The Child Who Hears Shadows
There was naturally nothing worth harvesting here.
If he had secured some of those Planet of the Apes bastards’ fruits in advance, things might have been different, but even then, he probably wouldn’t have brought them back to reality.
For that reason, there was no need to linger long at the waiting area… yet Han Yujin stood there, staring blankly into empty space with a sullen expression. Suddenly, a short, dry chuckle escaped him.
Only after he had completely settled his emotions did he finally leave the waiting area.
The moment he woke up in his bed back on Earth, he first checked on Mu-yong.
The little one had jolted awake in alarm and was now looking around in confusion, her eyes full of wariness. It was the kind of sight that made one’s hand instinctively reach out to stroke her.
“You little rascal… I saw your loyalty loud and clear. It wasn’t particularly useful, though.”
Although Mu-yong possessed abilities at the Qi Condensation level, she was still fundamentally just a spirit beast born from ordinary spiritual energy. Her intelligence wasn’t particularly high.
In short, her sacrifice had to have come from genuine loyalty. It was truly touching.
“Jjik! Jjijik—!”
“There, there. Were you scared? Hm?”
“Jjik!”
“Everything’s fine now, so don’t worry. That kind of thing won’t happen in reality.”
He stroked her head and gently kneaded her soft cheeks.
While comforting her, Han Yujin spoke in a slightly dark tone.
“All we have to do is add that damn bear to our revenge list. Actually, this worked out perfectly. Once I reach the critical point in my cultivation, I’ll crush that bastard and use him as material for my Dharma Treasure. Seems ideal.”
He hadn’t decided on the exact form yet, but he was inwardly planning to shape his Dharma Treasure similarly to the Ohaeng-hwan. Rather than direct offensive or defensive capabilities, it would be the type that assisted with spell techniques.
Thanks to his awakening ability, he could easily acquire various forms of knowledge, and his transcendent comprehension allowed him to bypass the most difficult parts of learning spell techniques.
A treasure that supported spellcasting, like the Ohaeng-hwan, was the perfect fit for him.
‘I’ll just consider that I’ve already secured one earth-attribute material. Since it was at the mid-to-late Core Formation stage, there’s no need to worry about quality.’
The four-winged pterosaur that had been circling in the sky was likely wind-attributed. Of course, he would have to confirm it himself later.
Continuing to stroke Mu-yong, he fell deep into thought.
Because of the overwhelming presence of the Dragon Heart, completing the Samgyeong Johwa-gyeol in the Primordial Forest had become extremely difficult.
The silver lining was that the Samgyeong Johwa-gyeol was never a technique meant for improving one’s own cultivation in the first place, so it was less affected by environmental factors.
‘And once the refinement is complete, I might be able to suppress that presence somewhat.’
Only then would he return to the Primordial Forest to train. It would also be good to prepare better methods for concealing his presence before going.
He spent a little more time quietly killing time to regain his composure. Since he now had things to think about anyway, he decided to head out and accumulate some Karma.
Just as he was about to leave the base fortress without any particular thoughts—
“Hunter Han Yujin!”
A hunter called out to stop him.
“Vice-leader Park Seryong is looking for you. Regarding the matter he was entrusted with before, he’s waiting outside the Great Rift…”
After listening to the rest of the short explanation, Han Yujin nodded.
‘So they really found Won-hee.’
With a slightly complicated feeling, he immediately headed toward the place where Park Seryong was waiting. It was a location he could reach quickly using the Wind Riding Technique.
* * *
Outside the Great Rift, various defensive facilities had naturally been prepared in case of emergencies. As a result, the convenience facilities for the operators of those defenses had grown into something resembling a small city.
Park Seryong and Won-hee were waiting in one of the quiet lodgings in such a place. It was a residence meant for high-ranking personnel, resembling a small mansion.
“You’ve arrived.”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work. The child…?”
Before he could even finish the question, Han Yujin saw her.
A child sitting on the living room sofa with an expressionless face, fiddling with a smartphone that clearly belonged to someone else. Lee Won-hee.
He could tell at a glance that this was the “Won-hee” they had been looking for.
Han Yujin scanned the bundle of documents containing her personal details that Park Seryong handed over using his Divine Sense in nearly an instant, then handed them back.
