Chapter 315: The Dragon's Diary (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 315: The Dragon's Diary (6)
My vision was completely obscured.
A sea of pink flower petals filled my sight, yet instead of discomfort, a soothing warmth washed over me.
Ah…
How comforting.
My mind, which had been a tangled mess, felt like it was being gently smoothed out.
Conflicted mind?
What had I been thinking about just moments ago? I was certain it was something terrifying, yet now I couldn't recall a thing.
But I knew, with a desperate certainty, that I couldn't afford to forget. I pushed through the mental fog and the throbbing in my head, straining to grasp the fading memories.
…!
The warmth was a sedative, clouding my thoughts, but suddenly, it all came rushing back.
-You are a calamity.
Yeon Il-Cheon’s words echoed, sharp and clear.
-Have you never found your regression strange?
The accusation pierced my chest like a physical blow.
-That is fate.
The comforting warmth vanished, instantly replaced by a creeping darkness that chilled me to the bone.
Calamity.
He had said the Blood Demon was a calamity, a scourge that would one day return. But then he pointed the finger not at the Heavenly Demon, but at me.
I’m the calamity?
The thought had never once crossed my mind. After dying and regressing, my only desire was to live a different life.
Did I want to live a peaceful life?
Or was it something else entirely?
…Did I want you to live a happy life?
Perhaps the happiness I sought wasn't even my own. Maybe it was always hers.
Whatever the truth, if my regression was tied to some grand, hidden scheme, and that scheme was linked to a coming catastrophe…
What must I do now?
My mind was a whirlwind of doubts. Was my resolve truly so fragile, shattered by a single conversation? Or were the tiny, fragile shards of hope I clung to the only thing keeping me from breaking completely?
So now I’m starting to fear my own sins.
Had I been trying to bury the memory of my past life as a vile Demonic Human? I'd held onto the hope that I could atone for those sins, but to be told I was the root of all problems… it filled me with a profound and frustrating sense of powerlessness.
You absolute fool.
I let out a short, incredulous laugh. Since when had I ever been one of the good guys? Not once, even after my regression, had I set out with the intention of doing good.
To hell with it all.
I’ve always done whatever I wanted, only acting against my nature when I had a compelling reason. But if someone had orchestrated my regression, if they had turned me into a pawn in their grand design, a calamity in the making…
I won’t play their game.
I didn't know who they were, but I refused to follow their script. I'd hunt them down and make them pay. That's what fate meant to me. If I couldn't win by their rules, I'd carve my own path.
If surrender had ever been an option, I would have retreated to some remote mountain and lived out my days as a farmer after regressing. But that wasn't me. I would overcome this, even if I had to shatter fate itself.
As always.
Besides, it’s not even certain that I’m a calamity in the first place.
It was merely an accusation, a conviction without evidence. In my past life, it was the Heavenly Demon who brought disaster upon the world.
Not me.
Lost in these dark thoughts, I suddenly felt a sensation brushing through my hair.
“…Hmm?”
It was a large, rough hand. The feeling was unmistakably familiar, reminiscent of the First Elder who would roughly ruffle my head while claiming it was a pat.
That familiar, dizzying sensation I hadn't felt in so long.
When I glanced up to see the source, I realized the plum blossom petals were coalescing, brushing against my hair and forming the vague shape of a human hand.
What is this? It's… unsettling.
Is this… perhaps…
“…Elder Shin?”
[ You were acting so pathetically I was tempted to slap you senseless. But I’ll let it slide since you managed to pull yourself together. ]
“…Where have you been all this time? And what is happening right now?”
It had been over a year. After my father punished me and I was confined, Elder Shin said he would be gone for a year. But far more time than that had passed.
“Were you hibernating or something?”
[Haha. I used this old body of mine to save you the moment I woke up, and this is the thanks I get? You’re still running your mouth.]
“…I’m just happy to see you again.”
[I might just fold you in half if you have another breakdown.]
Haha.
It was the dry, sharp voice of an old man. Surprisingly rough for a Taoist, but hearing it again filled me with a strange sense of relief.
But enough of that…
“…Can I ask about the situation?”
[About what?]
“About what’s happening right now.”
I wanted to ask about the man who claimed to be Yeon Il-Cheon. I posed the question to Elder Shin, and he responded bluntly.
[How should I know?]
“What?”
[You ask a lot from someone who just woke up. If I knew everything, I’d be a martial artist from Wudang, not just a Taoist.]
Isn't Wudang also Taoist…? I pushed the irrelevant thought aside.
“When did you wake up?”
[The moment you stepped into the secret vault.]
If he was telling the truth, then it hadn't been long at all. That reminded me of something—the strange sensation I’d felt earlier in the vault, distinct from the beast lurking inside me. That had definitely been Elder Shin’s presence.
“…But why didn’t you answer when I called for you?”
[…]
Elder Shin fell silent for a moment after my question. Just as I thought he was pondering something deep, he answered.
[That bastard was watching you.]
He was clearly referring to the man with golden hair and eyes—Yeon Il-Cheon.
