Chapter 245: Unintended Companion. (2)

The frontline is.

Land that died because the Demonic Gate wasn’t properly resolved.

It has now transformed into a habitat for monsters.

Furthermore, it is also land that is constantly drying up due to the continuously opening Demonic Gates.

So, it’s even more puzzling.

Why, behind such a barren plain,

Could there be a dense forest.

When the land that died without a drop of water left is so vast.

Why could such a green forest be sustained on such land.

Many people harbor doubts,

but they didn’t try to delve into it.

For generations, following the Alliance’s orders, one couldn’t freely enter the forest,

because permission from the State was required to enter the forest.

Isn’t that ridiculous?

The Martial Alliance, which leads and commands numerous orthodox sects,

needed the State’s permission when it came to the frontline.

This meant the Alliance directly,

had implicitly marked the frontline’s forest as belonging to the State.

‘Because of that, I had to come and go here endlessly.’

The management of the forest was the responsibility of the State’s blood relatives.

In fact, originally, the Five Swords Sect, to which Gu Huibi belonged, was in charge.

When I became the Young Master, I inherited it.

Will this life be much different?

That’s unlikely.

Unless I don’t accept the position of Young Master and run away.

This part won’t change.

Damn it.

Crackle.

Stepping on twigs, I slowly moved forward.

It was a night with the full moon shining brightly.

Time-wise, it must be around the peak of dawn.

‘I hope I can return by morning.’

The path leading to the center isn’t very peaceful.

To begin with, there wasn’t even a proper path carved out,

and just entering this place was burdensome.

[Grrr…]

A muffled cry is heard.

It seemed to be gauging whether I knew I was doing this because of it.

‘I really need to get rid of it.’

[Grrr.]

The cry heard once more

felt filled with certainty, as if it were impossible.

Annoyingly.

Leaving that thing behind,

I let out a deep sigh.

Lately, my sighs seem to have increased noticeably.

Whoosh.

The wind blew.

Summer was approaching,

but the night breeze was still cold.

I couldn’t help but worry about the woman following behind me.

“You…”

As I spoke softly and turned around,

my gaze met the woman’s.

She seemed to have been looking at me all along.

“Yes.”

Moyong Hi-ah, who answered briefly, had slightly flushed cheeks.

Is she cold?

It wasn’t the kind of weather to be cold, but given her condition, it was possible.

Just looking at her, Moyong Hi-ah was wearing thick clothes, unsuited for the season.

Seeing that, I briefly furrowed my brow.

I grabbed Moyong Hi-ah’s wrist and pulled.

“Ah…!”

Perhaps due to the sudden contact, Moyong Hi-ah’s eyes widened in surprise,

but ignoring it, I breathed warmth into the hand I held.

“Oof…”

Was it because the body’s warmth entered?

Moyong Hi-ah slightly twisted her body.

Watching Moyong Hi-ah like that, I asked.

“Why did you follow me.”

“…Yeolhyeopgeom…”

“Don’t use that guy as an excuse. Do you think I’m that stupid?”

As I cut her off mid-sentence,

Moyong Hi-ah turned her head away from me.

This time, not just her cheeks but her ears were also flushed.

Is she embarrassed too?

“It’s strange that he didn’t come and rested. They wouldn’t have asked you to substitute because they couldn’t find anyone else, right?”

“…You’re only sharp when it comes to things like this.”

“What did you say?”

“No.”

Moyong Hi-ah’s demeanor, which had been like a well-honed sword,

somehow felt like it was crumbling more and more as time passed.

She was a woman who was unbelievably thorough when trying to deceive someone or hide herself,

so why does she seem so clueless lately?

“…I didn’t really do anything special. I just asked.”

“You asked?”

“I just ‘politely’ asked if I could go in his place. Yeolhyeopgeom accepted it.”

“That… doesn’t make sense? No matter how I look at it.”

Knowing what kind of trouble I’d be in when we returned if he sent someone else instead?

Gu Jeolyeop wouldn’t be that stupid, even if he were a fool.

As I stared at Moyong Hi-ah with suspicious eyes,

Moyong Hi-ah, who kept avoiding my gaze, bit her lip slightly.

“…Wouldn’t it be nice if you just pretended not to know and came with me.”

“Now you’re even shameless?”

