Chapter: 614
Sway-!
I feel dizzy and unsteady.
I barely managed to keep my balance so I wouldn’t fall.
“Phew… .”
My breathing became ragged.
I had to try my best to keep it together.
And that’s not all.
Thud-!
I felt something in my heart.
I was nervous. I had to brace for the backlash that was coming.
Kuuung-!
“Ugh…!”
As expected, I couldn’t help but groan at the sudden vibration.
It felt like I was about to collapse at any moment, but somehow, I endured.
I couldn’t fall down here.
“Hoo… hoo…!”
The pain weighed down on my already exhausted body.
My body felt lethargic, as if something had been significantly drained, and I also felt an emptiness inside.
I had felt it before, and it was truly a dismal feeling.
Feeling this, I checked my physical condition in detail.
How painful is it? Will I be able to move after using it?
Even while exhausted, I struggled to remember everything one by one.
I clenched my fist and thought.
‘The recoil is too much.’
Just like last time, the recoil after using it was no joke.
Pain? Well, if I endure it, it would end at some point.
‘It’s a burden on the body.’
Is this what the patron meant by putting a strain on the soul?
Or maybe it was literally impossible for my body to handle it, but it was clear that using it continuously would be difficult.
Of course, whatever the case.
‘… Ultimately, what’s important is being able to use it.’
As I steadied my breath, I lifted my head and looked ahead.
Where there had been an unknown barrier until just now, a massive entrance now lay shattered and broken.
Hwaruk-!
Blue flames flickered and danced around the edges.
It was the result of my Heart Technique.
While its destructive power was significantly weaker than when I shattered the iceberg last time, it was evident that it held great force all the same.
I managed to keep my upper body upright and tried to gauge the situation.
‘If I’m lucky, maybe three times.’
When both my body and mind are in perfect condition, I felt I could use it three times at that same level.
At the level I was at the first time I used it? Well… I’d probably just use it once and then fall over.
‘Using it isn’t that difficult either.’
Is it because I’ve tried it once before?
Or was there something else affecting me?
Fortunately, utilizing the Heart Technique wasn’t that challenging.
If you want to use it, you can use it.
You just have to handle the aftermath afterward.
“What, what is this…?”
Yuri appeared to be struggling to comprehend what had just occurred.
And indeed, there had been a barrier just as I mentioned.
The force that had been unleashed to break through it would undoubtedly seem strange from Yuri’s standpoint.
“Let’s go.”
Of course, there was nothing to say when looking at such a sight.
I merely walked on, hiding my reaction.
“Ouch…! Wait…!”
As we stepped through the broken entrance, Yuri finally followed behind.
The inside wasn’t dramatically different from the outside.
The snowfields were still distinctly present.
It was a night with a steady snowstorm. However, there was one very distinct difference amidst it all.
‘Is this a garden?’
Unlike outside, this place appeared to be an artificially created garden.
Though frankly, it looked like it hadn’t been maintained in ages.
Woohoo!
I turned my head at the sensation I felt.
Not far off.
It felt much closer than when we were just across the barrier.
That barrier that had been hanging around here…
It seemed to have not completely blocked the vibrations but at least dampened them.
There it is.
You are over there.
Just as I was about to take another step, I remembered.
“… Ah…?”
I looked back for a moment at the voice I heard from behind.
This was because Yuri, who had followed closely, was looking around with a shocked expression.
“Here… .”
“Why? Do you know this place?”
“Uh, why….”
Yuri continued to glance around as if in disbelief.
From her response, it seemed like she recognized this familiar location.
“That’s ridiculous….”
“What’s so ridiculous?”
“There’s no way this place would still exist… I heard it vanished ages ago?”
I glanced at Yuri, puzzled about what she meant.
“… This was where the non-commissioned officers lived.”
“What?”
Hearing that, I surveyed my surroundings.
This was a place buried under snow, unable to serve its purpose as a garden.
Though it was referred to as a garden, it’s really stretching it at this point.
So this is where that guy Woohyuk stayed?
“It’s already been… It’s been over ten years. I heard the Blue Wolf erased it long ago. How on earth… .”
“Well, maybe they just left it as it was, without removing anything.”
“That can’t be the case. I’ve been here multiple times….”
“Hm.”
She said she had been here several times, meaning it wasn’t discovered until now.
