Chapter: 945
The master of all worlds.
Right below him are four beings that exist with blessings and power.
Here, they are called generals.
Each general had their own respective countries.
The universe is vast, and accordingly, there are countless regions, but in reality, there are only four places that can truly be called countries.
These are the lands of the generals.
Among them, Yawol is where most of the Wolya tribe resides.
The name of the general who rules this place is said to be Yusa.
‘Yusa.’
As I thought of the name, someone popped into my head.
Let’s see if the name he spat out matches.
‘That name isn’t similar at all.’
They called him Mongmong, but the name had no resemblance whatsoever.
He appeared in the form of a young man with green hair, yet called himself Mongmong.
‘What a peculiar temperament he has.’
He was a strange guy.
And then.
‘He was strong.’
He was quite the formidable individual.
Our encounter was merely a fleeting moment, yet the memories of that time remain vivid.
Just one glance exuded enough presence to fill the surroundings.
From that, it begged the question of how much power he truly possessed.
If that’s what a general is like.
‘This certainly won’t be easy.’
Is it not that the leader is exceptionally strong, but rather that most generals are at that level?
Listening carefully while storing information in my mind, piece by piece.
After a while of absorbing all that information.
“Are you listening?”
“Ah.”
He spoke to me from the front.
He was the black chief, the father of Gubong, and a nobleman.
I had come here straight after the incident with Mongmong to have a chat.
“Oh, I’m listening.”
“…”
His expression was that of disbelief.
It was true that I hadn’t caught what he had just said.
Regardless, I picked up on all the important stuff, so that should be fine, right?
With a slightly awkward expression, I spoke to him.
“Anyway, it seems that General Yusa came to see me…”
I had some knowledge of the existence of the general, but I never expected to meet him so soon.
“Could it be because of the recent incidents around here?”
“…”
The chief looked at me but didn’t say much.
I could tell he was pondering something, but I had no idea what was going through his mind.
So, I decided to wait a little longer for his answer.
Not long after that.
“What did the general ask you?”
The chief posed his question instead of mine.
“What are you asking about?”
Did I cause this incident? I asked.
“…so?”
Upon hearing my response, the chief frowned.
“So, I said no.”
“…”
His expression became slightly more complicated. What was that face?
“Why?”
“So you said no?”
“Yes. I said no.”
“…”
“Why can’t you believe that?”
No matter how I looked at it, he didn’t seem like he could trust it.
Even though I had already said it wasn’t true.
So, I chuckled lightly and remarked, “Do you also think it was me?”
“Well, I don’t know.”
“No, that’s not it.”
Tap-tap. I rapped my fingers on the table.
That was a cue to pay attention.
“That’s not really important to you. That’s why we’re having this meeting right now.”
“…”
As I said that with a grin, the chief’s gaze sharpened.
In that moment.
Sssssssshhhhhh.
A misty shadow settled on the floor.
Slowly, the darkness spread, gradually filling the room.
Seeing that, I lightly tapped my foot against the floor.
Boom-!
Crash-!!!
“…!”
The shock shattered the darkness. The chief’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“Hey, let’s not trouble ourselves with things like this.”
“…you.”
“I already went through this once. There’s really no need to do it again.”
They repeatedly tried to deploy strange formations.
It likely caused mental disturbances or illusions.
‘I’m not one to fall for that.’
These kinds of tricks only work on those with weak minds.
No matter how messed up I may be, my life has hardly been smooth sailing, so I’m not at a level to be caught up in such nonsense.
“Wouldn’t it be so much easier if we both just kept things straightforward? I didn’t come here to engage in power struggles either.”
“…ha.”
Upon hearing my words, the chief finally withdrew the force he had been exerting.
Rather than saying he understood, it was more of a look of disbelief.
“What on earth is your deal?”
“Can’t you see my clothing?”
I pointed to the plum blossom on my chest with confidence. The chief’s lips twitched at the sight.
“Ridiculous. I don’t sense anything they would have stated.”
