Chapter: 519
In a memory of an unknown time.
A particularly red light flowed. The dampness was thick, and my body was so cold that frost seemed to be forming.
Shivers took over my body, and my breath felt labored, enveloping me in a stifling embrace.
Amidst such uncomfortable sensations.
– Not bad.
A voice echoed.
A cool voice laced with an unknown laughter.
Inside it, I sensed a gruesome scent of blood. I wanted to figure out what it meant, but my head was bowed so low that it didn’t have any intentions of lifting.
It felt as if I shouldn’t dare look at its face.
As my body stiffened in that state, only gazing at the ground, the voice resounded again.
– Yes, you will do just fine. Child of the Brain.
I felt fingers caressing my neck.
– From now on, you are my servant. Rejoice.
Grind…
With a chilling laugh, my barely held consciousness shattered.
And then.
My closed eyes opened.
“…!….”
Suddenly.
The frail old man regained his senses and stood up.
He staggered, hurriedly rising as he glanced around.
“… Where is this place…?”
Flinch…
Just at that moment, I was about to panic in the unfamiliar space when a wave of pain hit, leading me to clutch my head.
What is happening?
Why is my head in such agony?
I tried to suppress my silence, but even that proved to be challenging.
“Ugh….”
As the old man endured the pain, those around him finally reacted.
“The Heavenly Lord has awakened…!”
“… I will report this to the master!”
“Doctor! Call the doctor!”
It’s noisy.
The old man broke out in a cold sweat, observing the hustle around him.
If it were any other day, such sounds would barely register.
For some reason, everything felt overwhelmingly loud.
“Whew… whew….”
I took deep breaths.
The pain lingered.
In a situation where my head felt as if it were about to explode, the Heavenly King had to engage in his inner questioning.
Where is this place?
Why am I here?
I couldn’t grasp anything.
The Heavenly King clutched his head and closed his eyes.
It felt as though there were holes scattered throughout my memories.
What on earth is going on here?
At the moment when the Heavenly Lord was in pain and grappling with doubts.
“You’ve awakened.”
A familiar voice reached my ears.
The Heavenly King barely lifted his head to see the source of the voice.
“You’ve been quite the spectacle. Tsk tsk. You’re looking quite dreadful.”
“… You.”
Another old man gazed down at the struggling Heavenly King with a look of disappointment.
Indeed.
It was a god.
Immediately after Nahi realized she had no option.
I left her shaking in place and resumed my steps.
Honestly, I would have liked to have fed her the jewel right then and there.
‘But things aren’t that straightforward right now.’
I merely informed her of the situation. She needed to be aware. After all, she had work to do.
‘It would be too wasteful for me to just toss it aside.’
The role of the Dangdeok is set.
Currently, I was focused on keeping her close and taming her, but later on, she would have work ahead of her too.
In comparison, Nahi seemed rather useless.
While she could serve as a source of information, with the current state of the party, there really wasn’t a need to utilize her.
So where exactly should she be employed?
‘There’s no real necessity for that.’
There wasn’t much need at all.
Her level? Nahi’s realm was peak level. If she progresses a little further, she would reach absolute mastery, but that level is quite common across the Central Plains.
‘It’s not entirely common, but there certainly are many.’
Utilizing her as a secret agent could yield better results.
If I really needed to put her to use, nothing came to mind for the moment.
‘But I’ve already thought of someone to capture and utilize for that purpose.’
Even without Nahi, I had someone already in mind, so there was no dire need to include her as well.
In light of that, well…
‘I initially planned to use her sparingly and then dispose of her.’
I never intended to keep Nahi around for long in the first place.
This meant that I had planned to clear her away as soon as the schedule at the Gu Mansion was concluded.
Even if I didn’t kill her, it suggests I wouldn’t give her a significant role.
‘Now, however, she possesses her own usefulness.’
The jewel still rattled in my hand.
What purpose would I use it for?
‘If it works out well, that’s great, but if it fails, well, it’s just something we’ll have to accept.’
