Chapter 1059: The Divine Tree and the Master.

Fssshhh.

The arm holding the Gwijjeong collapsed. Noya’s body was crumbling. Seeing that, I immediately rushed forward.

Fwoosh-!!

Bursting forth with flames, I rushed in and scooped Noya up. I immediately created distance and examined Noya’s body.

“Noya……? Noya!”

“O……”

Noya reacted, looking at his own damaged body.

“Well now. This has become troublesome. Haha.”

Seeing him laugh, I scrunched up my face. “Has this old geezer lost his mind?”

“You’re laughing right now…?”

“Haha. I couldn’t help it.”

“Damn it… why is this happening.”

Putting Noya’s reaction aside, I continuously examined his damaged body.

The arm that had been holding the Gwijjeong was gone. Looking back, only the Gwijjeong was rolling on the floor; the arm that had originally held it had turned to dust and was scattering into the air.

“This… this……”

Words wouldn’t come out. What should I do? I tried to channel energy into Noya’s body, but as soon as my hand touched him, I realized.

“Ha… This won’t work.”

It wasn’t about the bet anymore.

‘His body.’

I realized this wasn’t a real body. When I channeled energy, the difference was clear.

A shell. It was just an empty shell.

A shell containing only a soul and energy. That’s what Noya’s body was like now.

“This……”

As I felt that and my eyes widened… Something gripped my hand. It was Noya’s remaining hand.

“Your expression is quite something. Surprised?”

“……”

“Well, if a guy who’s already dead is walking around, did you expect his body to be perfectly fine?”

“Still…… this……”

“Be grateful even for this. Expecting perfection in a dream you had for just one night is rather petty, don’t you think?”

Noya stands up. I tried to grab him, but…

“Let go. It’s unseemly for a man to be clinging like this.”

“Noya.”

Ignoring my call, Noya moved. Then, he extended his remaining left arm.

Then, the Gwijjeong rolling on the floor reacted and flew towards Noya.

Flicker.

The flying Gwijjeong kept hesitating. I understood. It seemed to have the same feelings as me.

Telling it to stop. It seemed the Gwijjeong was hesitating with that intention, but…

“Whether it’s this one or that one, why aren’t you coming faster?”

Noya yelled impatiently, and the Gwijjeong finally flew in and wrapped around his arm.

“Hey, your opponent is waiting, so what’s with this pathetic display? Tsk tsk tsk.”

Opponent. Hearing that word, I looked over.

Taechen, standing before me. That guy was staring at Noya with a completely stiffened face.

“Ah, my apologies. These fellows are a bit clueless.”

Taechen nodded upon hearing that. He was different from before.

“What a shame.”

Within the regret in his voice lay a sharp emotion.

“You broke through the barrier, but your physical body was too lowly to contain it, causing it to fail instead.”

Hearing that, I understood what Taechen meant.

Noya had surpassed his level. He had overcome something with what just happened, but…

‘His body couldn’t hold up.’

Because of that, his body had collapsed instead.

His soul was already being damaged from fighting me in the first place. With this happening in that situation, did the situation accelerate rapidly?

However.

Even so.

‘He intends to fight more?’

What more could he possibly do with a body like that?

That is…

‘He’s giving up on his life.’

It’s the same as giving up on himself. I couldn’t allow that. I immediately tried to intervene by drawing up Baekyeom, but…

“Gal–!!”

“……!”

Noya shouted at me. At that intense voice, I instinctively released Baekyeom.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Noya…?”

“Stop doing useless things.”

“No… what is that…? What are you trying to do? You know what will happen if you go like this……”

You’ll die. It could end like this, but what more are you trying to do?

Noya knows that better than anyone, yet…

“Don’t interfere.”

Noya warned me with chilling eyes.

“But.”

“I told you not to interfere.”

As if he’d kill me if I approached, Noya spat out menacing words, then… gripped the Gwijjeong.

Swoosh.

Energy gathered into the sword again. Maehwa.

“Stop it. Why insist on doing something that’s already over?”

Taechen’s voice had become completely different from before. The moment he realized Noya’s body had collapsed, his interest vanished along with it.

“So, respecting your efforts, I will make an offer.”

“An offer?”

Noya replied with interest at those words.

“What is it?”

“Come to me.”

“Oh, I refused that earlier, didn’t I?”

“That’s right. I rarely make an offer twice, but I took a liking to you.”

Taechen’s body had already regenerated. No, to the point where it was questionable if he’d even taken a hit in the first place.

