A Legacy Left Behind
Ascension.
This was only the second time I had witnessed it.
The first was when the evil spirit slain by the Small Green Sword vanished at the Anhui branch of the Martial Alliance.
And now, the second.
"...Old man."
Dok-jon was slowly fading away. Technically, this was the second ascension I had ever seen.
"Are you leaving?"
If I looked closely, soft, glowing particles of light were drifting from Dok-jon's shoulders.
That was the telltale sign of a ghost ascending.
Watching this, Yoo Chun-gil spoke, looking at Dok-jon with a disgruntled expression.
"Are you truly leaving?"
"Indeed, I must."
Dok-jon chuckled at Yoo Chun-gil's words.
"What reason does a dead man have to linger? There is nothing left for me here."
"For someone who clung to this world for so long out of sheer lingering regret, you certainly have a lot to say."
"Heh, heh, heh..."
Despite Yoo Chun-gil's sarcasm, Dok-jon only laughed. Seemingly annoyed by this reaction, Yoo Chun-gil frowned and spoke.
"You held on so stubbornly, yet you're leaving just because that sacred sword was repaired?"
"Why? Will you miss me?"
"Miss you? Bullshit. I simply find it absurd that such a trivial thing was the only regret holding you back."
Dok-jon's regret. Could it be...
Was it really just about Dang Ye-ran repairing the sacred sword?
I had suspected as much before, but it seemed it was actually the case.
Seeing how Dok-jon's state changed the moment Dang Ye-ran finished repairing the sacred sword.
"'Such a trivial thing,' you say. As expected, you understand nothing."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
To the question of why he was leaving over such a simple regret, Dok-jon looked back at Yoo Chun-gil with pitying eyes.
"I mean that a man who has never raised a child, nor ever truly given his heart to another, could never understand."
"You speak as if you were some exceptionally tender parent."
"Indeed, I was not. I was a foolish, incompetent parent."
With a soft rustle, Dok-jon drifted toward me.
Or rather, he was floating.
"That is why it is called regret. Because there is so much left undone, so much I failed to give. That is why it lingers."
"Hmph."
Yoo Chun-gil merely snorted at Dok-jon's words.
It was clear he had no desire to continue the conversation.
"Just get lost already. I'm sick of looking at you."
"Heh, heh, heh..."
Amused by Yoo Chun-gil's reaction, Dok-jon turned to me and spoke.
"Child."
"Yes, old man."
"Could you show me the sword one last time?"
"..."
Without a word, I drew the sword.
Sssring.
The dark, ink-colored blade revealed itself.
"..."
Dok-jon stared at the Thousand Demon Sword repaired by Dang Ye-ran, then slowly nodded.
"...It is beautiful... She did a marvelous job..."
Then he smiled. His eyes were far brighter and clearer than before.
"Child."
"Yes."
"Meeting you at the very end of my journey must have happened for a reason. I suppose this, too, is fate."
Dok-jon reached out and stroked the blade. Of course, he couldn't actually touch it; he was merely mimicking the gesture.
"I hope you will wield this to your heart's content."
"...I'm not sure if I'm worthy of wielding this."
"Well, does that not depend entirely on what you believe?"
"Old man... May I ask you something?"
"Speak."
"I don't understand why you had Lady Dang repair this sword, nor why you want me to be the one to wield it."
"..."
At my confusing question, Dok-jon fell silent for a moment before continuing.
"That child needed a catalyst. She was missing that final spark. It was an opportunity I absolutely had to give her."
"...And that was your reason for having her repair the sacred sword?"
"Yes."
For Dang Ye-ran to grow, she needed an opportunity that would allow her to easily realize her potential.
And that opportunity was the repair of the sacred sword.
Then...
"What about me?"
What about my role?
What am I in all of this?
There were too many ambiguous parts to simply accept that I was just meant to wield it because it was finished.
So I pressed Dok-jon for answers.
"I am sorry to you... but it was also a necessary step."
"...A necessary step?"
"Yes. Whether by your own will or the push of others, you will rise to heights you cannot yet imagine. Because that old bastard over there will make sure of it."
"...Even so, I still don't see why I had to be the one to hold the sacred sword."
"Precisely because of that."
"...What?"
"The higher you climb, the more clearly those who recognize the sword will see it in your hands. That is what I wanted."
"Do you mean... you want me to be holding the sacred sword when that time comes?"
"Heh, close enough."
"Close enough, my foot."
Before Dok-jon could even finish, Yoo Chun-gil cut in.
"You were practically giddy at the thought of screwing those bastards over, weren't you?"
"Giddy? Certainly not."
Dok-jon denied it.
"This is a warning to those who live shamelessly, pretending to know nothing."
A warning...?
"To warn them that even if they try to forget and move on, there are things that never change. To tell them never to forget."
The more Dok-jon spoke, the more uneasy I felt.
Am I going to get dragged into some convoluted mess just by carrying this sword?
Just as I was starting to regret ever picking it up,
"Child."
Dok-jon addressed me again.
"I am truly grateful to you. For humoring this old man's stubbornness, and for the hardships you will face because you got tangled up with a pathetic old fool."
"...Well..."
"Though there is malice behind it, it is merely my own petty regret. If things get too difficult, you may throw that sword away at any time."
"...Throw it away? This?"
The Heavenly Demon's sword? And made of dark iron, no less?
If I were to throw it away, where would I even throw it? In my opinion, if I wasn't going to use it, leaving it with the Dang Clan was the best option.
"Do with it as you please. The child gave it to you, so it belongs to you now."
"...Do you think the Dang Clan will see it that way too?"
"They won't think much differently."
I didn't particularly believe that part, but there wasn't much else I could say.
"I'll try to put it to good use."
"Thank you."
