The Weight of an Overwhelming Encounter
The dragons’ homeland was known as the Primordial Sanctuary, yet the place where they now primarily resided was the Magic Sanctuary.
This planet, moreover, lay relatively close to the Magic Sanctuary—so close that the elf race could reach it by boarding an airship. Being on the outermost fringe of the Galactic Empire, it also enjoyed considerable freedom from the watchful gaze of Emperor Luminous.
‘It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a kind of breakwater planet.’
Therefore, the conditions for a situation like this to arise had indeed existed. An absolute powerhouse from the Magic Sanctuary, for some unknown reason, had visited the outer regions of the Galactic Empire and happened to encounter a person radiating the aura of the dragon race—an encounter that proved far too intriguing to ignore.
‘The probability was astronomically low, but…’
No matter how minuscule the chance, once it had become reality, there was no point in debating it. What mattered now was how to overcome this crisis.
“Why do you ask such a question?”
Even while wondering if he might offend the other party, Han Yujin posed the question anyway. The higher the chance of grasping the opponent’s true intentions, the greater his odds of survival.
“It’s simply because I have a connection with the dragon race. Are you a Dragoonian?”
The other party did not seem particularly displeased, yet he smoothly sidestepped the question and immediately pressed forward with another, increasing the pressure.
‘It probably isn’t a hostile connection.’
Had it been a bad relationship, the man would not have presented a gift while asking such questions.
“I happened to receive a Dragon Heart through a transfer, but it would be difficult to call me a Dragoonian.”
Han Yujin answered only to the necessary extent and immediately followed up with his own question.
“Are you an Ipsissimus mage?”
While suspecting the man was at least a Magister or perhaps a Magus, he deliberately asked if the other was at the highest tier of magic. That way, even if he was wrong, the opponent would not take offense.
However—
“Hmm… I am indeed a mage, but calling me an Ipsissimus is rather ambiguous at the moment. How exactly did you come to receive that Dragon Heart?”
The other party once again gave a vague answer and tossed the question back.
‘Ambiguous at the moment? What the hell does that mean?’
It sounded as if the situation had been entirely unambiguous both before and after, yet remained somewhat unclear even now.
Yujin wanted to ponder it more deeply, but the unwavering stare carried an unmistakable pressure, forcing him to answer first.
“It became the foundation and vessel for my growth. What sort of connection do you have that…”
“Forgive me, but I must ask for a more specific answer. I did not give you that gift for nothing.”
His tone remained gentle, and he displayed no overt attempt to increase the pressure. Yet Han Yujin instinctively realized he could no longer resist.
The man before him was an existence who could crush him like an insect with a mere flick of a finger—or perhaps even with a single thought. The patience he was showing might already be far more than Yujin deserved.
In a world where strength alone decided everything, accepting the gift had been compulsory, and answering honestly was equally compulsory.
Suppressing the faint humiliation rising within him, Han Yujin replied calmly.
“I am a Repairer. I used the Dragon Heart when ascending to the Decisive Stage through an external method. And as I said before, I received it through a legitimate transaction with the original owner.”
A brief silence fell.
The other party looked slightly troubled and puzzled.
“Who was that original owner?”
“…Casarnox. A Dream Dragon.”
“Hmm.”
“Do you happen to know him?”
This time he asked for a more concrete detail about the connection. There was a faint hope. If the man truly knew Casarnox, he might obtain useful information for fulfilling his future promise.
But the other man simply shook his head.
“It wasn’t what I was thinking, in either direction. Hmm…”
After speaking, he seemed to ponder something for a moment before lightly raising his staff and giving a gentle swirl through the air above.
In that instant—
The perfectly frozen surroundings began to change.
The walls and pillars that had risen to form a maze-like formation blurred and dissolved like ink spreading through water. Soon, the scene reverted to the exact appearance of the auction house when Yujin had first entered.
“Given your party’s strength, you would have resolved it eventually, but I took care of it for you.”
“…May I ask what the problem was?”
“The Dekarisis family you were wary of had been planning a robbery.”
So that was it. Even as the realization dawned, fresh wariness rose toward the unexpected goodwill.
