The World's a Bowl
If this world were a bowl, what in the world was the Great Ascent?
What was the Ascension Gate, and what was the Floating Castle of Bongmyeong?
‘No, no.’
I wiped away the wild, overblown fantasies that had crowded my mind.
‘Just that this world was built this way. Don’t overthink it.’
More than anything, if this world really was a bowl…
Why had the Geumsinja Yang Su-jin come back into that narrow little bowl again?
Why had such a powerful being torn the void and come back down from the upper realms?
‘Just that this world was built this way. Don’t overthink it.’
Because the bigger the fantasy, the sooner a demonic thought would come.
“So the world isn’t round…”
True enough. When I thought about it, the Heavenly Persons who ruled the continent waved their arms wildly in every direction.
If the structure of such a world was identical to Earth, that was nonsense on its face.
How sturdy would a world have to be to endure that?
Just as I fell into deep thought,
“Ah, you said the world is round, so now another fairy tale comes to mind.”
“…”
Buk Hyang-hwa pointed at the sky and spoke.
“Among the fairy tales I read as a child, there was one about people living in the Star Realm far away, where the people of the Star Realm live clinging to the round land. Isn’t it fun? That the land is round. If people cling to the round land, do the people below have to hang on with all their might so they don’t fall? I thought it was a truly creative fairy tale.”
By now the sunset had faded and the night sky had begun to cover everything. I stared at it.
‘Star Realm…’
An endless sea of stars.
Maybe those stars were the proper planets?
Was this world the only one with such a strange structure?
Or were there other worlds with this bizarre structure besides this one?
If only this world was like this, why was this world so strangely structured?
I thought of a few more things, but my head only grew more complicated.
‘Enough. Right now, there’s nothing I can know.’
The best thing would be, after I reached Heavenly Person and beyond, to directly confirm the structure of this world.
‘Right. Focus on what’s in front of me right now.’
I calmed my mind and returned to the boat with Buk Hyang-hwa, who had been watching the sky for a while at the edge of the world.
“How beautiful. The sky is right there beneath our feet…”
“Yes, indeed.”
“Whew, shall we go?”
“Very well. Lord Changhoja and Seon-woo are surely worried, so let’s head back.”
“Right. Ah, and in the western provinces…”
“How long do you think it will take to return to Byeokra Kingdom?”
“Even if it’s not fast, two or three months at least.”
“Father will worry.”
I looked at her worrying about Buk Jung-ho and spoke.
“Originally, in Northern Lady’s wager, the prize wasn’t law treasures but a cruise with Northern Lady. Let’s count this as the cruise you’ve done.”
“Just hurrying back is a cruise? Seon-woo seems to feel a loss.”
“What loss is there? I originally traveled the world a lot, so I’ve had my fill of cruises.”
At my words, she smiled faintly and gazed at the night sea.
I read the color of regret in her intent.
“…On the way back, let’s stop by the Seongje Kingdom or Yeon Kingdom and enjoy some sightseeing.”
“Yes, that would be good.”
“…”
‘Why does my mood still feel unsettled?’
Yet her intent refused to vanish, leaving me only bewildered.
* * *
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—
A few days later.
We moved east and finally arrived at the Great Mountain Range where the Geumsincheonroemun ruins stood.
“This is the Shattered Heaven Peak of the Great Mountain Range where Geumsincheonroemun once set its base. You must have heard of it, Northern Lady?”
Buk Hyang-hwa gave a small exclamation as she gazed at the scenery of Shattered Heaven Peak.
‘In the last life these places were all razed by me and Kim Young-hoon, yet seeing them intact brings a strange sense of nostalgia.’
She pointed at one of the peaks and spoke.
“I saw it in ancient records too. On the highest peak there was the divine treasure of Geumsincheonroemun, the immortal treasure Heavenly Thunder Banner. It was said to be a great immortal treasure even without equal in the world. As a craftsman, I feel regret that I never got to see it. I wanted to see the three great divine treasures of the world, but all I could see was the wrecked Seopmyeong Ship, so I feel truly sorry.”
The three great divine treasures of the world referred to the divine treasures of the three sects that had once made the entire continent tremble.
The Seopmyeong Ship of Black Ghost Valley.
The Heavenly Thunder Banner of Geumsincheonroemun.
The Green Heaven Armor of Changcheon Gaebyeokmun.
Each of those treasures was either an immortal treasure or a law treasure that rivaled one.
