After a little while, Mugeol-Gae came back. Without saying a word, he stopped in front of Lee Sungmin and handed him a small spatial pocket.
“Inside are the things left in the office of the former leader. Not very important things, calligraphy brushes, paintings…… Those kinds of things.”
“That’s more than enough.”
There was no guarantee that this alone would find Jehu’s whereabouts, but it was necessary to at least try. Lee Sungmin slightly bowed his head as he looked at Mugeol-Gae with appreciative eyes.
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
Mugeol-gae did not answer, but turned around as if he didn’t want to talk anymore. Lee Sungmin also turned around seeing this but didn’t raise a fuss. He smiled at Yana and Baek Sogo.
“Well, shall we go and buy a souveneir for Teresa?”
Baek Sogo nodded her head with a faint smile. Yana murmured as she looked at the back of Mugeol-Gae moving away.
“I don’t understand. Why is that man so prideful despite knowing he is much weaker than you?”
“He has his positional circumstances to uphold.”
“It seems that he just doesn’t understand how weak he is.”
Yana murmured. For her part, she could not understand why Mugeol-Gae acted so prideful in front of Lee Sungmin when he could have died at any moment if Lee Sungmin willed it.
In a way, this was also just because the way humans and monsters were fundamentally different. Yana was a monster and monsters were beings that were driven by desire.
Although his business at Cron was finished, Lee Sungmin did not immediately return to the Forest of Fairies.
Baek Sogo’s words that she didn’t have many good memories of Cron remained in his heart.
Even for a day, Lee Sungmin wanted to make good memories with her while during their short period of leisure. Because of Teresa’s nagging for a present, it actually made a good excuse to spend more time in Cron.
Chigweol was watching the three of them from afar.
Lee Sungmin, Baek Sogo, and Yana did not care even though they felt the prying gaze. This was because they had no need to worry about someone else looking at them since the three of them were confident of taking care of anyone in Cron.
Chigweol grabbed his empty sleeve where his left arm was no longer. Lee Sungmin and his group were talking while looking at miscellaneous items spread out on a merchant mat. Chigweol looked at Baek Sogo’s smiling face with a faint smile of his own.
‘Long time no see.’
Chigweol swallowed the words in his heart. It had already been more than 15 years since then.
He couldn’t feel the pain he once had when his left arm was severed from his body like back then, but the pain of the empty heart was clearly felt.
Why did Baek Sogo get so mad at him back then for forcing him to leave the dungeon with the teleport scroll?
At that time, Baek Sogo resented Chigweol. Why did she resent him for what he did? Chigweol could not understand it.
At the end of the day, all things considered… Chigweol had only saved Baek Sogo’s life by getting them out of the dungeon with the teleportation scroll.
He understood maybe not hearing a ‘thanks’, but all he got in return were complaints that eventually turned into disdain. Eventually, Baek Sogo ran away from Cron and cut off all ties with the Murim Alliance and Orthodox Sects.
For 15 years… Chigweol continued to hear and keep track of the rumors about Baek Sogo. Never did he imagine or think of the possibility however, of Baek Sogo returning to Cron with the Ghost Spear who was supposed to have died in Germane a decade ago.
When the Ghost Spear became the main center of Baek Sogo’s attention, Chigweol felt a pang in his heart but calmed himself because he knew very well about Baek Sogo’s beliefs.
No matter how precious the Ghost Spear was for saving Germane and taking down the Monarch of the Death Knights, it didn’t matter. Chigweol was certain that the Silent Flare, Baek Sogo, would kill Lee Sungmin because he was inherently evil.
But that didn’t happen.
‘ Why the hell are you there with him? Why are you laughing…. And smiling like that?’
It was incomprehensible. That being said, Chigweol didn’t even want to go and ask in person.
His emotions were rattled and his thoughts were muddled in irritation.
For the first time in over a decade, Chigweol lamented that he had no power to change the situation. But even if he had more power….
What could he even do?
Chigweol turned around. He convinced himself that he was just watching something useless at that point. He could tell he was going to be in a bad mood for quite a while.
As a gift for Teresa, Lee Sungmin chose a tonfa, which was said to sell well as a souvenir. He didn’t think Teresa would have much interest in it.
It was largely because Baek Sogo was barraged with sales propaganda from the merchant selling them saying they could be used in formations, for martial arts, and even magic.
“Will she like it?”
“I don’t know her tastes.”
“She won’t like it.”
Baek Sogo asked in an excited voice, Lee Sungmin carefully avoided answering by saying something ambiguous, and Yana answered the truth in a cold voice.
“No, she’ll like it!”
Baek Sogo said with force. She tapped her shoulder with the tonfa in one hand and smiled pleasantly.