If Nahi manages to absorb this jewel well with my assistance and finds a good use for it, then that would truly be a positive outcome.
Even if the experiment fails, it wouldn’t matter.
This is where Nahi currently stood.
‘Even if she succeeds, I’ll need to keep an eye on what happens next.’
If her realm rises, how high will she ascend?
If her body changes, how much will it transform? Those are questions I must observe.
‘I mean, it’s somewhat bothersome to consider.’
Having to meticulously observe all these details was quite tiresome.
Should I just devour it and be done with it?
As my energy levels increase, more tasks arise in response to this, but that only cuts down on my rest.
I genuinely wish I could just do that.
“Oh, this is just infuriating!”
It was annoying to think I couldn’t just do as I pleased all the time.
There was a reason I was brooding over this.
“Why on earth did I discover something like this?”
Besides the jewels, there was one more item cluttering up my possession.
Another item I obtained through interrogating the Elder with magic.
Rustle…
I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.
It was a weathered letter, neither too big nor too thick.
And the content inside was the real issue.
“… Hmm.”
The Birth Plan of the Cheonmujiche. Years of time spent on this, and the most suitable materials and ratios found for it.
The usage method for the essence, too.
All the details were inscribed within this vision, which now lay cradled in my hand.
[Are you seriously thinking of using this?]
The voice of Noya, questioning me, was laced with a sharp emotion for some reason.
I understood what that voice meant.
“Are you crazy…? You want me to use this?”
Noya feared that I might actually use it.
From what was written here, this document was far too cruel for a human to wield.
Gathering the materials was hard enough as it was.
Catching toxic monsters would be one thing.
‘I need to gather over a hundred humans.’
Moreover, only those under the age of adulthood could be collected.
It elaborated a method to refine and transform them into a vessel and body.
The essential materials were their flesh and innate spirits.
Even extracting those would be a wonder. And to mix that with the blood carrying the toxin from demons as well?
It was an utterly mad approach.
I frowned at the jewel clenched in my hand.
“Those righteous bastards want to go through this trouble just to create something as twisted as this?”
As I muttered that, other thoughts crept into my mind.
The elixir that could turn you into a Cheonmujiche with just one bite.
It was undoubtedly a historically precious item.
Its manufacturing process, however, strayed far from human ethics.
‘… If it’s unleashed into the world, it could truly wreak havoc.’
There are plenty of humans scattered across this world who wouldn’t give a damn about such ethics.
I thoroughly understood that, so this was not something that could be easily released into the world.
[Is that really the only reason?]
‘…It can’t be.’
I shook my head at Noya’s derisive tone.
That couldn’t be the only reason.
When have I ever been the type to worry about such altruistic motivations?
The reason I’m concerned over this is simple.
If I could convert an ordinary person’s body into a nonsensical Cheonmujiche, it would hold immense value.
Thus,
‘If it’s usable, I want to try it out.’
Rather than giving it to someone else or tossing it aside, I wanted to find a way to utilize it myself.
[…Kid.]
‘I’m aware.’
I couldn’t help but chuckle at Noya’s darkened voice.
‘Worry not. I don’t plan to do anything you’re concerned about.’
Noya was likely worried I’d employ the methods laid out in this vision.
I wondered if I appeared to be that much of a scumbag, and it felt a bit odd.
However, from Noya’s perspective, it was a genuine cause for concern, so I opted for silence.
In reality….
‘I haven’t been on the fence about this at all.’
The thought had crossed my mind — if I created several of these and fed them to trustworthy individuals to help them grow, it might aid in an upcoming war.
‘But that crosses the line.’
I didn’t want to go that far.
It would mean transcending the ‘line’ I established. I mustn’t cross that.
That line represents the extent to which I can still perceive myself as human.
‘Even if my body has already changed.’
Even as my body evolves and circumstances shift.
The line I can barely convince myself I’m still human represents an action that would overstep it.
‘Then, I should look for another method.’
I cannot use the instructions laid out in this vision.
