Chapter 907: So in the end.

Slap-! Smack-!

“Hey. Hey, snap out of it.”

I grabbed Gu Bong, who had lost consciousness, and slapped his cheek. I felt like I’d already hit him ten times, but the guy still wasn’t moving.

“Agh. So annoying.”

Maybe I hit him a little(?) too hard, because he was in really bad shape.

Fortunately, he was breathing shallowly and his heart was beating, so he wasn’t dead.

What’s more, he was regenerating.

His face was pretty messed up, but at this rate, he looked like he’d recover quickly.

The problem was.

“Hey, get up already.”

This guy just wouldn’t regain consciousness.

“Hmph, acting all high and mighty, so why can’t you wake up?”

Smack-!

I slapped him again, but the guy remained perfectly still.

“Agh, fuck…. Usually, they wake up after this.”

What should I do? If slapping doesn’t work, should I try forcing some ki into him to wake him up?

‘That might be a bit risky.’

Normally, that’s the easiest method, but not right now. He took so much damage that if I messed up even slightly, his ki and blood flow could get all jumbled.

So, for now, it meant I had no choice but to wait for him to wake up.

“But if someone sees this, my position could get awkward…”

“What are you doing?”

“…”

Still holding the guy by the collar, I turned my gaze.

Shin Noya had approached beside me unnoticed and was staring at me.

“Haaah…”

At the sound of his deep sigh, I awkwardly swallowed dryly.

---

I came into the room.

As I sat obediently at the desk, the same fragrant scent from before wafted over.

The plum tea I drank right before. It seemed to be that scent.

Sure enough, a cup of tea was placed right in front of me with a thud.

It was the tea Shin Noya brought.

I stared quietly at the tea. Shin Noya, sitting opposite me, spoke directly to me.

“How could you cause trouble in the short time I wasn’t looking?”

Hearing that, I wrinkled my face slightly.

“He started the trouble.”

“Yes, that’s likely. Even if you have a foul temper, you don’t usually strike first, so Gu Bong must have done something first.”

“But…”

“Even so, what were you thinking, turning the kid into… that?”

“…”

I scratched my cheek sheepishly. He wasn’t wrong.

“You weren’t trying to kill him, were you? What did you do?”

“…Well, uh… I initially intended to go easy on him.”

The problem was probably my first blow.

“…When I hit him.”

“When you hit him?”

“He was tougher than I expected. And his regeneration was fast too.”

“…So?”

“So, uh…”

Ahem. I coughed lightly, avoiding his gaze as I continued.

“…I was already annoyed, so I figured he was fair game.”

“You used him as a punching bag for your anger?”

“How about saying I just put a little more sincerity into the sparring match?”

“You took your anger out on him, didn’t you?”

“…”

“Are you out of your damn mind?”

Noya shot back at me in an incredulous tone. Hearing that, I couldn’t help but frown and retort.

“No, why did you just disappear out of the blue? If you had been here, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Look at this guy? Why are you blaming me? You’re the one who caused all the shit.”

“I’m saying we both share some blame.”

“…You’re not only crazy, but you’re also shameless.”

Noya looked at me as if I disgusted him. His face was filled with utter contempt.

Of course, I felt the same way.

“…Anyway.”

I forced myself to maintain my expression and asked Noya.

“Is that guy going to be okay…?”

When I asked about Gu Bong, Noya clicked his tongue briefly.

“Why? Are you worried now that you’ve beaten him up?”

“It’s not quite like that. Still, he’s one of your people.”

“Don’t worry. You can probably feel it, but he’s a very sturdy fellow, so he should regain consciousness by tomorrow at the latest. Thanks to your peculiar consideration, none of the vital points were hit, so there shouldn’t be any serious physical issues.”

“That’s a relief.”

Noya stared at me at my words. His rosy gaze was quite burdensome. And I knew exactly what that look meant.

“Listen, kid, like I said before.”

“Yes. Don’t worry. Beating him up once took care of any ill feelings.”

