Chapter 955: Lost Soul.

After finishing my talk with Noya, I came back down to Hyeon.

Time had not yet passed noon.

People were still crowded, and the liveliness remained as well.

Although I felt it during the time of Yawol Palace too, the atmosphere here seems exceptionally bright.

While the Central Plains are also lively, unlike how they seem somewhat impatient and overly passionate, I could feel that this place had a touch of comfort added to it.

What could be different?

What is the difference from the Central Plains?

It feels like there must be some difference, beyond simply saying it’s because it’s another world.

Suddenly curious about that, I moved my steps and looked around.

‘Hmm.’

Naturally, it wasn’t something I could understand just by looking.

No, honestly, it’s not like I’m looking with the intent to know.

Because it’s comfortable just looking.

I end up looking because I like that atmosphere imbued with comfort.

‘You really worked hard.’

What did Noya say again? Did he say it’s been about a hundred years since this place was made?

I thought it was a truly well-made place, considering it was made in just about a hundred years.

As I was quietly watching it.

“Huh?”

I feel a gaze from somewhere.

A gaze looking at me happens often, but this time, something is different.

Narrowing my eyes, I followed the direction of the gaze.

Normally, I wouldn’t have paid attention since it’s just someone looking.

‘What is it?’

This time, there was emotion imbued in it.

And among those emotions, it was somewhat negative.

As I found the gaze and confirmed the cause.

‘Those people.’

I could find the cause in the direction I looked.

Even among the Hwasan Sect members, who were full of people with peculiar appearances, they were the exceptionally small ones.

They were the little people I met at the blacksmith shop last time.

They were looking at me with unease and fear.

Along with wariness and resentment.

‘Ah.’

Only then could I realize why they were looking at me like that.

‘It’s because of that incident.’

The incident that happened at the blacksmith shop last time.

The incident that occurred during the process of meeting the person in charge there must be the cause.

When I touched the gloves he was wearing, my palm melted. And even the gazes I felt the moment I revealed I was a dragon.

It seemed that it spread and spread, influencing even them.

‘Has the rumor spread completely among them?’

The young children seemed thoughtless, but the older ones surrounding them were the problem.

A firm will, not to let them come near under any circumstances, was apparent.

What did they say again? Did they say they were persecuted by dragons and lived as slaves after being captured?

“…”

Recalling that, as I casually made a move as if to walk towards them.

“Eek-!”

“Tsk…!”

They immediately pushed the children back, showing hostility.

Confirming this, I sheepishly scratched the back of my head. With a reaction like that, it’s awkward to do anything right now.

‘It won’t work right now.’

If we’re talking about the plan, I do need the strength of those people-more precisely, the blacksmiths.

The method was a bit tricky right now, and since I have my own schedule, I turned my back for the time being.

Although it was slightly disappointing that they looked at me like that without me having done anything.

‘I’m used to being looked down upon, so I quickly didn’t think much of it.’

Besides.

‘Anyway.’

Whether they liked me or not.

Because I had to use them, it didn’t actually matter if they saw me negatively.

If I were to deliberately see them negatively…

‘I could just take a similar attitude.’

So, it’s fine.

Thinking so, I moved my steps towards the teahouse where the Turtle was.

---

After walking and sightseeing in Hyeon for a short while like that, I eventually arrived at the Turtle’s teahouse.

But.

“…What is this now?”

At the sight before me, I had to make a dumbfounded face.

I couldn’t help it.

“Where did it go?”

The teahouse that should have been here had clearly disappeared without a trace.

There wasn’t even a trace.

Literally, it was just emptily vacant, as if nothing had ever been there.

“…Ha.”

This is absurd.

What kind of nonsense is this? In the unbelievable situation, I crumpled my face.

Does it make sense for it to disappear suddenly? And why is there no trace?

It’s utterly bewildering.

“…Have I gone mad?”

It was plausible.

Because it was an event that couldn’t happen unless one was mad.

But.

“I don’t think that’s the case.”

Unfortunately, I didn’t seem to be mad.

There was still too much work to do to go mad.

So, I quietly stared at the space where the teahouse had been.

‘It seems like some trickery was involved.’

The Turtle must have done something.

Recalling that certainty, I focused my gaze.

Vwoom–!!

Strength imbued my heart, and heat rose in my eyes.

I activated my Mind’s Eye.

Then, my vision shimmered slightly, and I got a reaction.

The more I used the Mind’s Eye, and the more accustomed I became to it, the more I learned one thing.

And that is.

‘All objects possess energy.’

That any object clearly contains energy.

The Mind’s Eye isn’t simply about predicting energy movements to identify openings in an opponent.

It’s about observing the energy itself and perceiving it more quickly.

I suspect that’s the foundation of the Mind’s Eye devised by Paejon.

‘…The more I think about it, the crazier that guy is.’

How on earth did he create such nonsensical power?

Both the Tua Pachev and the Mind’s Eye…

The more I learned about the existence known as Paejon, the more questions I had.

‘Anyway.’

Should I consider it fortunate that the humans who teach me are all monsters?

‘I wonder if it’s right to see this as a good thing.’

Well, setting that aside.

I quietly surveyed the surroundings with my Mind’s Eye activated.

Not to mention the trees, but rocks and pebbles too.

And even the plum blossoms scattering in the sky.

Energy permeated each and every one of those small objects.

Although the contained energy varied quite a bit depending on the size, the shimmering around the edges was clear.

While quietly observing that, I looked straight ahead.

‘It’s there.’

I can see it.