“You speak rather harshly. What’s the difference?”
“Will.”
“…”
The chief’s words rendered me speechless.
“Will, fighting spirit, and determination. Volcanoes may exhibit such traits where they shouldn’t, but I don’t see it in you.”
“Then what is it that I do possess?”
Upon my inquiry, the chief gazed at me and said.
“I don’t see anything.”
“What?”
His face twisted in disbelief at that nonsensical answer, yet he continued.
“You feel nothing. You’re like an empty lot. That’s why you aren’t a volcano.”
“…”
That thought left me feeling pretty lousy.
How could it be this infuriating? The worst part was this.
‘I can’t refute that.’
There was no way to counter that assertion.
An empty lot.
A painfully haunting statement.
Or rather.
-You’re not a volcano.
I couldn’t tell which phrase felt worse.
I didn’t know; I just let it wash over me.
It had to be that way.
But.
“So, is that really important to you?”
I couldn’t soften my tone this time.
It was full of discomfort. I had to swallow the surprise that bubbled within me.
My emotions had risen more intensely than I expected.
I was furious at my own stupidity for not being able to hide this, but amusingly enough, I’d managed to conceal it as best as I could.
“I’m well-acquainted with folks like you.”
I gritted my teeth and said what was necessary.
“They have eyes that disguise what they desire. They scramble to find their way while longing to reach a higher place in any way possible.”
“…”
“These types are particularly cautious, so once they feel they’ve found a path, they don’t rashly plunge into it; they observe repeatedly. You won’t be any different.”
Our faces were alarmingly close.
If either of us decided we wanted to strike, we would’ve been at each other in an instant.
But I was certain that this man wouldn’t attack.
“So, what’s your deal? Do I need to keep testing the waters? What do you think of me?”
“That’s incredibly amusing.”
Creeeak.
The chief rose to his feet.
He was taller than I had anticipated.
He stood a head taller than me.
“Do you truly believe you can act as a bridge for me?”
“That’s your decision, not mine. That’s why you wanted to come here, even forcing me to meet you, right?”
“What can someone who can’t properly reveal his identity accomplish?”
The chief spoke while pulling back his lips.
This was the first time I felt emotion clearly coming from him.
“I told you my true identity before. I’m part of the Volcano faction.”
“Are you just going to keep playing word games?”
Clang! The energy suddenly flooded the room.
This wasn’t a mirage; it was genuine energy.
It felt entirely different from speculation. The essence they wielded here felt distinct from my own reserves.
‘Seems like Gubong, Seolyeong, or the Hwasan faction uses that kinda stuff.’
Those who weren’t part of it felt far too discordant to be classed as mere energy.
Yet, without a doubt, it tickled the heart.
‘It’s akin to sorcery.’
Of course, this wasn’t exactly sorcery. It was simply more in line with energy.
“It seems you get a tad too comfortable when someone hands you something of minor value, showing the same ignorance that those from the volcano exhibit.”
“Generosity? Subject?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“… Why is it that no matter where I go, I keep hearing the same line?”
Just like always, those words never change.
Thunk!
I withstood the force, staring at the chief.
Even disdain had long vanished from his expression.
“I can’t say how you evaded the General’s notice, but if he has you in his sights, it’s already too late.”
As the chief continued, the energy intensified.
With it, my heart’s pounding sensation grew stronger.
That felt exceptionally peculiar.
“If things go this way, wouldn’t getting rid of you now be more lucrative for me…?”
“So, what do you intend to catch and what will you do with it?”
Just like I felt during my last encounter with the white chief, the more I could sense this energy, the more my heart and entire skin felt like it was being tickled.
It felt like I needed to take action.
That’s precisely the impression I had.
‘What could it possibly be?’
What action should I take?
‘What is it?’
What on earth were we even bickering about?
No, not just arguing anymore; this seemed headed for combat.
I had no intention of fighting here.
After all, I had came to seize the opportunity which was presented.