“She can also use it when she needs massages. It’s good for muscle management too.”
Lee Sungmin bought some jewelry just in case. It was because he thought Teresa would have never decorated herself with such ornaments while living in the Holy Church’s premises, so he thought he thought she might like the jewelry a bit more than…. Tonfas or flags used in martial art formations.
Yana didn’t seem very interested in choosing Teresa’s gift. In the first place, she rarely talked to Teresa while all of them were in the Forest of Fairies.
It was because she was wary of Teresa, who had a strong Divine Power.
Lee Sungmin and company walked down the street after picking out the right presents. Come to think of it, since he didn’t even eat, Lee Sungmin asked a person who was walking back and forth on the street and went into a restaurant that was reccomended.
“Sungmin-ssi, do you have any experience with cannibalism?”
“Cough!”
While ordering food and waiting, Yana suddenly asked about the topic of ‘canabalism’. Lee Sungmin, who was drinking some water, almost sprayed the water he was drinking when Yana asked him the sudden question.
“Yes…… Yes?”
“It’s called canabalism since you still identify as a human.”
Baek Sogo stared at Yana with an expression of displeasure. But Yana didn’t care and went on.
“Lee Sungmin is a very different person in mind and spirit, but it is certain that your body is a monster’s. Do you have any experience of cannibalizing? Or have you ever had an appetite for humans?”
“…… Why are you asking that?”
“There are many kinds of monsters. Among the various monsters in the world, the great monsters with powerful powers are used from the power of fear they receive when humans fear them. The same goes for Heoju. For such monsters, killing and eating humans is natural for them. They were born as predators to eat humans from the beginning.”
“……Yana, do you have any experience with it then?”
“For me, it doesn’t mean much. I don’t have a taste for human flesh in the first place.”
“….It’s the same for me.”
“Didn’t you turn into a monster through exposure to Heoju’s powers that were tied to your dantian? Are you saying you inherited his powers but don’t have an appetite for humans?”
Yana asked with a tilt of her head as if she could not understand. It was a question she had asked out of genuine curiosity. Lee Sungmin replied with a troubled look.
“My mind is human, even though my body is a monster’s. My stance on how I regard humans hasn’t changed from what I’ve noticed. Maybe…… When I get to eat human flesh, I might unknowingly accept it as ‘delicious’. But I don’t want to eat it.”
[If you want to strengthen your power as a monster, cannibalism isn’t a bad option.]
Heoju spoke up.
[If you start consuming human flesh and accumulating fear based mana, there’s no chance of the Predator of Massacre ever reviving if that is what you’re worried about. Not only that, but by acting as a monster in spirit by consuming human flesh, your vessel will grow even stronger. Maybe your Black Heart might grow as well.]
Lee Sungmin had no intention of strengthening his power as a monster any further. The vessel of a fully transformed monster was already more than powerful enough for Lee Sungmin in his current state.
From here on out, Lee Sungmin would only polish his martial arts and spearmanship. The Lee Sungmin today was incomparably stronger than the one 10 years ago, but he was still not close to becoming the Predator of Massacre that Geniella wanted.
It wasn’t a matter of his body obtaining the vessel or not, it was a matter of the mentality and ego that managed it. And Lee Sungmin had retained his ego in the fight over his mental world against the Predator of Massacre.
[Did she call that girl’s name “Aine”? That chimera. You’d better watch out for that girl.]
Heoju warned in a grave tone.
[The girl’s body is a monster’s in the fullest sense. In addition, the overwhelming power of fear-based mana from the City of Endless Night has been divided into two between the two of you. Unlike you, she has no qualms about eating human flesh. Geniella is trying to turn the girl into the Predator of Massacre that she wants. If Geniella puts that much effort into it, that chimera will become a monster that can block you from achieving your goals.]
“I guess so.”
The food came out. Even though they had just spoken about Lee Sungmin cannibalizing humans, Yana picked up her chopsticks without hesitation. Lee Sungmin decided to take another sip of water as his throat felt dry from the awkward conversation.
After finishing their meal, Lee Sungmin and the others summoned the Pegasus to leave Cron. There was a place to stop before going to the Forest of the Fairies.
He needed to stop back at the City of Endless Night where Frau was.
It was natural that Frau could do any form of sorcery that Aladdur could do since she taught him.
“It’s been a while.”
Frau was still in Yana’s pavilion.
“And you’re still just as impulsive to show up and shamelessly ask for favors.”
Frau grumbled, covering the naked boy in her arms with a blanket.
Baek Sogo turned his head to the side with an expression of embarrassment and disgust, and Lee Sungmin stepped forward coughing awkwardly. Frau spat out, glaring at the approaching Lee Sungmin.
