Chapter 624: Power
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 624: Power
Chirp! Chirp!
The chirping of birds tickled my ears.
The sunlight felt warm against my skin. A cool breeze blew, carrying the refreshing scent of the season, and the vibrant leaves were beautifully colored as if welcoming the coming autumn.
It was a sight that made one's heart race just by looking at it.
Beautiful. This place was truly beautiful.
If I had been walking here alone, I might have stopped in my tracks, lost in the scenery. That was how breathtaking it was, but…
‘Where am I?’
I couldn't simply appreciate the view with a light heart. Just moments ago, I was in a world filled with nothing but the sound of burning embers. Why had it suddenly changed into this?
Moreover…
‘Why?’
My vision trembled as I looked around. I had never seen this place before. No, I’ve wandered to so many places that I might have passed by it at some point. Even so…
‘Why does it feel so familiar?’
It shouldn't feel this familiar. It was as if I had been here before—a crushing sense of longing and sorrow. An unknown emotion washed over me.
‘Just where in the world is this place?’
Why was I feeling this way? I was certain I was seeing it for the first time, yet unfamiliarity and nostalgia coexisted within me. It was a sensation I had never experienced in my life.
Clack!
The sound of a turning water wheel barely brought me back to my senses. I looked straight ahead. What I needed to focus on now was the person, not the scenery.
‘Nameless?’
Nameless. She had no name. That was how the woman had introduced herself. Recalling this, I observed her. But…
‘I can’t see her.’
I still couldn't perceive the woman's form clearly. It was a blur. Her presence was so distinct, yet for some reason, I couldn't properly recognize her features. It felt as if my mind was refusing to register her.
‘What is her identity?’
I knew there were many things residing inside my body. But right now, Elder Shin and that bastard Kkurung were both absent. That left only two possibilities I could think of.
It wasn't the Blood Qi.
‘And if it’s not the Celestial Sword either…’
Then what in the world was she? I had no idea.
Just then…
Huhu.
I heard the woman’s laughter.
“You’re making that same face again.”
“What…?”
“The look you get when you're lost in thought. It’s… strangely nice to see.”
Her lighthearted words made me frown. She spoke as if she knew me intimately. I moved my hand slightly.
Fwoosh!
For a moment, flames seemed to gather, but then…
Whuff!
They vanished in an instant.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
This was supposed to be the space of my mind. How could I not use my power as I pleased? What kind of absurd situation was this?
“Who are you, and what is this place?” I asked.
Hearing my question, the woman turned her head slightly to look around.
“What do you think?” she asked in return.
“…About what?”
“Do you think it’s pretty?”
“...”
I didn't answer. I thought it would be ridiculous to entertain such a question. However…
“It is likely beautiful to you. After all, this was your favorite place,” the woman continued, as if my silence didn't matter. “When autumn came, the colors here would become exceptionally deep. It was a good place to live, with bountiful surroundings.”
She picked up a falling maple leaf and placed it in the hands of the child in her arms. The child still looked terrified, but they didn't refuse the leaf.
“That’s why we came here so many times. I watched you countless times as you stood here, silently looking up at the sky. This place is that kind of memory.”
“…What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”
Her words were filled with things I couldn't comprehend. I had never seen that residence, let alone… I had never been to a place like this.
“Should I call this a memory? Or a regret? What do you think?”
“...”
“No, you don’t have to answer.” The woman smiled. “You would probably call it a regret without hesitation. That's the kind of person you are.”
For some reason, her smile made my heart ache. It was painful. Cold. And heavy. That was how I felt looking at her. That must be why, despite having so many questions, I couldn't bring myself to ask them.
[ Hngh… ]
The child in her arms flinched. Seeing this, the woman gently stroked the child’s head.
“It’s alright. It’s okay.”
[ Sob… Mama… ]
“...”
The woman stiffened for a moment when the child called her ‘Mama.’ But she didn't stop her gentle caress. Watching this, I was reminded once again: this was no time to hesitate.
