Chapter 20: Good Grief, the World is Ending (2)
Chapter 20: Good Grief, the World is Ending (2)
Watching Moon Yul’s gloomy expression, Patrick thought to himself.
Is it about time for some motivation?
Patrick knew this well.
If he truly wanted to create the world's greatest warrior, forced training alone had its limits. The boy needed the passion and determination to achieve it himself.
Though their motivations might differ, everyone who had ever reached the pinnacle of the martial world shared that same burning desire.
Patrick spoke calmly.
"Among my friends..."
"..."
"There was a guy named Stu."
It was Matthew.
"Who is that?"
"A fool born with a silver spoon in his mouth as the son of a wealthy merchant, yet he insisted on picking up a sword."
"..."
"He was a funny guy when you think about it. With all that money, I don't know why he was so desperate to make a living by the sword."
"..."
"But what’s even funnier is that the guy didn't have a lick of talent for it."
"As little as me?"
"Way less than you. That bastard almost cut his own toes off once while swinging a sword."
"..."
His interest piqued, Moon Yul focused on Patrick’s words. Patrick continued.
"People usually do what they’re good at. Because being good at something makes it fun."
"..."
"And if it’s fun, you keep doing it. Whether it’s martial arts or academics, that’s how a normal person’s mind works."
"..."
"But that guy, despite having zero talent, chose the sword and devoted himself to it with everything he had."
"..."
"He somehow managed to get into the Academy, but he was so weak that getting beaten up by his peers was a daily occurrence."
"That’s..."
"I felt sorry for him, so I taught him the sword myself. Thanks to that, Stu became quite strong."
"How strong did he get? Perhaps as strong as you, Bong Gong...?"
"Hey, don't go too far. Not even close."
"..."
"Still... he became strong enough to be called a first-class master no matter where you put him. That’s the truth."
"..."
Moon Yul’s face darkened again.
In the end, that was the limit a person without talent could reach through sheer will. The reality was that there were walls effort simply couldn't climb.
And Patrick had thought the same back then.
"I thought that was his limit. But..."
"But?"
"When I was in danger. At that moment when even the most renowned powerhouses on the continent didn't dare to step forward."
"..."
"The one who stood before me, blocking a powerful enemy with his back turned to me, was my friend Stu."
I told you, it’s Matthew.
Even now, it’s just absurd.
Patrick chuckled.
At that time, Patrick had accepted defeat and given up on everything. But then...
[Matthew Ryan.]
Matthew had stepped forward.
He stood proudly before the Heavenly Demon, drew his sword, and spoke.
[He’s my friend.]
At that moment, Matthew had far exceeded Patrick’s expectations.
Through sheer will, he had surpassed his own limits and shown something beyond mere skill.
Matthew’s sword never reached the Heavenly Demon, but it had raised Patrick back up—the man who had collapsed after losing all hope.
Thanks to that, Patrick was able to defeat the Heavenly Demon.
The man Patrick thought didn't have a lick of talent had, in the end, saved the strongest man on the continent.
"Don't hide behind the word 'talent.'"
"..."
"If you feel pathetic, stop comparing yourself to others. Focus every single day on nothing but surpassing who you were yesterday."
"..."
"That is the life of a martial artist."
At Patrick’s words, Moon Yul hesitated before speaking.
"If I do that... can someone like me really become strong?"
"Of course."
"Then I’ll try."
Moon Yul still didn't think he would become the strongest in the world.
But if there was a path for someone without a lick of talent to become strong, just as Bong Gong said...
I want to try too.
For the first time, Moon Yul harbored a desire to become strong of his own volition.
He was being reborn as a true martial artist.
* * *
"It’s good that he’s motivated, but..."
Late at night.
Patrick stood alone in the manor’s backyard and spoke.
"I can't just ignore the practical problems either."
The passion to become strong on one's own was the most important thing. That was a fact.
But if passion alone could make someone the strongest in the world, then every Tom, Dick, and Harry would have done it.
[Isn't that the point? Realistically, the world is full of geniuses like stars in the sky, and they have been preparing and working hard since long before I did.]
Right. Of all the things Moon Yul said today, that was the one that hit the nail on the head.
