Chapter 268: Winter Day Comes. (2)

When Namgung Jin opened his eyes.

It was around the time the sun was starting to set.

Recalling that it was morning when I first arrived, I could gauge how much time had passed.

Because this crazy bastard ate up all the time and I was spacing out all day, I had to lose time too.

Ah, I really should have just abandoned him and left.

‘Why did this kid have to show up now.’

Namgung Bi-ah, who was crouching beside him and watching Namgung Jin.

She showed up just as I was thinking I should abandon him.

And now I couldn’t go anywhere.

To be precise, this wouldn’t have been an issue if I hadn’t made such a fuss about acting as his guardian there.

It’s always this damn mouth of mine that’s the problem.

As the sunset grew deeper.

“Ha….”

Namgung Jin, lost in enlightenment, snaps back to reality.

The subtle energy felt in his eyes was faint yet distinct.

‘It’s deepened.’

As a martial artist who had reached the Hwa-gyeong realm, he must have long surpassed the level where a single moment of enlightenment could shatter everything and propel him upwards.

The feeling Namgung Jin must be experiencing now.

Is likely nothing more than comfort.

Though I don’t know how profound that feeling is for him.

Watching Namgung Jin, who remained blank-faced.

Namgung Jin soon closed his eyes and bowed his head towards me.

“…Gomapso…”

It was a statement filled with considerable sincerity.

Was he not even noticing Namgung Bi-ah beside him?

Or perhaps, he was too immersed in his enlightenment to pay attention.

“…Yes, well. Congratulations.”

That was all I could say.

Honestly, it was pure luck.

I had merely used words I heard from the Sword Demon Marquis in my past life.

In the end, I achieved what I wanted.

And thanks to that, I gained the justification I needed to leave.

‘Is this enough?’

I knew it wasn’t a complete solution.

The Namgung family’s sword techniques, which had become impractical and half-baked.

It wasn’t like Namgung Jin’s enlightenment would bring them back just because of a few words from me, or from Old Man Shin.

It didn’t make sense that the truth of swordsmanship, lost over centuries, could be regained so easily.

‘…Of course.’

Glance.

If I glanced at Namgung Bi-ah beside me, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

I didn’t know what methods or events had occurred, but…

The sword I saw from the Sword Demon Marquis seemed like the sword that had touched the truth Namgung Jin was seeking.

Looking at her, I spoke to Namgung Jin.

“…Just don’t forget the promise, please.”

Hearing this, Namgung Jin.

Seemed to finally notice Namgung Bi-ah beside him, his eyes widening slightly in surprise, but…

He soon nodded.

The promise.

At the very least, it was to tell Namgung Bi-ah about what you’ve realized.

It was one of the conditions I had set for Namgung Jin.

“…Algesso.”

Only after hearing Namgung Jin’s reply did I turn my body.

Regardless, it seemed to have worked out well, which was a relief, but…

Throb.

‘Tsk.’

Feeling the throbbing pain in my dantian moment by moment, I clicked my tongue inwardly.

It seemed like it would take longer than expected for my depleted energy to recover.

‘To be precise.’

Perhaps ‘lost energy’ would be a better term.

This was because I had used far too much of it to turn Namgung Cheon-jun into a demonized one.

I looked back and asked Namgung Jin.

“You intend to wield your sword further, don’t you, Family Head?”

“…It seems so.”

To my question, Namgung Jin affirmed.

Of course.

It’s only now that he’s barely managed his enlightenment.

He must want to swing his sword right away and see the difference.

“Then I shall take my leave first.”

I walked straight outside.

As expected, the sky was already bathed in sunset.

It meant a tremendous amount of time had been consumed.

‘Ah, right.’

Come to think of it, before Namgung Jin dragged me out.

I belatedly realized I had told Namgung Cheon-jun something.

‘Does it matter?’

It wasn’t important, so it probably doesn’t matter.

I started walking.

Meanwhile, Namgung Bi-ah still seemed to be following me, having left the training ground, but…

Her gaze was still fixed behind her.

Seeing that, I asked.

“What’s wrong?”

Perhaps she was concerned about her father’s enlightenment?

‘Come to think of it, she isn’t asking anything.’

Given the circumstances, she should be able to tell that Namgung Jin reached enlightenment with my help.

Yet Namgung Bi-ah didn’t ask why things turned out this way.

She looked as if it wasn’t particularly important.

To my question, Namgung Bi-ah shook her head.