I approached the woman and said, “Hand it over.”
“If I do, what do you plan to do?”
“I have to kill it.”
Even at my unhesitating words, the woman’s expression didn't change.
“Why?” she simply asked.
I gave her the only answer I had. “Because that's what must be done.”
Something that must be done. Yes, this was a necessity. In my strangely hazy mind, that much was clear.
“…Something that must be done…” At my words, the woman nodded. “Yes, I suppose it must.”
“So. Give me that thing—”
“But I cannot.”
My face twisted. “What?”
“I’m sorry, but I cannot give you this child.”
“What kind of crazy talk is that?”
I was trying to take what was mine. What was she talking about? As I stared at her with a look of disbelief, the woman tightened her grip on the child.
“As I said before, I hoped you wouldn't make this choice.”
Squeeze.
The child also clutched the woman’s arm, as if refusing to let go.
“Furthermore, I feel sorry. Because while I didn't want you to make this choice, I was also the one who pushed you into this situation.”
My eyes widened. She was the one who pushed me?
“What does that mean? You're the one who pushed me?”
“...”
Clack.
Amidst her incomprehensible words, the sound of the water wheel echoed. That was the turning point.
“The reason you had no choice but to return to the past.”
Something began to resonate with the woman’s words.
“The reason you had to become that wretched thing called a Dragon just to endure this harsh current.”
A crack formed in my steady breathing.
“And the reason such a heavy burden was placed on your back. In the end, it was all me.”
My trembling breath made it difficult to even speak. What did I just hear?
‘What in the world does that mean?’
She's the one who made me regress? That couldn't be. It had to be… the one who made me regress was…
‘The Heavenly Demon.’
The Celestial Sword had said so. And the Heavenly Demon had affirmed it. The Heavenly Demon was the one who made me regress. Not this woman…
‘…Wait.’
As I was thinking, I sensed something strange. Her blurry features had become a little clearer. The moment our eyes met, I felt like I understood something.
“Don’t tell me, you’re the Heaven—”
Zzzt!
“...!”
A sudden jolt of pain made me drop to one knee. I clutched my head, my body trembling violently. It wasn't physical pain. It was a pain that originated from my very soul.
This was a warning. A warning that my soul would crumble if I tried to remember.
“Haah… Hah…”
I gasped for breath, barely enduring it. The woman in front of me just continued to watch. I couldn't see her expression. I thought I could make it out when she was smiling, but now I had no idea what kind of face she was making.
However…
“Through countless lives, the life you always wanted was, in the end, an ordinary one.”
Though I couldn't see her face, I could tell her voice was steeped in sorrow.
“That’s why I didn't want you to live this kind of life. So, whenever you tried to choose something, I gave you hesitation.”
The more she spoke, the more jumbled my thoughts became.
“I slowed your choices. I even covered your eyes so you would lose your way.”
Her confession-like words brought something to mind. How I always hesitated, despite saying I would use any means necessary. How I had long since become a Dragon, yet still yearned to be human. Was she saying that was all her doing?
“I still remember,” the woman said to me. “The smile on your face when you first built this house.”
This was another thing I didn't understand.
“Is that why? I still remain here. Perhaps…”
I will stay here forever.
The woman whispered quietly.
“So, I hope you never find out until the very end.”
I heard her voice, but I couldn't answer.
‘My voice…!’
No sound would come out. My body was frozen solid, unable to move.
C-crack!
I tried to force myself to move, but something was pressing down on me, making it impossible.
“Because Oblivion is the best I can offer you.”
Crack! Craaack!
A strange sound came from the arm I was straining. I knew if I forced it, my arm would be crushed. The pain wouldn't go to my body, but to my soul. It was excruciating—so much so that I wondered if such pain could even exist.
“So, even if you come to know everything in the future.”
I barely managed to lift my head and look at her.
“Even at that end, I hope you do not remember me. That is my only wish.”
I didn't know what she was talking about. Not only did her words make no sense, but I had no idea what this woman was to have appeared inside me.