“It’s actually more convenient for you, Young Master, to go with me.”

What is she talking about now?

Why would going with Moyong Hi-ah be convenient for me?

As I was about to express my confusion,

Moyong Hi-ah provided the answer.

“Fewer people than many, and if possible, alone.”

“…”

“Isn’t this what you, Young Master, desire?”

Moyong Hi-ah’s words left me speechless for a moment.

She kept acting clueless and fidgeting,

but then she had such sharp eyes.

‘I don’t know which tune to dance to.’

In any case, she’s a woman I can’t let my guard down around.

How did she figure it out?

Checking the condition of the central area wasn’t a particularly difficult task.

Strangely, the further one went into the center, the fewer monsters there were,

so it was enough to just check what was inside and leave.

In fact, when Gu Huibi moved personally, he tended to go with a small number of people.

It was more convenient that way.

‘Of course, it’s a bit different from my intention.’

Even when I paired up with Gu Jeolyeop and Mu-yeon, I only went together on the way there and had no intention of going together at the entrance.

It was better that way than showing something I shouldn’t.

Besides, those who aren’t blood relatives couldn’t enter anyway.

However, the problem now was Moyong Hi-ah.

“What do you gain by doing that?”

Annoyingly taking Gu Jeolyeop’s place,

I don’t know about Mu-yeon, but perhaps this is also because Moyong Hi-ah pulled some strings, allowing the two of them to go up.

What does Moyong Hi-ah gain from all this?

“What I gain?”

To my question, Moyong Hi-ah’s sky-blue eyes turned towards me,

and she answered while stroking her flushed cheek.

“Time.”

“Time?”

It was an unexpected answer.

Gaining time, of all things.

Still looking at the wrist that was still being held,

Moyong Hi-ah continued speaking.

“Time I can spend like this with you.”

“…What?”

“Do you know what I hated the most?”

What Moyong Hi-ah hated the most?

“Wasting emotions unnecessarily. Desperately craving something even without gaining anything. I hated things like that.”

Her words, spoken coldly, held a subtle hint of emotion.

“It’s pointless. It’s something that changes and ruins people. My father was ruined like that because of my mother, too.”

Moyong Hi-ah’s voice, saying ‘because’ without a hint of hesitation, paradoxically felt slightly shaky.

Speaking of Moyong Hi-ah’s mother,

Does she mean the Northern Sea Princess?

Moyong Hi-ah’s words were something I could somewhat agree with.

How terrifying it is to be swayed by emotions.

I knew better than anyone.

“But amusingly.”

Moyong Hi-ah’s lips curved slightly as she continued speaking.

The woman, who looked like she was sculpted from ice and turned into a human, smiled.

“When I realized it, I found myself doing just that.”

Swoosh.

The wrist I was holding slipped away.

Moyong Hi-ah had pulled it away herself.

“But doing it wasn’t so bad.”

“You…”

“So, this is rather important to me too.”

Her words carried weight.

The words Moyong Hi-ah was saying to me.

‘…Why?’

Even if I were stupid, I could tell she was showing interest in me now.

The problem is, why is she acting like this towards me now?

‘Have we been too close?’

Due to the contract requiring me to provide warmth, once every few weeks,

or once every few days, was that the problem?

As all sorts of thoughts crossed my mind,

a small laugh was heard.

It was Moyong Hi-ah laughing.

Covering her mouth, she giggled, finding something so amusing.

“I knew you’d make that face when you heard this, Young Master.”

“…”

“I wasn’t asking for an answer. I just hoped you’d pick up on the hints. Since you were being so oblivious.”

Moyong Hi-ah walked past me.

I felt a faint scent and a slight chill emanating from her.

“I know it must be burdensome.”

Each word pierced my heart.

Leaving me nowhere to run.

“Still. Even that burden was necessary for me.”

After uttering her final words,

Moyong Hi-ah took another step forward.

Staring blankly at her back like a statue struck by lightning,

she glanced back and said to me.

“Hurry up and come. We can’t be late.”

Watching her walk away calmly as if nothing had happened,

I was the one who should have been flustered.

Perhaps.

…this might be the most bewildering day of the year.

---

Afterward, we walked through the forest without exchanging a word, eventually reaching our desired location.

Honestly, I thought I was going to die from the awkwardness.