“No…. It’s nothing…”

With that, Namgung Bi-ah resumed walking alongside me, but…

Her gaze was still fixed in the direction where Namgung Jin was.

After that, I returned to my quarters.

I told Namgung Bi-ah to go back midway, and then returned to my quarters.

Normally, I should have been training, but…

My energy hadn’t recovered yet, making training rather strenuous.

‘How long will it take?’

It didn’t seem like it would take too long to recover my energy, but…

Even if it took a few days, energy depletion was a very serious matter for a martial artist.

It meant that if anything happened, I wouldn’t be able to move properly.

Given that I was at the Namgung family’s estate, it wasn’t likely that anything major would occur, but…

[…Gureureureung…]

The one whining inside me from earlier was the problem.

It seemed to be muttering about being hungry.

‘I’m already overwhelmed, so don’t rush me.’

Even so, there was no immediate solution.

I couldn’t just go somewhere to obtain magic stones, nor could I…

Suddenly sneak out and hunt monsters.

With the prestigious Namgung family guarding this place.

At the very least, you wouldn’t even see a monster’s hair nearby, so to hunt monsters, I’d have to go quite far.

‘So just bear with me for a few days. Once I can go out, I’ll feed you right away.’

[Geureung….]

Ignoring the thing making pitiful noises.

I entered my quarters.

As soon as I entered, Hong Wa approached and asked if I wanted to eat, but…

I said I’d eat later.

“You didn’t go into the room, did you?”

“Ah, yes. I didn’t go in, just as you said.”

“Good.”

After confirming, I sent Hong Wa away and entered the room.

Woong.

The moment I stepped inside, I cast a barrier around the room.

As I tried to draw upon my scarce internal energy, my dantian screamed again, but…

There was no other choice.

“Kkeueup…euk.”

As soon as I entered the room, I saw a bizarre figure groaning.

He was receiving punishment, head buried in the ground, drenched in sweat.

The identity of this monstrous figure was none other than Namgung Cheon-jun.

Seeing him, I gave an awkward smile.

“Sorry, I forgot.”

“…Kkeueuk…You… You damn…”

Clap.

When I lightly clapped my hands, Namgung Cheon-jun finally released his posture and collapsed with a thud.

I approached the exhausted figure groaning on the floor.

“How was I supposed to know your father would suddenly appear and drag me away?”

“Huk… huk.”

Because Namgung Jin had shown up since morning, Namgung Cheon-jun had been kicked out of the quarters, but…

Right before he left, I had given him an order.

‘Don’t go anywhere, just go to my room and bang your head on the floor.’

Because I had said that, Namgung Cheon-jun was actually doing this in my room.

‘This feels kind of wrong?’

Even though I ordered it, thinking about him sweating profusely and banging his head in someone else’s room…

I felt inexplicably bothered.

Bbaak-!

I kicked Namgung Cheon-jun’s shin with my foot.

“Kkeuak!”

“Sorry, I was just feeling a bit off.”

“…You… bastard…”

“Your tone hasn’t died yet. Want to bang your head some more?”

“…”

At my words, Namgung Cheon-jun shut his mouth tight.

Seeing that, I chuckled.

“If you’ve rested, get up already.”

“…Ah, not even half an hour has passed. Eugeuk!”

Even though he protested, Namgung Cheon-jun’s exhausted body had to get up.

Watching him, I said with a grin.

“Let’s run some experiments while we’re at it.”

“…”

At my words, spoken with a hint of excitement.

Namgung Cheon-jun’s face soured.

******************

Though I called it an experiment, I didn’t do much.

Whether Namgung Cheon-jun had truly become demonized.

What consequences arose from it.

How much control I possessed, etc.

I conducted a light experiment.

‘His physical abilities have increased.’

They were slightly higher than the physical capabilities Namgung Cheon-jun originally possessed.

It might be because his body was already steeped in blood energy, but…

For now, it’s more accurate to attribute it to the effects of demonic energy.

‘And I need to check the side effects of the energy too.’

The side effect of demonic energy is madness.

In exchange for gaining power and strength exceeding his original level.

One gradually becomes steeped in madness.

Of course, once one surpasses a certain level, they can escape it, but…

At the very least, one must exceed the Hwa-gyeong realm.

Then what about blood energy?

What are the side effects of blood energy?

All abilities involve a give and take.

Internal energy and realm advancement require effort and time; demonic energy affects the mind.

Then what is blood energy?

‘The overwhelming fatigue and intense pain after use.’

When I saw the recoil, like cracks forming in the dantian and body.

