Chapter: 938
Inside the mansion of Yawol Castle,
a massive white flag flutters, dominating the space.
With considerable military power and several commercial complexes, its influence was no small matter.
It was one of the four families that received honor directly from the general.
This was also the residence of the head of the White Family.
A noble created with the general’s permission.
Among them, the White Family placed particular importance on pure blood, which meant that the hierarchy was very clear.
Pure blood is the law.
That was the aspect the White House held dear.
This was a place where no one dared to lift their head unless they were a pureblood.
In such a space,
thud
someone was walking down the hallway.
It was a man in neat clothes with long hair tied back tightly.
Despite tying it, the length was enough to sweep the ground.
However, in contrast, the man’s physique was not particularly large.
Both his build and shape were somewhat slender for a man.
He showed zero signs of intimidation.
He was the classic type that you could send flying with a light tap.
“…Huh…”
“Ugh… uh…”
Everyone inside the mansion had their heads bowed.
They couldn’t dare meet his gaze.
Yet,
“Hehehehe~.”
Seemingly oblivious to their attitudes, he hummed along, continuing his slow stride.
With each step, the others stared deeper at the ground.
They understood.
This was the only way to avoid offending the master of the house.
After walking so slowly for some time, the man suddenly declared,
“There.”
He halted and spoke up.
His voice was soft yet delicate.
“Are you not going to open the door?”
“…!”
Upon hearing the man’s words, a person sitting next to him sprang up.
They rushed to the front door and began to turn the doorknob.
Squeak-!!
The firmly closed door swung open. The man gave a friendly pat to the shoulder of the person who opened it.
Tap-tap.
“Thank you.”
“Oh, no… not at all.”
The man chuckled at the character’s awkward response and stepped inside.
Inside was a large bed,
and sprawled atop it was a hefty man whose feet dangled off the edge.
It was Baekwol, the head of the White Family.
He lay unconscious, appearing as if dead, while beside him sat a young man with hair the same shade as the white moon.
The young man frowned and turned at the suddenly opened door.
“What the-! Who the heck are you…!!!”
Just as he was about to shout, his eyes widened upon seeing the man.
“Long time no see.”
The man smiled and waved at the young man.
Seeing this, the young man immediately jumped up and prostrated himself on the floor.
“Ah, General… I greet you, General.”
“Yeah, how have you been?”
The young man, still face down. A blood relative of the Baekwol family. The man who passed by Baeksang dragged over an empty chair and plopped down.
The young man lay there flat on the ground like the others outside, unable to move at all.
He had to be careful even with his breathing.
Slurp, slurp-
The sound of water being poured could be heard.
“I came to see you because I had something to take care of. Looks like things are brewing amusingly.”
“…That is…”
“Oh, you don’t need to explain.”
“…”
“Kid, would you lift your head for me?”
At the man’s words, Baeksang slowly raised his gaze.
Their eyes met instantly.
Baeksang froze when his eyes locked with the man’s.
Those vertically slit pupils and shining purple irises sent chills down his spine.
The man could obliterate this entire area with a mere wave of his hand.
Baeksang swallowed hard, recalling that fact repeatedly.
“The master has given you work, so I don’t have much time to pay attention to you. Does that upset you?”
“Oh, no! How could I dare to…!”
“I’m glad you think that.”
The man exhaled in relief.
“I was already worried, but for something like this to happen while I was gone… I’m thoroughly distressed.”
“I’m so, so sorry.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean for you to apologize. I’m not that difficult to please, am I?”
“That’s right, that’s right.”
He couldn’t bring himself to say yes outright.
Saying yes could spell trouble for the mansion he was currently in.
“Anyway.”
The man leaned slightly and assessed Baekwol’s condition.
“Hmmm?”
As he scrutinized Baekwol, the man tilted his head.
“How long has it been since the kid ended up like this?”
“…It hasn’t even been four days.”
“Four days?”
The man’s eyes widened upon hearing this.
Four days. While it’s a short span, it holds multiple meanings for the Wolya Tribe.
“It’s been four days, and he’s still in this condition.”
Baekwol’s physical state was still grim.
As a pureblood from the Moonlight Tribe, his healing abilities should be remarkable.
Yet, there were still visible wounds on the outside.
The state inside didn’t seem too favorable either.
“Ugh.”
While he guessed that the severity of the injuries might be delaying the healing process, the man, who had been observing quietly, tilted his head curiously.
‘Does it just seem sluggish?’
Healing appeared to be slowed down.
Things that should have healed by now were still festering, indicating something was amiss.
“Hmm.”
The man studied Baekwol, pondering something, then nodded as if he’d arrived at a realization.
“I think there’s a loach in the mix.”
Whether Baekwol harbored any grudges against him or if other motives were at play was anyone’s guess.
It was clear that someone was muddying the waters.
That someone dared to do so in his blessed realm.
Click.
Sharp saws emerged from the man’s fingertips.
Baeksang shivered at the sight.
The man muttered, indifferent to Baeksang’s reaction.
“Who could it be?”
What kind of person could he be? Lost in thought, the man suddenly recalled.
‘Could it be another general?’
A fleeting thought crossed his mind—could it be one of those other generals who coveted his standing?
The man mentally skimmed through a few candidates.
‘Is it the leader, that ignorant one?’
No, it couldn’t be.
Even if he had a poor relationship with the man, he was the type not to leave his territory unless ordered by their master.
In fact, he didn’t even care about his own nation, governing it sloppily.
Then,
‘Is it Yarang?’
Just thinking of her was irksome. The man grit his teeth at the thought of the brown-haired woman.
She didn’t even have a deity and wasn’t in a proper standing, yet there she was, acting as a general riding on the goodwill of the master.
He found that extremely unsettling.
Yet,
‘But it can’t possibly be her.’