“While I was at it, I made a slight adjustment to the memories of the people here. As far as they’re concerned, none of this ever happened, and the Dekarisis family never planned any robbery.”
The casual tone—exactly like someone casually editing NPC data in a game—sent a chill racing down Yujin’s spine. At the same time, the gentlemanly demeanor the man displayed suddenly felt incredibly threatening.
And sure enough—
“Since I’ve gone through the trouble of easing your burden, I’ll make a slight adjustment to your memories as well. I only plan to erase my appearance, voice, and the like, so there’s no need to worry too much.”
“……”
“Please don’t look at me with such eyes. I don’t particularly enjoy tampering with people’s memories either. I’m doing this for your sake.”
Though he spoke with a tone of regret, there was clearly no intention of withdrawing his decision.
‘At least he’s showing me some consideration…?’
Saying he would only erase his appearance and voice meant he intended to leave behind the memory of receiving the gift and holding this conversation. He undoubtedly possessed the ability to edit everything wholesale.
In fact, he could have suppressed them without ever appearing or speaking, rummaged through their memories, edited them, and released them just as easily.
The more Yujin thought about it, the more goosebumps rose.
The existence of a powerhouse at this level, the fact that his memories could be edited at any time and he would forget everything, the terrifying realization that he could continue living completely unaware that anything had happened—it was cosmic horror.
The possibility that this might not even be his first encounter with such a transcendent being, that his every secret might already have been exposed to a handful of entities, or that even if it hadn’t happened yet, it could happen in the future—it was utterly terrifying.
‘If only… if only I were stronger…’
He would not have been forced into such a situation, toyed with like this.
The thought filled his mind completely.
An existence that had arrived without warning or preparation, like a natural disaster, violently shook his heart.
“Ah.”
The other party, sensing Yujin’s state, looked troubled.
“You understand at least a little why I said this is for your sake, yes?”
“……”
“If you wish, I can erase this entire meeting. The gift I gave you will be handled so that you appear to have obtained it naturally through other means.”
But the moment he received that ‘consideration’—
Han Yujin instantly crushed all his fear and anxiety and regained his composure.
“Thank you for the offer, but I would prefer you erase only the minimal memories as you originally intended.”
“Hmm.”
“I will trust that you are doing this memory deletion out of necessity. The very fact that you are explaining it to me is already a form of consideration.”
While speaking calmly, he thoroughly suppressed the rising aversion and anger. These emotions were merely a rebound from the recent confusion and fear; revealing them now would bring no benefit whatsoever.
The other party gave him a slightly renewed look before nodding.
“You truly live up to the reputation of one who has made a deal with a dragon.”
As if to say he would impose no further rudeness, he raised his staff once more and tilted it slightly toward Han Yujin.
Yujin reflexively closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impending ‘memory edit.’
“……”
Yet strangely, he felt nothing at all.
“Huh…?”
When the other party let out a puzzled sound, Yujin opened his eyes.
“This is… hmm…?”
The man tapped the ground with his staff as if something were wrong, then switched hands and closely examined the head of the staff. His actions clearly indicated a problem had occurred.
Then, abruptly, he turned his head sharply to face Yujin.
The instant their eyes met, Yujin witnessed an infinite white and black swirling within the man’s pupils. The moment he perceived that vortex, the world itself seemed to swirl and collapse alongside it. An overwhelming vision engulfed him—one that felt like falling endlessly into an abyss while simultaneously soaring without limit. It was a sight of a colossal circulation existing in perfect harmony.
Life and death.
For some reason, he felt as though he were witnessing fragments of that absolute truth.
At the same time, Han Yujin realized that this vast and majestic circulation was nothing more than a single eye of a far greater being.
Along with the sensation of his vision expanding, the other eye gradually came into view. That eye, too, containing the circulation of life and death, stared piercingly down at him.
As his vision continued to expand, he perceived a pair of wings so immense they seemed capable of covering the entire world. They were wings that felt both profoundly deep and dark, cold and noble, while simultaneously radiating a bright and gentle radiance that illuminated and caressed everything around them.
Just before he could fully comprehend exactly what those wings belonged to—
The moment those words ended, everything visible plunged into deep darkness before returning to normal.
“……”
He was once again in an ordinary location outside the auction house, surrounded by a scene so natural it felt inevitable.