From the contents, it seemed they had stopped by the Ability Verification Training Center on the way here.
“I’ve read it all.”
“Ah, yes?”
As he walked past the slightly flustered man, the child—who had been giving them a sidelong glance without fully turning her head—finally looked directly at Han Yujin.
“Hello.”
He sat across from her and greeted her warmly. At the same time, he began to examine her with his Divine Sense.
‘She’s already awakened an S-class ability…’
That was what the documents Park Seryong had handed him stated. She could manipulate shadows and other forms of darkness, and astonishingly, she could even imbue that darkness with a faint self-will.
In other words, she was a talent who could become Korea’s fourth S-class hunter. Considering the uniqueness of her ability and her age, her future was incredibly promising.
However, one notable detail was that she apparently disliked her own ability quite a bit. According to the psychologist’s opinion, it went beyond simple dislike—she seemed slightly afraid of it.
‘So that’s why she hid her awakening and didn’t attend the hunter specialized school.’
If Park Seryong hadn’t gone to find her personally, they probably would never have discovered her. Her skill at concealing her ability was that exceptional.
As he continued observing her with his Divine Sense while thinking, he became certain.
The child before him was a possessor of the Heavenly Spiritual Root, the very same talent treated as a genius even in the cultivation world.
The one who could achieve a 40% Dharma Soul sublimation rate in merely a hundred days if given even a basic training environment.
Even Han Yujin himself, who had trained in the incredible environment of the Primordial Forest, had only managed to match a little over half the known training speed of a Heavenly Spiritual Root holder.
‘With this level of talent and an awakened ability that combines darkness and soul attributes, it makes perfect sense that she became such a terrifying entity in that post-apocalyptic Earth.’
As he was nodding inwardly, Lee Won-hee asked,
“Who are you, mister?”
“Do I look like a mister to you? Call me uncle.”
“You’re not my uncle, though.”
“Of course I’m not that kind of uncle. But in our society, there’s an unspoken agreement that anyone between the age of an older brother and a full-on mister—someone you’ll keep meeting, have some familiarity with, or are likely to get closer to in the future—can just be called ‘uncle.’ It’s a convenient social shortcut.”
“…What?”
“You should call me uncle.”
Lee Won-hee rolled her eyes for a moment before nodding.
“Yes… okay, uncle.”
“Good. You’re smart, just as I thought. As a celebration for becoming your uncle, I was thinking of giving you a gift. It’s about how to better control your ability. Would you like to receive it?”
Perhaps because the topic touched on something she disliked, Lee Won-hee remained silent and didn’t answer right away. But in the middle of that silence, her gaze suddenly shifted to Mu-yong, whom Han Yujin was still holding.
“Hmm…”
After a brief moment of thought, Han Yujin held Mu-yong out toward her.
“Want to pet her?”
“…Is that okay?”
“Do you ever feel the urge to torment or hurt animals when you see them?”
“No!”
Seeing her answer with a hint of anger, Han Yujin felt relieved and handed Mu-yong over.
The child accepted her with extreme caution. She seemed surprised by how much softer and warmer Mu-yong felt than expected, even stiffening slightly.
“Jjik! Jjik—!”
Upon hearing the cute cry, Lee Won-hee’s eyes sparkled without her realizing it. Watching her, Han Yujin felt some of the wariness he had been holding melt away.
This should work. I can properly build rapport using this useless little furball.
With that thought, he began considering in the back of his mind how he should handle this nine-year-old genius going forward.
* * *
By the time they stepped outside, the sun had already set and the moon was beginning to rise.
“We can’t keep her here indefinitely, can we?”
“This isn’t exactly an ideal environment for education.”
“Hmm… We can’t just send her back to that shantytown either…”
With a look that asked if there was any solution, Han Yujin glanced at Park Seryong standing beside him.
“I will provide comprehensive support for her guardian, her grandmother—including rental housing in Seoul and assistance in various other areas.”
“That sounds good. How was her relationship with her grandmother?”
“It didn’t seem bad. However…”
Park Seryong, who had been hesitating slightly, glanced back at the lodging behind them and lowered his voice considerably.
“Are you planning to teach and raise her?”
“Yes, for now.”
