Chapter 530: The Primordial Monster.

What did this crazy old geezer just say?

‘Stroke me?’

I felt so disgusted I had to dig my ears out right away.

I wanted to believe I’d misheard, but…

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who heard that, because Goeseon’s expression was a complete mess.

I could tell just by looking at his expression.

That guy was thinking the exact same thing as me.

And then, sure enough.

“Old man… are you insane?”

He blurted out the very words I wanted to say. I felt a little bit relieved.

Of course, that didn’t mean I could understand what was going on.

‘Stroke me? Has he really lost his mind?’

I heard he was a lingering attachment left behind by Namgung Myung, remaining as some sort of residual thought. I suspected he might have gone crazy after hundreds of years had passed.

[…Myung-a…. Myung…]

Meanwhile, Sin Noya’s pitiful voice grating on me.

‘…Noya, your friend isn’t dead yet and is over there… No, he is dead, but he’s over there.’

He spoke as if he missed him, so I told him he was right in front of us, but…

[Hoho, what nonsense are you spouting, kiddo? Where on earth do you claim Myung is?]

‘He’s over…’

[Did you mistake him for that perverted freak? Hahaha. As if that would happen.]

‘…’

I see.

Sin Noya was currently ignoring reality.

Although he insists it isn’t Namgung Myung, it’s the embodiment of his lingering attachment, so in a way, it was Namgung Myung.

It seemed Sin Noya had started believing it wasn’t even that.

‘…Hmm.’

Honestly, I didn’t want to believe it either, but what could I do when I’d already heard it?

[…Please…]

Namgung Myung pitifully kept talking to me.

Why the hell is he acting like this?

‘Fuck… How am I supposed to describe this?’

I didn’t know how to explain this seething feeling.

At least, what was certain was that it wasn’t a good feeling.

To think I’d have to endure this kind of thing (?) from a dead person, of all things.

Barely suppressing the goosebumps prickling my spine, I asked Namgung Myung.

“…Why are you acting like this? Perhaps…”

“Have you lost your mind?” I suppressed the words trying to burst out and said something else instead.

“Are you unwell…?”

Can lingering thoughts contained within a fiend feel pain?

I didn’t know about that, but at least I could tell Namgung Myung was in a strange state.

How could anyone think this was normal after seeing this?

[Ahaeya…! Please…!]

‘Why is he really acting like this?’

It was bordering on terrifying.

It would be flustering enough if a woman were doing it, but here’s this decrepit old dead man clamoring to be touched.

“Ah, really, why are you acting like this?”

I unconsciously took a step back. Why is he really acting like this?

As I created distance with a look of disgust, Namgung Bi-ah, who was beside me, looked at me strangely and asked.

“…Why… are you acting like that…?”

“Why? This old man right now…”

Just as I was about to bring up Namgung Myung, I noticed something strange in Namgung Bi-ah’s expression.

“You…”

“…”?

“By any chance, can’t you hear anything?”

To my question, Namgung Bi-ah tilted her head quizzically.

You can’t hear Namgung Myung’s voice?

‘…After grabbing the Noe-a and even using it?’

She hadn’t just been holding the Noe-a right up until moments ago; she’d even managed to draw out the sword spirit properly.

And yet, you can’t hear Namgung Myung’s voice?

‘What kind of situation is this?’

Just as I was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected situation, Namgung Myung spoke to me in a thoroughly exhausted voice.

[…That descendant child may have been recognized by the Noe-a, but she hasn’t been recognized by me.]

“What does that mean now…?”

Recognized by the Noe-a, but…

Not recognized by Namgung Myung?

Weren’t they the same thing?

[Even if the Noe-a took a liking to that child, she simply won’t hear my voice unless I allow it.]

Does this mean she can use the Noe-a even if Namgung Myung doesn’t approve?

‘Then isn’t that actually good news?’

Seeing this old man’s personality, I thought maybe it was better that Namgung Bi-ah couldn’t hear his voice, but…

‘…Sssip.’

Ultimately, for Namgung Bi-ah to grow stronger, Namgung Myung’s power was also necessary.

Even if Goeseon eventually obtained the sword from Namgung Myung and said he’d teach Namgung Bi-ah.

‘It would be better for Namgung Myung to teach her directly.’

No matter how much she learned the Namgung family’s true sword techniques, Goeseon was from the Mu clan.

It wouldn’t be as good as Namgung Myung himself bestowing it upon Namgung Bi-ah, rather than just mastering sword techniques and teaching them.

That’s why it was even more questionable.

“…Why aren’t you approving her?”

Isn’t someone like Namgung Bi-ah more than qualified?

She wasn’t lacking in talent, nor had she abandoned the Namgung family like Goeseon.

She’d be more suitable than anyone to learn the sword.

Why wouldn’t he approve of Namgung Bi-ah?