Of course, there was no trace whatsoever of that Ipsissimus mage.
Suddenly snapping back to his senses, Han Yujin immediately stored the crystal boxes into his spacer ring.
“Hmm?”
Right after, Brenar—who had been walking ahead—noticed that Yujin was not following and stopped, turning around.
“What’s wrong?”
“…It’s nothing.”
Barely managing to answer without stuttering, he added calmly, “There was something I was slightly worried about, but it seems it was just groundless anxiety.”
Brenar let out a small chuckle.
“The Dekarisis family, right?”
“…Yes.”
“If it’s those bastards, it wouldn’t be strange at all if they tried something. The location is perfect for it, too.”
She glanced around once before smacking her lips in disappointment.
“A shame, really. If they had shown their true colors, I could have smashed them properly and taken some nice loot.”
Her attitude suggested she was confident of victory, knowing exactly who the opponent was.
However, Han Yujin’s thoughts differed slightly.
The other side had clearly noticed that this group included members of the Ebenrak family, who possessed Nascent Soul-level power. The fact that they had still chosen to act while harboring the intent to observe meant they had made sufficient preparations.
‘Of course, that Ipsissimus-level mage did say that with your party’s strength, you would have been able to resolve it anyway…’
He must have said that without knowing. Without knowing that Han Yujin himself found it difficult to reveal his full power.
In short, had the mage not intervened, their identities might have been exposed. In the end, he had unintentionally received significant help.
Even though the price had been an attempt to ‘edit’ his memories.
‘Why… did he simply withdraw?’
‘Incredible prank,’ ‘completely fooled,’ ‘don’t expect to toy with me so easily next time’—every single phrase was incomprehensible.
Still, he had a guess.
‘My awakening ability.’
It seemed that ability had not only blocked the Ipsissimus mage’s memory edit but had also caused the man to misunderstand something significant, forcing him to retreat.
Moreover, that retreat might not have been voluntary but compelled.
‘Was it only possible because we had already met within the world accessed through my awakening ability?’
It felt that way, yet he could not be certain. He still knew far too little about his own awakening ability.
Nevertheless—
This had truly been a tremendously important experience.
Not only had his faith in his own awakening ability grown, but his motivation for why he must become stronger had also solidified.
If he remained satisfied with a half-baked level of power, he could one day suffer an unjust calamity without warning or preparation. In the worst case, he might even forget that such an injustice had occurred and continue living in utter misery.
Barely suppressing the chill that threatened to run down his spine, he continued walking with his companions, maintaining a perfectly calm appearance.
‘Just who was that mage?’
There was no way the man had tried to erase information such as his appearance and voice for no reason. And if the other party had been operating in that manner consistently, discovering his identity would be impossible.
After sinking deep into serious thought for a long while, he suddenly held back the sigh that had been about to escape and cleared his mind. Worrying without even the slightest clue was nothing but a waste of time.
For now, it was enough to simply feel relieved that things had resolved favorably.
Despite encountering an irresistible force akin to a natural disaster, he had suffered no harm. The Dekarisis family’s scheme had dissolved into thin air on its own, and he had even obtained the spirit medicine and spirit pills he had coveted but reluctantly given up on.
‘Wait a moment.’
The crystal boxes given to him by that mage were still inside his spacer ring.
Even if the contents were fine, there was no guarantee the boxes themselves were safe. Though it seemed unlikely that such a powerhouse would have bothered with petty tricks.
He resolved to deal with the boxes the moment he was alone.
Then he began contemplating something else.
The circulation that had appeared as an infinite swirl of white and black—immense beyond description and existing in perfect harmony.
‘Life and death…’
What he had faintly sensed was indeed a truth regarding life and death, but since he did not yet possess deep knowledge of such matters, he had instead drawn far deeper inspiration from the underlying structure of ‘circulation’ itself.
It was also an inspiration regarding the harmony of yin and yang.
Referring to the few dark-realm sorceries he had obtained from the demonic investigator, it seemed he could elevate the Five Elements Divine Light—which he still considered quite useful—to an entirely new dimension.
‘Yin-Yang and the Five Elements.’
It was a topic that could not help but be immensely interesting.