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The Heavenly Demon Vanishes

The Heavenly Demon disappeared.

One moment he was there, and suddenly he was nowhere to be seen. He was definitely right behind me just a moment ago, so where did he go?

‘He left without saying a word again.’

I frowned. I had brought him along to keep him close, and now he just vanishes like this.

And of all times, during this situation?

‘Sigh.’

It was a headache, but he probably didn’t go too far. Considering his usual antics, he liked to linger close by.

‘The problem is that he’s not here right now.’

But honestly, it wasn’t a massive issue.

‘His presence isn’t going to change much, right?’

I had caught a glimpse of the Heavenly Demon during our earlier conversation. Whether he was around or not didn’t seem to matter significantly.

So, I turned to the Spirit nearby and asked, “What does it mean to have a neck in the soul?”

“……”

At my words, a puzzled expression crossed the Spirit’s face. It looked as if she were thinking, how could someone not know this?

“I humbly dare to ask the Master of Another World… If that is but a trivial test…”

“It’s not that; I’m genuinely curious. I’m a bit clueless about your customs.”

“……”

She called me “Master” without hesitation, so how could I not inquire?

Moreover, the idea of having a tree in the soul was incomprehensible.

“……The Divine Tree that acts as a connection allowing one to form and create existence. It is because you hold it that I spoke so.”

“You mean I hold the Divine Tree?”

Hearing this, I instinctively pressed my hand to my chest. Holding the Divine Tree? What does that even mean?

‘…Could it be?’

I furrowed my brow, recalling the situation. I might have held it after all.

‘Are you talking about what I obtained from Yawol?’

I had felt Qi flowing through me when I touched the Divine Tree back then. Could that be what she meant?

‘Is that why she thinks of me as her Master?’

If that misunderstanding stemmed from that, it seemed plausible enough.

However…

Because I acted as if I didn’t understand, doubt lingered on her face.

She wore an expression that suggested I might not be the Master after all, which in turn hinted at a sense of scrutiny about who then I might be.

‘Hmm.’

I instinctively sensed that if I kept indicating I wasn’t the Master, it wouldn’t lead to anything good. The guards behind me were also subtly showing signs of vigilance.

‘…What should I do?’

If I wanted to, I could sweep them all away. That wouldn’t be particularly difficult.

‘But I haven’t gained enough yet.’

It would be a waste to dispose of someone who appeared to know something.

I had little information, and I was aware that there was much to be gained from this place.

Moreover.

‘Looking at the Divine Tree in front of me…’

I lifted my gaze.

Although it was still daytime, thinking back to the moon I had seen the previous night…

‘The full moon isn’t far off now.’

In just a few days, the full moon would rise, and that would mean the time spoken of by my mother would arrive.

‘On the day of the full moon, we were to meet on the hill.’

The hill she spoke of must be the Divine Tree located in this Spirit’s Den.

The small hill seemed to confirm this.

‘So, I guess I need to spend a few days here waiting for the right moment.’

There was no need to stir up friction for that purpose.

Having reached that conclusion, I spoke to the Spirit immediately.

“Indeed… so it is.”

Nodding, I paused, and the Spirit responded.

“Um…”

“The test ends here.”

I interrupted her, stating, “I have something to verify. I apologize for forcing you into a trial.”

“……!”

As I chuckled, the Spirit’s eyes widened in surprise.

“So it is…!”

Her expression suggested she had been right all along. Confirming that, I turned my back to her.

My attention was directed solely to the Divine Tree, ensuring my face was turned away from the Spirit.

That was done to prevent my potential act from being discovered.

“You said you’re a Spirit.”

“Yes, great being.”

“Indeed, as you said, I am a being from another world.”

“Ah…”

A voice filled with emotion. Why was my arrival from another place causing such overwhelming feelings in her?

I couldn’t comprehend it, but it didn’t matter; I could understand it later.

“I must ask. Why are you bound to this place?”

The notion of beings that couldn’t escape the Spirit Mountain gathered here.

This meant they weren’t able to exit voluntarily.

With that understanding, the Spirit immediately clasped her hands together, bowing deeply, and replied, “……We are the Seok Mountain Clan, who have guarded the Spirit Mountain for generations.”

“The Seok Mountain Clan?”

“Yes… It is home to those of the Moon Night Clan with particularly strong bloodlines.”

“……Hmm.”

Strong bloodlines. That made sense.

‘So the Moon Night Clan is indeed correct.’

Not only were there human-shaped beings with beast ears and tails, but it appeared there were also members of the Moon Night Clan who resembled beasts.

The question was.

“So what about you?”

While the others were one thing, what about this Spirit?

She seemed no different from the Moon Night Clan I was familiar with.

Although she wore a veil, it was clear she had a human face.

With her fox ears and tail, she confirmed her ties to the Moon Night Clan, but…

“You are different from the others.”

According to her explanation, shouldn’t she resemble a beast more prominently?

Upon hearing my words, the Spirit responded as if she had been waiting, “……The Seok Mountain Clan gives birth to a hybrid every thousand years, to carry on the wishes of the Priestess.”

“Hybrid?”