When I asked Namgung Myung about it, he answered me like this.

[…Why should I have to tell you?]

Hoho.

‘Well, look at this old geezer?’

Is he trying to maintain his pride now?

Seeing Namgung Myung like that, my lips felt like they curved upwards automatically.

Not bad.

It was always thrilling when people acted like this after being caught with a weakness.

“It seems you need something from me. Is it really okay to act like this?”

[…]

If you handed over an opportunity to exploit yourself, there’s nothing easier to handle.

Begging to be caught was annoying in many ways, but if you desired it that desperately, you shouldn’t have come to me like this.

Furthermore.

‘I need to know why you want it, too.’

I had to know why Namgung Myung was acting like that.

I needed to know the cause.

And whether or not there was anything that could harm me by grasping it.

[…This guy…]

Perhaps realizing anew that his weakness had been caught, Namgung Myung reacted belatedly, but it was already too late.

“If you’re not going to say it, you don’t have to.”

But instead, I won’t do what you want.

My words clearly conveyed that.

[…Grind.]

I could hear the sound of Namgung Myung grinding his teeth.

Seeing that, I could tell…

‘He must be really desperate.’

Seeing that he hadn’t quit despite suffering this indignity, he must have been incredibly desperate.

Why on earth was he so out of his mind?

‘Did I do something?’

I couldn’t remember.

All I did was briefly use the Noe-a earlier today.

As a backlash from that, my body had been wrecked.

And its aftereffects still remained even now.

In such a state, grasping the Noe-a again would be quite a chilling prospect.

Therefore, I didn’t want to grasp the Noe-a if I could help it.

Given the situation, it meant there was no reason for me to cooperate with Namgung Myung.

In other words.

‘Give me a reason. That’s what this is.’

Just when I wondered if that prideful-looking fellow would do it.

[…That child’s sword is not for herself.]

Surprisingly, Namgung Myung began explaining the reason, seemingly cooperating with me.

“What does that mean?”

A sword not for oneself?

[As soon as that child grasped the Noe-a, I could feel where the path she wanted to take was heading.]

Is this about when Namgung Bi-ah grasped and used the Noe-a?

[Her conviction was so upright. The Noe-a reacted to it, but I did not.]

Namgung Myung’s voice, which had seemed exhausted until just moments ago, was somehow full of fervor.

I could feel various emotions swirling within it.

[Because I know what the end of a sword for others entails, I don’t want to give power to a child who wants to take that path.]

[You bastard…!]

‘…Noya. Just a moment.’

As Sin Noya seemed about to retort angrily at Namgung Myung’s words, I stopped him inwardly.

A sword for others.

What Namgung Myung was talking about was ultimately a lament directed at himself, who had lived for the world.

‘Or rather, is it a lament from the lingering attachment Namgung Myung left behind?’

I doubt it’s much different, but it’s probably similar.

Setting aside how Namgung Myung’s true self disappeared leaving such an attachment.

I seemed to roughly understand the reason Namgung Myung didn’t approve of Namgung Bi-ah.

A sword not for oneself, but for others.

If Namgung Bi-ah intends to cultivate such a sword.

A sword for whom?

I already knew the answer.

‘Me.’

Given that she said she’d go to the Northern Sea to protect me, even an idiot like me couldn’t fail to know who that sword was for.

If that was a problem in Namgung Myung’s eyes.

“So what about it?”

[…What?]

It’s not my business, but…

I’d like to stop Namgung Bi-ah from stepping up to protect me, but…

If it causes the situation to become like this, it’s just annoying from my perspective.

“So you’re throwing a tantrum because you don’t like the fact that this kid has a good heart, right?”

[Why speak like that…]

“Well, fuck, isn’t that right?”

My words might be rough, but they aren’t wrong.

As I spoke a bit pushily, slightly angered, Namgung Bi-ah’s eyes beside me widened.

I tried to hold back as much as possible since she was beside me.

You’re really provoking me.

“An ancestor like you, acting like this, is worse than some snot-nosed kid.”

[This guy…!]

Seeing Sin Noya continuously lamenting Namgung Myung’s current state.

The real Namgung Myung doesn’t seem to have been like this, so I don’t know why this one is.

‘Is it because of the lingering attachment?’

He himself said it was a lingering attachment he left behind.

Maybe he just bundled up all the ugly emotions and left them.

If that’s what he had to do to endure the years, I could understand.

Of course.

‘I have no intention of experiencing that shit.’

There are plenty of senile old men around me.

I already have a headache, and dealing with someone like this is just bothersome.

I intended to find out why he was acting like this before leaving.

But it seems easier to just leave.

I said to Namgung Myung, who was trembling violently, perhaps from anger.

“You said you needed me, didn’t you?”

[…Yes…]

I don’t know why you need me, but if you’re that desperate.

