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Chapter 217: Omen. (3)

Wi Seol-Ah had a dream after a long time.

This type of dream had occurred frequently since she met “her sister.”

But today was an exceptionally vivid dream.

It might have been the most vivid dream since that day in the past.

“Where… where is this?”

Wi Seol-Ah had now somewhat familiarized herself with this hazy sensation.

The feeling that her body wasn’t quite her own.

The world viewed from a third-person perspective.

After multiple experiences, she no longer felt significantly out of place.

“Where am I?”

She reacted to someone’s voice.

It was a beautiful voice.

Wi Seol-Ah knew whose voice it was.

“…I asked where you are.”

The woman, with calming yet radiant emotions, spoke.

Her voice matched her beautiful face.

However, contrary to her lovely appearance,

the place she was in was grimy and filthy.

It was a prison where not a single ray of sunlight entered.

The walls were filled with signs of torture.

Just looking at the solidified blood made the atmosphere chilling.

Knowing this alone, Wi Seol-Ah understood.

It was yet another nightmare.

Such dreams featuring that woman were mostly nightmares for Wi Seol-Ah.

People often died.

The woman would often kill someone,

or someone would die for her.

Worlds would collapse,

and in the midst of it all, the woman silently wielded her sword.

Standing in Wi Seol-Ah’s position, knowing her final moments, was akin to hell itself.

The woman did not cry.

Even after the one protecting her died.

Even after her beloved family perished.

Colleagues died, and even those who turned enemies perished.

The woman simply wielded her sword silently.

Wi Seol-Ah thought that woman was a cold person.

If it were her, she couldn’t imagine keeping such a face in that situation.

That woman, however,

rarely displayed her emotions.

“Who is it…?”

It was blurry.

The person the woman was looking at was not clearly visible to Wi Seol-Ah, appearing hazy as if shrouded in fog.

From the physique, it seemed to be a man.

But the man did not respond to the woman’s words.

“Is he… dead?”

Fortunately, that was not the case; the man was breathing shallowly.

He seemed severely injured, evident from the bloodstains on his body.

A pang of pain stirred in Wi Seol-Ah’s heart, causing her to bite her lip.

“You must know where the remaining demons have gone.”

The woman continued speaking, seemingly not concerned about the man’s state.

No.

Wi Seol-Ah discerned that the woman did care about the man.

She was merely enduring it.

Within her, emotions of fury, regret, despair, and longing intertwined,

feelings that couldn’t coexist in harmony.

Enduring all of that,

the woman was simply speaking to the man.

“If you have any last vestige of conscience….”

The words that followed subtly trembled.

Was that anger?

Or perhaps pity?

Or both?

As a young Wi Seol-Ah, she couldn’t grasp it all.

One thing was certain:

the intense emotions felt right.

– Crunch.

The woman tightened her fist.

Blood dripped from the tightly clenched fist, but she appeared unfazed by the pain.

“It’s your last chance. Everyone wishes for your death, but if you help me this once, I’ll stake everything I have to save your life.”

The woman’s voice began to tremble more.

She wished for him to speak, urging him even in this manner.

Her heart surely cried out like that.

So,

“…So please.”

Tell me.

The woman suppressed her last words, biting down on her lips.

The man heard everything the woman said, yet he remained silent.

Or perhaps he couldn’t speak.

He only exhaled softly,

lifting his head to gaze at the woman.

What kind of gaze did that man have, and what emotions were contained within it?

Wi Seol-Ah wanted to see that, but it was not visible.

“So please say something. Where are you hiding?”

The woman remarked, gripping the man’s collar.

She hoped for any response.

Desperate, she restrained the words boiling within her.

But still, the man did not say a word.

Then, the woman moved her hand, throwing the man to the ground.

The stone floor greeted him harshly with a thud,

yet the man did not utter a single groan.

He merely appeared to have given up on everything.

Seeing that, the woman spoke.

“If I had known you were such a vile human, I would have killed you the very moment we first met.”

Though fury certainly mixed in her emotions,

Wi Seol-Ah captured a tiny flicker of conflicting feelings.

If she had chosen a different approach,

if she had said something differently,

perhaps it wouldn’t have come to this.

Contradictory thoughts flooded the woman’s mind.

…And that was such a regret.

After spewing those words,

the woman quietly looked down at the man lying on the ground.

Her tumultuous emotions seemed as if they would explode at any moment,

but she continued to endure.