Finding a young genius who possessed the Heavenly Spiritual Root and not raising her would be ridiculous.
Even if he didn’t teach her anything, he had to keep Lee Won-hee close and watch over her to prevent her from coming into contact with groups like the Eternal Goddess Cult.
“……”
Upon hearing the answer, Park Seryong’s expression grew even more conflicted.
Han Yujin felt like he could roughly guess what was going through his mind.
“Are you scared?”
“…Yes. Honestly, I am.”
“Is it fear of the child’s potential, or fear of me—who might take her in and cause who knows what in the future?”
“Both.”
Immediately after—
Park Seryong suddenly dropped to his knees. Han Yujin showed no outward agitation, but inwardly he was momentarily surprised.
It was because this was the last person he had expected to do such a thing.
“Teacher.”
The title had changed again from “hubae-nim.”
“Just what kind of person… are you, Teacher?”
“Haven’t you already investigated me thoroughly?”
“You are someone that ordinary investigation cannot possibly reveal. May I share my speculation?”
“Go ahead.”
After a brief silence, he spoke.
“A regressor, a reincarnator, a time traveler, or perhaps a traveler from a parallel world. Am I correct?”
“Hmm…”
It seemed the earlier misunderstanding caused by the Dragon Heart’s presence, combined with the realization that the hallucination he experienced in the safe house was actually true after finding Lee Won-hee, had led him to this conclusion.
“Your awakening ability isn’t related to mana knowledge. It must be a higher-tier ability that allows you to obtain such knowledge.”
“Stand up first.”
Before he could say anything more, Han Yujin used the Softening Technique to lift him back to his feet.
“Why are you doing this?”
“I want to know your true purpose, Teacher. And… if possible, I wish to join you in that purpose. Please accept me.”
When Park Seryong tried to kneel again, Han Yujin immediately stopped him.
“Hey, I really don’t like you doing that repeatedly.”
After speaking firmly, he added,
“Our current relationship isn’t bad. If we continue developing it naturally like this, it may naturally evolve into the kind of relationship you desire. Do you understand?”
“…Yes, Teacher.”
“And go back to the original way of addressing me.”
“Yes, Hubae-nim. I understand what you mean.”
He hadn’t expected Park Seryong’s power-oriented nature to manifest in this way.
He had felt it once before, but following the maxim “If you can’t win, join them” to this degree was truly impressive.
‘Just how far did he speculate on his own?’
Shaking his head inwardly, Han Yujin exchanged a few more minor words with him.
“Oh, right. If you have time, look into Lee Won-hee’s father as well. I suspect the reason she dislikes her ability is because she believes it caused her father’s death. It’s just a guess, though.”
“Understood.”
With those words, they parted ways without further incident.
Since the matter with Won-hee had been roughly settled, it was time to return to his lodging and once again use his awakening ability to attempt refining the Dragon Heart.
* * *
A dark and empty waiting area.
Han Yujin stood before the familiar door with his eyes closed. He was contemplating what kind of wind he should envision to find a world perfectly suited for refining the Dragon Heart without failure.
He had prior experience, intuitive senses from his own awakening ability, and the enhanced intelligence that came with the Dharma Soul stage.
Coming up with an ideal wind that perfectly matched his purpose wasn’t particularly difficult.
A moment later—
After several final reviews, he reached out with a serious expression.
The door his hand touched and fixed in place had golden patterns engraved on the doorposts on either side, an elegantly draped eave, and door panels decorated with jade and gold. It gave off an oriental yet distinctly worldly impression.
‘The Jianghu Wulin of Cheon-un Cheonju…?’
The term “Jianghu Wulin” was very familiar to him. It was a phrase that appeared frequently in martial arts novels, after all.
After thinking for a moment, Han Yujin nodded.
Since there were worlds like xianxia, it would actually be strange if there weren’t any wuxia worlds. In a world where spiritual energy existed, it was only natural that people would develop physical martial arts using it.
Add an oriental cultural background to that, and you would get a martial arts world perfectly described as Jianghu Wulin.
‘I wanted a world that was relatively safe yet moderately helpful. If I look carefully, there should definitely be something I can gain.’
After one final check of his preparations, he adjusted the sleeping Mu-yong in his arms and opened the door, stepping forward.