Chapter 913: So in the end.

I followed Shin Noya and Geobugi.

I wondered just how far we were going, but we didn’t move very far.

Outside the outer wall.

The spot where we first entered this space. Right there.

A normal forest path lined with plenty of green trees.

It was a midpoint along that path where we stopped after walking for a bit.

Stopping there, I looked around.

‘There doesn’t seem to be anything here?’

I couldn’t see any difference from anywhere else, so why did we stop here? I couldn’t understand.

As I was looking around for a moment.

“How does it look?”

Shin Noya asked, looking at Geobugi, whose gaze was fixed on the empty air.

At those words, Geobugi extended his staff and waved it through the air. At that moment.

Woong—!!!

A vibration occurred in the air, like ripples forming.

Seeing that, my eyes widened.

‘What is it.’

There’s something over there.

I hadn’t felt it until now, but the moment Geobugi acted, I could sense it.

What is that? I narrowed my gaze and stared as if concentrating.

“Hmm.”

Geobugi hummed thoughtfully, waved his staff a few more times, then retracted it and poked the ground with it.

“What a mess….”

It was said with a sigh.

“Sect Leader, I definitely told you to use it carefully, didn’t I? It seems you ignored my words again.”

Geobugi said to Shin Noya in an uncomfortable tone.

“Didn’t I tell you to handle it very carefully?”

“No….”

At that, Shin Noya made an expression as if wronged.

“It wasn’t me this time, so isn’t it a bit too much to suspect me first?”

“Hm?”

Hearing that, Geobugi wore a strange expression.

“What do you mean? You’re saying it wasn’t you?”

“Yes. It’s true I often broke the barriers… but this wasn’t done by me.”

After that, Shin Noya pointed at me with his hand.

“This time, this guy opened it.”

“Huh?”

At those words, I reacted with surprise.

Me?

“That guy?”

Geobugi turned his gaze to look at me.

“…What did I do?”

Suddenly it’s my fault? As I asked back in confusion, Shin Noya added.

“Didn’t you touch the entrance when you came in here last time?”

“…What… huh?”

I wondered what he was talking about. It dawned on me belatedly. I definitely had touched it before.

Shin Noya seemed to be looking for something, and I remembered touching a strange part because I felt something was off.

“Just because of that, what did I do?”

If something went wrong just from doing that a little, wouldn’t that be strange?

As I said this, frowning.

“…Hmm.”

Geobugi nodded with an expression of understanding.

“Then, it means it’s the Sect Leader’s fault after all.”

“What…? Why is that my fault?”

“Didn’t you summon it? Then it’s your fault.”

“What bullshit. You turtle bastard, you speak slowly but convey things like dog dung.”

“What…? You crazy bastard.”

They’re really fucking arguing.

I wondered why they suddenly started fighting amongst themselves.

This is truly a dog’s breakfast.

Moreover, it seemed like it would never end if left alone, so I had to quickly intervene.

“Hey, stop fighting… Didn’t you come here for a reason?”

“…”

At my words, the arguing old men instantly fell silent.

It seemed they remembered what they had forgotten.

“Right, you talk too damn much when you’re supposed to be working. Let’s get done what we came here to do.”

Even then, Shin Noya added a remark, perhaps not forgetting his temper, but Geobugi ignored him and raised his staff again.

Of course, his displeased expression remained, but Geobugi answered with action.

Giiiiiiing—!!

Something glowed from the staff. The moment I saw it, my body stiffened.

Thump-!

Again. My heart started racing uncontrollably.

It was the same sensation I felt earlier when Geobugi chased me away.

Is it pain? No. It’s on a different level than pain. If this were simply pain…

‘I wouldn’t feel like I wanted to keep watching.’

I would have wanted to look away or leave the spot immediately.

Thump-! Thump-!

My gaze intensified over my racing heart.

It felt like an instinct telling me I had to watch without missing a single moment.

Just then.

“La…eura….”

Geobugi’s mumbling brushed past my ears. It was faint enough to hear even in my heightened state of awareness.

What was he saying?

I wondered if I should listen closely out of curiosity, but.

“Hoo.”

The words were cut off with Geobugi’s sigh. It wasn’t long.

At that moment.

Hwaaaaaa—-!!

“…!”

An immense light burst from the staff, beginning to envelop everything around. The light had so many colors, it was like a rainbow.

What was amazing wasn’t just the colors.

‘…Incredible.’

I couldn’t help but admire the light being emitted.

My eyes, filled with intensity, automatically activated my Mind’s Eye.

The rainbow-colored light, seen through my Mind’s Eye, was filled with immense streams.

‘How is it formed?’

Those countless streams were so dense and beautiful, it was hard to even comprehend them.

Thump-! Thump-!

My heart beat even faster. What is this feeling?

I couldn’t tell. But conversely, there was something I could tell.

‘That’s a spell.’

I had vaguely known from what happened earlier, but seeing this, I could be certain.

