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Chapter 318

Throughout the journey back from the Hobak Guesthouse, Yeon-woo focused on introspection.

For a martial artist, contemplation is the most basic yet crucial aspect. He even went as far as to acquire a means of transportation he usually wouldn’t use.

The mode of transport he secured was a golem cart. You might think, “What kind of cart in this day and age?” but in battle zones like the Hobak Guesthouse, it was quite the handy vehicle.

In environments where installing Monster Train tracks is difficult, golem carts or jeeps are frequently used.

Each has its pros and cons, but I must say both are excellent personal vehicles benefitting from mage engineering.

‘What am I so obsessed with?’

Martial artists who have stepped into the master’s realm all have some obsession. Raymond is fixated on speed, while Yuri is obsessed with the sword itself.

The Sky Sword King, Namgung Yang, is all about the heavens. And if it’s Hyuk Mu-ryeon… I suspect that for them, it might be the fight itself.

This was a homework assignment given by Raymond. A martial artist who has reached a certain realm is somehow twisted. It could almost be said to be a rule.

Conversely, it implies that one cannot reach this level without some form of twist in their psyche.

Yeon-woo guessed that it had some truth to it. Though he might not realize it now, it is likely that his ability to step into the realm of the master stems from some form of obsession.

The answer was something he should inherently know. Nevertheless, since Yeon-woo was unaware of it, he had no choice but to reflect on himself to figure it out.

Although it was possible for Yeon-woo to ask Yuri about it, he didn’t want to show off his shortcomings as a disciple.

After all, it would be embarrassing that even as a master, he wouldn’t be able to recognize such things without help, so he resolved to try to figure it out himself.

He did wonder what would happen if he couldn’t figure it out, but fortunately, discovering it wasn’t too difficult.

He was able to achieve insights simply by retracing his thought processes. His ability to recognize the flow of thoughts proved to be quite helpful.

‘It’s the past, isn’t it?’

He contemplated repeatedly, but no other answer could exist apart from this.

Yeon-woo’s sword is clearly fixated on the past. Among all weapons, especially swords. It was inevitable.

Before his regression, he couldn’t even use a sword. He had no talent whatsoever.

Now, thanks to elixirs and the abilities of Dragon Heart, it feels like he raised his basic talent, but before his regression, he was told not to even try to use a sword, so there is really no need for further explanation.

Additionally, everything Yeon-woo has done since his regression is tied to the past.

Of course. He decided to live fiercely once again because he didn’t want to see the world become like that, nor did he want to let Nea and Shar witness it.

The world is certainly not beautiful. However, he thought, wouldn’t it be possible to show them a world as beautiful as he can, if he tried?

This obsession would never transform. It was guaranteed to remain unchanged. Humans are creatures that learn from the mistakes of their past.

Even after accomplishing everything, Yeon-woo would still be fixated on the past. Not just before regression, but rather to become a better version of himself than just a moment ago.

Obsession makes a martial artist strong. Martial artists from the worlds of martial arts and Alkeon tend to be fundamentalists who tend to value swords without any modifications as the best.

However, the speed demon Raymond spares no effort to increase the speed of his sword.

He modifies his sword, his scabbard, and even his arms. He is willing to forsake his humanity to enhance the sword’s speed.

‘But the past….’

It’s incredibly complex and yet unimaginably simple – that’s all that comes to mind.

He couldn’t grasp how to develop his sword based on this obsession with the past.

Yeon-woo, lost in thought with a complicated expression, sighed deeply, and a child riding in the same golem cart looked at him with wide eyes.

“… Hello?”

As Yeon-woo raised his hand in a casual greeting, the startled child didn’t expect it and hid behind their mother. The sight caused the mother to chuckle, “Oh my, oh my.”

“… Hello!” the child responded while still being cautious of Yeon-woo. The child seemed to have a bright spirit. Thinking that his children wouldn’t fall behind in greeting manners, Yeon-woo nodded.

Since his regression, he hadn’t drawn the attention of children anywhere, so perhaps his distressed expression from worry made him seem a bit harsh. Reflecting, Yeon-woo lightly massaged his cheeks with the tips of his fingers.

‘Right, what does that matter? I’m going to see the kids.’

Relieving the tension in his facial muscles, stretching out his arms, Yeon-woo took a deep breath and cautiously spoke to the child’s mother.

“Excuse me. Is it alright if I play with your child?”

“Oh my! Are you sure? My child can be a bit too energetic.”

The mother, appearing to be in her mid-thirties, said that. Yeon-woo puffed out his chest confidently.

“It’s perfectly fine. I’m quite experienced at handling children.”

The child peeked at him again with curiosity as Yeon-woo smiled and replied. It had been a while since he played with kids, so he needed to warm up his slightly rusty body. Plus, he was a bit bored.

*

“What’s going on?”

Instead of kids cheering and welcoming him, Yeon-woo sensed an inspection checkpoint resembling an airport customs area when he opened the dormitory’s door.

Two children had climbed onto the shoe rack, sniffing the scent of Yeon-woo’s body, and he was left stunned, raising his arms as he waited for the inspection to end.

A moment later, the results of the inspection came through. Shar jumped down from the narrow shoe rack and pointed at Yeon-woo.