The side effects of blood energy…

‘The depletion of innate vital energy.’

In my view, it would be that.

If it wasn’t a mental issue, it must have taken something more fundamental.

Innate vital energy, the fundamental energy of a human.

This is energy that cannot be increased through ordinary effort.

‘It’s not energy that decreases permanently just because you use it, but….’

Like any energy, it does recover if used moderately, but…

As it is the source of human life, it cannot be used recklessly.

Moreover, a martial artist with a crude cultivation level couldn’t use it at all, to begin with.

‘If blood energy uses this as its side effect…’

Then it truly means using one’s life as collateral.

That’s why blood energy can possess greater power.

“So this crazy bastard put it into his body?”

I nudged the guy lying unconscious on the floor with my toe.

It was Namgung Cheon-jun.

“Tsk.”

After rolling him around for a few experiments, he eventually lost consciousness and collapsed, but…

Thanks to that, I was able to find out quite a bit.

Firstly, Namgung Cheon-jun became able to use demonic energy.

‘It directly affects the brain energy.’

I could see that faint traces of demonic energy had begun to emanate from him.

Its intensity and range had increased. However, the color was noticeable.

Anyone could see it wasn’t normal energy.

The fortunate thing was that he could also choose not to use it.

This means…

‘He can control it himself.’

Namgung Cheon-jun looked at the demonic energy he had used, following my words.

His expression was filled with admiration.

He himself seemed to know how much stronger his brain energy had become.

Of course.

I had explicitly forbidden him from using it, so he wouldn’t be able to use it going forward.

It’s not power that can be used carelessly anywhere.

This clueless bastard seems unaware of that, though.

‘The compulsion….’

Following and obeying orders.

Or doing what one wants.

I wondered how effective this was too.

When I commanded Namgung Cheon-jun to kill himself, upon hearing the order, he unhesitatingly tried to end his own life.

Judging by his expression, it didn’t seem like his own will, though.

‘He does listen.’

It was enough to know this.

If I hadn’t stopped him at that moment, he probably would have truly died.

The compulsion was certain.

And what made all of this possible was undoubtedly…

The expenditure of demonic energy.

It was the expenditure of my demonic energy, which had latched onto Namgung Cheon-jun’s body.

Making him obey.

Strengthening Namgung Cheon-jun’s power.

All of this was because it was secured against my power.

‘Seeing the demonic energy rapidly drain the moment I ordered him to die, it seems the intensity varies.’

The demonic energy is consumed the moment the order is carried out.

The same applied the moment Namgung Cheon-jun tried to use demonic energy himself.

“This sucks.”

This was my thought as I confirmed various things.

It’s truly pathetic.

I didn’t want to know this.

I never thought I would find out.

Looking at the unconscious Namgung Cheon-jun, I couldn’t help but click my tongue repeatedly.

Even if he seemed like an idiot, Namgung Cheon-jun was also a peak master, so…

It took considerable energy to pierce the relatively solid dantian and inject demonic energy to corrupt him into a demonized one.

Seeing this, I suspect it might be impossible to corrupt someone whose cultivation level is higher than mine.

Would the side effect of being engulfed in madness, which I saw in my past life, be the same?

I couldn’t know that much yet.

What’s important is…

Ultimately, no matter what, Namgung Cheon-jun became a demonized one, and is continuing to become one.

And I gained the ability to create such situations.

‘…’

So I became curious.

Whether the Heavenly Demon of my past life was no different from this.

And…

What did they expect from me?

Why did they entrust these powers to me?

I wanted to ask anyone.

‘To find out.’

Asking the beast would be pointless; it would just grunt and couldn’t answer.

And trying to find the Heavenly Demon? I wouldn’t even know where to look.

Therefore…

I had to go to someone I could find and ask right now.

Fortunately…

Someone came to mind.

Someone I thought might know about this situation, even partially.

I encountered him in my past life.

A meeting that allowed me to maintain my life, yet drove it close to ruin.

The giant ancient tree that called itself the World Tree.

I had to find that tree, which was likely still trapped in the false demonic mirror, waiting for someone.

Because that guy probably knows.

‘To do that.’

First, I had to head there.

I needed to find a way to open the demonic mirror leading there as soon as possible.

Fortunately…

I knew someone who could do this.

‘I don’t know where he is right now, but….’

I will meet him.

If my predictions are correct, he’ll be entering the Dragon God Pavilion, so…

I should be able to meet him if I go there.

This means…

I had one more reason to enter the Dragon God Pavilion.