Chapter: 625
‘What was I doing?’
That thought popped into my mind the moment I opened my eyes.
What on earth have I been doing until now?
‘Clearly…’
Let’s dive into my heart and get rid of any hesitation.
How much time has passed as I thought like that with my eyes closed?
For some reason, I left my dazed head as it was and turned my gaze away.
The surroundings weren’t much different from before I closed my eyes.
I could still see the iceberg.
‘Princess.’
As I looked around, I noticed the princess was also looking at me.
But…
‘What?’
Why is she making that face?
Surprise and bewilderment.
She had a very cold expression, yet the expressions she wore were remarkably diverse.
Why is she making that face?
Just as I began to think along those lines…
“Why are you crying?”
I had to tilt my head at what the princess said.
Crying?
I raised my hand and touched my eyes.
‘Huh?’
When I checked, there were indeed tears flowing.
What is going on?
‘What?’
Why am I crying?
‘What is this?’
The unexpected tears made it hard for me to understand the situation.
It’s been a while since I shed tears.
I had to figure out why I was crying.
I haven’t really gone through anything monumental…
‘Hmm?’
I tried to recall the previous situation.
Strangely, nothing came to mind.
‘Clearly….’
Right after I entered the mental space and tried to kill my younger self.
Then…
What was it again?
‘What was it?’
I couldn’t remember.
I’m sure something happened.
It felt as though I had painted my memories with so much ink that nothing was visible.
‘This is annoying.’
And it’s frustrating.
Despite my wrinkled brow in deep thought, something just vaguely skimmed by.
A figure of someone holding a child.
That was the limit of what I could barely recall.
‘I don’t know.’
What did I see? What did I experience that made me feel so uneasy?
“Are you okay, Mr. Gu?”
“Ah…”
At her words, I quickly wiped my tears.
“…How much time has passed?”
“It’s only been a few seconds.”
“…Hmm.”
A few seconds.
Is that all that has passed?
‘Just that much time…’
I glanced at my clenched fist and thought.
‘Has my realm expanded this much?’
With wide eyes, I scanned my physical state.
It’s overflowing.
My energy was so full it was spilling over.
The vessel that holds it had also grown larger.
‘This is…’
If my previous state was significantly inferior to my past life…
Then now…
‘I’ve exceeded halfway.’
I can’t say I’ve reached the pinnacle, but I’m pretty close.
At this level, it’s clear that there’s a noticeable difference.
‘….Hah.’
I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
Who would’ve thought that simply shaking off hesitation would lead to such change?
In other words,
‘Rather than saying it’s something I acquired, it’s more accurate to say it’s something I’ve always had.’
This was not a newly gained power.
The level is different, sure, but these were energies that were originally present within my body.
It’s correct to view it as a force that was bound inside my being due to my inability to stabilize my thoughts.
I had a vague sense of this.
‘I just didn’t know it would be this significant.’
I’m eager to check the current state of things.
‘For now…’
I turned my head and focused on the iceberg.
‘First things first.’
The princess had mentioned before…
That I would surely know once I made my choice.
‘Hmm…’
Keeping that in mind, I stared at the iceberg.
I realized that what she said was half right and half wrong.
The reason I came here…
That’s still unknown.
But at least…
‘I know what this is.’
The identity of the iceberg before me…
That much I felt certain about.
I reached out.
Swish.
Placing my palm on the surface of the iceberg,
Whoa whoa whoa!!!
The iceberg suddenly began to tremble wildly.
“…!”
Witnessing this, the princess behind me flinched and shivered.
I ignored it.
When I concentrated, I could see it clearly.
What merely appeared to be a round block of ice began to reveal something different.
I concentrated on the myriad sensations I could sense with my fingertips.
After a moment, I casually touched the ice everywhere.
“Hmm.”
Dab.
I wiped the cold sweat that flowed down with the back of my hand.
Is it sweat from feeling hot?
That can’t be right.
This place is freezing cold.
This sweat was, in fact, flowing due to the energy felt within the iceberg.
What was once invisible now became visible.
What I couldn’t feel before, I felt now.
As the princess said, I can now see and feel much more than before.
‘…She said it was an egg.’
Her words rang true. The iceberg is indeed an egg.
An egg containing something extraordinarily terrifying.
‘I don’t know if it’s a heart.’
But I probably understand that something colossal lurks inside.
Moreover…
That it won’t be long until that entity hatches.
It’s absurd that the Northern Sea has possessed something so insane for this long.
“…”
While lost in thought about the iceberg, I pondered whether I should exert some strength into my body.
I exerted strength.
What does that signify?
Even though it was a sudden thought, my body already knew.
Immediately upon opening my eyes,
My realm surged, altering both my body and energy.
This is indeed an outrageous transformation.
Yet, even bigger changes had occurred.
Instinctively, I could feel that I had gained power that I never had before.
‘Precisely.’
It is a power I had forgotten, but let’s set that aside.
Finally grasping it, I understood what the Demon King once said.
The strength one acquires upon becoming a dragon.
It is not the same as martial arts that grow stronger through training over time.
It’s a natural ability you’re born with.
Warrant.
How do you utilize it?
Does this really hold power? What’s the foundation?
There’s no need for such an explanation in the first place.
My body already had the answer.
Rather, it’s astonishing that I had gone this long without realizing it.
It had become so natural that it felt like a part of me from the very start.
‘Will it work?’
Thus I briefly considered trying to use it on the iceberg.
After some time passing in contemplation,
Swish.
I withdrew my hand from the iceberg.
The reason is quite simple.
“The order is wrong.”
Because ‘this side’ wasn’t supposed to come first.
I inspected my palm that had just touched the iceberg.
