Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Copy Tree (5)
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-Rumble rumble!
Trees rained down from the sky.
Energy spheres of unknown origin flew in from all directions.
Each one was a technique straight out of a comic book. And now they were manifesting right before my eyes, blocking my path.
"Hahaha!"
I grimaced and gauged my remaining mana.
Thanks to White Path's despicable water bubble interference, my mana had been draining nonstop and was nearly depleted.
-Boom! Crash! Bang!
As if she knew exactly what was happening, White Path's harassment intensified.
Arrows falling from the sky whipped up storms that toppled trees. Every time one embedded near me, curses spilled out automatically.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"
I raced endlessly downhill. The full-speed descent was faster than I'd imagined.
Then—trip—my foot caught on a tree root, and I flew through the air for a few seconds.
"Damn it—"
-Rustle rustle!
I tumbled awkwardly down the slope.
Leaves wedged into my clothes, scratches etched across my arms and legs. After rolling for what felt like forever, I finally slammed into a massive tree and came to a stop.
"Will you repent now, third-rank disciple? Your talent is usable, so if you sincerely swear to follow me, I'll take you as my direct apprentice!"
A few words thundered down from above like lightning.
I clenched my teeth and staggered to my feet. Bruises covered my body.
No matter how unjust the world, I couldn't let my will break here.
Firm peach? Soft peach? Honestly, I didn't care. A peach was a peach—what significance did it hold? As long as it tasted good.
As the saying goes, if I bent a little here, my future training could be smooth sailing.
"Say it! Soft peaches taste bad!"
But for some reason, just thinking about White Path grated on my nerves.
Unlike her appearance, seeing her goof around made me want to elbow her in the philtrum.
'It's like when my cousin wrecked my 1.9 million won laptop.'
Honestly, none of it mattered.
My innate stubbornness—Anger Management Disorder—wasn't letting me rest.
I took a deep breath and bellowed at the top of my lungs.
"Fuck off!!!!"
And then I ran.
White Path, floating leisurely in the air, looked down at me with a mocking laugh.
"Very well. If that's the third-rank disciple's will—"
A low murmur, laced with resignation.
A massive surge of mana filled the mountainside.
"—drown in the water bubble."
-Hum hum!
A massive white orb filled my vision, glowing as if ready to engulf me at any moment.
I muttered in a mix of awe and disbelief.
"......Insane."
I couldn't dodge this.
A freak obsessed with firm peaches... That made her even more repulsive.
-Rumble rumble!
Staring at the oncoming white orbs, I closed my eyes.
......
The sounds stopped.
......
But why wasn't anything happening?
I pried open my trembling eyelids. The mana orbs that had been about to crush me just moments ago were gone.
The woman who had been standing in the air slowly descended and walked toward me.
Irritated droop at the corners of her eyes. Crescent-shaped eyes. Her crimson mid-length hair was neatly coiled and pinned with a dark brown hairpin, exposing her pristine white nape. She approached with arms crossed arrogantly, her gait proud and graceful.
Unlike Yellow Path's dainty steps.
Unlike White Path's cocky swagger.
The blank expression on her face seemed to indicate complete control over her emotions.
A stoic expression unlike San Su-yu's innocent one. Just as when I'd seen Yellow Path behind her, trees rose up behind her now.
"......Heaven Path?"
"Hmm, you know my name? Then this will be quick."
A faint red glow in her hair danced as wind slipped through the trees.
The aura on her face was utterly different from Yellow Path or White Path— she looked like an entirely different person from White Path, just as she had when I'd first seen Yellow Path.
"Triple personality?"
"Not unusual. It's a trial the successor of our Copy Tree must endure."
Heaven Path cleared her throat.
"And sorry about White Path. That must have been dangerous."
"Yeah, seemed like it."
"So why engage in such childish fights? Like little kids."
I had no response to Heaven Path's scolding.
Honestly, she was right. If San Su-yu weren't here and it were Azalea or Lee Se-young instead, I'd have gotten an earful at minimum.
In a way, the fight between me and White Path was inevitable.
Two stubborn hotheads.
"Next time you see White Path, bend a little."
"No."
But I couldn't bend.
"Repay grudge with grudge. Eye for an eye—stubbornness is only undone by greater stubbornness. Honestly, the peaches have nothing to do with it. I just get pissed seeing that White Path bitch."
"......The world has two people like White Path."
Heaven Path clicked her tongue, her face twisting in anger, eyebrows forming an eight shape.
She examined me closely and sighed.
"You have such a vast vessel. Why are all you stubborn bastards such idiots? Geez."