“Please don’t come to me like this.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Hey Yana, when are you going to come back? Don’t tell me you’ve set up a house with that old ass yokai.…Never mind! It’s a joke, it’s a joke. You can totally do that.”
Frau saw Yana’s eyebrows start to contort in anger and quickly changed her words to fit a more subservient tone. Then, Frau sat up straight with her legs crossed and stared at Lee Sungmin.
“So, what else do you want? That’s the Silent Flare over there. You must have met her, so why would you need to come to me?”
“Uh yes…… I’m here to ask about someone I want to find.”
“Are you a person who I give out free favors to?”
Lee Sungmin calmly put his hand inside the spatial pocket. What he took out was a jewel bigger than his fist.
When Lee Sungmin handed it over without saying a word, Frau reached out to receive the jewel with a disgruntled expression.
After that, Lee Sungmin opened the subspace pocket that he received from Mugeol-Gae. Lee Sungmin took out a luxurious calligraphy brush and handed it to Frau.
“I want to know where the owner of this brush is.”
“That’s all you got?”
“Do you need more things for the spell to work?”
“It’s more accurate to depict the location if I use multiple things rather than just a single item.”
Lee Sungmin took out everything in the spatial pocket he received from Mugeol-Gae. A few more brushes were added, a fine inkstone and some clothes were pulled out as well.
Frau took the variety of miscellaneous items in a circle and stepped back while starting to rouse her mana.
She put her hands together and started to chant. Once she did, the spell started to begin in earnest. As holding up to her title as the Arch-Sorcerer, Frau was well-versed in many different branches of sorcery and not just soul sorcery.
“………San……”
Frau, who was concentrating on the flow of mana and her spell with her eyes closed, murmured something aloud…… Lee Sungmin murmured the words as well in conjunction with her.
Frau’s eyebrows furrowed as she raised her hands and clasped her head. As soon as she did this, the space around her fluctuated and created a completely new landscape as if they teleported.
“……………….”
The scenery looked oddly familiar to Lee Sungmin.‘Where is this and why does it seem so familiar?’(1)Lee Sungmin tilted his head while looking at the desolate mountain scenery.
Lee Sungmin was not the only one surprised and felt that the place was familiar. Baek Sogo, who was next to him, was startled as soon as she saw the scenery before them.
“It’s the Mountain of Mush.”
‘Ah…’
Lee Sungmin’s mouth was half open as it donned on him. The Mountain of Mush. The video was so blurry that it was hard to recognize, but Baek Sogo’s words definitely reminded him that the place he was seeing was in fact the Mountain of Mush. It was the first place he had gone to grow stronger in this world and had suffered quite a bit.
It definitely seemed to be the Mountain of Mush but….
Why the hell was the Black Dragon in the Mountain of Mush?
* * *
After spending the night at the City of Endless Night, Lee Sungmin summoned the Pegasus the very next morning. As Lee Sungmin brough the location to mind so that the Pegasus could enter the coordinates, Lee Sungmin had a bitter taste in his mouth as he remembered he was only 14 in this life when he underwent the trial.
It also occurred to him that it was a rather opportune time to go. He wanted to talk to Mush too. Back when he was younger, he couldn’t understand Mush’s words that she had left him with when he left the Mountain, but now he did to an extent.
“I never thought I’d come back.”
Baek Sogo grinned bitterly and muttered. While Lee Sungmin wandered around the world and trained, Baek Sogo had also returned to the mountain of Mush after the dungeon incident and had undergone the trial once more to get stronger.
“Indeed.”
Neither Lee Sungmin nor Yana had been the one to answer though.
It had certainly been a while since Lee Sungmin had last heard that voice. Lee Sungmin looked in the direction in which the voice had come from.
“I never thought I’d see the two of you again.”
A little girl with bandages all over her body and a dirty rag on head. The Goddess, Mush, was smiling at Lee Sungmin and Baek Sogo.
“Did you come here because you wanted to come back and take the trial?”
Mush asked and as she nimbly lept between the trees. Between the bandages on her face, Mush’s eyes glistened with interest.
“Or are you here to meet someone who is currently on the mountain?”
“How did you know that?”
“Don’t look down on this Goddess too much. Yesterday, someone peeped at this mountain through some sorcery. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice what happens on my own mountain? I just let it happen since I could care less.”
Mush giggled and the bandages around her body shook lightly.
“I wanted to kick them out, but this worked out well. Take him with you.”
“You wanted to kick him out?”
“They’re very nasty.”
Lee Sungmin tilted his head at the words when Mush mentioned “them”.
“Wasn’t it just one person?”
“It’s two of them, didn’t you know?”
Mush turned around as she replied.