That’s a spell.

And not just any spell, but one of a superior level I’d never seen before.

‘It’s different from what the Zhuge family guys or Shinui taught me.’

‘And Beihe, of course.’

It was something completely different from the spells I had tried to understand.

I want to see more. I want to know more.

Only after thinking that far did I realize what this strange feeling was.

‘I want to pursue knowledge.’

Shall I call it academic fervor?

I wanted to delve into that spell.

But.

Saaaaaaa—-….

The light, which had been fully unfurled, quickly subsided.

The moment I saw it, intense disappointment overwhelmed me.

It wasn’t enough.

Not yet.

‘I need to see more.’

I wanted to see more. More time was needed to figure out what that was.

Zzzzt.

My eyes started to ache. Was it because of my Mind’s Eye? Was the pain coming from trying to contain so much information with my Mind’s Eye?

It didn’t matter. Even so, I had to see that-

“Stop there.”

Thump.

“Kk!?”

I clutched my forehead from the sudden pain. Wondering what it was, I looked and saw Geobugi had pushed my forehead as if poking it with his staff.

Touching my throbbing forehead, I looked at Geobugi.

“I understand your feelings very well, but it’s excessive desire.”

“…”

Geobugi seemed to know what I was doing.

“Geobugi….”

Bonk-!

“Ack!?”

This time, the staff hit the top of my head. Strangely, although I blocked it with my hand, it penetrated and hit my crown.

“Isn’t that old man enough? Why are you calling me Geobugi too, you insolent brat.”

I thought it was okay since Shin Noya called him Geobugi, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“…Then, what should I call you?”

“Don’t call me.”

“Yes…?”

“The name I once had, I discarded long ago. What I gained, I lost even longer ago. So don’t call me.”

“Then just call me Geobugi.”

“…Sect Leader….”

“If you won’t tell him how to call me when he wants to, then he can call me whatever he wants.”

“…”

Geobugi glared at Shin Noya, but he didn’t refute.

Does he mean I can call him anything?

Or perhaps, he doesn’t care because I won’t be calling him anyway?

I couldn’t tell.

Geobugi quickly put on an annoyed and tired expression, waved his staff carelessly, and turned his back.

“The work is done, so I’m leaving.”

“Already? You didn’t just do a sloppy job, did you?”

At Noya’s words, Geobugi glared at him.

“I’ve done it much more meticulously than last time, so it should be fine for three months. Of course, that’s if you don’t do anything unnecessary again.”

“Hmm… So does that mean I’ll have to fix it again soon?”

“Are you crazy?”

“Just kidding, just kidding.”

Shin Noya said, chuckling. Geobugi sighed deeply at this.

“…I’m leaving now-.”

“Ah, wait.”

Noya stopped Geobugi, who was about to leave again. At those words, Geobugi’s whiskers twitched.

“What now?”

“Do one more thing before you go.”

“This should be the end of the requests, right? I have no intention of accepting more-.”

“Add one month of plum tea.”

“I’ll hear you out first.”

It was a rather greedy conversation.

At Geobugi’s words, Shin Noya smirked and pointed at me and Cheonma.

“Do ‘that’ for those two.”

That?

At Shin Noya’s words, Geobugi looked displeased.

“Sect Leader.”

“Hm?”

“I think I just warned you not to do anything unnecessary.”

“Hey. What do you mean? What unnecessary thing would I be doing?”

At Geobugi’s words, Noya waved his hands dismissively. As if it were absurd.

“It’s just to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.”

“…”

“You must know it’s a necessary measure, right? Don’t be so indifferent and hurry up and do it. We’re both busy, wouldn’t it be good to finish quickly?”

“You damn bastard….”

“What did you say?”

“I said you damn bastard.”

“I was trying to pretend I didn’t hear….”

Shin Noya scratched his nose awkwardly.

Watching him, I felt quite pleased.

‘It’s very satisfying to see him getting pushed around.’

He always picked on me, so serves him right.

“Kid. Your eyes look strange.”

“My eyes are always like this.”

“No… they look way shittier than usual…?”

“Who are you to point out my eyes?”

“What, punk?”

“It’s a compliment saying you have handsome eyes.”

To have someone whose eyes are just as fierce as mine be so absurd.

Anyway, he’s damn quick-witted.

“Ah, anyway, hurry up and do it. Do you want to see me throw a tantrum?”

“What tantrum are you throwing at your age? What for? Are you going to throw a fit on the floor?”

“Well, I’ll have to throw a fit. In your quarters.”

“…”

Geobugi’s expression instantly soured.

Conversely, I was impressed hearing Noya’s words.

“Wow.”

The level of his tantrums is utterly bizarre.

How can he threaten someone so much like his own temper?

I respect that. I mean it, not just saying it. That’s really something to learn, isn’t it?

Thinking that, I nodded.

‘I should use that next time.’

I meant it sincerely.