The young elites of Moon Yul’s age training in great sects had already grown up with abundant resources and support.
They probably grow up stuffing their faces with all sorts of spiritual medicines, starting with marrow cleansing.
"Tsk, it really is unfair."
The difference was especially stark when it came to spiritual medicines.
The level of internal energy had a significant impact on a martial artist’s capability.
That was why great sects used their massive financial power and connections to obtain spiritual medicines and manufacture spiritual pills.
However, the Twin Dragon Sect had neither the funds nor the pill refining methods to manufacture such pills.
This was bound to be a major obstacle to the sect’s growth.
"I can't let that happen."
How dare they discourage my descendants just because they have a few spiritual pills? If he could stand by and watch that, he wouldn't be Patrick Schneider.
"Sona. Are you ready?"
"I'm ready. I am, but..."
Persona looked at Patrick with a conflicted expression.
"Are you really going to do this?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Persona pouted.
From her perspective, what Patrick was about to do was completely incomprehensible. But...
"Are you sure you're okay with this?"
"Yeah. Just hurry up and do it."
As long as her master, Patrick, said he wanted it, Persona could not refuse the order.
To her, Patrick was the benefactor who helped her avenge her clan, the master who taught her the path of martial arts, and the guide who opened the way for her to ascend to a Divine Rank.
Though she bickered with him normally, Persona was prepared to obey Patrick’s sincere commands unconditionally, regardless of whether they were good or evil.
She placed her hand over Patrick’s chest. And then...
"I'm pulling it out."
As she spoke, her hand slowly moved away from his chest.
A small, golden, glowing seed emerged from Patrick’s heart.
A fragment of the divinity Patrick had obtained long ago.
It was the Seed of the World Tree.
Patrick took the Seed of the World Tree from Persona and brought it to the ground.
The moment it touched the earth, the seed soaked in like water.
"Now you just need to infuse it with divine power."
"Right. Got it."
As Persona instructed, Patrick infused it with divine power, and the Seed of the World Tree sprouted from the ground. And then...
Crack... Crack-crack-crack!
The sprout grew at a terrifying speed.
The seed he had just planted matured in an instant.
It became a giant tree that looked as if it had lived for a thousand years.
"That’s it. That’s enough!"
As Persona hurriedly stopped him, Patrick ceased infusing his divine power.
"Phew... I just can't seem to get used to this divine power."
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Patrick took a breath, looking visibly exhausted as if he had overexerted himself for the first time in a while.
Persona watched him with a sullen face.
"What are you so unhappy about now?"
"Master. What exactly does the Twin Dragon Sect mean to you?"
"Why ask all of a sudden?"
"You just gave up the Seed of the World Tree. That is a massive seed capable of supporting the axis of the world, a treasure among treasures that even those who have already ascended to a Divine Rank would covet."
"So?"
"Don't you regret it? Not even a little?"
"I wondered what you were going to say."
Patrick chuckled.
Those who have ascended to divinity all want to raise their Divine Rank and become higher deities.
To such beings, the World Tree would be a precious treasure. But to Patrick...
"Forget it. I have no interest in that."
"Master."
"You asked what the Twin Dragon Sect means to me, right?"
Patrick smiled.
To Patrick, the Twin Dragon Sect was...
"The same as your clan is to you."
"..."
"They’re family. So why would I regret giving up a single tree like this?"
Persona fell silent at Patrick’s words.
Of course, her clan was precious to her too. She was their Lord, and the children of her clan had not even reached adulthood yet. But...
If it were me, could I do the same for my clan?
She was also a being who had accumulated divinity.
That was why she knew.
She knew the overwhelming sense of fulfillment and ecstatic satisfaction that came with ascending to a Divine Rank.
It was like a drug.
Once a being ascended to a Divine Rank, they would never give up their divine power, and they would not hesitate to covet the divinity of others to reach an even higher rank.
Yet Patrick had given up the World Tree so easily.
How could he do that?
No matter how much she thought about it, there was only one answer.
Master, you have no right to criticize the Founder or Grand Duke Schneider.
Because he was an even bigger pushover than they were.
* * *
The next day.