Moyong Hi-ah seemed completely unfazed.

What kind of personality is that?

My head was spinning, and I couldn’t gather my thoughts,

while Moyong Hi-ah was utterly serene.

‘…I’ll ignore it for now.’

I have things to do right now,

so I can’t focus on Moyong Hi-ah.

Honestly, I can’t completely ignore her,

but what else can I do?

When we finally reached the entrance,

Moyong Hi-ah stopped walking.

“See you later.”

“Uh, yeah.”

As if she had anticipated it, she looked like she would wait at the entrance.

I was about to tell her to wait here anyway,

but she seemed to have sensed it like a ghost.

In a forest teeming with monsters like this,

I wondered if it was okay to leave her alone at night,

but if it’s this close to the center,

there were fewer monsters.

In fact, it was safe to say there were none.

I don’t know why.

I only know it’s always been like that.

Leaving Moyong Hi-ah behind, I slowly walked towards the entrance.

Just then.

Woong-

As I entered the entrance, a faint ringing sound was heard.

It was the recoil felt when breaking through the formation.

This is similar to the principle of the barrier embedded beneath the State.

‘It’s amazing every time I see it.’

The fact that it recognizes blood relatives to allow passage itself.

was a formation that couldn’t be found anywhere, even now.

I heard that if you’re not of the bloodline, you’re simply bounced away with a ‘Thump!’

I knew there was recoil in reality.

I had seen others experience it.

‘I wonder if Gu Jeolyeop could pass too.’

The thought suddenly occurred to me.

Gu Jeolyeop is a collateral relative, but he is indeed of the bloodline,

so perhaps he could pass if he wanted to.

‘They wouldn’t check if he’s the head of the family’s child, would they?’

It’s not like a formation is a living being.

I thought that would be unreasonable.

The center is literally the heart of the forest.

As I walked in little by little,

amidst the trees and undergrowth filling the area,

a small circular field unfolded,

and in its center, a small pool caught my eye.

Making the term ‘frontline forest’ seem meaningless, the unfolding scene was beautiful.

It was a harmonious landscape, almost as if it couldn’t have occurred naturally.

Focusing my gaze further away,

I saw something above the pool in the distance.

It was the same black Demonic Gate I had eliminated last time.

‘Of all places, for this to appear here.’

Should I call this good luck or bad luck?

‘Good luck? What good luck? It’s damn bad luck.’

Anyway, my terrible luck hasn’t changed even as time passes.

[Grrr….]

As soon as I discovered it, the entity inside me reacted.

It urged me to go and swallow it.

It was crying out to be given to it, making my whole body tremble.

‘I’ll give it to you anyway, so shut up.’

[Grrr….]

Splash.

I slowly stepped into the pool and approached the rift.

As I approached, a giant orb in the center of the pool caught my eye.

That was one of the reasons the State monitored the forest’s center.

To check if it had fallen from its pedestal,

and to see if it had any cracks.

Even a typhoon wouldn’t damage it, so why did they keep coming to check?

I couldn’t understand.

Even if it was the family’s decree.

What the orb signified,

or what it was for, I didn’t know,

but it was an item brought here by the primordial ancestor.

My father called it a seed.

It didn’t look like a seed at all, though.

Where would you even find such a large seed?

‘It seems there are no problems.’

Still, since I came with the excuse of checking anyway,

I briefly checked the orb,

and thankfully, it seemed fine.

It seemed like a rather important item.

The reason it was just placed here on the frontline to be checked was simple.

The surrounding barrier was incredibly strong,

and to tear through it, one would need to be around the level of the Heavenly Demon from my past life.

‘…Although he actually did tear through it.’

Seeing as even that Heavenly Demon had to exert all his strength to break the barrier,

it couldn’t have been just an ordinary barrier.

‘Why did he try to enter this place?’

In my past life, the Heavenly Demon had tried to enter the center.

Not just here.

The Heavenly Demon was interested in the world’s anomalies and variables, often searching for various things,

but I couldn’t understand why he was interested in such things.

And, consequently, the Heavenly Demon succeeded in entering here, but he couldn’t take this orb.

Should I say he couldn’t?

No, it’s more accurate to say he didn’t take it.

After all the trouble of tearing through the barrier, he looked uninterested the moment he saw the orb.

