spoke of, then it must be the case.
I thought that catastrophe was the Heavenly Demon.
[Are you saying you met that child?]
“Yes. I left a thought behind.”
It isn’t a tremendously pleasant memory, but a meeting nonetheless.
[That child… thought… ]
The World Tree muses, lost in contemplation.
This is not the time to await such considerations.
“What is it that you desire? For what purpose…”
As I spoke those words, an unexpected thought struck me.
“Could it be… the reason I fell here in my previous life was that you called me?”
[That’s not the case. It was the same then, and even now that I face you, it’s merely a coincidence.]
That was somewhat relieving.
The event of my transit was triggered by the Magic Gate being torn by the Iron Wire.
If that were true, it would certainly imply the World Tree’s involvement.
That’s nothing short of a chilling tale.
“Then please tell me what it is that you want from me.”
Like the ability to ignite karma.
Grant me the stigmata.
It was the World Tree that had shown me how to escape from this realm.
To be precise, it’s the World Tree I met in my past life.
“…Do you wish to extract me from here and return me to my original world?”
At my inquiry, the World Tree lifted a slight smile.
[That’s an impossible request.]
“Then what prompted you to choose me?”
[I… merely hope for the children to survive.]
The realm where the World Tree originally existed.
To be specific, those from the world I once inhabited.
To continue living.
The World Tree wishes for nothing more than that.
“Is that why you chose me?”
Could such a thing be? How could it be?
It wasn’t something I could wrap my head around.
“…Why did it have to be this way?”
I was a being lacking the strength to do that.
[No, Apostle. You possess that ability.]
“Why, of all things, are you so certain…?”
Just as I was about to ask how he could be so sure.
[Before you hear that, there’s something you need to understand first.]
“Are you talking about a story?”
The World Tree interjects.
[Do you know what exists within your body?]
“…!”
I inhaled sharply at the World Tree’s words.
The entity he spoke of.
Referring, of course, to the beast that had settled within me.
“You… this creature. How?”
[For that, first.]
That wasn’t the extent of the surprises I had coming.
The World Tree quickly followed up.
Bringing forth a topic I had nearly forgotten about.
[I must mention your mother.]
A tale from a distant past.
It was the story of a mother who had vanished.
Thud thud!
The Iron Wire swiftly stomped against the ground.
My breaths were hurried, legs numb, yet the Iron Wire didn’t stop.
‘What is that…?!’
Still, my gaze remained fixed to the sky.
The sky had been darkening for some time, now it was slowly turning even darker.
‘No… That’s not the sky.’
Right, it’s not the sky.
That was unmistakably more akin to a membrane.
Gradually, a black shroud began spreading to envelop the area, as if establishing a campsite.
The extent of it was alarming.
It covered two mountains and even reached the distant Shinryonggwan.
‘What on earth is happening…?!’
Cheol Ji-Seon ground his teeth and kicked his feet.
Clearly, it wasn’t a peaceful situation.
Cheol Ji-Seon mused, even as he dashed.
‘I… Where am I heading now?’
In a hurry, I moved my feet but was clueless about where to go.
‘What about the instructors?’
If I’m not the only one privy to this moment.
The instructors must have seen it too.
The surroundings were eerily silent.
Creepy enough to send shivers down my spine.
And then…
Swish!
Cheol Ji-Seon quickly pivoted, responding to a sensation he felt around him.
It was instinctive movement.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
It seemed I was too late, for a sting of pain pierced through me.
The gamble had mixed in, and the impact propelled my body away with a crash.
Soon, Cheol Ji-Seon found himself sprawled on the ground, utterly spent.
“Ugh… Ugh!”
Wondering where the pain originated, it appeared that my thigh had been pierced.
What was lodged there was a dagger.
“…Kkeuuuu…!”
Amidst clenching teeth from the pain, I heard a voice approach from the front.
“What are you doing? I nearly killed you.”
Cheol Ji-Seon gazed into the distance through the pain.
Someone clad in a dark uniform was arriving with a sword drawn.
‘Who… is that?’
“I told you to check their face first before killing them. Do you want to die for Tae-Joo?”
“One or two wouldn’t hurt.”
A voice chimed from behind as well.
This appeared to be the individual hurling the dagger.