“…”

Don’t hate Gu Bong too much. That must be what Shin Noya wanted.

Sensing the subtle wish so clearly, it seemed he cared quite a bit for that Gu Bong fellow.

“Please tell him I said sorry later, too.”

I wouldn’t ask why.

It was pretty obvious.

‘He said it was 150 years.’

The time Noya had spent in this place where time was distorted.

Considering the time he spent with me was barely four or five years, the time Noya must have spent with others would be vastly different.

Furthermore, the fact that this place bore the name Hwasan Sect…

‘It means Noya’s affection.’

Because the value of what he felt and cherished was different, I respected his intentions too.

Jealousy? Don’t make me laugh. I didn’t feel anything like that.

Right now, rather than such feelings, it was time to confirm the matters before me.

“So, what exactly is that guy?”

I asked about Gu Bong.

It wasn’t the usual concern about his well-being, but literally, what kind of guy he was.

“Like that calf I met last time. He seemed connected to something at night. Is that right?”

I remembered how that Gu Bong guy transformed as soon as night fell.

While his human form had slight beastly characteristics, his transformed state was completely different.

‘Almost beast-like.’

Plus, his strength and speed increased. I was so taken aback that I just smashed him, but that also meant he had become strong enough that I couldn’t keep a close watch on him.

“Hmm.”

At my question, Noya paused to take a breath.

“Do you remember what I said during the day?”

“Yes.”

Even though I tried to forget, it was too intense to erase.

“Then, do you also remember about the Yawal?”

“I remember.”

One of the conditions for coming to Manggye.

To belong to the Yawal, just like the original inhabitants of this place and the masters of Manggye.

That was the condition.

“Gu Bong is precisely that Yawal.”

I didn’t show much reaction to Noya’s words.

Since the condition was that one must belong to the Yawal to come to Manggye, I figured that was only natural.

“And among them, a pureblood.”

Pureblood. My ears perked up at the word.

“What’s different about that…?”

Does it mean those who came from elsewhere and became Yawal are different from those born here in the first place?

“They aren’t vastly different, but there are distinctions.”

“What kind of distinctions?”

“Purebloods gain extremely high regeneration and strength when night falls. They’re already quite high, but their level changes drastically at night.”

“Hmm.”

That made sense.

‘His regeneration was indeed incredible.’

It was amazing how he regenerated his arm instantly even after it was shattered. Does it mean it’s even better at night?

I wanted to confirm it, but unfortunately, I smashed him before I could see.

“Ah. So that calf guy too…?”

I wondered if that leader fellow also couldn’t die because of that.

“No.”

Noya shook his head firmly.

“He isn’t a pureblood, so he doesn’t have that kind of power. That was purely a bestowed authority from Manggye.”

“…Authority?”

“Yes, that’s the biggest difference between the purebloods I mentioned and the others. They don’t have these traits even when night falls. However.”

Gulp gulp.

Noya refilled his empty cup with plum tea. A richer aroma than before spread out.

“They have bestowed authority… they can use it until the sun rises.”

“So that guy…”

“I believe I called it immortality. That’s his power.”

“…”

Immortality. It was a simple and clear explanation.

“Yawal…”

Those who grow stronger on nights when the moon rises.

The name couldn’t be more literal.

Recalling Gu Bong’s ears and tail, I also took a sip of tea.

That appearance resembled the form my mother possessed.

“…”

My mother?

As soon as I thought of her, my mind became complicated again.

‘He mentioned forgetting….’

Could it be true that she couldn’t remember anything? Then how on earth did she remain in my body?

The questions remained.

I couldn’t figure out what to do next, and here we were.

“Kid.”

Noya called me amidst my thoughts.

“…Yes?”

“Enough of that. Let’s talk for a bit now.”

“Talk?”

What talk?

Ah, is it about what to do next, or explanations I haven’t heard yet?

Then again, I hadn’t heard the full story.

As I recalled that, I perked up my ears.

“How have you been?”

The words that came out of Noya’s mouth were completely out of left field, unlike my expectations.