Leaving the man behind,

the woman turned and walked out.

Though her steps were filled with hesitation,

she maintained her resolve not to reveal her inner turmoil.

Just when it appeared she truly intended to leave,

a soft sound came from behind.

Startled, the woman immediately turned her head.

Her gaze met the sight of the man struggling to move his broken body as it creaked.

With trembling eyes, the woman watched him.

Thud. Thud.

Uncertain if he noticed her gaze,

the man began to write something on the floor with trembling fingertips.

A line.

And then another line.

With each line that he inscribed on the ground,

blood poured from his mouth in great amounts.

As if firmly asserting that he shouldn’t be writing that.

“What are you doing…!”

The woman shouted, rushing toward him anxiously, but

in that moment, her body staggered.

It seemed she was not in good condition either.

“Wait….”

Maybe the woman sensed something in the man’s appearance; she barely regained her balance and rushed toward him.

But at that moment,

with a loud bang—

something burst from the man’s body, causing him to collapse.

The woman grasped him with all her strength.

“Please… please….”

Desperately, the woman tried to confirm the man’s state.

But from his cold body and the fading glimmer in his eyes,

it became evident that his life had already come to an end.

‘…Why…?’

Wi Seol-Ah couldn’t understand.

Someone imprisoned in such a dungeon must surely be a bad person.

She couldn’t fathom why that woman would express such emotions toward him.

One thing she understood was clear:

what the woman was currently feeling was undoubtedly sadness.

So many emotions roiled, converging into a singular explosion of despair.

Yet, what remained for the woman was pure, profound sorrow.

‘…I want to wake up.’

Wi Seol-Ah desperately wished to awaken from this dream.

The emotions she felt were far too heavy to bear.

What message had the man yearned to convey to the woman just before his death?

In her urgency to embrace the man, the words written in blood on the ground had vanished.

Surely it must have been the information she needed.

But now,

the words held no significance for the woman.

Drop.

Thud.

Drops fell to the ground.

This time, it wasn’t blood.

‘…Crying?’

Wi Seol-Ah could see.

Even amidst such harsh circumstances, the woman,

who never shed a tear,

now wept as she held the man.

Gently sobbing, the woman began to wail aloud.

At the same time, Wi Seol-Ah trembled, unable to endure the emotions emanating from her.

This was the first time she felt such intense pain.

Compared to the stinging sensation of lifting her own arms when scolded by Hongwa,

or the pain she felt while swinging a wooden sword in training,

the pain of the heart was, without a doubt, too deep to withstand easily.

‘I want to wake up… please….’

Dreams were never on Wi Seol-Ah’s side.

Just because she wished to awaken didn’t mean she could, and once again, it seemed she had to endure.

‘Young Master….’

Wi Seol-Ah thought of Gu Yangcheong and tightly shut her eyes.

Of course, closing her eyes wouldn’t end the dream.

The woman, who had been screaming in agony,

stilled as if to stifle her cries, suppressing her voice.

Someone was approaching.

“Great Lord.”

In response to the voice of someone approaching the prison,

the woman steadied her voice and replied.

“…What is it?”

“…It’s about what you were looking for… ah.”

The middle-aged man halted his words as he noticed the figure the woman was holding.

“The Mage…”

Before the man could say more,

the woman slowly rose to her feet.

She laid the dead body gently on the ground.

The man averted his gaze, knowing he could not face the woman’s expression.

“Eh, Great Lord.”

“Yes, Great Lord.”

“If there are any left, tell them: the Mage has died.”

“…Understood.”

Without any lingering attachment, the woman exited.

Left alone, the man quietly gazed at the deceased Mage.

“Farewell.”

Simply those words.

The man breathed them out succinctly before following the woman out of the prison.

And there, Wi Seol-Ah remained alone,

looking solemnly upon the still figure of the man.

Though his face was still obscured,

for some reason, she felt strangely familiar with that presence.

The woman’s intense fury and heavy sadness had departed,

and under normal circumstances, she would not have been able to drift away from it.

Yet, it felt peculiar that Wi Seol-Ah stood there alone.

Nick… Why… is this…

Even in such a dark and terrifying place,

for some reason, she didn’t feel an overwhelming sense of fear.

Left alone, Wi Seol-Ah reached out her translucent hand toward the man.

There was no reason for it.

It just seemed like the thing to do.

As her small fingertips brushed against the man,

– Will you truly be alright?

