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Chapter 7: The Colorful Forest

Crack-a-dack-!!!

In a forest bursting with colors, birds suddenly took flight, chirping loudly.

It was still a bit early for the sun to set.

A scarlet sky painted above as a bird soared high.

They were plentiful enough to fill the heavens.

And there, the master of the sky, on the ground, gazed quietly at the myriad of birds.

Rustle.

The woman’s enormous tail swayed.

At the same time, she swept her arm up.

“Hmm…?”

An unfamiliar sensation flickered in the beautiful eyes of the woman.

Something felt off.

“What is this…?”

There was an eerie feeling, something she had never experienced in her long life.

What could it possibly be?

The woman couldn’t grasp it.

Something poked her arm repeatedly.

It wasn’t purely tactile; it felt like a sensation directly to her very soul.

It was a feeling she had never felt before.

“…”

The woman stared at the sky with her curious eyes.

Where could this feeling be coming from?

She wondered if it was related to the strange sensations she had been feeling lately.

Thoughts swirled in her mind like a thick fog.

“It’s strange….”

The woman shut her eyes for a moment.

In the silence where nothing was visible, something began to bubble up.

The face of someone appeared.

Who could it be?

She thought hard, but nothing particularly came to mind.

Black hair came into view.

Someone’s hair.

Eyes were visible.

They looked slightly slanted.

It seemed to belong to a man.

He wore dark red clothing.

A form she had never seen before.

Yet somehow familiar.

Where had she seen this before to feel such nostalgia?

Still, the woman couldn’t figure it out.

Just then, the gaze of the silent man shifted toward her.

She froze as she caught sight of his burning red eyes.

His expression was blank and devoid of emotion.

But in the man’s eyes meeting hers, something began to awaken.

An emotion that hadn’t been there before began to swell, and a smile crept onto his lips.

‘…What is it?’

Without realizing it, the woman found herself stroking her chest with her hand.

It stirred. She felt a trembling vibration inside.

What is this? Why is this happening suddenly?

As she pondered her confusion, the man murmured something to her.

His lips moved, but no sound reached her.

What did he say?

The moment she squinted her eyes to see better.

‘Ah….’

Small children emerged beside the man.

Two young girls with mischievous looks.

And one boy who resembled the man but looked a bit gloomy.

And the girl the boy held in his arms.

Four in total.

The sight made the woman’s heart race even more.

Before she knew it, her feet started moving.

She wanted to approach them, but her legs moved without closing the distance.

Panicking, she reached out.

But she couldn’t touch them.

Seeing this, the man murmured something again.

What is he saying? What are these words?

The woman struggled to interpret his words, but they remained elusive.

Then, not just the man, but the boy below also mouthed words toward her.

His little mouth formed a simple phrase.

What was important was that unlike the man, she could actually read the boy’s words.

“Mom.”

“…”

The woman froze at what she had just heard.

What did he say?

Was that directed at her?

If so, why would he say such a thing?

Confused, she looked at the child.

Whoosh-!!!

“…!”

In that instant, the scene before her shifted.

Everything scattered like fog.

Once again, the scarlet sky returned, and the woman opened her eyes.

“…”

With her delicate hand, she brushed her forehead.

What had she just done?

What had she seen?

She couldn’t recall anything, which was strangely unsettling.

She had seen something, yet why couldn’t she remember it?

She was sure she had just seen something!

The woman felt embarrassed by this confusion.

It had been happening quite frequently lately.

Moments where something vaguely appeared only to vanish like a fleeting breeze, leaving her grasping for memories.

Lately, this had become too common for her.

Even if she could see something, the memory of it dissipated, leaving her uncomfortable.

‘Why?’

Why on earth was this happening?

The woman wanted to resolve this discomfort.

Where had the problem started?

What was the cause of this sudden predicament?

As she quietly pondered, one thought crossed her mind.

‘It began then.’

The day she sought the missing abyss.

That was when it started.

Since that day, she felt something had changed within her.

“…”

Crumble, crumble.

As she felt something crumble from within, the woman slowly drew in a breath.

With each breath she took, the atmosphere trembled.

It was a phenomenon that occurred because her being was akin to Mankye.

After a while, once again breathing in harmony with the air, her eyes gradually calmed.

“Indeed. I must find it.”

If that was the source of the problem, then that was likely the cause.

The encounters with the abyss.

And the sight of the baby dragons.

If that truly was the issue.

“I must capture it….”

Capture it, and dispose of it.

If they became a poison for Mankye, it was only right to remove them, and in truth, it wasn’t particularly difficult for her.

The woman’s gaze turned to the adjacent forest.

“…”

There sat a woman with brown hair and a black mask, looking weary.

The woman lifted her head at the call.

Golden eyes behind the mask twinkled.

Looking at her, the woman said.

“Child.”

“…”

At her call, Yarang met her gaze.

She looked somewhat worn out.

“My poor child.”

The woman approached her gently.

With each step she took barefoot, flowers bloomed on the dry ground.

“It seems something murky has appeared in Mankye.”

“…”

If it was something that blurred her vision, it was only right to erase it without hesitation.

In truth, the woman wondered why she was even hesitating.

So.

“Tell me what you’ve seen and heard.”

The woman said as she caressed Yarang’s mask.

*

Pitter-patter-.

Fragments scattered all around.

Dust clouded the vision, and flames flickered over the pockmarked ground.

What was peculiar was that rather than the usual red or blue flames, it was a dark and murky fire.

It looked somewhat blue, somewhat black, and maybe even ash-gray.

At first glance, the colors seemed dissimilar, but depending on how one looked, the feeling could vastly differ.

Harsh and wild.

And oddly enough, it was filled with an uncomfortable sensation.