I had intended to distract him while I handled the necessary matters.
Yet I found myself needlessly provoking the chief.
‘Why?’
I pondered the reason.
Why was I acting like this?
Why was I acting on instinct rather than rational thought?
‘Was it because of that moment?’
The instant I met Yusa.
And even the moment I parted ways with Yusa.
If anything could be picked apart, that felt like the starting point.
From that moment, I found myself increasingly agitated.
Especially.
‘From when I heard those words.’
The moment I caught onto something akin to a verb.
That served as the catalyst.
The chief before me held his head stiffly high, staring me down.
Moreover, I couldn’t shake off my annoyance at his constant scratching.
‘… This is indeed troublesome.’
It was an emotion I had barely managed to suppress.
Ever since becoming a dragon, I’d been engulfed in an unexplainable euphoria and needless feelings.
That intensity had only heightened ever since Gu Yeom-hwa-ryun ascended.
Today, it was particularly strong.
I scratched at my neck with my fingers.
However, I seemed to have pressed a bit too harshly, causing my fingernails to dig into my skin, and I felt pain.
Drip.
Blood flowed down, soaking my neck.
And then, the figure behind me made a noise.
“Don’t be mistaken.”
Energy flowed along the contours of the chief’s shoulders.
The black blossomed like his hair.
“No matter what secrets you possess, I am the law here.”
Whooooooosh!
I felt a vibration reverberate through my heart.
The buoyant sensation spreading from that point seized control of my body.
Oddly enough, it felt strangely familiar.
‘This is.’
The time Mongmong had spoken to me, imbuing me with a bizarre energy.
It felt so similar to that sensation from back then.
A time where the energy contained in words metaphorically shackled me.
Although one could never reach it, that semblance had faded away.
‘…It certainly felt odd.’
Even once experienced, the memory remained sharply imprinted.
This was distinctly different from simply employing verbs.
This was something else altogether.
It wasn’t confined merely to stifling the body or action.
‘Umm…’
Understood.
‘It tramples upon the very soul.’
Wouldn’t that be more fitting?
As an example.
“Don’t you dare raise your head-.”
[Sit down.]
Like so.
Thud-!!
“…!!”
“Oh.”
Upon hearing that, the chief abruptly dropped into his chair.
He looked up at me, his eyes wide, as if someone had pressed him down.
“… What… is this…?”
The chief, who had unexpectedly sat down, stared at me with flaring eyes.
He appeared genuinely taken aback.
Of course, it wasn’t just him who was shocked.
‘It actually works?’
I was surprised by its effectiveness.
When it happened to me, it felt like nothing, so I thought it was all for naught.
However, using it against the other person seemed effective.
‘It truly resembles a verb.’
The method felt familiar, yet the outcome was different.
‘A lot more concrete.’
If a strong person was involved, there would usually be limits when trying to suppress with mere words.
Yet remarkably, the chief was so easily brought under control merely upon hearing it.
While I found myself astonished by this.
Pop.
A sense of liberation coursed through my heart.
“… Huh.”
The chief regained his freedom.
I hadn’t intentionally released it.
‘Time is limited.’
Was it because the effect was notable that it didn’t last long?
Or could it be that I hadn’t executed it properly?
Doubts began to sprout.
However, now was not the time to figure all that out.
“What in the world…”
Because the chief was staring at me, looking as if something had utterly shocked him.
“Who on earth are you…?”
The tone of his voice had shifted dramatically.
‘What?’
Why the sudden change?
He should be furious and itching for a fight right about now!
I suddenly felt a chill, as if my nerve had vanished.
‘Was it that action that caused this?’
It seemed my recent behavior, whether mimicking Mongmong or Yusa, had triggered something amiss.
Thus resulting in such a reaction.
A situation that was amusing in its absurdity.
“My identity?”
For now, I responded with a smile.
“What do you reckon?”
In fact, it turned out rather well.
If he misconstrues something, then that’s one of the better outcomes.
I resolved to take advantage of that.
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