Especially among them, the Heavenly Thunder Banner of Geumsincheonroemun was a true law treasure of a True Immortal, the kind that Yang Su-jin the Geumsinja had once used in the upper realms.
Just as the Seopmyeong Ship could cross the realm of the dead, the Heavenly Thunder Banner had a legend that it could artificially summon heavenly tribulation, so its power and status could be guessed even without seeing it.
‘The Green Heaven Armor has no particular rumors, but…’
From the start, whenever Changhoja appeared he wore that blue armor, so the probability that it was the Green Heaven Armor, an outer-scale law treasure, was high. It looked only sturdy, with no other obvious functions.
For that reason, no one knew anything about the Green Heaven Armor.
The Cheongmun Clan was a family secret, so a foreigner like me would surely not be told.
‘Well, I don’t have much interest in divine artifacts anyway, so it doesn’t matter.’
Buk Hyang-hwa stood gazing at the highest peak of Shattered Heaven Peak where the Heavenly Thunder Banner had once rested, lost in thought.
That was when
“Ah…!”
Below Shattered Heaven Peak.
A few elderly and young people who had seemed to be digging herbs were bowing respectfully to us as we flew past on our flying law treasure.
Buk Hyang-hwa looked flustered and asked me.
“Why are they bowing to us? We haven’t done anything for them…”
“Um… Northern Lady. Have you never left Cheon-saek Castle before?”
“Not that far, but… honestly I haven’t left the eastern part of Byeokra Kingdom much. I did go to Yeon Kingdom once, but only for a few days because I had to travel because of law treasures and rushed back…”
“Ah, I see.”
I explained the commoners’ perception of Heavenly Persons to her.
“Cheon-saek Castle and the eastern part of Byeokra Kingdom are within the territory of the Gongmyo Clan, so high-quality law treasures never run out. That’s why there are many cultivators looking for them. For that reason, the criminals are quite familiar with Heavenly Persons, while in the Seongje Kingdom and Yeon Kingdom most criminals don’t even know cultivators exist. They often think of them simply as immortals told in legends.”
“Ah, I see…”
‘I wonder why Buk Jung-ho just watched quietly even though his own daughter had wagered her cruise as the prize for facing Won Rip…’
She didn’t know too much about the outside world.
“Ah, but what are those people begging for?”
“Looks like it.”
“Should we help?”
I looked down for a moment and spoke.
“Do as your heart leads.”
After all, she was no villain and she was a true immortal who would readily give water to desert travelers. If she intervened, there would be no problem with the criminals.
Whoong!
She lowered the altitude of her flying law treasure and descended to the people earnestly begging something.
“Ah, t-the immortal is here!”
“The immortals have answered our prayer!”
“Immortal! Please help our village!”
They had begged us in the language of the Seongje Kingdom, and I translated it for her.
“Oh my, elders. What is the matter?”
She asked the villager with the most earnest expression, and I translated her words for him.
“What is it?”
At first glance he looked arrogant, but if I judged him by my current mental age, this villager honestly looked like a child.
‘After this life, I’ll be even older than Won Rip.’
With a self-mocking laugh, I asked him, and the villager hurriedly bowed low and answered.
“Ah, immortal! We beg you to help our village. Every half-month, a snake demon appears in our village and eats the unmarried girls and boys who have reached marriageable age.
We reported it to the government office, but the government office just ignored us. We asked the martial heroes to come and drive it out, but they all became food for the snake demon! Please help us…”
‘If they had reported to the government office, the cultivation clans would have moved…’
I felt something strange and listened to their story.
Roughly, the village in the mountainous region of Seo-ak had been peaceful, but from a certain day a snake demon began to appear and every half-month eat the unmarried girls and boys of marriageable age.
The demon seemed intelligent, but even after offering other tributes it did not understand. They reported it to the government office too, but after strange-looking people visited the snake, the government office pretended not to know them.
The Seo-ak village, unable to bear the frustration, invited martial heroes to kill the demon, but the martial heroes were all eaten and, because they had angered the demon’s mood, even more villagers were eaten.
‘After the strange-looking people visited, the government office even pretended not to know them?’
There had been a transaction between the cultivation clans and the demon.
I inferred that fact and told Buk Hyang-hwa about the fact I had inferred.
“What shall we do, lady? It seems complicated. Will you help?”
After a moment of thought, she nodded.
