Chapter 1024: The Divine Tree and the Master.

“I refuse.”

“……”

At my words, the spirit stiffened. Even though she wore a veil, her expression was predictable.

“Wh-what do you mean…?”

“It means exactly that. I refuse.”

Scratching my cheek, I said to her, who seemed flustered.

“I understand the situation well.”

I get what it’s all about. That the peaceful place became a mess when the chieftain appeared.

That the master of Mangye had said someone who would solve it would appear.

And that I suspected this supposed savior might be me.

Though I know all this.

“I’m not a volunteer, you know?”

Unfortunately, I wasn’t someone like a savior.

“I’m not the type of person who just helps out because someone asks.”

“Huh?”

The spirit reacted dumbfoundedly, perhaps not expecting this. She seemed unable to imagine that I wouldn’t save them.

“Th-then… what is it you desire…?”

“That’s for you to think about.”

I chuckled as I spoke.

“I don’t really have any requests for you. And besides, I don’t feel like doing anything for free…”

I shifted my gaze to check the entrance I came through.

“Think of something to coax me. If I like it, then you’ll get what you want. I’ll give this ‘salvation’ thing a try.”

“Ah… O, great one…”

The spirit urgently tried to bow her head to me again, but…

“How do I get out and back in here?”

Not caring about that, I asked the spirit.

“…Pardon?”

“I need to step out for a bit. How do I get back in?”

“……”

“It’s not like I only have business here. I do intend to come back, so tell me clearly.”

“As for leaving… if you follow the path, you’ll see the exit. And as for returning, you can enter through the entrance you left through… However.”

“However?”

“If it becomes night… the entrance will be closed until daytime comes, so you won’t be able to enter…”

“Oh, really? Good.”

It wasn’t a bad thing, since I wasn’t planning on staying until night anyway.

“Alright, I’m heading out then.”

I moved my feet, looking at the path. At the same time, I said to the spirit.

“What I said. Think about it carefully.”

“…Ah-“

The spirit tried to add something to my words, but I moved my feet without listening.

Hwa-reuk-!

My body became flames, and I shot through the path like an arrow.

Following the path, just as the spirit said, I saw something that looked like an exit.

It seemed guarded by a gatekeeper, but I passed through without paying attention.

“Hmm?”

Hwa-reu-reu-reu-reuk—!!!

“Kkuh!?”

Before I could react, I became flames and passed the gatekeeper. Arriving straight at the door, I grabbed the huge door and opened it.

Keu-geu-geu-geu-geuk–!!!

“Ah! What the-!”

The gatekeeper reacted belatedly, but I had already opened the door long ago. The slightly opened gap was enough for my body to exit.

Before the gatekeeper could approach, I threw my body outside.

Hwa-reu-reuk.

My body wrapped in flames emerged outside the Ma-ryeong Cave.

Floating up into the air, I took in the sight of the rocky mountain again.

The mountain was still the same.

All I could see were rocks. Feeling that, I moved immediately.

There was something I needed to check.

* * *

Hwa-reu-reu-reu-reuk—-!!!

The flames writhed, extending countless tendrils.

A mass of flames spinning rapidly and spewing violently.

From within it, thin threads of flame sprang out and spread in all directions, resembling tree branches or roots.

They slowly took over the surroundings, densely and countless times expanding their reach.

This is another form of ki-sense, taking the shape of flames.

I could grasp the surroundings more accurately and delicately.

The ki-sense created this way engulfed most of Ma-ryeong Mountain.

“Hmm…”

All sorts of information flooded into my mind. Focusing, I grasped each piece of information.

Although there was a plethora of information, the results showed nothing significant.

There was hardly any difference compared to what I felt at night.

‘There’s still nothing.’

The presence of living beings is still noticeably scarce. I could feel presences in the Ma-ryeong Cave, but excluding those…

‘It’s the same.’

Other than that, there was no sense of living beings at all.

Should I spread it deeper? After pondering, I shook my head.

Hwa-reu-reu-reu-reu-reuk—-!!!!!

The branches that had spread out quickly returned to my body. They were swept up by the flames, permeating into my heart, and only after recalling all the dispersed energy could I stop the flames.

“Hmm…”

I bit my thumb.

“What is it?”

I didn’t understand. Not to mention this damn mountain, but most importantly…

“…I don’t know where that chieftain bastard went.”

I couldn’t even feel the presence of the chieftain bastard who fought me last night.

“I was trying to confirm.”

The chieftain, who supposedly moves at night and not during the day.

If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be easier to deal with him if I could find him during the day? That’s what I judged, which is why I came outside, but…

‘Where did he disappear to?’

The chieftain’s presence, which had been felt so strongly until last night, couldn’t be felt at all now.

Whether he sank into the ground or soared into the sky.

