Chapter 38: Way Back (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 38: Way Back (1)
An unfamiliar ceiling.
How utterly original of me.
I never thought I’d see the day I’d actually think something so cliché.
My head is killing me.
My mind was spinning, and a deep-seated nausea churned in my gut. A particularly sharp ache throbbed from my dantian. After a struggle, I managed to push myself up into a sitting position.
…Where am I?
…I distinctly remember passing out in that secret vault.
My Demonic Absorption ability had activated on its own, devouring everything inside the marble the giant snake had given me. It seemed the energy I’d absorbed was far too much for my body to handle, overloading my system and knocking me unconscious.
The thought sent a jolt of panic through me. I immediately began to circulate my Qi.
If the sheer volume of energy was enough to make me black out, it couldn’t be anything small. The last thing I needed was permanent damage to my meridians.
-Swoosh!
As my Qi flowed, the result left me utterly baffled.
“What the…?”
I stared, shocked at the intense heat radiating from my palm. It was far faster and more blistering than anything I was used to. I’d channelled the same amount of Qi as always, yet the output was exponentially greater.
The Third Star.
My Gu Flame Wheel Art, stagnant at the Second Star for what felt like an eternity, had not just broken through—it had surged straight to the peak of the Third Star.
No, it felt like it was actively pushing against the very limits of the peak. The Qi I’d absorbed from that marble was equivalent to what a normal cultivator might gain from thirty years of constant, arduous training.
I never expected it to be this potent…
Honestly, when I’d absorbed it, the energy hadn’t felt overwhelmingly vast. What it had felt was… incredibly pure. Subtle, yet overwhelmingly powerful. Was there still Qi of this quality left in the world?
Considering I felt no trace of Demonic Qi within me, despite the massive absorption, I had to reconsider my initial assumption.
Maybe it wasn’t a demonic stone at all?
I’d suspected my Fire Qi might have absorbed Demonic Qi again, but this felt completely different. The energy I now possessed was shockingly refined. The only reason I hadn’t directly breached the Fourth Star was the current limitation of my physical body. With proper training, I felt reaching the next realm would be effortless.
With this new power, I started running through the list of people I could now face.
That Namgung bastard might still be a bit much, but someone like Gu Jeolyub should be easy to deal with.
To be honest, I felt confident I could take on opponents at Gu Jeolyub’s level even without using Qi. But the Lightning Dragon was on another level entirely. Even with my familiarity of the Namgung Clan’s sword arts, in a real Qi-based battle, I’d still be outmatched.
But seriously… where am I?
Finished assessing my body, I finally took a proper look around. The room was sparsely furnished with shabby furniture, and the air carried the distinct scent of medicinal herbs.
“Young Master!”
“Woah!”
While I was still disoriented, a figure launched itself at me, tackling me back onto the bed. It was Wi Seol-Ah.
“Young Master, you’re okay now?”
“…Get off me first.”
What kind of person tackles an injured patient while asking if they’re alright? I quickly untangled her limbs from around me. I was relieved to see she seemed unharmed, judging by the strength in her grip.
Time for the important questions.
“Where’s the snake? And what happened to the secret vault?”
“The snake?” Wi Seol-Ah looked at me, her head tilted in genuine confusion.
Huh? What’s with that reaction?
A strange feeling crept up my spine. “The giant snake. In the secret vault we found.”
“Hmm…?”
“…You don’t remember?”
“Nope!”
“Then how much do you… no, up to what point do you remember?” I rephrased my question.
Wi Seol-Ah rolled her eyes skyward as she thought. It was a comically obvious gesture with her large eyes. “Up until I started following you!”
“…Huh?”
So she forgot everything? Did I hallucinate the entire secret vault and the snake?
There’s no way…
That wouldn’t explain the massive surge in my Qi and martial arts prowess.
Then… did the snake wipe Wi Seol-Ah’s memory? But why?
It made no sense.
“You truly don’t remember anything?”
“Yeah! When I woke up, I was sleeping next to you in the middle of the mountains!”
“What the…”
-Creak.
The nearby door opened and someone stepped in. It was an old man with white hair and a noticeably hunched back.
“Why is it so hot in here?” he grumbled, sounding irritated. The heat was probably a residual effect from me testing my Qi…
He turned his attention to us. “So, you’re finally awake.”
