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Chapter: Following Shin Noya and the Turtle

I followed Shin Noya and the turtle.

I wondered where we were heading, but it didn’t seem like we were moving far.

Outside the outer wall.

It was the exact spot where we first entered this space.

An ordinary forest path filled with plenty of green trees.

This was a mid-point after walking along that path for a bit.

We paused there and looked around.

‘What’s there, I wonder?’

Nothing seemed different from anywhere else; I couldn’t understand why we stopped.

While I was briefly surveying the area…

“How does it look?”

Shin Noya asked, gazing at the turtle, which was fixated on the void.

At his words, the turtle extended its staff and waved it in the air. At that moment—

Wooong—!!!

It felt like a wave was reaching the void, creating vibrations.

My eyes widened at the sight.

‘What the…?’

There’s something over there.

I hadn’t felt it until now, but as soon as the turtle took action, I sensed it.

What could that be? I squinted and focused.

“Hmm.”

The turtle let out a low hum, waved the staff a few more times, and then firmly planted it on the ground.

“It’s chaos….”

That was a sigh mixed with words.

“Sect Leader, I told you to use it carefully, didn’t I? Looks like you ignored my warning again.”

The turtle spoke to Shin Noya with an uncomfortable tone.

“I said to handle it very carefully.”

“No….”

At those words, Shin Noya made a face that seemed indignant.

“I wasn’t the one who did it this time; isn’t it a bit much to suspect me first?”

“Hmm?”

The turtle made a strange expression at his words.

“What do you mean? You’re saying this isn’t your doing?”

“Yeah. It’s true I break barriers often…! But I’m saying I didn’t do this one.”

Shin Noya pointed with his hand at me.

“This time it was that guy who opened it.”

“Eh?”

I reacted with surprise to his words.

Me?

“That thing?”

The turtle turned to look at me.

“…What did I do?”

Suddenly, it’s my fault? When I asked back, confused, Shin Noya added more.

“You touched the entrance when we came into this place last time, didn’t you?”

“…What…?”

I was puzzled at first, but then it dawned on me. I definitely did that because I sensed something strange while Shin Noya was looking for something.

“Isn’t it strange if something goes wrong just because of that little touch?”

As I said this, frowning.

“…Hmm.”

The turtle nodded with a look of understanding.

“So it’s ultimately the Sect Leader’s fault then.”

“What…? How is it my fault?”

“Didn’t you bring it upon us? Then it’s your fault.”

“Are you kidding me? You slow-talking turtle, your logic is just all over the place!”

“What the…? You little punk!”

It was really chaotic.

I wondered why they suddenly started fighting among themselves.

This is chaotic chaos at its finest.

I felt like if I left it alone, it would end badly, so I had to intervene quickly.

“Hey, can you guys stop fighting for a second…? Didn’t you come here for a reason?”

“…”

The old men who had been arguing suddenly fell silent at my words.

It seemed they realized what they had forgotten.

“Right, I came here to work and I’m talking too much. Let’s get to what we need to do.”

In the midst of it all, Shin Noya, perhaps not forgetting his own temperament, added a remark, but the turtle didn’t care and picked up the staff again.

Of course, his expression still showed he didn’t like it. The turtle responded with action instead of words.

Giiiiiing—!!

Something emitted light from the staff. The moment I saw that, my body stiffened.

Thump-!

My heart raced wildly again.

It was the same sensation I felt when the turtle chased me away earlier.

Is this pain? No, this is on a different level than pain. If it were simply pain…

‘I wouldn’t feel a desire to keep watching it.’

I would have wanted to look away or flee right away.

Thump-! Thump-!

With my heart pounding, my gaze fixated on it.

It felt like an instinct telling me I had to see it without missing a single detail.

At that moment.

“L…Lara…”

The turtle muttered softly, and even in my heightened Qi Perception, it was so faint.

What is he saying?

As I considered listening more closely, he sighed.

“Hmm.”

With that sigh, his words stopped. It wasn’t for long.

At that moment.

Wooooooosh—!!!

“…!”

An incredible light erupted from the staff, beginning to envelop everything around. The colors were so numerous they looked like a rainbow.

And it wasn’t just the color that amazed me.

‘…This is incredible.’

I couldn’t help but marvel at the light pouring out.

My eyes, straining, automatically activated Heart Eye.

Through Heart Eye, the glowing array was astonishingly filled with great strands.

‘How is this formed?’

The countless strands were so dense and beautiful that it was hard to even judge their structure.

Thump-! Thump-!

My heart raced even faster. What is this feeling?

I couldn’t understand it. But in return, I realized something.

‘That is sorcery.’

From what I saw earlier, I had a vague idea, but witnessing this cemented my certainty.

That is sorcery.

Moreover, it is a level of sorcery I have never seen before.