“Then promise me you’ll teach her properly. Then I’ll hold you.”

I need to get something in return, too.

[You bastard…!]

At my threat, Namgung Myung’s voice deepened.

Did he not expect me to latch onto this? Well, it’s fine if he knows now.

[You mean you’d resort to threats?]

Haha.

I burst out laughing at Namgung Myung’s words.

“This old man is quite amusing.”

Well, since he hasn’t seen me for a long time, I suppose he can say things like this.

[What’s so amusing…]

“Then what else do you think this is, if not blackmail?”

[…]

“If you think about it more broadly, it’s closer to a transaction than blackmail. It’s good if we give and take, isn’t it?”

Since I’ll do what you want me to do, grant what I want.

Is this difficult?

In my opinion, it’s not that difficult.

While barely smoothing out my forehead that was trying to furrow, I said to Namgung Myung.

“So, just answer whether you will or not. I’m sleepy and want to go to sleep.”

[…Grind.]

Namgung Myung kept grinding his teeth at my words, but…

Watching Namgung Myung’s reaction, I could already predict what answer he would give.

If there’s one thing bothering me.

‘It’s that I pushed it a bit because I got slightly angry.’

This wasn’t so much feeling sorry for Namgung Myung.

As feeling sorry for Sin Noya.

Even so, treating Sin Noya’s friend like this…

[Friend? Who are you talking about?]

Ah, he’s already become a stranger.

Sin Noya’s reaction, as if he truly didn’t know, made even my guilt disappear.

Good.

Goeseon was looking at the Noe-a with an indescribable expression.

Namgung Bi-ah, not knowing what was happening, was just looking around cluelessly.

Amidst all that, I was waiting to hear Namgung Myung’s answer.

After a few seconds passed.

[…I will teach…]

Namgung Myung’s answer came.

“What was that? Senior. I can’t hear you well.”

[I’ll teach the sword to that child too, so catch me now.]

“I’m telling you, I can’t hear you.”

[When I’m saying this, how can you say you can’t hear!]

Namgung Myung shouted angrily at my words, but…

I actually couldn’t hear.

“She can’t hear it either.”

[…!]

It’s not me; Namgung Bi-ah still can’t hear, can she?

I had to make sure about things like this.

[Groan…]

Whether he understood the meaning of my words, Namgung Myung let out a short groan, then spoke again.

[…Can you hear me?]

“…!”

Only then did Namgung Bi-ah also seem to sense something and show a reaction.

Her surprised eyes looked somewhat cute.

[Now it’s done…]

As soon as I heard Namgung Myung’s words, I took the Noe-a back from Goeseon.

It’s because I wanted him to do it quickly if he was going to.

Then.

Wuuung-!

I felt my energy being absorbed through the Noe-a held in my hand.

[Hoh…!]

Immediately, Namgung Myung gasped as if expressing admiration.

The sound felt quite disgusting, and I wanted to throw it away immediately, but…

I had to endure it for now.

‘…He asked to be caught, but did he intend to consume my energy?’

My energy was draining considerably.

It was because the amount he was consuming bit by bit was large.

[Huuuuh!]

“…Ugh. Fuck.”

The sound of a decrepit old man groaning.

It’s utterly disgusting.

As my energy being drained gradually decreased.

“Why are you really acting like this?”

I asked Namgung Myung, not hiding my contemptuous expression.

Why he was acting like this.

Perhaps because he gained some energy.

Whether he had barely regained his senses, Namgung Myung’s voice had returned somewhat.

[…It’s because you put energy into the Noe-a.]

I nodded slightly at Namgung Myung’s words.

As expected, it seemed correct that it was because I used the Noe-a earlier, but…

‘Why?’

What connection could there be between me putting energy into it and Namgung Myung reacting like this?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find much connection.

“Why you’re reacting like that, do you know the cause?”

[I know. I just didn’t expect to experience this myself.]

Fortunately, Namgung Myung seemed to know the reason.

For now, I returned the Noe-a to Goeseon, holding it as if disgusted.

Goeseon’s expression upon receiving it back didn’t look particularly pleased either.

Perhaps it was because he saw too much of his ancestor’s ugly behavior.

If my ancestor acted like that, I’d probably lose a lot of affection for them too.

Namgung Myung, panting heavily, seemed to have barely calmed down and spoke to me.

[Regarding reacting like this, I also have an idea.]

“It seems a bit late to start speaking normally now, but…”

[I have one thing I want to ask. Ahaeya.]

He made a cool and taciturn voice, somehow like when I first saw him, so I tried to provoke him once, but…

It seemed he intended to ignore my words.

This didn’t matter much, so just as I was about to brush it off with a laugh.

[You… What is your relationship with the Blood Demon?]

Namgung Myung’s words made me knit my brows deeply.