Chapter 435: Regret (1)

Regret (1)

I had my focus on the Heavenly Poison Orbs that sat next to a white stone as Tang Jaemoon looked at me with a strange expression.

…Just how many is that?

There were at least more than ten sittings there.

That amount was enough to buy a small to medium clan if exaggerating a little.

That much was obvious. It was an elixir of the past that the Tang Clan couldn’t even produce anymore, and the Heavenly Poison Orbs had not only a great amount of condensed energy inside, but it also had something special.

It builds poison immunity to the user.

Consuming the elixir built poison immunity in one’s body.

However, this was only written in the records, so I wasn’t sure.

Anyway, this was an elixir that not only gave a person an incredible amount of Qi, but it also helped them build poison immunity.

It was a treasure of the past that not even millions of gold could buy in the present.

The Heavenly Poison Orb…

The sight of it completely filled my eyes.

I didn’t know what the test was going to be, but I was able to get it if I passed it.

Though I probably can’t use it right now even if I get them.

My vessel was in an unstable state, so it would probably shatter if I absorbed the energy from those elixirs.

But I can at least share them if I can’t have them.

I had many people around to share with.

Even if not that, I had to get them no matter what considering their value.

It was the same for that white rock- …No, the White Demonic Stone.

Demonic Stones lose their color in a few days after leaving the Demon’s body.

However, that didn’t apply to White Demonic Stones.

Even looking it at now, I saw that the stone still maintained its color and light, and it still seemed to contain the energy inside.

I can’t be sure though, since I never saw any other White Demonic Stones.

It was just an assumption.

I thought to myself while staring at the White Demonic Stone and the Heavenly Poison Orbs.

Yes, for fucks sake… this is what a secret vault should be like.

I started to tear up at the sight.

[Shincheol’s disciple… You are crying?]

“Yes… It’s tears of joy. Please don’t worry.”

[Ah… okay.]

I was reminded of all the other secret vaults I’ve been in.

The first one I went to was the Golden Sky Yeon Clan’s secret vault, and the second was the one in the Heavenly Dragon Academy.

It was hard to say that I gained anything from those two because of all the bullshit I went through.

…But this one brings joy back into my life. This is what a miracle is.

This is what all secret vaults should be like.

That damned Golden Sky Yeon Clan.

Now that I think about it, the two previous secret vaults I went to both belonged to Yeon Il-Cheon.

That son of a bitch. An evil bastard.

So what if he is a regressor? How dare he try to kill me?

Especially while I’m trying to clean up all the shit they left.

My resentment continued to grow towards the previous regressor.

Tang Jaemoon didn’t even say she’d give me anything yet, but it already felt like the Heavenly Poison Orbs became mine.

“Senior…”

[Yes.]

“Do you mind if I bowed once to you?”

[…What?]

Tang Jaemoon made a rather disgusted expression after hearing my words.

I nodded to myself after seeing that reaction from her, thinking I shouldn’t do such a thing.

Yes, I went a bit too far with that one.

“It was a joke.”

[Shincheol’s disciple… unfortunately, you seem to take after the weird side of Shincheol.]

“You know that’s a very big insult, right…?”

She compared me to that old man of all people which really offended me.

It seemed like she found my response funny though, because Tang Jaemoon started to giggle while covering her mouth.

So that lady can laugh too huh?

It was unexpected because she only looked cold from the outside. Was it because I felt like she opened up a little? I decided to ask her a somewhat difficult question that I didn’t ask before.

“Um, Senior?”

[Yes.]

“It’s… not anything too important, but why did you leave that thing next to the Heavenly Poison Orbs?”

[?]

Tang Jaemoon turned her head and looked at the White Demonic Stone after hearing my question.

[Ah.]

Then, she clapped her hands once as if she realized that was there.

[It’s a trophy. That thing came out from a Demon I hunted. I put it there to brag to Shincheol about it once he comes here.]

“…”

That was the response she gave with a slightly high-pitched tone.

Unexpectedly, it was a very cute reason.

I thought she put it there for a very important reason.

But no, it was only so that she could brag…

It truly leaves me speechless.

I almost laughed out loud, but I was able to hold back.

And she said she hunted the Demon herself…

I thought about the Azure Dragon River as I looked at the White Demonic Stone.

The river was an aftermath that formed after Tang Jaemoon hunted a White Demon.

She has that much strength in her fragile-looking body?

I started to wonder.

This was a thought I had every time I met with the heroes of the past.

Each and every one of them seemed at the very least comparable to the current Three Venerables in strength.

Just…

How strong were they?

Not only that, but how come they weren’t able to win against the Blood Demon when they greatly outnumbered him?

It was a question that I had occasionally.

The story of the past and the current flow of time.

The disparity between the two made me think a lot.

But for now… those Heavenly Poison Orbs are more important.

The White Demonic Stone somehow became far less important now.

But what can be done? That’s how life is.

Shaa…

“You shut your mouth.”

The Red Water Snake poked its head out again without reading the situation, so I pushed it back into my pocket.

[Shincheol’s disciple.]

“Yes, Senior.”

I lifted my head up after hearing Tang Jaemoon’s voice.

She then showed a strange expression after seeing my posture.

[…Your attitude seems a bit different from before… Am I mistaken?]

Did my attitude change?

Of course it did.

Unlike the bastards from the previous secret vaults who gave me shit, this was the first person that was going to give me proper rewards.

I was more than willing to bow down to her hundreds of times if she wanted.

Who cares about my pride anyway?

A person that could feed me, is both my master and God.

That was how to live in this life filled with hardship.

I ignored the fact that Tang Jaemoon slightly backed off a little, and asked her a question I’ve been wanting to ask.

“Please tell me, Senior. What must I do to pass the test?”