He truly believed Yarang could not be behind this.
So that left… one person.
‘Could it be that annoying brat?’
The miserable creature with disgusting wings.
Could he be the mastermind behind this?
‘That’s a possibility.’
He was the kind of guy whose thoughts were inscrutable.
If he had plotted something, it could very well be the case.
“Hmm.”
The man struggled to form a quick conclusion.
He knew that the brat had been acting on the master’s orders lately.
If he wasn’t among the three generals, was he a rogue actor?
“Kid, did you say he was from the Moonlight Tribe?”
“Ah, uh… Yes. That’s correct. He definitely had ears and a tail.”
“And?”
What other information was there? To this inquiry, Baeksang responded.
“He called himself Cheonma.”
“Cheonma?”
“I heard he referred to himself as Cheonma.”
“…Hmm.”
Cheonma?
The man stroked his chin, considering.
“…Cheonma…”
No matter how he racked his brain, it was a name he had never heard before.
“As for any further information… I haven’t grasped anything else yet.”
Baeksang cautiously added to his response.
“Really? Understood.”
The man, as if unconcerned, turned toward the door.
It irked him that someone under his blessing had ended up like this, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on such matters.
‘I’ve already dealt with the white one.’
The one who had already suffered.
‘I guess I should visit the blue one next?’
Let’s check on the others who hadn’t been harmed.
With that thought, the man stepped forward.
‘What kind of guy could he be?’
As he proceeded, he savored the moment slowly.
Was it anticipation or interest?
If not that, was it rage?
A whirlpool of complex emotions.
Yet, the predominant feeling was simply.
‘I was already short on food, so this is quite fortunate.’
He was hungry.
*
As the sunset began to fade,
I was walking away from Shin Noyage.
Strolling down a street adorned with blooming plum trees.
The slowly setting sun painted beautiful hues as it half-reflected on the falling leaves.
The refreshing wind seemed to deepen the atmosphere even further, yet,
“What’s going on?”
None of this caught my attention at all.
What truly mattered to me right now was something else entirely.
“…Is it really that strange?”
The name of the new power that I had created.
It was that aspect that had been evaluated as peculiar.
“No…?”
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t grasp it.
“Isn’t it cool?”
Wouldn’t something like Cheonmasingong be a pretty awesome name?
It’s hands down among the coolest things I had ever concocted.
Compared to names like Guyeonhwaryun Gong or Tuapacheonmu, something straightforward like this made far more sense.
Cheonma Shingong. How intuitive! It means the divine art wielded by Cheonma.
“What’s wrong with that name?”
Did someone call it cheap? Or did they label it as low-grade?
Whatever the case, their sentiments were similar.
“Without knowing anything.”
What could an old man possibly understand? He’s likely the kind whose sophistication is lacking.
I told him my name, and what kind of reaction did he have when he heard it?
How could he be so dismissive and scornful?
It was unbelievably infuriating.
“Let me say it again.”
I’ll share this only with those who appreciate it.
The world simply hadn’t recognized me yet. I decided to embrace this mindset.
At that moment, as I was walking and rolling my eyes with discontent,
‘…Hmm.’
Suddenly, I frowned.
Internally. To be precise, I felt an ache from my heart.
‘Is there still a remnant?’
I felt it even in the morning; the backlash lingered throughout my body.
The energy wasn’t flowing correctly.
The blood vessels were swollen, preventing smooth movement, and the energy emanating from my heart felt stagnant.
Noya had bluntly stated.
-You should rest for seven days and nights at least. You’re in perfect condition to get disabled if you overdo it.
She casually dropped some rather alarming words.
Yet, while the phrasing may have sounded casual, the situation truly was precarious.
Even though it had received a name, it ultimately constituted a power that I couldn’t wield.
‘It’s still a long way from being usable.’
It ignited friction by intertwining heart techniques.
Through it, explosive power could be harnessed,
but it was woefully inadequate to handle the recoil striking my body.
I was already aware of how resilient my body was.
To not be able to handle it was revealing just how extreme the level truly was.
‘It was essentially in a state of being unusable from the get-go.’
The kind of power that could only be used under duress is immediately pointless.
Knowing that better than anyone, for now, I kept my focus solely on that success.
‘To use it… I’ll need quite a bit more training.’
I must discover a more suitable method.
Moreover,
currently, it was a path I was taking to find that method.
After a brief walk, I reached my destination.
It was the same place I had visited yesterday.
“…Here again?”
As I approached the door, the landlord, who had appeared out of nowhere, came out to greet me.
It was a turtle.
I smiled broadly at him.
“How have you been?”
“Do I seem unwell? Didn’t I just see you yesterday?”
“That seems like ages ago.”
“…”
The turtle wore a peculiar expression, as if holding back a sigh about to escape.
“Come on, since our discussion is already complete, don’t hold too much disdain for me, alright?”
“…Tsk.”
Bringing up the previous day’s conversation made the turtle click his tongue and turn away.
The moment the turtle stepped through the open door,
whoosh-!
“…Oh.”
Suddenly, the view I was looking at changed.
I hadn’t moved, yet somehow, I had found myself inside a teahouse.
I was even seated, with the turtle pouring me tea from across the room.
Slurp.
As I watched the teacup fill slowly,
“Now then.”
The turtle inquired.
“What’s got you so curious that you’ve come to find me again in less than a day?”
The turtle posed the question.
“Ah, well…”
There were many things to ask.
If I were to list them, it could easily exceed hundreds, considering my ignorance about sorcery.
“Since you brought it up, I’ll just ask this.”
Primarily,
what I wanted to ask him most was something else entirely.
“Do you happen to know a way to reverse time and travel to the past or future?”
“…”
The turtle’s expression twisted at my words.
Simultaneously, the teahouse shook violently.
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