The original reason for adding the toxic powers to the concoction was solely for the benefit of the Gu clan, so that element could be excluded.
Assuming there is something that can replace human flesh and innate spirits.
‘…Maybe I can find a way to apply it differently.’
Even if the original elixir’s power diminishes.
There is still a possibility of creating something with similar effects.
That was the thought weighing on my mind.
If I could pull this off, it would undoubtedly help immensely in a future blood calamity.
[That’s a dangerous thought.]
‘Yes, I know that too.’
I nodded at Noya’s warning.
I understood how perilous this thought was.
Yet.
‘Isn’t it worth attempting?’
[…]
‘Trying is surely better than not trying at all. I believe in attempting all possibilities before deciding to give up.’
[True… that belief is both your flaw and your strength.]
I’ll keep trying until I can’t.
I couldn’t do that in my past life, which made this one a promise to change.
‘I’m not declaring that I’ll do it right away, though.’
Excluding the idea of gathering humans and even without seeking out the monsters.
There was still a significant amount of materials needed.
Many herbal medicines also come with considerable costs.
Gathering all of them would certainly take some time.
‘Even if herbs are collected, of course, there’s the refinement to consider…’
Materials to replace humans and monsters were also needed. Identifying if there are alternatives would take precedence.
‘Whether they exist is still up in the air.’
If I can find them, it would grant substantial advantages to my forthcoming plans.
‘They’ll likely be far superior items than the elixirs used in Shaolin or Huashan.’
Assuming I’m able to create them, these will certainly outclass the Dahuandan or Jasadandan. Perhaps even surpass the Dokchandan.
As items capable of fundamentally altering human bodies and expanding their vessels, they’ll be astonishing artifacts.
And on top of that,
‘…Though it’s to be expected.’
Concerning human flesh, while I couldn’t guarantee anything, I had inklings of what would suffice to replace innate spirits.
I have vague ideas.
Whether it would or wouldn’t work remained to be seen.
‘For now, I’ll handle Nahi first.’
I will verify whether this elixir truly functions, and if so, observe what condition it puts her in.
Once I determine it’s usable, I’ll immediately get to work.
‘…Before I reach adulthood, I must chart my course.’
Time isn’t on my side.
I have three years until I reach adulthood.
Within that timeframe, I need to solidify my direction and thoroughly plan ahead.
This was all tied into that as well.
“Whew….”
While lost in my complicated thoughts as I walked, I soon arrived at my dwelling.
My father was likely handling the Poison King’s request around this time, causing the entire Gu Mansion to be in a commotion.
Thus, my dwelling should be relatively calm.
‘Then, things I need to do inside are…’
Today’s tasks.
‘…What to do about Noh-ya.’
Noh-ya, who I had shoved into a drawer amidst the noise. The person presumed to be Namgung Myung residing within.
I must finally wrap up the conversation concerning that before my father arrives.
Upon thinking this, as I stepped into my dwelling…
“… Hmm?”
I sensed an overwhelming presence where silence should reign within my abode.
– No! You crazy bastard!
Along with that, disorderly voices were clamoring about.
That sharp voice was…?
‘Isn’t that Baekryeon-geom?’
That lady’s voice from Baekryeon-geom echoed.
…Why on earth was she making noise in my dwelling?
‘What does she want now?’
The anxiety hit me already.
Whenever that lady visits, strange noises tend to follow, making me extremely uneasy.
“Ugh….”
Just as I let out a huge sigh, I entered my space.
And, unsurprisingly, the moment I stepped in, I was forced to gasp at the absurdity of what I heard.
“… What did you say?”
The troubling part was, the one causing that absurd noise wasn’t Baekryeon-geom.
“Where are you planning to go…?”
“…”
A woman stood before me, her eyes wide in surprise.
“…North Sea…”
With long silvery-blue hair.
A lady with exquisitely beautiful white skin.
My fiancée, the one who had died for me in my past life.
Namgung Bi-ah looked at me and spoke once more.
“…I’m going to the North Sea….”
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