[…]

She said I had to pass a test if I wanted those Heavenly Poison Orbs.

I was ready to do it any time.

She said it was a test prepared for Elder Shin, right?

I wondered why she bothered to make such a hassle of a test for him,

But I guess everything has a reason.

I believed that she had a reason to do such a thing.

However, there was one thing I was feeling a bit guilty about in this situation.

…Could I really take all of those when it was prepared for Elder Shin?

If all the things I consumed up until now were prepared for Elder Shin, I wondered if it was really right for me to eat them up instead.

Elder Shin may have said that it was okay,

But I’m the one that feels bothered by doing it.

I for some reason felt guilt building up.

Even so, I couldn’t just let this chance escape.

I told myself I would do anything to prepare myself for the future disaster.

Because of that, I had to eat everything I could get even if it wasn’t meant for me.

I didn’t have much time left.

I told myself that again.

Plus… Elder Shin wouldn’t have been able to consume these anyway.

It would have been right for me to leave these elixirs here if Elder Shin successfully managed to resurrect or possess someone’s body like his allies wanted, but Elder Shin didn’t ever appear in my past life.

This meant one thing.

Their plan failed.

Whatever their plan was, it didn’t succeed.

Therefore,

I’ll eat that in his place and clean up all the shit you guys left.

I’ll just have to hunt both the Heavenly Demon and Blood Demon.

By the way, that’s what Elder Shin said to me.

He told me to stop the Blood Demon along the way if I was going to stop a worldly disaster.

At the time, I wondered what he was on because of how nonsensical it was, but I was in a situation where I actually had to, thinking about it now.

That old man, did he expect this from the very beginning?

Perhaps Elder Shin knew that something like this would happen.

That was the thought I had.

Then…

[Before you start your test…]

Tang Jaemoon started to speak.

[There is one thing I would like to ask the disciple.]

“Sure.”

Something she wanted to ask from me?

What could it be?

When I stared at Tang Jaemoon with a curious look on my face,

[Have you ever experienced regret?]

“Pardon…?”

She asked an extremely random question.

But it also dug straight into my heart.

Have I ever regretted it? Me?

Of course I have.

It was a funny question.

All my life was filled with regret, so how could I not have?

“I have. To the point I became tired of it.”

I shouldn’t have lived my life like that.

I shouldn’t have done the things I did.

I shouldn’t have said those words.

I shouldn’t have left you, and I shouldn’t have used you as an excuse for my actions.

I only thought for a moment, but countless regrets passed by my mind.

Tang Jaemoon showed a rather shocked expression after seeing my expression.

How bad was my current expression for her to react like that?

I unfortunately didn’t have a way to check.

After a short silence, Tang Jaemoon continued to speak.

[…Have you ever tried to overcome those regrets?]

“Overcome my regrets?”

I accidentally let out a smirk after hearing Tang Jaemoon.

It was a blatant mocking smirk. That was my mistake.

I quickly erased the smile off my face and carefully responded.

“…I don’t think regret is something that one could overcome.”

[Then what is it for you?]

“A burden one must keep. That’s how I see regret.”

[…]

Regret was like a burden.

It made a person live in their past rather than the present. Regret constantly hunts a person endlessly.

Overcoming it?

No, such a thing was impossible.

It was something one had to bear with.

A memory that could never be forgotten.

I was constantly reminded of my past, but I continued to walk restlessly.

Is this conversation a part of the test?

That’s the only thought I have in my mind right now.

I suppressed my emotions and stared at Tang Jaemoon.

…Huh?

I opened my eyes widely after checking her expression.

She showed a sad pair of eyes for some reason.

[…Then, are you walking on the correct path while carrying your regrets with you?]

I was immediately about to respond after hearing the question from Tang Jaemoon.

However…

“…”

I couldn’t.

I knew very well that I would be lying if I said yes to her.

I couldn’t bring myself to do it no matter how hard I tried.

Tang Jaemoon’s expression continued to deepen as she had her gaze on me.

Then, she spoke to me with a heavier voice than before.

[Your test will begin now…]

I immediately woke myself up after hearing her.

It was rather sudden, but I was happy to start the test.

I focused since I didn’t know what would happen.

I observed Tang Jaemoon nervously, and she spoke to me in a calm tone.

[There is no pass or fail in the test you will be taking.]

“Huh? What do you mean by that…?”

There was no passing or failing this test?

Then how could she judge this test?

[The thoughts you will be having after the test. That won’t matter either.]

“Senior?”

Tang Jaemoon continued to say things I couldn’t understand.

I became more nervous as I continued to hear her words.

Every time someone said random things to me like that…

I ended up getting fucked.

I hurriedly tried calling for her name at the chilling thought,

[I just hope that you make a different decision than me.]

But Tang Jaemoon reached her hand out towards me after she was done speaking.

Then…

Craaaack-!

“What!?”

The surrounding area started to crumble.

For fucks sake, I knew something like this was going to happen…!

I quickly tried to leave the area due to the sudden change in the situation, but the space around me was already heavily affected.

I heard Tang Jaemoon’s voice as my sight began to shake.

[…When you get the chance…]

Her voice had a slightly soft tone.

Was it sadness? Or was it yearning?

It was hard to say as I didn’t really know Tang Jaemoon as a person.

[Please deliver this message to Shincheol.]

I tried saying something, but I couldn’t let a single voice out.

As the space around me crumbled, only Tang Jaemoon’s voice echoed.

[I wanted to see him. I really… really wanted to see him. And… I…]

I couldn’t hear the end of her voice filled with yearning.

It was because the crumbling got worse, and I couldn’t endure the pressure and lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes again…

“Hugh…!”

I was lying in the center of an unknown pit.