With an indifferent attitude, he continued speaking to Noya.

“The power that doesn’t fit that collapsed body. If you just give up your body, you could rise as much as you want. Use your brilliance for me. Then, I will grant you a body.”

“Hahaha.”

Noya laughed at the offer of a body.

“Thank you for thinking highly of me, but unfortunately, my nature cannot stand being under anyone.”

Swish.

The Gwijjeong spun back.

“I refuse.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Taechen nodded at Noya’s refusal. It was a reaction as if he’d expected it.

And then.

Swoosh.

As Taechen raised his hand, the sky changed. The grey sky, still cracked from the traces of Maehwa, began to move.

It swirled and soon began to gather into Taechen’s hand. The surrounding barrier became a sphere, clumping into Taechen’s hand. Before long, the grey turned into a brilliant blue.

“Then, there’s nothing else to do. It’s regrettable, but I respect your wishes.”

“Thank you.”

“However, as repayment for showing me something good, I too shall give you a gift.”

The gathered energy gradually changed into the shape of a trident. It was a trident. It was the same as what he was holding, but this time it was different.

‘That.’

Watching it, my body trembled. No, it wasn’t my body trembling, but the soul within me.

“Originally, this is a place you might have reached. What do you think?”

“Hmm.”

What was contained within that small sphere? The world? I could feel the world emanating from it. The grey sky disappeared, revealing the original sky. It was already night.

A place greeted by two moons. Beneath them, Taechen grasped the world.

“It’s terrifying. Having to hold something like that. From my position, where even a single tree is overwhelming.”

“No, you wouldn’t have been afraid. You must have endured it. So I have a question.”

The faint trident shook slightly. My soul trembled along with it.

“Do you know the Dragon Lord?”

The Dragon Lord, mentioned by Taechen. At those words, Noya’s eyebrow twitched.

“I do.”

He’d know well. He is the Dragon Lord. He was the one who fought the Blood Demon.

“Seeing your reaction, it really is you. The one who came from the world that made the Dragon Lord fall. Then, are you that person?”

“I wasn’t the main one, but I was one of them.”

“……Hmm.”

One of the five who stopped the Blood Demon. Taechen nodded at that.

“Not just one person… But the fact that the Dragon Lord still exists means you couldn’t stop him.”

“We couldn’t stop him. That bastard was damn strong.”

Taechen’s expression remained grim at his chuckling words.

“If it were you now, stopping the Dragon Lord wouldn’t have been difficult. Why is that?”

“……Hmm?”

At those words, Noya narrowed his eyes.

“That’s strange. The Dragon Lord was strong, but not that strong.”

“……What do you mean by that?”

“No, it probably doesn’t matter now.”

Taechen then shook his head and gripped the trident.

Rumble-!!

The ground trembled.

“It’ll be difficult to talk for long. Since the barrier was erased, news is likely starting to reach her soon.”

“……”

At those words, Noya gripped the Gwijjeong tightly with his one remaining arm.

“Value it. You’re the first to use this since the descent.”

Taechen said, lightly throwing the trident. The movement was light, but the result was anything but.

The flying trident poured down on Noya, and seeing that, Noya quickly raised the Gwijjeong to block.

Kugugugugugugugugung–!!!

The ground shook as if about to break.

“……!”

Noya blocked the trident with his remaining arm, but he began to be pushed back as if unable to endure it.

“Ngh!”

He blocked it, biting his lip. He tried desperately to block it, but… the trident didn’t stop, and…

Grind-!

The trident rotated slightly, then…

Kuuuung—!!! Kwagagagagag–!!!

Snap-!

Along with the explosive pressure, something broke. It was the Gwijjeong. It absolutely doesn’t break. The Gwijjeong, which possessed such characteristics, broke.

And then, like an explosion, it pierced through Noya.

Kwaaaaaaaaa—!!!

The trident that flew after piercing Noya soared through the air, and…

Kuaaaaaaaaa—!!!

The trident shot up into the sky, immediately exploding and spreading across the heavens.

Immense wind pressure surged. Trees were ripped apart and uprooted by the wind, and hills collapsed. Meanwhile, a streak of light spread wide across the sky.

“Ah……”

Even amidst all that, my gaze was fixed only on Noya.

“Tsk tsk……”

Noya let out a low chuckle.

“Ah… what a shame.”

Noya’s upper body, chuckling bitterly, was completely pierced through.