Zzzzzzt!
Whenever I tried to think about something, it felt like not just my body, but my mind itself was being blocked.
“Haa… Haah…!”
“Don’t worry. This child… I will hold her in my arms and hide her from you. When you awaken, it will be as if she never existed.”
As she spoke, the woman stood up.
Crack!
As she rose, cracks began to spread across the sky. I knew instinctively that when this moment passed, my body would awaken.
“If, by some miracle, you do remember me… will you resent me? I would like that.” The woman let out a faint laugh. “To resent someone means you remember them. For me, that is enough.”
She moved. After speaking, the woman slowly began to walk away.
Crack. Craaack.
Cracks appeared not only in the sky but also at her feet. The woman passed by my side, holding the child. I had to stop her. I had to grab the child she was holding, and I had to ask the woman her identity, but…
Zzzzzzzzt!
The sensation constricting my body grew stronger.
“You…!”
I gritted my teeth. I couldn't let her go like this. With that single thought, I forced myself to stand.
Crrrack!
My body was breaking apart. Ignoring the pain, I spoke to the woman.
“…Don’t… go.”
My voice, which wouldn't come out before, finally emerged. The pain was still there as I spoke. It didn't matter. That wasn't important.
Flinch.
At my words, the woman stopped walking. Seeing that, I wondered: what was my intention in telling her not to go? Did I mean for her to leave the child and go? Or did I mean for her to reveal her identity before leaving?
I didn't know. My body and mind were in chaos, as if being forced to forget. Even so, I felt I had to stop her somehow. That was the only feeling I had.
“…I said… don’t go.”
As I said it again, the woman’s head turned toward me. I still couldn't see her. I couldn't make out her veiled face.
“Haha… ha…”
The woman let out a laugh. It was the same laugh I had been hearing, but it was different somehow.
“…You’re always so cruel.” Her voice was thick with moisture, as if releasing a pent-up emotion. “You're leaving me with another unforgettable moment. Even though you'll just forget again.”
I could feel a faint resentment—an emotion I hadn't felt from her until now.
“…Thank you. For giving me one more thing to hold on to.”
The woman said this and gave a small wave in my direction.
“…Go back now. This is no longer a place for you.”
Rustle.
At that, a crack formed on the ground directly beneath me. Seeing this, I tried to speak urgently, but…
“Wait—!”
Ruuuumble!
“Gck!”
The pressure intensified, as if she would show no more mercy.
“I will carry your hesitation. So you don't have to waver anymore.”
I tried to say something with my stuttering lips, but now, even that was impossible.
“Thank you for indulging my selfishness.”
At the same time as the woman’s words…
Click!
It felt as if a lock had been undone. In that moment…
Fwhoooooosh—!!
An unknown energy began to swirl within my body. No, it was closer to a sensation than an energy. A wall that had been blocking something crumbled, and what was hidden beyond it rushed inside me. The places that had felt empty were filled, and filled again.
It was different from enlightenment. It was an awakening of what I originally possessed. As the unfamiliar sensations shook my mind, the woman spoke to me as I was being swallowed by the cracks.
“Though the path ahead may be arduous and frightening, I pray that when you reach the end, you will be happy.”
Hearing those words, I moved my hand.
Zzzzzzzzzzt!
The coercive force tore at my hand, sending a wave of pain through me, but I still reached out to grab the woman watching me from beyond the cracks.
But…
“Always.”
In the end, I couldn't reach her.
“That is my only wish.”
CRACK!
Finally swallowed by the cracks, my body vanished from the space.
Fwaaaaaah.
The traces that had filled the background were erased, and the world changed back, leaving only embers and ash.
Crackle! Crackle!
The sound of something burning could be heard. The dark world had returned. In such a world…
“...”
The woman stood still, staring at the place where the master of the space had been. Was it because it had been so long? She felt she had spoken more than she intended.
The woman looked down at her own hand.
Crackle.
Just as the world was burning away, the woman's hand was also crumbling to dust.
