Chapter 649: Back to the Central Plains
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 649: Back to the Central Plains
The Ninth Stage of the Gu Flame Wheel Art.
It was the realm I had reached in my past life.
At this stage, I could conjure tidal waves of fire or soar through the sky using nothing but heat. It was a state that granted me near-limitless possibilities.
But there was one distinct difference from my previous life.
‘I’m much better now.’
Physically, mentally, and in terms of the sheer volume of Qi I possessed, my current state was far more refined than it had ever been before.
Fwoosh!
I slowly manipulated the Flaming Sphere gathered at my fingertips. The delicately condensed orb of fire began to shift.
Vrrrrrr.
As I rotated and compressed the energy, the friction within the Qi caused it to vibrate violently. Without rushing, I made minute adjustments, taming the volatile energy.
Swoosh.
In just a few seconds, it took the form of a long spear.
However...
Crackle! Crackle!!
As I struggled to maintain its shape, my Qi buckled under the strain, threatening to explode. I made a dissatisfied face before overlaying the energy with my mental image. Only then did the Qi calm down and solidify.
It was a variation of the Flaming Sphere I had created: the Flaming Sphere Holy Spear.
I had only used it for the first time a few days ago, but it was already far more stable than before. Unfortunately, I still had to rely on a mental image to maintain it, so I couldn't call it perfect yet.
But the fact that it was easier to cast meant my realm had truly ascended. To put it another way...
‘I’ll need to reach the Great Achievement to use the Holy Spear perfectly.’
It also meant that the difficulty of this variation I’d created was absurdly high. Dammit. I have to master the entire art just to use one move properly?
‘What a pain. Of all the things to create, it had to be this.’
The image still flickered in my mind—the perfected version of the Holy Spear held in my father's hand. For a moment, I felt like something had been stolen from me, but a sense of longing crept in as well. It was proof that such power was possible, which, in a way, gave me hope.
‘The Great Achievement.’
Fwoosh!
I dispersed the Holy Spear and fell into thought. Six years had already passed since my regression. I was twenty years old now, and my life was worlds apart from my past one.
Around this time in my past life, what was I doing?
‘What else? I was a scoundrel.’
I had already fallen out of favor with the clan. I think it was right around the time I became the Young Lord. It was also the day I was dragged to the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament and thoroughly humiliated.
People called me the Scoundrel of Shanxi. They said a dog had been born from a tiger. I had heard every insult imaginable, thrown a fit, and gotten my ass kicked. It wasn't a memory I enjoyed revisiting.
‘Compared to that...’
Now, at the same age, I have reclaimed the realm of my past life. I’ve also gained a certain reputation—or notoriety—so things are better, but...
‘The list of things I have to do hasn't gotten any shorter.’
There was too much work piled up for me to simply sit back and enjoy this new life.
‘Not that I ever planned on enjoying it anyway.’
Pat, pat.
I dusted off my hands, wiping away the residual Qi. I was constantly checking my body; my realm had increased so suddenly that I needed to fully grasp the changes.
‘My Qi capacity has doubled. It’s not lacking even compared to my past life.’
This meant I would no longer be gasping for breath in the middle of a fight.
‘The physical aspects will take some time to get used to...’
The rapid surge in power had created a slight disharmony in my body. A few days of focused training should resolve it. The other problem was...
‘It’s good that my Qi has increased, but...’
The volume of energy had grown, but there was a slight hitch.
‘The Ice Qi hasn't completely melted yet.’
The Ice Qi I had absorbed was now contained within my vessel, but it hadn't all transformed into Fire Qi. There was simply too much of it to melt all at once. It was Ice Qi that had been condensed for hundreds of years; purifying it in an instant was impossible. In the end, I would have to rely on time and the Gu Flame Wheel Art to slowly convert it.
‘The one silver lining is...’
Ssk.
I raised my hands, palms facing each other.
Crack!
Ice Qi gathered at my fingertips, forming a small ice crystal. Seeing it, I let out a dry laugh.
‘To think I’d be able to use Ice Qi.’
It was a side effect of storing the energy of the ice crystals in my vessel. Since my body was trained in flame arts, Ice Qi didn't seem particularly useful, but it felt strange to have two supreme, opposing energies coexisting within me.