What does it imply that I can see this now?
Moreover,
‘It’s unsettling yet familiar.’
The barrier I just broke through; it felt strangely familiar yet uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, Yuri continued to glance around, questioning if what she saw was real.
“… So this is the Blue Wolf’s homeland? But this can’t possibly be the location…?”
The Blue Wolf, who rebelled against the Ice Palace and started a war.
If this is Woohyuk’s abode, then this vicinity should be the Blue Wolf’s homeland.
Yuri reacted as if she wasn’t convinced either.
‘Perhaps it’s due to feeling the energy without grasping the geography properly.’
That might not be the only reason, though.
I thought to myself.
‘Whatever happens, what’s important now is that this is where Woohyuk lived.’
No matter how a place that had vanished in the past remains like this.
After all, this is a location connected to Woohyuk.
This meant the vibrations I felt here were linked to him.
‘Namgungbia’s disappearance is connected to Woohyuk.’
I figured that was the right judgment to make.
Phew-!
I exhaled, releasing energy.
This was to widen my perception.
As the energy brushed against my pain, my face instinctively grimaced.
That was the aftermath of the recoil.
‘Seriously, I never have a body left.’
Whenever I tried to improve, an accident would occur.
Just when I thought I was almost okay, something happened, so this truly was a baffling situation.
Woohoo—!!
The energy spread and enveloped the area.
My sensitivity extended shallower than usual, but it was sufficiently wide.
It meant there was no shortage of visual range.
However.
‘What is this?’
As my sensitivity spread, questions cropped up.
‘There’s nothing.’
I felt nothing.
‘How can it possibly be this void?’
I hadn’t walked in cautiously.
I entered boldly after breaking everything apart.
If there were people inside, something should have emerged.
There truly wasn’t a hint of life at all.
Maybe there are no other individuals here?
All that was visible were remnants of a garden and the layers of snow piled upon it.
A situation devoid of even a trace of humanity.
Could there genuinely be traces of Namgungbia in this place?
At that moment, such doubts began to arise.
Thud-!
“…!”
At the edge of the expanding sensation.
Sabak!
Something caught my attention in the distance.
Sabak!
The first thing I felt was someone’s footsteps.
They approached calmly.
Past the emptiness where nothing had caught my attention.
“… Hey.”
Among all the sensations I’d felt recently, this seemed to be the most familiar.
‘I hope I’m wrong.’
This was the very presence I dreaded most.
Sabak!
I quietly stared straight ahead as the footsteps drew closer.
It was coming from beyond that point.
How long did I wait?
Probably not long, but somehow, it felt extraordinarily lengthy.
And so.
Sabak!
The steps, light as a feather upon the snow.
Towering.
After a few steps, they finally ceased movement.
I looked at the figure that appeared with an expressionless face.
“Wow.”
The other party chuckled as if bewildered by the situation.
“… This indeed presents quite a dilemma.”
The young man unfastened the pack he had been holding and sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
It had been years since I’d seen him, but he still sported that handsome face. Utterly infuriating.
“I thought it was strange when everything went so quiet.”
However, there was no mistaking that he looked the same.
“Why are you here…?”
The atmosphere was entirely different from times past.
Where did the relaxed and soft atmosphere go? A chill akin to the weather lingered around the young man.
“Am I dreaming?”
Woohyuk chuckled with a smirk.
“The outsiders…!”
Yuri jittered and trembled at the sudden appearance of Woohyuk.
Then she stepped forward, attempting to speak.
“Y-you…!”
“It’s been a long while.”
“…!”
Woohyuk didn’t even glance at Yuri.
He exhibited a complete lack of interest.
“I see.”
That response felt strangely foreign to me.
“I heard there had been a change. So that was you.”
Sabak!
The steps that had dug into the snow began trampling upon it now.
“When did you arrive?”
“About two days. No, maybe three days, something of that sort?”
I answered the question that was posed to me.
Upon hearing my words, Woohyuk grinned.
“It hasn’t been very long.”
“I came rather hastily, you know.”
“Right.”
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence fell.
We simply gazed at each other without uttering a word.
‘Hmm.’
What should I say now?
I had so much I wanted to talk about upon meeting.
Yet now that we had met, I found myself at a loss for words.
So instead.