As the woman quietly stared at the strange energy.

“…Ugh…!”

Suddenly wracked with pain, she clutched her arm.

It was her left arm, the one that had just punched out.

“Ughhh…”

The pain shot through her, causing her knees to buckle.

Her hand trembled.

It wasn’t merely a feeble strength; it felt as if her muscles had given way.

Every joint felt weak, and an immense pain surged through her.

Not just her arm.

A quick check revealed that her whole body was affected.

As if to prove that she had forced her energy to hold on, her Blood Qi was all swollen.

From the aftermath of a single sweep, her body seemed to be falling apart.

“Wow…”

The pain was astounding to the point of admiring it.

What happened to the bet? Upon checking her heart, a bitter laugh escaped her lips.

“Crazy.”

Almost seventy percent was gone.

It was way more than previous times.

Yet, just using it once consumed seventy percent!

I had to have wasted more than half of it trying to maintain it.

Even with that said, the amount spent was absurd.

Her arm wouldn’t even lift.

Rather than an issue with the joints, it was better described as a total loss of strength, rendering it useless.

“Haha…”

She let out a laugh.

Did it really have to be like this for just one use?

It was almost worse than the first time she used Flame Jade.

In fact, it was even more severe than during her training with the Flame Jade Sacred Spear.

Why does it feel like every time I attempt something, my body falls apart?

It was indeed amusing, yet.

“Still.”

She muttered, grinning as she faced forward.

“It isn’t bad.”

Even though her body was wrecked, the results seemed satisfactory.

Moreover.

“I was right.”

The plan to combine two martial arts and weave them into one through sorcery.

When she accomplished that, it felt like something significant was about to emerge.

Look!

“I’ve created something unimaginable!”

The front stretched out into what could only be described as hell.

Even she found it ridiculous what she had conjured.

Though Noya’s Hwasan Sect may not be broader than the volcanoes of Central Plains, it certainly shouldn’t collapse with just a single punch.

The force that she unleashed was truly overwhelming.

Thanks to Noya blocking ahead, it was at this level.

If he hadn’t, who knows how far it could have spread?

That’s why it is so.

Also, the reason why Shin Noya stared at her in disbelief.

“…Little brat.”

Her martial robe was torn and tattered.

Her hair was slightly tangled, and her eyes were as wide as saucers.

On top of that.

“What the heck did you create?”

Even the sword she held in her hand.

She liked all of it.

“…What do you think?”

She asked with a grin.

“It’s not bad for a fire-dragon, considering…”

She stumbled mid-sentence.

As her body began to slump, it felt like she was about to fall straight to the ground.

Thud.

Someone caught her, lifting her with ease.

The gentle strands of hair brushed past her as a soft, pleasant fragrance brushed against her nostrils.

Who is it?

In her fading consciousness, she recognized the familiar features before her.

She couldn’t spit out a word.

She lost consciousness just like that.

Unable to say a word, Gu Yangcheong lost consciousness. He lay lifelessly as if all energy had drained from him.

The woman watching over him gently held him up.

She was the one Gu Yangcheong had referred to as the Heavenly Demon.

“…”

The Heavenly Demon continued to gaze at the unconscious Gu Yangcheong.

Her eyes seemed to inspect him carefully, as if checking for any injuries.

Whether she found any issues or not, she eventually nodded slightly.

Just when she was about to make her move.

“After all, instead of resting, you’re causing trouble.”

With a soft pat of his body, Shin Cheol remarked, and the Heavenly Demon turned to him.

“If your body is hurt, you should rest. Why come here to tend to that brat?”

“…”

The Heavenly Demon silently regarded Shin Cheol’s words.

“…What is it?”

Shin Cheol tilted his head at her gaze.

“Are you trying to provoke me just for that?”

“…”

“I get it. I was hit too. Tsk tsk. You show no respect for the elderly.”

The way she hadn’t even hit hard.

It was tempting to let loose on him instead.

Shin Cheol felt wronged.

“It was all intentional. No blame will…”

“Are you alright?”

“Hmm?”

At the Heavenly Demon’s words, Shin Cheol narrowed his eyes.

“Wait, are you asking if I’m fine?”

“What’s this?”

Could it be that she was genuinely concerned? Shin Cheol chuckled.

“Who’s worrying about whom here? Child, worry about the one you’re carrying on your back.”

“You’re the one who’s in worse shape.”

“Maybe my vision is a bit off.”

What on earth is she seeing?

Shin Cheol shrugged off.

“It hurts a lot, doesn’t it?”

“…”

At the Heavenly Demon’s insistence, Shin Cheol momentarily silenced himself.

Simultaneously, his expression took on a more serious tone.

The Heavenly Demon was convinced that he understood something.

“Don’t say anything to that brat.”

At those words, the Heavenly Demon tilted her head.

“Why?”

“It would do him no good to find out.”

“…”

“Underneath that exterior, he’s a lot more fragile. So don’t let him know.”

“…”

“Did you understand?”

At Shin Cheol’s words, the Heavenly Demon finally nodded.

That was sufficient. The moment he thought so.

“Then what about you?”

“What?”

“Aren’t you fragile?”

In response to the Heavenly Demon’s question, Shin Cheol chuckled lowly.

“Who knows?”

Perhaps there was a time when that was true.

But.

“Even if it’s true now, it shouldn’t be. So, just stay quiet.”

After these words, the Heavenly Demon stared at him for a moment, then replied.

“Got it.”

With that, she vanished into the distance, carrying Gu Yangcheong with her.

Left alone, Shin Cheol quietly stared at his remaining hand, the one without the sword.

“…”

The dry fingertips appeared slightly blurry.

He briefly clenched his fist and opened it again.

And just like that, his hand returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened.

 

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