“Huh…?”

How have I been? So suddenly?

I was momentarily flustered, but Noya added nonchalantly.

“The fact that Gu Bong got pulverized even in that state means you’ve gotten stronger, kid. I can tell just by looking.”

At his words, I had to put on an awkward expression.

Indeed, there was a tremendous difference between before Noya disappeared and now.

“It’s nothing much. Just…”

“You’ve lived diligently. You went through a lot.”

“…”

Lived diligently. Went through a lot.

At those words, I unconsciously clenched my fists under the desk. I felt a truly awkward emotion.

“It’s a shame I couldn’t watch over you and tease you. Kekeke. Ah, you were so fun to tease.”

“…Is that important even in this situation? That you couldn’t tease me?”

“Of course, it’s important. So, tell me how you’ve lived while I was gone, as much as I couldn’t tease you.”

“…”

It was already a complicated and unpleasant situation.

I knew better than anyone that this wasn’t the time for such talk.

I knew that clearly, but…

“…It wasn’t anything special. Ever since Noya disappeared…”

Strangely, my mouth opened up to Noya without hesitation.

It would be a really long story if I started, but strangely, the words just flowed out.

It felt comfortable. A feeling I hadn’t experienced in a very long time.

Chatter, chatter, slowly. I poured out words I couldn’t tell anyone, without even organizing them.

I kept talking endlessly like that.

As Noya listened to my story, he silently and quietly kept refilling my cup as it emptied, pouring the plum tea.

Continuing until night passed and the sun rose.

---

Outside the building walls.

A black-haired woman stood in a field, looking up at the sky.

The two rising moons were fascinating the more she looked at them.

They seemed beautiful, yet also simply fascinating.

“Mmm.”

Those weren’t the only emotions the woman felt while looking at the sky.

An unfamiliar familiarity. A sense of strangeness, as if she had seen it before.

The sky here gave the woman such impressions.

“No, it’s not.”

It was clearly a place she had never seen or been to, so why did she feel this way?

It felt strange, but she didn’t mind it much.

It wasn’t the first or second time the woman had experienced such sensations.

Feeling things she hadn’t felt before.

Seeing things she hadn’t seen as if they were familiar.

For the woman, it was something that had happened hundreds of times already, so even this wasn’t surprising, but…

“Mmm.”

Perhaps it was unusually strong today?

This was also the reason she specifically came out alone to survey her surroundings.

Even if the place itself wasn’t familiar, she felt compelled to do so.

“Hmm…”

So she kept looking around, and the more she did, the less pleased the woman’s expression became.

“This is annoying.”

It was getting annoying. Spending all day like this.

And being away from his side.

It was all just bothersome and unpleasant for the woman.

“Should I go back?”

This was enough. The woman nodded as if compromising with herself and stood up.

Just then.

Swoooosh-!

A wind blew from somewhere, and the woman turned her head.

It was a place densely blocked by lush trees, and seeing it, the woman tilted her head.

At the same time, the softly glowing violet eyes flared with light.

“Who’s there?”

The moment the woman spoke into the unseen space.

Rustle.

Someone gently revealed themselves from between the trees.

“…”

Seeing that, the woman frowned.

What appeared first were drooping dog ears and a fluffy tail, belonging to a figure with long brown hair and an unknown black mask.

“…”

A few more seconds passed as their gazes met.

Just as the woman was about to walk towards them wordlessly.

Pop-!

The masked figure who had been watching vanished instantly.

The woman didn’t bother chasing after them.

Could she even follow if she tried?

She didn’t know that either, but…

“Annoying.”

Her gloomy mood had reached its peak, so she didn’t particularly want to go.

Even if that weren’t the case.

‘I don’t want to go.’

A feeling that she shouldn’t follow.

That filled the woman’s mind.

Swoosh-! The woman soon turned her back and started walking.

Her destination was, of course, where he was, but…

“Hmm.”

She couldn’t help but glance back occasionally.

The presence she had just encountered strangely occupied her thoughts.

Very much so.