“That son of a— …No, is that man really your friend?”
[If you’re going to curse him, do it properly.]
“But I can’t just curse him out in front of you…”
He infuriated me, but cursing Yeon Il-Cheon in front of Elder Shin felt wrong. They were friends, after all.
“So, is that man truly the Iron Fist himself?”
[I’m not sure.]
“…Pardon?”
His response froze me in place. He doesn't know? What kind of nonsense is that?
“But you acted like you knew him earlier.”
Elder Shin had even said it was good to see him again.
[I was just happy to see his face one last time.]
“What kind of answer is that?”
[There’s nothing more to it.]
How absurd.
[The one thing I’m sure of is that it was Il-Cheon’s memory.]
“But you don’t know if it was actually him or not?”
[The room and the memory were definitely manifestations of Il-Cheon’s power. But a memory is just a memory.]
“…I don’t really understand. Then, is this your power?”
The plum blossoms surrounding me, the overwhelming Taoist Qi—was all of this Elder Shin’s doing?
Elder Shin responded.
[That bastard said it himself. This place was prepared for me.]
“…Yes.”
It wasn't just this secret vault. Perhaps all my encounters with the heroes of the past had been part of a design meant for Elder Shin.
[This was what was prepared for me.]
“This power?”
The incredible Taoist Qi, taking a humanoid form that resembled Elder Shin. I could feel the immense strength contained within it.
“…Does that mean this is your original stre—”
[You’ve lost your mind.]
“It’s not?”
Elder Shin burst into laughter at my question.
[You thought this tiny amount was my full strength?]
“…”
[I am not that weak.]
Tiny amount? I was utterly dumbfounded. The Qi I felt was extraordinary. It was merely supporting me, keeping me safe, but if this Taoist Qi were to turn into blades aimed at my neck, I would have been shredded to pieces in seconds.
And this immense power…
Is barely anything to Elder Shin?
…Just how powerful was he, truly?
I couldn't even begin to imagine the extent of his strength in life. There were countless records about him, even though he was a master from a distant era. I had thought he was, at best, on par with the Heavenly Venerables.
But was he actually stronger?
If this power was insignificant to him, then it was possible. Maybe he had been as strong as the Celestial Sword, Wi Seol-
No, definitely not.
I immediately dismissed the thought. That would mean there were five individuals of that caliber.
The Blood Demon surely couldn’t have been so powerful as to face five beings of that level.
Moreover, it was Yeon Il-Cheon who ultimately became the Zenith, surpassing even Elder Shin. Yet, those five heroes struggled immensely against the Blood Demon and couldn't even kill it, resorting to a seal instead. Unless the Blood Demon was a literal god, it made no sense.
[You seem to have a lot on your mind again.]
“…Because you told me something completely absurd.”
Hehe.
My mind was a tangled knot, yet the old man just kept chuckling.
“How can you laugh at a time like this?”
[How can I not? The expression on your face is priceless.]
I'm practically on the brink of despair, and he finds it amusing— Wait, no. This concerned him too. Elder Shin was deeply connected to all of this.
[Don’t let it shake you.]
The hand that had been ruffling my hair became rougher, more firm.
[There is nothing more dangerous than you losing yourself.]
“…I know that.”
[Of course you do. But your struggle to follow your own will is precisely what makes you human.]
“Elder Shin, did you know?”
[Know what?]
“About the calamity and the fate he spoke of.”
The fact that the world was destined to end by the Blood Demon's hand. That his comrades knew another calamity would come, even after sealing the Blood Demon. I wondered if Elder Shin had been aware as well.
[No, I did not know.]
“…Huh?”
[The reason I fell into a deep sleep was to recover my memories.]
“Your memories?”
I recalled Elder Shin saying something similar when we first met. He said his memories were hazy, as if shattered into pieces and scattered. That was why he had called me a fake for a while.
[It took longer than I expected to piece them together.]
“So… you’ve recovered all of them?”
I asked, hoping there might be useful information, but Elder Shin shook his head.
[I’ve recovered most, but not what happened at the very end.]
“The end?”
[The last memory I recovered was of our battle against the Blood Demon.]
The legendary battle where the five heroes faced the Blood Demon. That was the final scene Elder Shin could recall.
“…That means,”
[Yes. I am aware. My final moments were not during that fight.]
Elder Shin did not die fighting the Blood Demon. According to historical records, he returned to lead Mount Hua after stopping the Blood Disaster and lived out the rest of his life there.
[After my resurrection, I was supposed to find this secret vault. That’s what those bastards told me.]
The Light of Might, the Iron Fist; Namgung Myung, the Thunderous Sword—they had all instructed Elder Shin to seek the Thunder Fang. They had anticipated his resurrection.
[I do not know the secrets of this world.]
The Central Plains still stood, though it should have fallen long ago. The Blood Demon existed, and the next calamity, the Heavenly Demon, was waiting in the future.
[It’s likely those bastards tried to resurrect me because of all this.]
[Il-Cheon always hoarded secrets, that idiot of might was too kind for his own good, the Myung bastard was perpetually annoying, and Jaemoon was never quite normal either.]