“I want to help. If it doesn’t interfere with Seon-woo’s schedule…”
“Haha, my schedule has nothing urgent. If Northern Lady wants to help, I will help too.”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
After we finished talking, I told the elders and other herb gatherers waiting for our answer.
“We will help. Follow us.”
“G-grateful…”
We followed the villager and left the boat to head to the Seo-ak village.
The village houses were all destroyed and deep pits dug everywhere looked like snake footprints.
“Whenever the snake demon approaches, we try to block it, but the snake demon always breaks through and destroys the houses and eats the hidden girls and boys…”
“…”
“For that reason, many people have made secret spaces in their houses to hide or else are preparing to leave the village. If the immortals hadn’t helped, our Seo-ak village might have been disbanded as it is.”
I asked the villager.
“I understand. First, can you tell me where that snake demon lives?”
“Beyond that big mountain there is a large cave, and inside the cave it lives…”
I nodded with Buk Hyang-hwa.
“I understand. Let’s go there and see.”
* * *
We crossed the mountain that the villager had indicated and arrived at the cave where the snake lived.
Everywhere there were human bones, and inside there was a massive aura crouching.
‘So that’s it. A later-stage Cultivation Core demon.’
I understood why the cultivation clans couldn’t deal with this demon.
A later-stage Cultivation Core was more or less a clan elder of a cultivation clan.
Moreover, among the elders, a quite high-ranked elder.
But it made no sense for a villain to send out a Core Formation lord or an elder for the sake of a few villages.
Whoong!
As we entered the cave, the snake’s voice echoed through the consciousness domain.
[Who… are you?]
I stared into the darkness inside the cave for a moment.
Something moved faintly, and soon a massive snake revealed itself.
I too asked the snake with my voice.
[Why do you attack human villages and eat them? There are many other prey. Besides…]
I thought of the fox demon’s reaction and spoke.
[Human flesh doesn’t taste that good for you, so why do you insist on eating human flesh?]
The snake twitched its whiskers for a moment and spoke.
[Human flesh. If I eat it, I can… give birth to children like me.]
[What?]
[I was lonely. My kind didn’t have intelligence like me. Even if I had children with my kind, my children had short lifespans. In the past I had many friends who could talk to me. But one day the humans who moved the sky took all my friends. They took the strong ones, and in this area I was the only one left.]
I listened to the snake demon’s words.
[So I thought. If I eat intelligent people, my children will also have intelligence. That’s why I ate the girls and boys who still had pure blood among the people.]
Yaozu are originally born when ordinary animals live long enough to obtain enlightenment.
But what can ordinary animals live for?
Usually, the chance for an ordinary animal to become a yaozu is extremely rare,
or they are born with special blood like the large yaozu, the Xiongnu, the Shengbeng, the Hailong, etc.
But ordinary yaozu that do not have such special blood have no particularly inherited traits.
Cultivators have a high chance that spiritual roots will be inherited if they marry each other.
That is why there are cultivation clans.
But what about yaozu?
Though they are collectively called yaozu, in reality they are all different species and it is extremely difficult for the same species to meet.
Moreover, even if the same species meet and mate, the probability of spiritual energy being inherited is lower than that of human cultivators.
And none of that is solved by simply eating human flesh.
[…If you eat that, your children won’t be born with enlightenment.]
[No, they must be born!]
[Who said that?]
[My intuition! Humans may not have enlightenment, but they have good heads! If I eat those humans…]
I cut off the snake’s words.
[That won’t happen. The only way for your children to become like you is for the children to live long enough to awaken spiritual energy, accept it, and condense enlightenment themselves.]
[No! Your kind who have spiritual energy also came to me and said they would support me! And they said they would allow me to eat the village and asked me for a favor!]
‘As expected, the cultivation clans left the snake alone in exchange for its favors.’
After all, it was not worth the effort of a villain to send out a Core Formation lord or elder for a few villages, and the snake was unexpectedly strong, so it pretended to support it and took the favors.
[They merely lied, saying they would support you. Your children will not suddenly become spiritual just because you were supported.]
[Lies! Stop lying! Demon!]
At my words, the snake suddenly twisted its body and revealed a furious look.
[My children will all become like me! You, pure girls and boys, if you eat them, it will be possible!]
Kugugugugu!
The snake twisted its body and spat poison.
I fired an Invisible Sword at it and looked at Buk Hyang-hwa.
“They don’t understand each other at all. The thing that’s already eaten dozens of people…”
“…Yes, ending its life seems right.”