A different voice whispered in Wi Seol-Ah’s ear,

and her eyes opened wide.

She had awakened from the nightmare.

In the deep dawn.

With eyes still heavy with sleep, Wi Seol-Ah surveyed her surroundings.

Not far away, a small candle was lit,

and two elders were engaged in conversation.

“Are you truly alright with that?”

“Is there anything wrong with it?”

Having awakened midway through, the drowsiness still loomed over her.

Curious about what her grandfather was saying behind her,

Wi Seol-Ah couldn’t fend off the encroaching drowsiness and succumbed to sleep once more.

Unable to withstand the drowsiness, Wi Seol-Ah fell asleep again.

Watching over her was the Sword Sovereign, silently observing.

“…What are you doing?”

“Nothing. Just making sure the child is asleep again after stirring slightly.”

Though the Sword Sovereign, seated some distance away, was unaware of how Wi Seol-Ah had been put back to sleep,

Shin Yi did not press the matter.

For now, there were more important discussions to be had.

“Though I dare say I’m called the Divine Healer, I am not a true god.”

“I know that.”

“No, it seems the Great Lord does not understand well. There are things that cannot be done.”

“But if the Divine Healer accepted it, it means that it’s a thing that can be done, right?”

“…Ah, Great Lord….”

At the Divine Healer’s lament, the Sword Sovereign said,

“I only wish for the child to grow up as a normal child.”

“That’s a tough wish to grant.”

At the Sword Sovereign’s words, the Divine Healer could only sulk inwardly.

The child sleeping behind him.

The Divine Healer gaped at the vast space possessed by the child.

It was far too expansive to be described as merely human.

So immense, it seemed devoid of anything entirely.

Was that the reason the Sword Sovereign had asked him?

To please close that thing?

Close the vast vessel anyone might covet.

The Divine Healer could not make sense of the Sword Sovereign’s request.

“…Please understand that this does not fall within the realm of medicine.”

“I know that. Which is precisely why I sought you out.”

The Divine Healer, or the Elder known as Je-Gal.

A name either long lost or forgotten,

once belonged to a great house.

A family that explored the realm of formations and evolved,

studying the Demonic Gates.

The Sword Sovereign, who understood that, found it exceedingly uncomfortable to face the Divine Healer.

Only a handful in the Central Plains might know it, and what a coincidence that the Sword Sovereign was one of them.

“…If you grant this request, I will provide what the Divine Healer desires.”

“Ha, just where do you plan to fetch the White Grade Demon Beast Stone from?”

Despite the Sword Sovereign’s bravado, the Divine Healer could not easily trust him.

The very stone the Divine Healer had sought for many years was the stone of the White Grade Demon Beast.

As the White Grade Demonic Gate had not appeared for a long time,

it was almost impossible to obtain the stone of the White Grade Demon Beast, yet the Sword Sovereign was claiming he could provide it.

“…There’s no lie in that. If you wish, I could also offer the Golden Binding.”

Observing the Sword Sovereign, the Divine Healer let out a deep sigh.

He couldn’t help but understand the urgency of his situation.

The reason he sought the White Grade stone was that it was for his beloved grandson.

“…Let me reiterate; much preparation will be required. There are many things that cannot be done here.”

“I have informed the Gu Clan Leader. I will depart once the Divine Healer is ready.”

At present, the Divine Healer was caring for the Gu Clan and others.

And he was a person who would not abandon his patients, no matter what happened.

So, if he were to leave, it would mean all those currently ill would have recovered.

The Divine Healer did not attempt to hide his displeasure.

He questioned the Sword Sovereign,

“Where do you plan on going?”

Given the complexity of the task,

much preparation and cost would be necessary.

Certainly, as it had to be carried out confidentially, everything had to proceed in utmost secrecy.

It would be tough in any appropriate location.

In response to the Divine Healer’s question, the Sword Sovereign answered,

“…I will go to Qinghai.”

With the Sword Sovereign’s words, a specific place surfaced in the Divine Healer’s mind.

A location in Gu Paibang.

Where the Kunlun Sect resided in Qinghai.

But it was unlikely the Sword Sovereign would head to Kunlun.

That place was not only home to the Kunlun Sect,

but the ancestral home of the Zhang Clan that was now located in Hanam.

Thus, the following day at noon,

“The meeting of the Elders concerning Prince Il will commence.”

Within the Gu Clan, the clan leader presided over the elder council.

 

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