“Why did you do that?”
I opted to cut straight to the point.
“… Ha ha?”
Woohyuk laughed after hearing my question, seemingly understanding the meaning behind it.
“A guy who’s got no greed whatsoever. Why’d he start such a big mess?”
Woohyuk wouldn’t be concerned with material desires, after all.
He lived simply by existing.
The Woohyuk I was facing was that sort of person.
“What are you doing? Didn’t you eat well?”
“…”
That Taoist fellow merely gobbled meat every day.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he had completely lost his senses. Was that how I felt?
In response to my inquiry, Woohyuk began to speak.
“There might be a chance I’ve developed a hunger for power. People can change, you know.”
“What nonsense are you babbling? I’m not joking. Answer me properly.”
That was something I had said to the princess as well.
Woohyuk had mentioned that he would listen to the circumstances and then come to a judgment.
It was a question I posed because I thought it was essential.
“…”
Woohyuk remained silent, providing no answer to my query.
Noting his silence, I let out a sigh.
“Ha.”
Is he reluctant to respond?
That’s understandable.
If there are special circumstances involved, one might be hesitant to answer.
‘Guess I’ll have to coax an answer out of you then.’
If he remained tight-lipped, then I was prepared to assist him until he felt better about talking.
However.
“Alright, I see.”
It’s just that now isn’t the time.
Right now, I had something more pressing than Woohyuk to address.
“That’s sufficient; now tell me where he is.”
“What?”
“He’s here. Where is he right now?”
Namgungbi-ah must be here somewhere.
That had now turned into a certainty.
“Bring him to me.”
Namgungbia must have been taken by Woohyuk.
That was likely why this situation unfolded.
If that’s the case, it was time to get her back.
With that determination in mind, I spoke.
Woohyuk didn’t reply, merely silent as he stared at me.
Adding a remark to that silence, I said.
“I am here.”
As I cooled my rising emotions, I spoke to Woohyuk.
“Whatever you’re planning to do, honestly, I couldn’t care less.”
“…”
“It’s a bit absurd that you’re from the North Sea, but honestly, that’s not even the significant part.”
It was simply strange, not particularly outrageous. At least, it wasn’t for me.
“I’m curious why you’d engage in such annoying treachery. Still, let’s deal with that later.”
I didn’t mention that I’d beat him up to get the answers.
Nothing was of any significance.
Whatever chaos is happening in the North Sea. Whatever was happening with Woohyuk.
Nothing mattered to me.
“So,”
What was vital to me now was.
“Tell me where he is.”
Namgungbi-ah, who is likely around here.
That’s all.
If I could get Namgungbi-ah back, I had no reason to linger here.
The princess had declared she wouldn’t seek treatment.
It didn’t matter whether it worked or not.
If she didn’t want treatment, then she simply wouldn’t receive it.
That meant I had no business here.
If I could secure Namgung Bi-ah, I would be free to cut ties with this place and return to the Central Plains.
Thus.
If Woohyuk could simply return Namgungbia to me, it could resolve without issues.
Yeah, it must’ve been straightforward like that.
“Sorry.”
Woohyuk didn’t provide the answer I sought.
“I don’t think that’s going to work.”
“What?”
Swish.
As he spat his answer, Woohyuk drew a sword from his waistband.
“She can’t be returned. She still has some matters to settle.”
“…”
“So step back. This isn’t a place for you.”
Swish—.
A palpable aura began to seep from Woohyuk’s body.
Even the sword he wielded radiated a menacing energy.
This meant he was serious.
The pressure he enforced was considerable.
It seemed he hadn’t slacked off on his training these past few years.
‘Did that guy become a master?’
I sensed a formidable energy, though I wasn’t sure if he crossed the threshold.
I couldn’t verify it yet.
Due to my internal injuries, I couldn’t ascertain anything accurately.
“Ha.”
With another sigh, I rubbed my forehead.
What on earth is happening that has led to such chaos?
I didn’t know.
Not a clue.
As I gazed at the tip of the sword Woohyuk held, various thoughts surged within me.
“I tried to hold out until three, but I guess it’s not happening.”
I ceased the mental counting and addressed Woohyuk.
“First.”
Well then.
“I guess I’ll take a hit first.”
We probably ought to talk amongst ourselves for a moment.
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