She closed her eyes with a look of pity at the human bones piled everywhere in the cave.
I gripped the Invisible Sword and stepped toward the snake.
That was when
Kiiiiik!
The snake suddenly screamed, and thousands of bats flew out from inside the cave.
At the same time, from all sides, not only other snakes but also snakes, scorpions, and countless other poisonous creatures crawled out.
Kugwa-kwa!
The snake tried to slam into me with its body after I drew the Invisible Sword, and I flew out of the cave.
The fellow seemed to be going to hunt me first because I emitted a pure spiritual pressure, and the poisonous creatures summoned by the snake attacked her.
“Northern Lady, are you okay?”
I shouted at the poisonous creatures staring at her, and Buk Hyang-hwa silently opened her Array Law Treasure.
Boom, boom!
Kung-kung-kung-kung-kung!
And from her Array Law Treasure, dozens of law treasures, mirrors, pipa, bells, daggers, wheels, looms, drums, guzheng, and hundreds of law treasures sprang out and filled her surroundings.
“Don’t worry about me.”
Kugugugugu!
And the countless law treasures began to emit light simultaneously.
“I always carry sturdy pockets.”
At the same time as she said that, mirrors and countless law treasures flew out in all directions, pushing back the poisonous creatures and scattering powerful law arts.
“Ha…”
I looked at her scattering countless law treasures around her and let out a hollow laugh.
‘She really is a woman who needs no worry.’
I raised the Invisible Sword and looked at the massive snake spraying poison fog in front of me.
[Your children’s story is pitiful, but the humans you’ve eaten are innocent. It has nothing to do with your children gaining spiritual energy. But you still insist on eating people, so there’s nothing you can do.]
Buwoong!
I swung the Invisible Sword.
For a moment the sword transformed endlessly, sweeping away all the poison fog that had been sprayed at me, and I struck the snake, knocking it away.
‘It’s tough.’
The snake’s scales were quite hard.
‘Even if I swung it not for attack but to sweep away fog, I blocked it once…’
Of course, the snake that had been hit by the Invisible Sword was now spitting poisonous blood and writhing.
It was obvious the state wasn’t good.
“Go in peace.”
I fell from above the snake and drove the Invisible Sword into its head.
Kwa-aaang!
It wasn’t even a fight.
It was an Invisible Sword of the Core Formation level.
The later-stage Cultivation Core demon was no longer even a target for combat.
[Ki…ik, kieek…]
The bug demon had tenacious vitality, so even after the Invisible Sword was driven into its head the creature wriggled several times.
[My… children… children…]
The creature that had wriggled for a moment spat poisonous blood and murmured.
[This… guy… won’t die nicely…]
Whoong!
A wave erupted from the snake’s head and spread outward.
That wave reached the poisonous creatures commanded by the snake demon, and the poisonous creatures that had been fighting Buk Hyang-hwa suddenly scattered in all directions.
‘That just now was…’
Because I could speak Yaozu language, I could read the wave the snake had just spat.
‘That guy… ordered the poisonous creatures to keep attacking the village.’
From tonight onward, the poisonous creatures would begin attacking the village.
“You ended it quickly.”
“Hmm, even seeing that, you still want to make law treasures?”
“Aha, that’s my pride. I will definitely make them.”
She clenched both fists and nodded.
“First, the snake demon is dead. I have something to say.”
I explained about the command the snake demon had given the poisonous creatures at the end.
“Since we decided to help, we have to solve those poisonous creatures too. Lady, do you have any method?”
“Hmm…”
After a moment of thought, Buk Hyang-hwa quickly came up with a solution.
“Orders like that usually take three to five days. The longest can be up to half a year. So, if we install a protective law treasure that works for about half a year in the village, and since the poisonous creatures only attack at night, we just need to prevent them from leaving the village at night. If we make it last about half a year, the rest will naturally be resolved.”
“Oh my…”
It seemed the artifact refiner was useful in this regard.
“A good method.”
“Yes, but…”
She looked around inside the cave and spoke.
“Shall we collect the remains?”
* * *
I summoned the people of Seo-ak village and had them extract the poison with law arts after I pulled it out of the cave, then let them enter the cave and collect the remains of their kin.
“Thank you, truly thank you…”
The village head bowed with tears in his eyes, holding my hand after recovering his son’s remains.
“Truly… thank you…”
“…No.”