“…Who might you be?”
“You’ve been asleep for two whole days.”
…Huh? Two days?
That meant I’d used up all the time I had to search for the vault.
“I was out for two days?”
“Yes. You didn’t seem injured, but you wouldn’t wake up. I was starting to think you were dead.”
“…May I ask where we are?”
“You still haven’t figured it out? I’m a doctor. This is my clinic.”
…How was I supposed to know you’re a doctor?
He was dressed in poor, simple clothes and was a hunchback. I supposed the smell of medicine was a clue.
“Are you feeling alright now?” the old man asked.
“Yes… much better.”
He’d said this clinic was at the foot of the mountains. How did we get all the way down here? Wi Seol-Ah said she woke up on the mountain, not in the vault. So, did this old man find us and carry us here?
The old man quietly prepared some medicines as he spoke. “What possessed you to be so brave, sleeping right on the edge of a cliff?”
A cliff, huh…
I could have sworn that cliff had transformed into a flat plateau with a white maple tree. So it reverted back?
My thoughts were a tangled mess. Best to show gratitude first.
“…Thank you for your help, sir. I presume you saved us?”
“Saved you? Hardly. Thank the girl there. She has the face of an angel but the strength of an ox. She carried you all the way down the mountain on her back.”
I looked at Wi Seol-Ah. She puffed out her chest proudly.
She carried me all the way down from the mountain peak?
“Th-thank you.”
“Of course!”
I guess her innate physical strength was truly something else, considering she’d followed me all the way from the Tang Clan. I always teased her for being round, but she was actually quite slender. She only looked that way because she constantly had her cheeks stuffed with food. But how could she be so strong with those thin, fragile-looking arms…?
As I stared at her in confusion, the old man observed me and felt my arm. “Since you seem fine, I’d prefer if you left now. The room is small, and I can’t keep you two here any longer.”
“…Ah, of course. Thank you again, sir. Thanks to you, I woke up safe and sound.”
“Haha, you don’t see many youngsters these days who speak so respectfully.”
Well, it couldn’t have been easy to take in two random young people and let them occupy his space for two full days.
Wi Seol-Ah was chewing on something. I assumed the old man had given it to her.
“…What are you eating?”
“Hmm? Grandpa Cheon gave it to me as a snack!”
Grandpa Cheon? So they’d introduced themselves while I was out.
The old man spoke up. “It’s nothing. Just some low-grade ginseng I had lying around. Not very potent. This is a clinic, after all; it’s all I had to offer.”
…Ginseng? There’s such a thing as ineffective ginseng? That was surprising enough, but the fact that Wi Seol-Ah was chewing the bitter root like it was candy was even more shocking. I thought she only liked sweet things. I guess her appetite truly knew no bounds.
“I apologize for the trouble…”
“It’s fine, so just get going already. Your parents must be worried sick.”
Parents? Worried?
The image of my father flashed in my mind. There was no chance he was worried about me. Ironically, the person most concerned was probably Muyeon.
I patted my pockets and spoke to the old man. “I’m afraid I don’t have much on me… I left in a hurry.”
“Huh?”
“What kind of kid carries money? Don’t worry about it. I just did it because I was bored—”
My fingers brushed against a few coins. Thankfully, I’d at least brought these.
-Clink-clank!
In my haste, the coins spilled onto the floor. The old man looked down at them and fell silent.
Two silver coins gleamed on the wooden planks.
“I didn’t bring much, so it’s not much of a reward—”
The old man cut me off, grabbing my hand. His expression had turned deadly serious.
What is it now?
After a moment of tense silence, he finally spoke, his voice suddenly obsequious. “…My Lord, if you wish, you may stay as long as you need! Oh, how rude of me! I haven’t even offered you tea! Please wait here; this old man is quite the expert when it comes to brewing tea!”
“…”
It seemed the silver was more than satisfactory.
* * *
I managed to extricate us from the clinic after repeatedly declining the tea the old man was practically forcing upon us. He kept trying to press more gifts on us, so we made a quick escape.
Fortunately, it was still early morning—a good time to start our journey. My body felt incredibly light, buoyed by the massive increase in my Qi.
If I use my Qi to sprint, could I reach the town where I left the letter in one go?