"Then, do you have no more regrets left in this world?"
Bringing the Heavenly Demon's sword here.
Having his granddaughter repair it.
And having me carry the repaired blade.
Was this truly the end of Dok-jon's regrets?
At my question,
"To linger any longer would be nothing but meaningless stubbornness."
Dok-jon shook his head.
"If there is anything left, it is only my apology for the burden I am forcing you to bear."
With those words, Dok-jon placed a hand on my shoulder.
There was no physical contact; he was merely mimicking the gesture.
"A harsh storm may come. It might be because of that monster over there, or it might be because of the mess we foolish old men left behind."
"I only pray that when it does, you will not fall."
Having spoken his piece, Dok-jon smiled warmly at me.
"Thank you for everything."
"..."
As he spoke, the light radiating from Dok-jon's body grew progressively brighter.
Was this really it?
Was Dok-jon truly satisfied with just this and ready to leave?
It certainly seemed so. I turned to Yoo Chun-gil.
"...Aren't you going to say anything else to him?"
"What?"
"Your friend is leaving. I thought you might have something to say."
"Ha."
Yoo Chun-gil let out a dry chuckle at my words.
"I already said what needed to be said. 'Get lost.' That is the extent of my words to him."
"..."
It was a rather cold farewell. His attitude made it seem as though he couldn't care less whether the man stayed or went.
"Linger any longer, and it is but vanity."
"True enough."
"So, begone."
"Heh..."
Dok-jon smiled bitterly at the cold words.
Then, he looked at Yoo Chun-gil and spoke.
"Chun-gil."
"What is it?"
"I still cannot understand what it is you desire. Furthermore, even at this very moment, I have no intention of forgiving you."
"Did I ask you to? I have no intention of begging for your forgiveness either."
"Yes, I suppose not. You were always that kind of man. Thus, I shall simply take my leave first."
Fwooooosh—
The light intensified, eventually wrapping entirely around Dok-jon's body.
...Whoa.
I couldn't help but marvel. This felt entirely different from a normal ascension.
A massive radiance began to manifest.
Fwooooosh—!!!
A powerful wind swept through, following the light.
It was so intense that not only did my clothes flutter wildly, but the trees and grass shook violently.
As a brilliant pillar of light erupted, Dok-jon finally closed his eyes.
At that moment,
"...Tsk."
Yoo Chun-gil clicked his tongue softly.
Simultaneously, the light enveloping Dok-jon shot up into the sky.
Rumbleeee—!!!
"...Holy shit."
A massive pillar of light soared straight into the heavens.
I was utterly transfixed by the surreal sight.
Why did it have to be so grand?
The light did not last long.
Though it lasted only a brief moment, the spectacle was more than enough to capture my undivided attention.
Faaade...
Slowly, the light began to dim, and the howling wind subsided.
Thinking it was all over as things quieted down, I began to let my guard down.
Wuuuung—!
Suddenly, the streaks of light began to gather once more.
It was the spiritual energy of Dok-jon that had risen into the sky.
My eyes widened as I watched it.
"Why is it gathering again...?"
What the hell was going on?
As I watched in bewilderment,
Whoosh!
"Huh? What?!"
I cried out in shock at the sudden turn of events.
The gathered light had suddenly surged down and poured directly into me.
The ascending spiritual energy was rapidly absorbed into my body.
The concentrated energy began to seep into my dantian.
My dantian began to move entirely on its own.
Layer by layer, it extracted the pure energy from the entering spirits and channeled it into my body.
"What in the world..."
What was happening?
Amidst the sudden confusion, a memory from the past flashed through my mind.
It was back when I had exorcised the evil spirit in Henan.
Back then, the spirit had also left its energy with me as it ascended.
...Is this the same thing?
Was it happening again? The sheer volume of rushing energy was so overwhelming that I didn't even know how to react.
The funny thing was, even without my conscious effort, my body was already acting on its own.
It was cramming every single drop of energy into my dantian, determined not to let a single speck escape.
Crack—!
Huh...?
As it did, I felt something fracturing deep inside me.
What is this?
What is this sensation?
Crack!
Something was continuously being crushed and shattered.
My dantian even began to vibrate, sending tremors rippling through my entire body.
"Why... why all of a sudden..."
Why was my body acting up like this?
Unable to comprehend the cause of this phenomenon, I looked toward Yoo Chun-gil.
"...Well, I'll be."
Looking at me, Yoo Chun-gil spoke in an annoyed tone.
"Gyeon... that miserable bastard. He left you something entirely unnecessary. As if you wouldn't have managed on your own."
"...What? What is happening to me right now?"
"Do not speak, just focus. This is a monumental moment for you."
"...But—"
There was no need to focus or do anything.
Ruuuumble—!!!
As if the vibrations and energy were resonating, the intensifying sensation completely enveloped my body.
It surged through my meridians, bursting in all directions.
The erupting energy transformed into searing heat, circulating throughout my entire body.
"Ugh...!!"
Before long, it turned into excruciating pain.
I desperately held back the scream threatening to tear from my throat.
Crrraaaack—!!!
The sound of fracturing grew much louder.
The agony intensified.
Just when I felt like I was about to burst from the torture, not long after—
Snap—!!
With a final, clean snap, the energy erupted as if breaking free from its shackles.
Fwooooosh—!!!
The pain vanished.
The agony that had racked my body just moments ago subsided as if it had all been a lie.
Feeling what was left in its wake, my eyes stretched wide.
"...What is this?"
It had all happened in the blink of an eye, but a moment later...
Checking my body's condition, I couldn't help but let out a dumbfounded laugh.
There was no helping it. How could I not be shocked?
"...I've reached the Peak."
My body, which had been stuck at the First-rate realm...
Had ascended to the Peak realm because of what just happened.