I calmly accepted the villager’s gratitude, then told him about the command the snake demon had given the poisonous creatures.
“Th-that…”
“Don’t worry, my friend says it will be resolved in a few days.”
I pointed at Buk Hyang-hwa, who was receiving thanks from the village people, and spoke.
“And for those few days, I will block the poisonous creatures’ invasion.”
“Aaah…! Thank you!”
The village head bowed to me and greeted Buk Hyang-hwa too.
She didn’t know the Seongje Kingdom language, but after receiving the greeting she just smiled warmly.
All the remains of the people were collected.
“Let’s return to the village.”
“Just a moment, Seon-woo.”
“Yes?”
Buk Hyang-hwa pointed at the snake demon’s corpse that had fallen into the valley below.
“Could you please come together near there?”
“Ah, of course.”
We approached the snake demon’s corpse.
“For what reason? Ah, are you trying to get law treasure materials?”
“Um…”
After a moment gazing at the snake demon, she spoke with a faint smile.
“Ah, that’s not it. I just wanted to bury this demon too.”
Buk Hyang-hwa walked to the front of the demon and continued.
“…After all, this demon was also the mother of children. Though it was a vicious demon that ate innocent people, it all acted out of maternal love, so it’s hard to call it simple evil. And…”
She fiddled with the jade ring and spoke.
“Somehow, I also think of my mother.”
“…I understand. Let’s bury it together.”
We simultaneously used the earth-attribute law art to bury the snake demon underground.
And Buk Hyang-hwa took a glass bracelet from her Array Law Treasure and placed it on top.
‘Byeokra Kingdom people place glass burial items on the tombs of the dead…’
“Now let’s go.”
“Yes.”
I followed Buk Hyang-hwa and once again looked at the grave of the snake demon she had made.
On top of it, the glass bracelet she had placed sparkled.
* * *
The Seo-ak village had a festive atmosphere.
After recovering the remains of the dead and the grief had passed, it seemed that they no longer trembled with fear of leaving the village, and it had become even more touching to them.
“First, as a memorial for the dead, we will hold a small village festival. If the two immortals could attend and brighten the festival…”
I translated the village head’s words for Buk Hyang-hwa, and she said she would attend with a curious expression.
“Northern Lady will attend.”
“I understand. Then what about the immortal?”
The village head asked, looking at me.
‘Should I participate…?’
I didn’t really have interest in festivals, so I hesitated.
“My wife said she would participate, so how can the husband hesitate? Hehe…”
“…The two of us aren’t especially married.”
“Ah, I see. You haven’t married yet?”
“No, originally there is already someone promised to marry Northern Lady.”
“Ah, I see. I apologize.”
“…No. I will stand guard against the poisonous creatures at the edge of the village, so prepare the festival.”
I explained the festival to Buk Hyang-hwa, then headed to the edge of the village.
The sun was about to set.
“Um?”
At that moment, I discovered a little girl holding a book at the edge of the village.
“Kid, go into the village. The festival is starting.”
“Ah, immortal.”
The child said while looking at me.
“I’m waiting for my sister. She said she would be back soon.”
“Really? Where did she go?”
“Sister went beyond that mountain! She said she went to work at a rich house beyond the mountain!”
The mountain the child pointed to was the one where the snake lived.
“…”
I looked at the innocent child waiting with the book and didn’t know what to say, so I fell silent for a moment.
“…By the way, what’s that book?”
“Ah, it’s a book that contains old fairy tales. Sister told me to wait because she would read it when she returned.”
I looked at the child with a bitter expression.
“…It’s already late, so why don’t you come in?”
“I’ll wait a little longer. Today the village elders said ‘Many people have returned.’ My sister will return too.”
“…Kid. I will read that book.”
“Um… I want to ask my sister to read it…”
“…I’m an immortal, right? If I read it, you will receive a blessing.”
The child asked with an innocent face.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“Then please read it.”
I took the fairy tale collection the child held and used the earth-attribute law art to lift up the soil and make a chair for her to sit on.
“Wow…”
“Amazing, right? Sit. I’ll read it.”
I opened the fairy tale collection.
And because my heart was about to jump out of my chest, I involuntarily took a deep breath.
“What…!”
On the first page of the fairy tale collection, there was a subtitle .
And then, in English translation:
“The Terminus One’s Tale of Cultivation.”
“…”
I stared at the page in silence.
The title was the same as the one I had once read in that other world.