“…Maybe that’s too ambitious.”
It might be possible with breaks, but I had to consider Wi Seol-Ah, who would be following me. I reined in the impulse.
Wait, maybe Wi Seol-Ah could keep up?
She’d managed to follow me when I first left the Tang Clan. But then I remembered she had no Qi. It would be impossible for her.
Speaking of her, I checked her body again, probing for any trace of Qi. The result was the same: nothing. Not a single spark.
Then how did she manage before?
Since she’d forgotten everything, I had no idea what happened after I lost consciousness. I didn’t understand what that snake was, how the flatland reverted to a cliff, what that strange spatial magic was, or…
I stopped dead in my tracks as a crucial memory surfaced.
“…Hey.”
“Yes?”
“Th-the-the marbles!”
“Eh…?”
I started trembling.
All those moonlight marbles… I didn’t get to take a single one!
The memory hit me like a physical blow. I felt an overwhelming urge to drop to my knees and pound the ground in frustration.
“…Wait, maybe none of it was real to begin with? The secret vault is gone now, anyway…”
I tried to console myself, but the thought persisted.
What about the marble the snake gave me…?
“…”
“Young Master?”
“…I’m fine. Just feeling a little dizzy.”
I knew I should be thinking, It wasn’t even mine to begin with… but it was hard to fight my innate, human greed.
Wi Seol-Ah looked at my pained expression and smiled.
“Young Master, you look really ugly right now.”
“How can you be so cruel all of a sudden!?”
“But you really do look ugly…”
After all we’ve been through, and this is how she treats me? Wi Seol-Ah could be unexpectedly evil at times.
Then, she tugged at the hem of my clothes. I looked down to see her pointing at a restaurant we had just passed.
“You’re hungry?” I asked.
“…I am, but I think some dumplings will fix Young Master’s ugly face, too!”
“Oh, so you want me to eat?”
You’re the one who’s hungry.
I wasn’t opposed to stopping for a meal, but we were pressed for time. It seemed wiser to get to our destination first.
What should I do? Should I just make a run for it?
With my current body, I felt I could do it.
I thought for a moment, looking at Wi Seol-Ah still clinging to my clothes. “…I’m thinking we should run from here, but what am I going to do with you?”
“Huh…? Ooh, ooh! I’m really good at runn—”
“Maybe I should just carry you?”
“…Eh?”
“What did you say just now?” I thought I’d heard her mumble something.
Before I could ask her to repeat it, she suddenly plopped down onto the ground. Since she was still holding my clothes, the motion jolted me.
“O-ow, ow!” she let out an awkward scream.
“What? What happened?”
“M-My legs! They hurt! I think I’m injured!”
“What…? That’s not good. Should we go back to the doctor?”
“But we’re in a hurry! I-I don’t think it’s that bad.”
“So you can walk, then?”
“…Dang it.”
“Hmm?”
What does she want?
It was the first time I’d seen Wi Seol-Ah so visibly conflicted. After a long moment of hesitation, she finally spoke in a tiny voice, her eyes downcast.
“Ca-Carry me…”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the tips of her ears turned bright red.
I was genuinely shocked.
…So she can feel embarrassment. I thought she was immune to it.
“Haha!” I couldn’t help but laugh.
Wi Seol-Ah immediately sulked at my reaction. Smiling, I slowly lowered myself and turned my back to her. She carefully wrapped her arms around my neck and settled onto my back. Feeling her warmth against me, I stood up.
A mischievous urge struck me. “You’re heavy.”
Wi Seol-Ah shouted in surprise. “I am not!”
“You are… it feels like I’m carrying a boulder.”
“You’re so cruel…! L-let me down!”
“Nah. Too late for that.”
…When was it?
This felt familiar. But the last time hadn’t been nearly this lighthearted. Not that Wi Seol-Ah would remember anyway. I was the only one who remembered what happened in that vault. And I would be the only one to carry those memories into the future. It was probably for the best that something like this wouldn’t happen again.
I channeled my Qi and burst into a run, Wi Seol-Ah on my back. The initial leap was so fast and high it shocked even me. I expected Wi Seol-Ah to be enjoying the wind rushing past us, but instead, she buried her face firmly into my back.
At this speed, I was sure we’d reach our destination without any issues.