“Still.”
Still, for a brief moment, I was happy.
The woman thought so and smiled.
[ Hooo… ]
A quiet breath came from her arms. The child she was holding had, at some point, fallen asleep. Looking at the child's face, the woman stroked them with her hand. Then, she recalled the lie she had told.
— That is my only wish.
“...”
The words she had just spoken were a lie. Or half of one, to be precise. That wasn't her only wish. She wished for his happiness, but that wasn't all. The woman had a hidden wish.
‘…Just once.’
Just one time would be enough.
‘I wish you would call me by my name.’
A long, long time ago, the name he had given her. She wished he would call her by it, just once. The woman couldn't help but harbor that wish.
“…Ha.”
Recalling this, the woman let out a self-deprecating laugh and immediately erased the thought. What a pathetic and cowardly wish, especially after making this choice herself.
After lingering for a moment, the woman soon began to walk. Perhaps, contrary to her wish… the day he called her by her name would never come.
And that was why the woman's name was Nameless.
Fwhoooooosh—!!!
The Lord was utterly bewildered by the situation unfolding before him. Not only had the ice crystal begun to glow, but all the Ice Qi within the space was moving.
R-rumble!
The energy was so violent that even the Lord had to exert his own power just to withstand it.
‘What in the—!’
It was a sudden development. Had some kind of anomaly occurred? Otherwise, there was no reason for such chaos.
Fwhoooooooooosh---!!!
Like a raging typhoon, the Ice Qi spun ceaselessly. Even within it, he could feel it.
Whoosh!
“…What…!”
Amidst the moving Ice Qi, the Lord's own Qi felt as if it was about to be sucked away. As if swept up in the current, the energy he possessed tried to move. The Lord forcibly reined in his Qi. Only then could he endure.
It was unbelievable.
‘Truly…!’
The Lord’s gaze fell upon the center of the Ice Qi. He stared at Gu Yangcheon, whose eyes were closed. He had thought it impossible, but the Ice Qi in the space was truly being drawn to Gu Yangcheon. Even his own Qi was being affected.
‘If this continues…’
Perhaps.
‘Is he even absorbing the energy of the ice crystal?’
The glowing ice crystal before him—the object that created the severe cold of the North. Because of it, snow fell in the North all year round, turning it into a land of extreme cold. If such an ice crystal were to disappear, what would happen?
The thought flashed through his mind for a moment, but it didn't last long.
Fwhoooooooosh—!!!
The fiercely raging Ice Qi gradually slowed its speed, its movements becoming sluggish. Then…
Whuff!
In an instant, the swirling wind stopped. It was for a split second. His fluttering robes fell still. The situation became silent, as if a typhoon had never been there.
In this situation, before the Lord could even grasp what had happened…
Ssk.
“…Huh!”
A sudden sensation made the Lord instinctively put distance between them. Distance from none other than Gu Yangcheon.
‘What was that?’
Keeping his distance, the Lord observed Gu Yangcheon. Something was strange. At most, only ten seconds had passed since Gu Yangcheon had closed his eyes. But in that short time, the Lord sensed that some change had occurred. He had no choice but to feel it.
Ruuuuuumble!
The air had changed. The space that had been merely cold and biting was now somehow heavy and eerie. What was this sensation?
Just as the Lord was about to grow wary and question it…
Ssk.
Gu Yangcheon, who had been standing still, showed a slight movement.
“…Ah…”
A short sound escaped his lips. Gu Yangcheon briefly scanned his surroundings before slowly turning his head to meet the Lord’s gaze.
“…!”
Seeing Gu Yangcheon’s face, the Lord flinched in surprise. His features hadn't changed much, but his aura was different. Along with his blue eyes, which were far more vivid than before, there was a heavy, deep atmosphere about him.
But the reason for the Lord’s surprise wasn't simply that. It was because…
“…Young Master Gu.”
Gu Yangcheon, looking at the Lord…
“Why… are you crying?”
…because for some reason, he was shedding tears.