But this was not a title in that other world.
It was the title of the story that was happening right now.
The story of me, Seo Eun-hyun, the Terminus One who had come back to this world again.
And the name of the book that had once been read by me in that other world.
The Colorless Glass Sword. Museok Yurigeom.
My sword.
The story of the regressor who had once died, been reborn, and now walked again through this world.
The story of the man who had overcome the burden of regression and immortality.
The story of the man who had found the true meaning of human connection in a cold cultivation world.
The story that began with the death of Kim Young-hoon and Buk Hyang-hwa.
The story of the man who would stand here, in this world, once again.
I closed the book.
The child looked at me with an expectant face.
“Did you like it?”
I nodded and spoke.
“It was… a good story.”
“Really? Can you read the rest to me next time?”
I smiled faintly.
“Next time… I won’t be able to.”
The child tilted her head.
“Why? Are you leaving?”
I looked at the sky, where the sun was about to set.
“Yes. I have to go.”
“But the festival…”
I smiled again.
“The festival will be even better without me.”
The child looked at me with a slightly puzzled face.
“But you read it so well…”
I stood up and placed the book back in her hands.
“This is yours now. When the festival is over, give it to your sister.”
The child hugged the book tightly to her chest.
“…”
I turned away and walked toward the edge of the village.
Behind me, the sound of the child’s small voice calling out could be heard.
“Immortal… thank you.”
I didn’t turn around.
I just kept walking.
* * *
The festival began.
Lanterns were hung in every corner of the village, and the sound of laughter and the scent of roasted meat filled the air.
The villagers were eating and drinking happily, and the fear of the past had been forgotten.
But in the midst of that happiness, something felt off.
Buk Hyang-hwa and I sat at a table together.
She was quietly eating, but her eyes kept glancing toward the edge of the village.
I followed her gaze and saw the child who had been waiting for her sister standing there.
She was staring at the table where we sat.
And then she slowly walked over.
“Sister…”
Buk Hyang-hwa turned around with a start.
The child looked up at her with teary eyes.
“You… you’re not going to leave, right?”
Buk Hyang-hwa was speechless for a moment.
“…”
The child took something out of her pocket and placed it on the table.
“When you read the story, you said you would give me a blessing. This is my blessing to you.”
It was a small glass bracelet.
Buk Hyang-hwa looked at it, then at the child, and finally at me.
Her eyes were wet.
“…”
The child bowed deeply.
“Please take care of yourself, sister.”
She turned and ran back toward the edge of the village.
Buk Hyang-hwa stared after her for a long time.
“…”
I placed my hand on her shoulder.
She looked at me and gave a faint smile.
“Thank you.”
I didn’t say anything.
I just looked at the child’s small figure disappearing into the distance.
And in my heart, the words I had once read in that other world echoed again.
The story of the Terminus One.
The story of the man who had overcome the burden of regression and immortality.
The story that would continue again in this world.
I closed my eyes.
And smiled faintly.
* * *
The next day.
The protective law treasure that Buk Hyang-hwa had set up in the village was working perfectly.
The snake demon’s corpse was buried, and the glass bracelet on its grave sparkled in the sunlight.
The village people were smiling, and the festival had ended with laughter.
But Buk Hyang-hwa and I were still sitting by the river.
She was gazing at the water, and I was watching her.
“…”
She finally spoke.
“The child… gave me a bracelet.”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
“…”
Buk Hyang-hwa looked at the bracelet she was holding and smiled faintly.
“It was made by the child. It’s a glass bracelet.”
“…”
She looked at me again.
“…”
The color of regret in her intent was still there.
“…”
I knew what she was thinking.
‘The child’s blessing… was also a farewell.’
“…”
I placed my hand on her shoulder again.
She leaned slightly against me.
“…”
The river flowed quietly.
And the sky above us was clear.
* * *
A few days later, we returned to Cheon-saek Castle.
The protective law treasure was still working in the village.
The snake demon’s grave was still there, and the glass bracelet sparkled.
Buk Hyang-hwa and I boarded the boat again.
“…”
She looked at the village once more and smiled faintly.
“…”
I looked at the sky and spoke.
“Next time, let’s come back here.”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
* * *
The boat sailed toward the east.
And the sun set behind us.
The story of the Terminus One continued again in this world.
The story of the man who had overcome the burden of regression and immortality.
The story that would never end.
I closed my eyes again.
And smiled.
The end.