“Yes. The Master of Mankye bestows a blessing and sends a hybrid resembling themselves.”

“……What?”

I frowned, looking at the Spirit.

‘Resembles the Master?’

That would mean…

‘Is she saying I resemble my mother?’

White hair, with white ears and a tail.

Her face is hidden by the veil, so I can’t see it. Even if I attempted to perceive it, I couldn’t discern much. This implied that the veil itself was in some way precious.

“I apologize for not revealing my face. It is simply because I resemble our Master, and it wouldn’t be proper to show myself recklessly.”

She hides herself with a veil because she has the appearance of the Master of Mankye.

That was the intent.

However.

“For what purpose?”

What does the Master of Mankye wish for, by bringing forth her hybrid and labeling them as a Priestess to be born here?

The question remained unanswered.

In response to my inquiry, the Spirit continued, her voice slightly more measured, “……Originally, this place was created for our Master to send their will forth.”

The Spirit’s gaze surveyed her surroundings.

“Spirit Mountain was not as it is now, but rather vibrant and beautiful.”

Though it looked sufficiently lovely now, it certainly felt lifeless outside. A place made entirely of stone, devoid of any vitality.

‘So it wasn’t always like this.’

The idea that only stone existed here was a change from what originally was.

“However, two hundred years ago… the words sent by our Master ceased, and an anomaly occurred.”

“An anomaly?”

“A presence claiming to be a General appeared… and the Duryeong began to erase the mountain’s vitality completely.”

“……Hmm?”

A General appeared and erased the vitality?

“He began capturing all who dwelled upon the Spirit Mountain. For reasons unknown, the mountain gradually lost its vitality, and we had to escape.”

“……You fled from the General?”

“Correct… We couldn’t hide from his eyes atop the mountain. Regrettably, we had to use the fragments left by our Master.”

“Fragments?”

The Spirit carefully revealed something with her hands. It was a scarlet stone fragment.

“This is a divine object sent by our Master to the Priestess.”

“……”

I recognized it immediately.

‘…What’s with that energy?’

The power contained in that small fragment was absurd.

It held an immense quantity of energy and was completely foreign.

It was a level of energy that made my body react just by being present.

“Does this mean you created space using this?”

“Yes… This is our sanctuary created with the power received from our Master.”

“Why didn’t you think about escaping?”

“……Because we could not. We cannot leave the Spirit Mountain without the General’s permission……”

“Hmm.”

As the Duryeong began to dominate the Spirit Mountain, the forest’s vitality faded.

He started capturing all the clan members who originally lived on the Spirit Mountain.

This meant they had to hide and live in a space made possible by fragments to escape.

Hearing this gave rise to a question.

“Then why did you only let your presence be felt during the day?”

I was aware of the issue with this space. The presence that should not be felt at night became noticeable during the daytime.

If they truly intended to hide from the Duryeong, then they shouldn’t have deliberately spread their presence during the day.

‘The Duryeong must be able to sense this.’

His keen senses had already proven to be a problem.

If they were fleeing from him, it was obvious he would soon come rushing in.

To this question, the Spirit responded, “……The General does not move during the day.”

“What?”

That was some fantastic information.

“He has shown no activity whatsoever during the daytime. Only at night does he begin to move, and since we know this…”

“So during the day, he lets his presence be known?”

“Correct.”

“……The reason behind that would be to reduce energy consumption?”

“Correct… indeed.”

As I guessed the reason, the Spirit appeared taken aback.

That fragment contained an extraordinary amount of energy, but ultimately it was consumable.

So, to maintain the space for as long as possible, they had to conserve.

‘During the day, when the Duryeong is either not moving or unconscious, they’ve reduced the space’s density.’

Thus, I could only detect their presence during the day.

With that realization, I crossed my arms.

I understood the situation quite well up to this point.

“Then lastly.”

I asked the Spirit, “You said you were waiting for me. How was that possible?”

This great being, having expressed that they seemed to have been waiting for me.

Had they known I would come? What was behind that reaction?

This was the part that intrigued me the most.

That may explain why.

‘That is likely why they openly share this information with me.’

The reason they handed over information the moment I acknowledged being the Master of Another World.

That too must have an explanation.

As if to prove my idea, the Spirit spoke as if she had been waiting, “……Our Master left behind a message.”

“The Master?”

“Yes. Two hundred years ago, when the Master spoke their last words… they expressed apologies for the trials to come and mentioned that… another Master of Another World would come to rescue us along with the fragments.”

As she spoke, the Spirit clenched her fist around the fragment she had shown me.

“……Is it finally the time that has arrived?”

Her voice wavered with emotion.

“……Great being.”

She bent her head as low as she could.

“Please… please save us.”

The Spirit’s small body lay prostrate.

“……Hmm.”

Seeing that, I scratched my cheek and said.

“Nope.”

“Thank you… wait, what?”

At my answer, the Spirit lifted her head in confusion.

The veil fluttered. I couldn’t see her face, but it was clear she was bewildered.

So I smiled and reinforced my answer.

“Nope.”

“……”

The Spirit’s body stiffened painfully.

 

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