"...So, Heaven Path, do you like firm peaches? Or soft ones?"
"What do you care?"
Heaven Path crossed her arms, snapping irritably before muttering to herself.
"Thickness, hardness—doesn't matter. As long as it's tasty."
"They say if you like it raw, you're a perv."
"Same thing White Path said."
I straightened up.
Hearing White Path triggered me like a berserk button—my expression control failed.
"You hate her that much?"
"Hard to explain. Just... people who don't mesh, you know? Yeah."
"Clashing natures, then. Makes sense why you'd fight over something trivial."
I didn't say it wasn't trivial.
Heaven Path extended her hand into the air. Fallen leaves gathered in her grasp, forming a sword.
"Then I'll be off. Finish your training however you like in the meantime."
"Where to?"
"I've tormented you so one-sidedly; it's only fair to give that girl a trial of similar intensity for it to count as proper training."
"I see."
Heaven Path gripped the sword and walked off briskly.
I stared at her latex-clad ass, then continued seriously.
"One question?"
"Ask."
"Who's the original owner of the body?"
Silence blanketed the mountains.
A squirrel glanced warily before scampering up a tree. Wind rustled through the branches, whipping her hair.
"The original... Never thought about it."
She took a step forward.
"The Copy Tree—yeah, not exactly an honorable lineage."
Another step, left foot forward.
"Past sins undoubtedly carry into the future. If you call it a curse, it is one."
-Click—heaven Path sheathed the sturdy leaf sword at her latex waist.
"So perhaps we didn't need to be born from the same body at the same time. No need to splinter our fleeting lives just to see the outside world."
She turned her head.
"If not the same body? Who knows. Triplets? Close-aged sisters, maybe. But delusions end as delusions. No amount of reasoning reveals the past without time travel. As for this body's original owner, who could answer without experiencing it?"
Her expression remained blank as she murmured.
"I'm me, but not. The karma of forsaking heavenly principles— that's how it is."
"What karma?"
"Too chatty. No manners."
"After getting the same treatment as White Path, I decided to ask whatever."
Heaven Path smiled faintly—the first smile I'd seen, stunningly beautiful.
"Can't tell you that, but here's some advice."
"What?"
Heaven Path looked at me and flicked her arm.
-Slash.
The sword at my waist cleaved clean in half.
"Si-heon."
"Yes."
"Fistfighting suits you more than the sword."
The leaves stirred.
A gust appeared with various grasses enveloping Heaven Path's body, and she vanished.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Lying on the cabin floor, I blankly replayed her words.
-Fistfighting suits you more than the sword.
Fistfighting.
Put down the sword, throw punches.
Had I ever considered such a thing?
I ran simulations in my head countless times. But every iteration yielded the same result.
Fists lose to swords. Spears beat swords. In close combat, reach always mattered.
Why use fists when you have a perfectly good weapon?
Hell, beating a sword with fists would upend the very concept of weapons.
'Even so.'
Heaven Path urged the path of no-weapon.
Not one to discern truth from jest.
She was sincere, and I took it as truth.
'But who do I learn from?'
White Path? No way. That woman had nothing appealing beyond her body and face.
"Ugh......"
I clasped my hands behind my head and groaned at the ceiling.
How long did I lie there?
-Rustle. Rustle.
Stirring sounds nearby.
San Su-yu, deep in sleep, didn't twitch—like she'd been drugged. Judging by direction, probably Heaven Path waking.
"Awake?"
No reply to my quiet question.
-Rustle, rustle.
Blanket-pulling sounds.
The woman bolted upright and headed outside.
What was she up to?
I stood, stretched, and yawned.
My mind foggy; closing my eyes now would mean sleep.
Not yet. Still much to mull over.
-Rustle.
I got up and stepped outside.
The mountain air, infused with night's chill, was refreshing.
Familiar, nostalgic to me.
Like the air from my hometown's final night.
Bittersweet thoughts carried me wandering aimlessly.
-Trickle trickle.
Water sounds tickled my ears. Was there a stream nearby?
In my drowsy haze, I was like a brainless goblin, shuffling toward the sound.
-Trickle trickle.
I followed nature's call, murmuring.
"Air's so refreshing."
"-Eek!"
A frail maiden's cry amid my soliloquy.
Startled, I hurried to the spot.
"W-wait. Stop!"
"Huh? What... Oh."
"!!!!"
There, squatting naked, was Heaven Path.
Steam rose from her tightly clenched slit.
Beside her pristine white ass, neatly folded latex clothes gleamed in the moonlight.
I slapped my forehead.
Heaven Path's dignity hit the dirt.