How was it even possible? It was a bit late to be wondering about that.
‘Even I don't understand my own body.’
I just had one more type of energy added to the collection. I decided to just accept it.
‘Even if all the Ice Qi melts and converts to Fire Qi, will I still be able to use it?’
It wouldn't be a problem if I couldn't. It was just simple curiosity.
‘It doesn't seem strong enough to be used in combat anyway.’
I probably couldn't use it like the members of the Ice Palace did.
‘...Maybe it's just useful enough to chill my water.’
Thinking about it that way, it really was useless. Good for making ice water, but not much else. It certainly wasn't strong enough for combat—especially not to the extent of creating that armor Yuseon had shown me.
‘Yuseon.’
The moment I thought of that pain-in-the-ass daughter of the Palace Lord, the last thing I needed to check came to mind. It was the power I had obtained from Mang—the same power Yuseon had used.
I had obtained two powers from Mang. One was Regeneration, but I’d already passed that on to save Woo Hyuk. There was still one power I hadn't given away.
Ssk.
I raised my hand again. In my mind, I pictured a small jewel—a hexagonal gem with a blue light, roughly the size of my thumb. I wished for it earnestly. Then I wished again.
In that moment...
Woooong.
A small vibration started inside my body.
Swoosh.
The exact jewel I had imagined appeared in my palm. I gently closed my hand around it. I could feel its texture; the cold, hard sensation was perfectly real. It looked so authentic that anyone would believe it was a genuine treasure, but...
“Hoo.”
When I exhaled and relaxed my grip...
Shaaa—.
The jewel turned to smoke and vanished as if it had never existed. Watching the energy scatter into the air, I nodded.
‘The longest I can maintain it is about fifteen minutes, huh?’
That was for something this small. If I increased the size or added more detail, the duration would shorten.
‘So demanding.’
Every single one of the powers I’d stolen was a hassle. The jewel just now was an illusion created using the power. You could call it a fantasy or a lie. I thought of it as a lie that was close to the truth. It materialized not only sight but also senses like touch and smell—just like the space Yuseon had created.
Wish.
Wish and wish earnestly, and it shall be granted.
That was the name of the power and its method of use.
‘So simple.’
All I had to do was wish. I wondered if anything could be easier. Since it could create things that were almost real, it was at least far more useful than the Ice Qi.
‘But this one, just like Regeneration, has reduced efficiency.’
When I stole Regeneration with Avarice, it couldn't exert its full power. It was the same with Wish.
‘Does stealing a power with Avarice really reduce its efficiency?’
It devours and steals the powers of dragons. That was what I knew for sure about Avarice. But I needed to question something.
Perhaps...
‘It's not that the stolen power weakens. Maybe it's just not a good fit for me.’
That was my doubt. The reason I had this suspicion was that I recalled the fundamental nature of these powers.
My power is Avarice. I am greedy and I hate having things taken from me. Avarice is a power that matches that aspect of my personality perfectly. I steal because I don't want to be stolen from. I doubt there's a power that could suit me better.
‘Couldn't the same be true for Wish and Regeneration?’
Maybe they were only efficient because they were powers that suited the one called Mang.
‘It's hard to deny; it really feels that way.’
This suspicion started to form when I passed Regeneration to Woo Hyuk. It’s true that my own recovery rate increased when I held Regeneration in my body, but the moment I gave it to Woo Hyuk, his body began to heal at an incredible rate.
That was strange.
‘If its efficiency dropped when it came to me, it's weird for it to improve when I pass it on.’
So I changed my hypothesis. It wasn't that the power got worse when I stole it; it was just a power that didn't suit me. It was never a good fit for me in the first place.
The part I didn't understand was... what determined whether it was a good fit or not? If it were simply a matter of matching personality, there was no reason Regeneration wouldn't suit me.
‘I need it more than anyone.’
If Regeneration had worked properly for me, I could have fought while risking a torn arm or a hole in my chest. Since it didn't, it was just a shame. There had to be some other reason, but I couldn't figure it out.
Grrrrr.
A low growl reached my ears. I turned my head.
“Hoo.”
A giant head had approached me from the side without me noticing. It was Ttolddoli.
Drip, drip.
Something was dripping onto the ground. Blood. Blood was flowing from the creature Ttolddoli was holding in its mouth—a wolf-like demon with red fur.