‘It is meaningless to me.’

That was all he said.

After making me go through all that hardship.

‘…Tsk.’

Shaking off thoughts about the orb,

I slowly reached out and put my hand into the rift.

This time, just like last time.

As my hand entered the rift, the cracks in the air gradually began to shrink.

The gradually shrinking cracks disappeared completely,

leaving the void empty.

[Gulp.]

The entity let out a satisfied burp.

“Are you full?”

[Grrr.]

“Sigh…”

After making me go through all this trouble in the middle of the night. And it’s satisfied on its own.

It really feels like raising a beast.

I don’t particularly like raising animals, though.

Clicking my tongue repeatedly, I closed my eyes.

‘Has anything changed?’

I tried to feel the difference in my body by clenching and unclenching my fists,

but I still felt no difference.

Wouldn’t it be better if there were none?

Anyway, since I finished the task without any major issues,

I turned around to leave the pool,

“…Hmm?”

Suddenly, the orb I saw earlier caught my eye again.

The orb looked the same as before,

and only a few seconds had passed, so there shouldn’t be any difference.

Yet, for some reason, the orb stood out clearly.

‘What is it?’

It felt strange.

It was like… my fingertips were tingling.

A feeling like I absolutely had to touch the orb…

For the record, touching the orb causes no problems.

I had actually touched it several times.

“…”

I didn’t know why,

but I stared at the orb and reached out.

It was to get rid of this strange feeling,

and a simple thought that it caught my eye,

But then.

[…No…]

Thump.

Before my outstretched hand could touch the orb, it stopped abruptly in mid-air with a ‘Tsk!’

Because the entity suddenly spoke to me.

The entity, which had been curled up as if full,

opened its eyes again when I tried to touch the orb.

‘You’re saying no?’

[Th…at… is… dangerous….]

I had to think carefully about the entity’s words.

This was the first time it had shown such a reaction.

‘Are you saying you’re dangerous? Or that I’m dangerous?’

‘…Both…’

Every time I asked something, it stayed silent like a mute,

but it seemed to be speaking urgently, perhaps fearing I might touch the orb.

Look at this guy?

[…Not… not yet… it’s not time…]

With its words spoken haltingly and with difficulty,

my brow naturally furrowed.

What meaning could there be in touching this?

I could just not touch the orb,

but for some reason, I felt a surge of defiance against its words.

‘What is this?’

The feeling of wanting to do something even more when told not to,

Is it an emotion only children have?

It felt slightly different from that.

It felt like being thirsty.

A feeling that I absolutely had to touch it.

It was an unpleasant sensation.

Thump.

Unable to control my emotions, I used my inner energy to suppress it.

It felt disgusting that I wasn’t touching it despite the entity telling me not to,

but I also felt a sense of danger.

[If… you… eat… it… now… you’ll… explode.]

What would explode?

My body?

Or the orb?

“Hoo…”

Although I couldn’t know what it meant,

I turned around at the entity’s renewed warning.

“Explain.”

But I couldn’t just turn back.

[Grrr….]

“If you don’t give me a convincing explanation, I’ll touch it recklessly as you said and explode.”

Should I just not touch it because it told me not to?

My temper wasn’t good enough to live life doing as I’m told.

So, I had to listen.

About the reasons why I shouldn’t.

At my firm words,

the area below my dantian began to tremble more and more.

Is the entity that was curled up throwing a tantrum?

Thump! Thump!

I felt a huge vibration,

but thankfully, it wasn’t the intense pain I felt last time.

As I stood still, feeling the vibration, my dantian, which had been shaking so violently, finally began to calm down gradually.

And then.

[Seed….]

Perhaps realizing it had no other choice,

the entity spoke briefly to me.

[Seed of the Great Tree….]

Seed of the Great Tree.

‘…Huh?’

It was a ridiculously simple name.

It simply meant a giant tree,

but as the entity spoke, a scene flashed through my mind before I knew it.

‘No way.’

In my past life, on the day the later disciples fell into the Demonic Realm en masse,

just before I was abandoned as bait and died, being chewed and swallowed alive by countless monsters,

the tree that towered so high it seemed to block the sky, which appeared before my eyes.

For some reason, upon hearing ‘Great Tree’,

I recalled that tree.