It had an astounding momentum. It was as if she wanted to file a complaint.

“You smell like you were playing with another kid!!”

“What the…!?”

How does she know that…!! Yeon-woo flinched in genuine surprise.

It felt like casually petting a cute puppy in the street only to come home and find his own dog intensely sniffing at the place where they met.

“Phew… Please tell me. Which kid did you get cozy with, Daddy? If you confess now, I might let it slide.”

“Gah! I just played with a cute kid on my way home…!!”

Under Shar’s intense inquiry, Yeon-woo immediately caved in without any resistance. There was no need to hide it anyway.

“Hmph, if that’s all, it’s no problem! Our cuteness can’t be inferior to a mere street child! Now, hurry and wash up so we can go to Mommy.”

“Yeah! There’s no way we could lose!”

While their pride in their own cuteness was noted, Yeon-woo couldn’t help but ponder the expression “street child.” It was a phrase he had never heard before, and as the kids dragged him towards the bathroom, he was tossed inside.

Well, if they tell him to wash, he might as well wash. They weren’t kids who would tell him to wash for no reason.

After washing up, Yeon-woo, while drying his hair, felt relieved as his shoulders finally relaxed after a long time.

Fortunately, he wasn’t naked. When he came out, he found his underwear and casual clothes neatly placed outside.

Those clever little ones. Their effort to not make their dad a strange person wandering around in the nude was commendable.

“Kids, where are you? Let’s go see Mommy.”

“Did you wash up!?”

At Yeon-woo’s call, the children dashed out with enthusiasm. It seemed they had been playing with Momo. Playing with a puppy is fun, after all. He understood that well.

“So, where’s Nea? Is she in the lab?”

“Yeah! Apparently, she’s been feeling a bit better lately and said she’s getting bored of lying down, so she’s working!”

“Hmm. They also said that being in the lab is better for emergency readiness than staying at Riley’s house!”

So that’s it. It seems like there’s a valid reason behind her going to work. He never thought there would actually be someone who prefers working over staying at home.

“Alright, let’s go! Let’s take Momo too. It’s a good chance for a walk.”

“I’ll get ready!”

Indeed, his children’s energy was commendable. He was unlikely to see them worn out ever.

Watching the kids prepare the leash and poop bag from the entrance, Yeon-woo looked on with a satisfied smile.

*

“Nea, I’m back!”

“Oh, you’re here.”

Nea welcomed Yeon-woo’s leisurely entry into the laboratory with casual indifference.

Having entered and exited so often as if it were his own home, even the security guards would occasionally let him in without checking.

If a doppleganger were to appear now, it would create quite the problem, but Yeon-woo had long set up precautions for that matter. Even if a doppleganger appeared now, no major damage would be dealt.

As for the other public institutions, who knows? They’ll have to manage on their own. At the very least, the Magic Tower, Academy, and Hunter Guild would be prepared. These three organizations have a lot at stake to protect.

“Should we go out together? If you’re going to work, that’s fine too.”

“Hmm, let’s go have a meal with Riley. I’m getting a bit hungry.”

“Sounds good! Then I’ll let Riley know, so please wait here with the kids.”

At Yeon-woo’s naturally flowing words, Nea nodded and received the incoming children. Seeing that, Down, who had been reading a book from a distance, also approached.

“You’re back?”

“Yeah. How was it? Nothing happened, right?”

“Well… there wasn’t really anything. Except for the fact that Nea is not in the best condition.”

Down’s quiet voice carried a tone of worry.

It was understandable. In this world, Down only knows a handful of people: Riley, Nea, Yeon-woo, Claire, and the kids.

Out of all, the one who cared for him most, Nea, being in critical condition would only raise his worries higher than anyone.

“It’ll be okay. I think it will be manageable soon.”

Yeon-woo pressed Down’s head down with his right hand, which created a comforting bond. Normally, Down would sulk about such treatment, but even now, he quietly accepted the affection.

Seeing Down’s expression, Yeon-woo chuckled and gave him a gentle nudge toward Nea. Even as he turned back, Down made his way over to Nea.

The life of living beings is finite. Yet what never fades away are always filled with memories.

Traveling or eating meals shared with loved ones remains unforgettable no matter how much time has passed.

Yeon-woo wished for the children and Nea to stack such precious memories together.

“Riley, can I come in?”

Riley, who also holds a position of responsibility within the lab, has her own room. It’s just a partition with a glass wall, but the fact that she has a separate room is a symbol of authority in itself.

– Ah, welcome back. Please come in.

With Riley’s permission, Yeon-woo opened the door and stepped inside. As he closed the door, he suddenly shouted.

“The research is almost at a realizable stage, right? Let’s get moving!”

“…Such sudden words?”

“I think it’s feasible. We need to hurry. We should do this while Nea is a bit healthier, to avoid any unfortunate mishaps!”

Seeing Yeon-woo’s cheerful smile, Riley looked at him with serious eyes. Should she be preparing a presentation or something?

“Since I’ve become a master, I’ve seen things that can be of help. It’s time to stack up trial and error if we want to open it in time, right?”

“…Huh?”

Riley’s expression dropped open at the casual declaration of Yeon-woo becoming a master. It’s a rare sight to see her like that. It felt like witnessing a precious moment.

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

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