Or perhaps he disappeared outside Ma-ryeong Mountain. I couldn’t tell.

‘Is this also some kind of power?’

I didn’t think he simply left his post. If, as the spirit said, that guy can only move at night…

‘He must have made arrangements to be safe during the day.’

That guy seemed to have prepared something in advance for a situation like this.

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue regretfully.

As expected, the easy way doesn’t work, huh?

This means…

‘I’ll have to check again at night.’

It meant I had to check again when the moon rises and the chieftain starts acting.

‘Will that be possible?’

Seeing how that guy immediately noticed where I was at night, I thought there must be some kind of mechanism for that too.

‘Otherwise, it’s impossible.’

No matter how I thought about it, it didn’t make sense that he just discovered me with superior ki-sense.

‘There’s something hidden.’

There seemed to be some secret to that guy’s power.

Both that superior sense and the reason his presence can’t be felt now.

“…For now, let’s leave this here.”

Stopping the search for the chieftain for a moment, I had intended to solve the reason I came outside, but…

“What are you doing?”

“…Oof, shit, fuck-!”

I was startled by the sudden voice.

“You scared me!”

It was Cheonma, as expected, who spoke to me.

“Give off some presence! You startled me!”

“Sorry.”

Cheonma replied nonchalantly to my words. His expression showed no sign of apology.

‘Damn it.’

Since when was he here?

I hadn’t noticed Cheonma approaching. Had he appeared in the brief moment my ki-sense was dulled after just recalling it?

If so, it would make sense, but…

‘…Really?’

I wondered if that was really the case.

“…Where did you go again?”

Cheonma, who suddenly disappeared and reappeared. He often did that anyway, but it felt strange now.

This isn’t even Hwasan Sect. Where on earth did he go?

Cheonma answered my question with an expressionless face.

“A walk.”

“Don’t give me that ‘walk’ crap. If you’re going to make an excuse, at least put some effort into it.”

“…I’m telling the truth.”

“Bullshit. Does this place look like somewhere you can take a walk?”

In a place that’s nothing but rocks, what are you talking about walks?

Even a passing dog would laugh at that.

“Tell me straight. What were you doing?”

“……”

Cheonma didn’t answer.

Seeing that, I frowned.

“You’re not answering?”

I was already suspicious, and since Cheonma wasn’t talking, irritation welled up.

What’s with this guy? Did he really do something behind my back?

As doubt surged, the moment I was about to approach him directly…

“…I came back after looking.”

Cheonma said. Looking for what?

“Looking for what?”

What could Cheonma possibly be looking for here? Did he come back after finding some uniquely shaped rock?

“The thing I saw yesterday. I came back looking for that.”

“The thing you saw…? Are you talking about that bastard?”

Is he saying he came back looking for the chieftain? If so, why would Cheonma look for it?

As I said, narrowing my brow at his strange words.

“No. Not that.”

Cheonma denied it, shaking his head.

If not the chieftain, then what?

“Something else.”

“If it’s something else…”

Ah?

It occurred to me.

“Are you talking about the hidden guy you mentioned?”

“Yeah.”

When I was fighting the chieftain, Cheonma had said there was someone watching from hiding.

He said he’d dragged me away during the fight with the chieftain because of that.

‘He was looking for that?’

He hasn’t left yet and is still hiding somewhere?

But…

‘It means he couldn’t be caught by the ki-sense I spread.’

I had just been spreading ki-sense everywhere until moments ago.

If there was someone hiding, it means my ki-sense couldn’t detect them.

Just as I was about to swallow nervously at the somewhat chilling situation…

“But he wasn’t there.”

Cheonma said. At those words, I felt relieved without realizing it.

Feeling this, I scowled deeply.

‘Idiot, why are you feeling relieved?’

Why am I feeling relieved just because Cheonma said he couldn’t find him? I was dumbfounded that I believed him right away.

Just as I was about to slap myself on the back of the head at my own ridiculousness…

“Why did you come out?”

Cheonma asked me.

“What?”

“Why are you out here?”

It seemed like he was asking why I came out of the Ma-ryeong Cave.

“Well, for a similar reason as you.”

Because there’s something I need to find.

Whether it’s the chieftain or anything else.

Besides…

“I find that place rather unpleasant.”

Ma-ryeong Mountain, where the spirit was.

For some reason, I felt uncomfortable there.

It was absurd that they dared to ask me for salvation, but aside from that…

‘There’s something.’

There’s something about the Ma-ryeong Cave and the spirit.

I concluded.

After all…

‘That being called the spirit.’

That being, said to be born imitating the master’s appearance, definitely…

‘Is hiding something from me.’

While appearing extremely respectful, they hid something from me afterwards.

It was making me very uneasy.