Ttolddoli was approaching me with a Red-Grade Demon in its jaws. Considering that a Red-Grade Demon was typically the size of a house, I could see just how enormous Ttolddoli had become to be carrying one like a toy.
“Haaah...”
I let out a small sigh and swung my hand.
Thwack!
Grr!!
Ttolddoli staggered as the blow landed on its head.
“Dammit... Why did you get so big again? I told you to grow in moderation!”
Grrrr...
“What do you mean, 'it's not fair'? I'm already annoyed to death about the food expenses. Looking at you now, you're going to eat even more.”
Grrr.
“You'll find your own food? Yeah, right. You'll have a great time getting around at that size.”
Grrrrr...
“So I should take better care of you? What's with that tone? You haven't been disciplined enough lately...”
Grr!
As I reached out to grab its fur, Ttolddoli quickly fled. Whoosh! Its massive body lifted into the air, kicking up dust and a gale of wind.
I frowned. “You're not coming down?”
Grrr.
“Yeah, yeah. I won't hit you, so come down.”
Grrrr.
“If you're not going to believe me, why did you even ask? Get down here now!”
As I was about to lose my temper, Ttolddoli sped up and flew far away. It was as big as a mountain, but it was damn fast.
“Hah.”
I could only let out a dry laugh watching it disappear. It was at least twice as big as when we first came to the North. I wondered what had happened while I wasn't looking, but...
‘What's the point in asking? It's because of me.’
I could tell just by looking. My energy had increased, so its size and appearance had changed.
‘That thing is linked to me.’
Whether my realm rose, I grew physically stronger, or my Qi increased... whenever there was a change in me, there was a change in Ttolddoli.
‘When I got physically stronger, its appearance changed.’
It became fiercer and more menacing. As a demon, it was transforming into a creature that would make one's knees buckle at the mere sight of it.
‘When my energy increased, its size grew.’
Perhaps because I had surpassed the level of my past life, Ttolddoli had grown far too large. And you know what's funny?
‘That bastard can shrink if it wants to...!’
Like me, Ttolddoli can use the Qi Body Transformation Technique, so it's free to increase or decrease its size. But it seemed to like being big, so it deliberately stayed that way.
“Ugh...”
I wonder who it takes after to act like that. Shaking my head, I watched Ttolddoli disappear and thought:
‘A demon that grows in connection with me.’
At first, it was just a creature born from the Demonic Stone of a Red-Grade Demon, fed by my Qi. And that creature had changed this much. Thinking of that, I thought of Mang.
‘Mang's true form was also that of a demon.’
A white demon called a dragon. That was Mang's true form, which had emerged from the ice crystal.
‘Do all beings called dragons have a true form like that?’
Mang was a pure-blooded dragon. And I was told I am one, too. Does that mean I also have a separate 'true form' like Mang?
‘I've never felt anything like that, but if I did have one...’
A creature in the form of a demon that grows as I do had just flown away.
‘...’
Could it be that thing? The thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head.
‘If anything, I'm the true form, not that thing.’
The very concept of a 'true form' was strange to begin with. If there's a true form, it's me, right now. What else could there be? It was just a silly thought.
Srrk.
As I dismissed the thought, I unwrapped the bandage from my chest and set it on fire.
Fwoosh!
The bandage burned, releasing a faint stench of dried blood.
“The internal injuries are all healed.”
Three days had passed since the fierce battle. Despite being stabbed and having cracked bones, both my external and internal injuries had healed in just a few days.
‘My regenerative ability has definitely improved.’
Considering I no longer had the power of Regeneration, it meant my natural healing ability itself had grown stronger.
‘At this rate...’
I could train a little more intensely. Broken bones and torn flesh would regenerate in a matter of days. This was, without a doubt, the most satisfying part of my recent growth.
Rustle.
Hearing a presence, I turned around. A handsome young man with pale skin, dressed in a neat uniform, approached. It was Seong Yul. His arm was wrapped in a bandage; it seemed his left arm had been broken in the fight with the demons.
“Did I, perhaps, interrupt you?”
“No, I just finished. What is it?”
“The Palace Lord is looking for you, Young Master.”
I nodded at Seong Yul's words. I was about to go see him anyway.