How was I supposed to respond to that? Hearing a hero from the past so casually call all the others crazy felt… bizarre. Still, I could sense a deep, fond bond in his words, so I didn't interrupt.
[And, of course, I’ve got a foul mouth and a rough personality, even for a Taoist.]
So he's self-aware, huh? I hadn't expected that.
[…I never let go of my prey. So, they probably found me to be the most suitable candidate among us.]
“So, in the end, they dumped all the work on you.”
[Thinking of it that way just makes me hate those bastards even more.]
That wasn't quite how I meant it.
[However, that attempt was in vain, in the end.]
“…How can you be so sure?”
He was just a soul who had lost most of his memories and had almost no information. Anything could have happened. Elder Shin might have been nothing more than a memory, like Yeon Il-Cheon. It was also possible he had been successfully resurrected, only to be killed shortly after.
[Ha!]
Elder Shin laughed, seemingly reading my thoughts.
[If I had truly been successfully resurrected, the entire Central Plains would be shaking.]
“How come?”
[Look at the martial artists these days—they’re all idiots. How could the world possibly stay quiet if a genius like me had been reborn?]
“…”
What was this insane confidence?
[If I was reborn, I might’ve been called the Zenith of Plum Flowers.]
“You’d choose to be a martial artist of Mount Hua even in a second life, huh.”
[Of course.]
Slip.
A single petal drifted down and landed softly on my nose.
[I was born on Mount Hua, and my soul belongs there. Even if I were reborn a thousand times, I would still be a child of Mount Hua.]
There wasn't much logic to his words, but there was an unshakable certainty in them.
[I am Shincheol of Mount Hua. Even if I lose my memories and become something else after death, that will never change.]
[So don’t let anything shake you, either. What good is there if you can’t even believe in yourself?]
“…!”
His final words struck a deep chord within me. He spoke them just as I was still struggling to steady my frayed nerves.
[It’s been a long time since we last met, but you haven’t grown much, have you? How can you still be this childish at your age? Tsk, tsk.]
“…You might have sounded cool if you hadn’t added that last part.”
Slam!
“Ugh!”
The moment I finished speaking, a sharp impact crashed down on my head. He had formed his hand into a fist and slammed it onto my skull.
[I’ve been wanting to do that for a while. How refreshing.]
“…Ugh…”
[Whether it’s a calamity or whatever else, use your time to focus on what you’ve been doing.]
“…”
[Instead of stopping because you don’t know which path to take, you must keep walking forward on the one you’re on. But you probably already know this.]
“…Yes.”
Rustle.
After I responded, the plum blossom petals that filled my vision began to shift and stir. The rough hand ruffling my hair stilled.
[Get up now. Now you have to do my job as well. You’re going to be busy, hehe.]
His response was strange.
“…Why do I have to do your work?”
[Since I’ve ended up in this pitiful state where I can’t do anything, you’re the one who has to do it instead.]
“Wait, wha—”
[Ugh, this old man saved your life. Consider it a side quest. Your goal is probably the same as mine anyway. How can you be so whiny? Tsk, tsk.]
He was telling me to deal with both the Blood Demon and the Heavenly Demon. How absurd. He wasn't even paying rent for staying inside me, and now he was assigning me his homework?
I was going to do it anyway, but now I don’t feel like it.
Still, my mind felt clearer thanks to him. Calamity or not, I was still me. I believed that as long as I tried hard enough, I could prevent myself from becoming a catastrophe. This was probably the most important thing Elder Shin wanted to impart to me.
I was old, just as he said, so I didn't know why I was still being lectured by others. It seemed I still had a long way to go before I could call myself mature.
Sssss…
[Good luck.]
As soon as I heard Elder Shin’s voice, the petals vanished, revealing the sky above. It was still night, and the moon, high in the sky, cast its silvery light down upon me.
“…Ah.”
I immediately sat up. The last thing I remembered was being inside the secret vault, but now, for some reason, I was lying at its entrance in the middle of a forest.
“Oh, you’re awake.”
As I looked around, I heard a voice from nearby. It was the Sleeping Dragon.
Thankfully, it seemed we had escaped the vault… but how had I ended up unconscious here?
“Now that you’re awake, could you please save me?”
“…Huh? Save you from wha—”
I turned toward the source of the voice.
“Oh.”
The Sleeping Dragon offered me a strained smile. And standing in front of him…
The Sword Queen and the Qinghai Sword were staring directly at me with profoundly strange expressions.
“…”
I’m completely fucked, aren’t I?
“Sigh…”
I quickly racked my brain. I needed to find a way out of this, and fast.
…!
…I found it.
I immediately pointed a finger at the Sleeping Dragon and shouted at the Qinghai Sword. I felt no hesitation.
“He was the one who did it! I was just following his lead!”
My special move—throwing a friend under the bus. It was my go-to strategy whenever a companion was present.
…Too bad I barely have any friends.
“…Do you really expect me to believe that?”
It didn't work as I had hoped.
Damn it all.