In front.

Energy is shimmering in the seemingly empty air in front.

Judging by the form of the energy, it was clearly a house.

‘Hmm.’

Looking at that, I closed my eyes.

Vvum-!

As the energy subsided, my Mind’s Eye deactivated.

And.

Whoosh!!

I channeled the energy into my fist, not my eyes.

Zzzzzzt.

Intense pain surged in an instant.

The rings of the Guyeomhwaryugong expanded and rotated like crazy, mixing with the ferocity of the Tua Pachev within them.

Covering my mental landscape so that it wouldn’t explode.

Threads of sorcery gushed out and wrapped around it to prevent it from breaking.

The compressed explosive force gushing out from the friction.

I contained that in my fist.

Grrrrrrr.

My skeleton vibrated from the intense tremor.

I forcibly controlled my body, veins bulging, and took a stance.

It was still a messy stance.

Nevertheless, the moment I hunched my shoulders as if about to throw a punch.

“Stop-!”

Something popped out of thin air hurriedly.

It was the Turtle.

“You crazy bastard! What are you trying to do right now!”

Perhaps because he was so surprised, his usually hidden eyes were glimpsed.

The Turtle’s pupils, hidden behind his eyebrows, were the size of Go stones.

“Oh.”

Seeing that, I released the stored energy.

At that moment.

Kuaaaaaa–!!

An immense gust of wind erupted from my body.

“Tsk!”

The Turtle, swayed by the wind, barely supported himself with his staff.

Then, as the wind stopped, he shouted at me in a very angry voice.

“You! What were you trying to do?”

At those words, I tilted my head and replied.

“Since you didn’t seem like you’d come out, I was just trying to make some noise to get your attention.”

“Attention…? You call that attention?”

As if finding it absurd, the Turtle narrowed his face greatly and said.

“What person in the world makes noise like this to get attention!”

“No… well, you came out because of it, didn’t you.”

Well, who told you to hide?

It felt somewhat unfair from my perspective.

Just looking at it, it seemed like you were hiding something, and it was bothersome to find a way to resolve this.

So, I intended to just blow it all away.

It was also intended as a way to practice the Cheonmasingong, but.

The Turtle came out hurriedly before I could properly unleash it.

‘Judging by his reaction, would it have been a disaster if I had fired it?’

Seeing that he popped out before I fired, it seemed he hadn’t done anything to prepare for it.

“…You truly are a crazy bastard. What exactly were you trying to use just now?”

“I’m practicing it these days.”

“…Practicing…?”

“Yes. It feels somewhat usable, but since I can’t use it often, I’m trying to get used to it.”

“You want to get used to something so nonsensical? Do you even know what you were trying to do just now?”

“…Something awesome, roughly?”

“…You’re driving me crazy.”

The Turtle shook his head back and forth.

His voice was full of frustration.

Why is he acting like that?

“Is something wrong?”

“Wrong? Of course, there is. What you were trying to do just now is power that goes against reason.”

“Oh…”

Power that goes against reason? Was it really that strange?

“You’re trying to combine four things that wouldn’t make sense even with just one? Have you lost your mind?”

“No… but if I don’t do it this way, the result I want doesn’t come out.”

I need to create friction to increase power.

And I had to overlay it with a mental image to endure until I release it.

And I had to bind it once more with sorcery to prevent it from breaking.

The Turtle tried to say something after hearing the explanation, but.

“If you do that, not only your body but also your soul…”

He stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth.

The feeling that he wanted to say more but held back was evident.

“…Forget it. Come inside for now.”

“Can I go in now?”

“…If you say no, you look like you’ll just push everything away. What choice do I have?”

“Then, excuse me.”

I confidently stepped towards where the Turtle was standing.

He was still looking at me as if displeased, but I lightly ignored him.

As I passed the Turtle like that, the Turtle’s teahouse suddenly appeared before my eyes.

As expected, this also seemed to be part of sorcery.

Nodding my head at the familiar sight, I said to the Turtle.

“You don’t have to give me tea.”

“I never intended to give you any in the first place, you punk.”

Tsk tsk. The Turtle kept clicking his tongue and moved forward.

As he pulled up a chair and sat down, I sat opposite him.

“…What business do you have now?”

“You know what you told me last time.”

“Last time?”

“Yes. You told me to come see you if you ever really needed me.”

“…”

Perhaps remembering what he had said, the Turtle’s eyebrows twitched.

“That time… it shouldn’t be now, should it?”

“I don’t know when the time is, but I need you, Elder, right now. I’ve come to need some grooming.”

“Grooming?”

The Turtle looked at me, as if asking what nonsense that was.

Meeting that gaze, I said calmly.

“Yes. Grooming. I need to go see my mother, and I don’t think I can go like this.”

“Mother? You’re going to see your mother here?”

“Yes.”

“Suddenly, where is your mother? And why the sudden need for grooming…”

“My mother apparently told me she’s the owner of this world.”

“…What?”

At my words, the Turtle’s eyes widened like saucers.

Ah, speaking of saucers, they had only gotten slightly larger than Go stones.

“No…”

The Turtle stammered for a moment, then fell silent.

As many thoughts flashed through his mind, after a moment of contemplation.

“…I see.”

He soon nodded as if convinced.

The Turtle’s expression then looked somewhat quite lonely and withered.

“So… that’s why.”

“…Elder?”

“You.”

The Turtle said, looking at me.

“You are the child of a kitsune (demon fox).”

At that moment.

Rumble-!

The space violently shimmered.