‘It’s different from what the Jiegal Clan or Shin Yi would teach.’

And of course, the North Sea as well.

It was something completely different from the sorcery I had tried to comprehend.

I wanted to see more. I wanted to understand more.

It was only when I reached that point that I realized what this strange feeling was.

‘I want to seek knowledge.’

Should I call it a thirst for learning?

I wanted to delve into that sorcery.

One.

Saaaah—…

The dazzling light that had been spreading quickly dwindled.

The moment I saw that, a strong sense of disappointment engulfed me.

It was too soon.

Too soon.

‘I need to see more.’

I wanted to understand what that was; I needed more time.

Twitch.

My eyes burned.

Is it because of Heart Eye? Is the pain coming because I’m trying to take in so much information with it?

I didn’t care. Still, I had to see it—.

“Stop right there.”

Thud.

“Gah!?”

I clutched my forehead in sudden pain. When I looked to see what happened, the turtle poked me in the forehead with his staff.

Rubbing my tingling forehead, I glared at the turtle.

“I understand the feeling, but that’s just greedy.”

“…”

The turtle seemed to know what I had been doing.

“You turtle….”

Bang-!

“Ugh!?”

This time, the staff hit the top of my head.

What’s strange is that even though I clearly blocked it with my hands, it pierced through and hit my head.

“How are you calling me a turtle when just this old man is enough? That’s audacious.”

When Shin Noya called him a turtle, I assumed it was fine, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“…Then what should I call you?”

“Don’t call me anything.”

“Eh…?”

“I’ve long since abandoned my previous name. What I gained was lost a long time ago. Don’t call me anything.”

“Well, just call you turtle then.”

“…Sect Leader….”

“If you’re going to say you want to be called and not tell me how, I’ll just call you what I want.”

“…”

The turtle glared at Shin Noya, but he didn’t refute it.

Was that a hint to just do as I pleased?

Or was it that he didn’t care since he figured I wouldn’t call him anyway?

I couldn’t tell.

The turtle soon made a face of annoyance and fatigue, turning his back while nonchalantly waving his staff.

“I’ve finished what I had to do, so I’ll be leaving now.”

“Already? You didn’t just do a half-hearted job, did you?”

The turtle shot a glare at Noya’s remark.

“I’ve done far more meticulously than last time, so it should last three months. As long as you don’t mess around again, that is.”

“Hmm… so does that mean I’ll have to fix it again shortly?”

“Are you crazy?”

“I’m just kidding, just kidding.”

Shin Noya chuckled, and the turtle let out a heavy sigh.

“…I’ll be going now—.”

“Oh wait.”

Noya stopped the turtle from leaving again. At those words, the turtle’s whiskers trembled.

“What now?”

“Before you go, do one more thing for me.”

“I thought that was the last request? I’m not taking any more—.”

“An extra month’s worth of plum tea.”

“Just hear me out first.”

It was a rather greedy conversation.

At the turtle’s words, Shin Noya chuckled and pointed at me and the Heavenly Demon.

“Do that ‘thing’ for them.”

That thing?

At Noya’s words, the turtle gave a glance as if he didn’t like it.

“Sect Leader.”

“Hmm?”

“I just warned you not to do anything unnecessary a moment ago.”

“Eh. What do you mean by that? What unnecessary thing am I doing?”

Noya waved his hands in dismissal at the turtle’s words. As if what he was saying was absurd.

“It’s just a precaution for situations that might arise.”

“…”

“You know it’s a necessary action, don’t you? Don’t be so indifferent and hurry up. We’re all busy and it would be better to finish quickly.”

“Damn it….”

“What was that?”

“I said you damn it.”

“I was trying to pretend I didn’t hear that….”

Shin Noya awkwardly scratched his nose.

Watching that, I found it rather delightful.

‘That’s quite a sight to behold.’

He used to be the one bullying everyone, and now he was getting it back.

“Kid, your eyes are weird.”

“My eyes have always been like this.”

“No, they’re way worse than usual…?”

“Who’s pointing fingers at whom now?”

“What, you punk?”

“Just complimenting that your eyes look good.”

This feisty turtle was just as amusing.

Yet, his reaction speed was alarmingly quick.

“Ah, just hurry up. Don’t you want to watch me throw a tantrum?”

“What in the world is an old man throwing a tantrum? What’s that going to achieve? Are you planning to make a scene on the floor?”

“Then I will! In your residence!”

“…”

The turtle’s expression instantly soured.

On the contrary, I was impressed by Noya’s words.

‘Wow.’

The level of tantrums he throws is simply off the charts.

How could he turn threats into his usual demeanor like that?

I respect that. This is not a casual compliment; it’s genuine. That’s something worth learning from.

Thinking about that, I nodded.

‘I need to learn to do that next time.’

It was sincere.

 

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