The members of the Twin Dragon Sect stood with their mouths agape.
"What is this?"
"It’s a tree, isn't it?"
"No, I know it’s a tree, but why is it here? It wasn't here yesterday!"
"Did someone plant it?"
"Is this some kind of weed? How do you plant something like this?"
Standing before them was a colossal tree that looked as if it had easily weathered a thousand years.
This massive tree, which could likely be seen from anywhere in Cheonsu County, had appeared out of nowhere in the sect’s backyard overnight.
Any normal person with common sense would naturally be bewildered.
"Yaaaawn. Why are you all gathered like that?"
Then, the man who was the very incarnation of nonsense stepped outside, letting out a long yawn.
In that moment, they realized reflexively.
They didn't know how he did it, but there was only one person capable of such a thing.
"Bong Gong. Are you awake?"
"Ah, Sect Leader. Good morning."
Even in this situation, Patrick returned the greeting to Sect Leader Go Seok-hyeon, who remained polite.
Go Seok-hyeon spoke.
"Did you bring this tree and plant it, Bong Gong?"
"Yes. I planted it last night while everyone else was sleeping."
"Haha..."
Go Seok-hyeon was speechless.
It was astonishing that such a massive tree had truly been planted overnight.
But now, he became curious about something else.
"Is there a reason you planted this giant tree in the backyard? It seems a bit too large to be just a decorative tree."
"Ah, it’s nothing much. I’m thinking of making this the Divine Artifact of our Twin Dragon Sect."
"A Divine Artifact?"
Go Seok-hyeon gazed intently at the tree.
Sectarian Divine Artifacts varied.
From items people carried, like the Green Jade Buddha Staff of Shaolin or the Supreme Taiji Sword of the Wudang Sect, to some sects that took unique terrain or spiritual creatures as their Divine Artifact.
In that sense, the tree before his eyes...
"It’s good. The tree’s presence is grand and truly reliable."
It wasn't bad.
In fact, it looked exceptionally good.
It was a mysterious tree that felt reliable yet somehow warm just by looking at it.
Patrick said to Go Seok-hyeon.
"This isn't just a decorative tree that’s nice to look at."
"Yes?"
"Try sitting under the tree and circulating your energy."
At Patrick’s words, Go Seok-hyeon did as he was told for the time being.
If Bong Gong is telling me to do it, there must be a reason.
The moment he began his energy circulation and took his first breath.
How can this be?
Go Seok-hyeon was shocked.
The basis of meditative breathing is to draw natural energy into the body through inhalation and exhalation.
While the specific methods might differ between sects, that was the fundamental nature of energy circulation. But...
What in the world...
The energy entering through his breath was far too different.
What was this refreshing and majestic energy?
Go Seok-hyeon quickly fell into a trance.
And after circulating his energy frantically, he opened his eyes to find...
"Phew..."
What Go Seok-hyeon saw were his disciples looking at him with wide, worried eyes.
"Master. Are you okay?"
"Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
"We were worried. You didn't answer when we called..."
At his disciples' concerned words, Go Seok-hyeon smiled brightly and said.
"No, I'm fine. In fact..."
Go Seok-hyeon was amazed as he felt the state of his body.
"I feel wonderful."
Even he could feel that his condition had changed drastically.
Not only had the size of his Dantian grown noticeably, but the energy itself had transformed into something pure and clean.
Originally, he had failed while attempting the Twin Dragon Primordial Chaos Heart Method, leaving his Dantian shattered and split in a 9-to-1 ratio between left and right.
Patrick had somehow managed to fix it, restoring it to about a 7-to-3 ratio, but it still hadn't been fully recovered. But now...
"Haha... To think such a miracle could happen."
With a single session of energy circulation, the energy in his Dantian had perfectly regained its 5-to-5 balance.
Furthermore, the impurities in the fine vessels throughout his body had completely vanished, leaving him overflowing with vitality.
To the astonished Go Seok-hyeon, Patrick said.
"How is it? It’s not just a decorative tree that’s nice to look at, is it?"
"Bong Gong."
"From now on, this is our sect’s Divine Artifact."
It was the moment the Twin Dragon Sect gained its first Divine Artifact in its long, long history.