Having touched the ice for so long, not a drop of moisture remained.
“Princess.”
I shifted my gaze to the princess as I asked,
“That’s why I thought this was a heart.”
Our earlier conversation resurfaced.
Just as I was about to continue discussing the bothersome topic…
“Ah.”
I abruptly halted and recalled.
“This is also in the wrong order.”
“…What?”
“I’ll listen after I come back. That’s the priority.”
“Old Confucius? What on earth are you talking about all of a sudden—.”
The princess attempted to call me back as if bewildered.
I turned and walked toward the exit.
There was no need to grasp the doorknob.
As I approached, the door opened by itself, just like before.
“…Where are you going now?”
Seeing this, the princess inquired, to which I slightly turned my head and replied.
“It’s nothing much. I just remembered something I learned.”
That’s right. Something I had genuinely learned.
– You know, right?
– We never allow our possessions to be taken away.
A voice echoed in my mind.
I wondered why this thought surfaced now…
‘It’s different; this isn’t something that comes to mind right now.’
It’s more that I had forgotten that it should have arisen in the first place.
That’s why I am contemplating it now.
‘That’s correct.’
We never let our possessions be taken away.
Such a statement reeks of arrogance and strong possessiveness.
And, it’s undeniably true.
‘I can’t let it be taken away.’
If I thought it was mine, then it shouldn’t be taken from me.
That thought swirled throughout my being.
This is something I wouldn’t have done if I were my real self.
I would have hesitated again and again, searching for plans and justifications.
But I decided not to do that now.
Only one thought sprang to mind immediately.
If it was taken away…
“I must retrieve it.”
It’s just pure logic.
The princess frowned slightly, clearly not grasping my words.
I turned my gaze away once more.
“It won’t take long.”
“Wait—.”
Before she could finish her sentence,
I had already grabbed and opened the door I came through.
Creek!
As I stepped outside, I encountered the individual waiting for me.
It was the Black Lion.
Upon seeing me open the door and step out, the Black Lion’s expression contorted for a moment.
I addressed him,
“I finished my business and came out.”
The Black Lion spoke sharply as I waved my hand dismissively.
“By any chance, I hope I haven’t offended her Highness again?”
Perhaps due to our previous altercation, the Black Lion’s demeanor felt significantly sharper.
I responded to that claim.
“I don’t think I did anything. Did I?”
I didn’t know.
I spoke simply because I couldn’t recall accurately.
Snap.
Maybe he took my words as teasing, for the Black Lion exuded an aura of hostility.
“… If you continue acting like that, you’ll genuinely have to shed blood.”
I didn’t know if I touched a sore spot or if he was about to lose it after bottling up his feelings.
The Black Lion blocked my path as if genuinely furious.
I chuckled at his predicament.
“I wasn’t trying to tease you. I genuinely don’t know. Sorry if I’ve offended you.”
After my apologetic smile, I attempted to sidestep him.
“You’re pulling that trick again!”
He attempted to grab my shoulder.
“If you touch me…”
I wiped the smile away and looked straight at him.
“You die?”
Gulp—!
The Black Lion flinched at my words and froze.
I gazed at the Black Lion as his eyes widened in shock.
There were no further words exchanged.
We simply stood there, locked in a silent exchange.
Suddenly, Swish!
The Black Lion withdrew his hand first.
And then…
“…Something has changed.”
The Black Lion spoke in a trembling voice.
Changed?
I nodded at his response.
It doesn’t seem to merely refer to my realm.
I hadn’t quite felt it yet.
Even if I threw something away,
I was still me.
But…
“Perhaps so.”
We’re not sure yet.
I answered with a sly smile.
“Let’s catch up later. I have something to do right now.”
I ignored the still-stiff Black Lion and strengthened my steps.
What would I have originally done here?
Should I have headed towards where my group awaited?
Perhaps that would’ve been the case.
However, there was something that needed to be done before anything else.
At least, that’s how it felt for me now.
I redirected my gaze.
I was already outside the hiding spot.
Just as it had been from the start, exiting the cave wasn’t overly difficult.
I lifted my eyes to the sky.
Swish!
It was still snowing outside.
I thought about this as I watched the snow come down.
“Hmm.”
It still felt like a dreadful land.
The ground beneath my feet. The air I breathed.
Even the falling snow.
Everything felt foul.
In the beginning, I didn’t understand why, but now I could.
The reason this land felt so unpleasant wasn’t merely because other dragons inhabited it.
The reason was singular.
‘Because it’s a land ruled by another.’
It’s not solely the presence of dragons that makes it unsettling.
It’s the fact that this land is under someone else’s dominion.
That alone is what makes me feel repulsed.
The vague sensation I had felt from the start now came through clearly.
‘That’s why I felt bad.’
Because it belongs to someone else.
Only for that one reason does it grate on my nerves.
What an arrogant and greedy bunch they are.
Or perhaps,
‘I might just be particularly greedy.’
I chuckled at that thought.
It might very well be true.
“Does it make sense?”
I mused about the powers that had emerged.
Considering that perhaps I’m overly greedy and arrogant,
That’s the reason I might have ‘this kind’ of power.
Thud.
I relaxed my hands.
“Whatever.”
Let’s just keep it simple. It’s better than hesitating.
‘For now…’
I’ll get back what was taken from me.
Prioritizing that was my aim.
I turned from gazing at the snow and looked straight ahead.
Although I couldn’t visually see it,
I now sensed what I hadn’t before.
Hwaruk.
Fire enveloped my body.
Then, I took a step forward.
At that moment.
Hwaaaaaaaahh—!!!
Light erupted from me,
Swish, swish, swish!
The snow pouring down from the sky transformed into rain.
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