“Anyway, the bloodline of the Four Great Families only consists of daughters. The rest can be disposed of at will.”
“That might only concern the instructors. If you wish to avoid incidents, tread lightly.”
“…Tsk.”
The man who heard that remark clicked his tongue and seized Cheol Ji-Seon by the hair, hauling him up.
“Ugh!”
“Do you recognize this face?”
The person approached and regarded Cheol Ji-Seon’s visage quietly.
He gripped his chin, tilting it this way and that.
“Hmm.”
Quickly frowning as if sensing something was amiss.
“Why?”
“Look at the placement of the birthmark and the attire. He’s one of those forbidden by Tae-Joo.”
“…Is that so?”
“What will you do now?”
“What is there to do? Just let him go.”
The man cackled nonchalantly.
Cheol Ji-Seon, still startled by the unforeseen ambush, had his heart racing.
Yet, his pupils remained alert, darting around quickly.
‘One in the chest, the other on the left wrist… both are Dragons.’
He was keenly observing the two figures.
“I’m sorry for this. It’s been ages since I’ve tasted blood, and I was just feeling a bit impatient.”
The one who had thrown the dagger at Cheol Ji-Seon.
He patted Cheol Ji-Seon’s cheek as if to convey that he felt no guilt whatsoever.
Rising to his feet.
Seemed he genuinely had no intention of taking a life today.
‘If they’re not killing me… what about others?’
I recalled the earlier statements.
– The bloodline of the Four Great Families consists solely of daughters. The rest could be eliminated at their leisure.
This suggests he intended to kill everyone, exempting only the significant ones.
‘The instructors’ inability to appear…’
Implying the instructors are indeed entangled in this matter.
It appears that a considerable number of individuals, similar to these men, had arrived.
…Was this an orchestrated ambush?
‘No way.’
At that moment, Cheol Ji-Seon recalled the warning from the Deity to not fret over the attack on Gu Yangcheon.
Could this, possibly, relate to divinity?
“The leg, well, a little pressure should suffice to staunch the bleeding. I didn’t coat it with poison.”
The man grinned and attempted to move.
Looked like his aim was to apprehend others, not himself.
What I’m suggesting is that this could not stand.
Cheol Ji-Seon shifted his fingers.
Since it hadn’t been long since the Magic Gate had opened.
I might not be able to recreate the door like before.
I felt as if I shouldn’t allow him to leave just like that.
I tried reaching out with my fingers.
Yet I couldn’t grasp the sensation I sought.
‘Please…’
The power I had longed to rid myself of.
Why is it unresponsive at this critical juncture?
As Cheol Ji-Seon desperately sought to twitch his fingertips…
“Let’s go the other way…”
The man who had arisen instantly paused.
The odd reaction forced Cheol Ji-Seon to follow suit and redirect his gaze.
Thud.
Something plummeted directly in front of Cheol Ji-Seon’s eyes.
“Huh… Huhup!”
Upon seeing this, Cheol Ji-Seon screamed instinctively.
What had fallen unexpectedly was a human neck.
Specifically, the neck of the person who had been examining Cheol Ji-Seon’s face.
“What kind of brute is…!”
The man tried to raise his blade for vengeance.
Crunch!
With a spine-chilling sound signaling something being cleaved.
Thud.
The man’s neck fell right before Cheol Ji-Seon.
At the sight, Cheol Ji-Seon couldn’t even blurt out a scream and clutched at his throbbing heart.
Was it an instructor?
The air given off by those two brutes was no joke.
If someone can slice down such individuals in this manner…
“…Where are you?”
Just as Cheol Ji-Seon felt a flicker of relief, convincing himself it must be an instructor.
A voice sounded from just above.
It was a familiar voice.
Not often heard, but enough to recall.
Originally, it would resonate softly, appearing sleepy.
Now, it was an enchanting tone, yet bore a cold demeanor, echoing irritation.
The icy emotions woven into the voice rendered Cheol Ji-Seon far more shaken than before.
Raising his trembling head, he gazed at the voice’s owner.
What struck him first was near-white, grayish-blue hair.
“…that person.”
The second thing was those stunning blue eyes.
“Where is it?”
Swish!
With a swift motion, shaking off the bloodied sword.
Namgung Bi-ah was looking down at Cheol Ji-Seon.
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