Chapter 959: Lost Soul.

“…”

“…”

Silence permeated the space.

The only sound was the drip, drip, drip of water.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The source of the sound was my hand.

Blood dripped continuously from the hand that had held the sword.

Watching the falling blood, I thought.

Ah, fuck, this hurts like hell.

‘…Why does this hurt so much….’

I was maintaining a blank expression, but damn, it really hurt.

Was it because I’d gripped it longer and tighter than last time?

I glanced at my palm.

‘Damn.’

I could see bone.

I’d experienced this before. Remembering how agonizingly slow my regeneration speed was, it would likely be the same this time.

The bandage I’d painstakingly wrapped was already soaked and falling apart.

I didn’t mind. It wasn’t mine anyway; it belonged to Seolyeong.

However, I couldn’t just stay like this….

Just as I was thinking of tearing off some cloth to wrap it.

Srrrreuk.

‘Huh?’

Suddenly, I felt a sensation in my left arm. It was Gwijung.

Gwijung suddenly moved, wrapping itself around my injured hand like a bandage.

‘…Oh.’

What is this? Is it worried I might be in pain?

For a demonic creature, it had some awareness.

Kkwaak.

‘Ngh…!’

As if reading my thoughts, Gwijung tightened its grip on my hand.

It must have been to stop the bleeding, but the situation was rather ironic.

As I forced myself to endure the pain, the guy in front of me spoke.

“…What do you mean? You’ll kill the Dragon Master?”

“Just as I said. I will kill the Dragon Master.”

“Nonsense-! How can a Dragon claim to kill the Dragon Master!”

His eyes were red with genuine conviction. His expression was intensely, almost desperately, fierce.

“Why? It’s not like they can’t be killed.”

“Don’t try to deceive me with such nonsense. Do you think I don’t know that Dragons can never disobey the Dragon Master!”

I nodded at the old man’s words.

Can’t disobey? Doesn’t seem like it.

‘If that were true.’

The Blood Demon wouldn’t have needed to act the way he did.

“…I don’t, or rather, we don’t believe in Dragons.”

“…Hmm….”

Perhaps because they didn’t understand the situation, or maybe because they harbored a general aversion to Dragons.

The old man just growled at me.

‘Still, it wasn’t entirely ineffective.’

I could feel it.

The atmosphere around them had subtly shifted.

Was it because I said I had to kill the Dragon Master?

I could sense a subtle change in their gazes.

“If you don’t believe, then there’s nothing I can do about it….”

Whether they believed or not didn’t really matter.

What mattered was.

“That thing you’re holding. I’d like some of that too.”

“…What?”

I pointed at the sword the old man was holding, and he frowned.

“What are you talking about right now?”

“No, this thing.”

Tuk.

“Kkuhk!?”

I snatched the sword the old man was holding and took it into my hand.

As it was taken so easily, the old man scowled.

“You… You bastard!”

He tried to lunge, perhaps to get it back, but.

“…!”

I pressed the sword against the old man’s neck, and he froze instantly.

Of course, naturally, I had no intention of decapitating him.

I just needed the sword and wanted to stop the old man.

Leaving the stiffened old man behind, I retracted the blade.

Then I brought the blade right up to my forearm.

I merely touched it there.

Chiiiik-!

It seared hot, just like before.

The sword wasn’t hot. It felt closer to cold.

I touched it for just a moment before pulling it away.

Then I tossed the sword back to the old man.

“Huk!”

The old man hastily caught the sword. Seeing it, I chuckled and said.

“I need some of this. It’s really something, isn’t it? Just touching it made it hurt and melt flesh. So, I have to ask: does this only work on Dragons?”

I’d always been curious. The blade felt ominous just looking at it.

Even when sparring with Gubong, just seeing this metal made me feel sick.

Was this irritation simply from the metal itself?

That discomfort I felt because I’m a Dragon.

“…Do you think I’d tell you that?”

“What’s stopping you from telling me? If you won’t tell me, I have plenty of other places to find out. And.”

I glanced around. The place was filled with hobbits, watching me warily.

Taking them all in one by one, I said to the old man.

“If you’re not going to answer, perhaps I’ll find out by killing your companions here, one by one?”

“…!”

The old man flinched when I spoke with killing intent.

I laughed before his reaction could escalate.

“Just kidding.”

I said it with a wide smile, but the old man’s expression didn’t relax.

Of course. This was both a warning and proof.

I can kill all of you if I want.

But I’m choosing not to.

This was my way of proving that to the old man.

It seemed to work, as a chilling silence fell over the surroundings.

Watching their reactions closely, I took a step back.

“I don’t think there’s any point staying here any longer today. I’ll be heading back for now.”

That’s as far as I’ll push it.

I could push further, but to achieve the relationship I wanted, I had to take a step back first.

“Next time I visit, I hope we can have a proper conversation.”

“…As I said… I…”

“Yes, you really hate Dragons. I know. Besides.”

I pointed to myself with my injured hand.

“I hate Dragons too. That’s why we’ll get along just fine.”

“…”

“See you next time. And I hope you’ll answer my questions properly then.”

“You bastard…!”

I waved my hands dismissively and walked outside.

The old man seemed to say something, but I ignored it.

I leaped away, left the area, and climbed onto a rooftop.

“Hmm….”

The sunset was just beginning.

Night would soon fall.

I watched it for a moment, then turned my gaze northward.

That matter was settled.

The matter with Geobugi was temporarily concluded.

‘Time to head back.’

It was time to finish the last task of the day.

---

I left the Volcano Sect.

My destination was, naturally, Yawal.

I wondered if I should have gone back after finishing yesterday’s business, but.

‘I have to go.’

There were still many things left unfinished, so I had to go.

Plus, I needed to keep an eye on things.

‘I also need to look into Yusa more.’

I needed to approach that guy.

Though I wasn’t sure about getting completely close.

‘Once I get closer, I’ll find out anyway.’

Given that I had at least a faint idea of Yusa’s power.

It didn’t seem like he wouldn’t notice if I approached stealthily.

In times like these, it’s better to just approach openly.

‘It feels like I’m going there too often….’

I seem to be going to Yawal almost every day.

Wouldn’t it be better to just settle down there?

‘It really would be better.’

Constantly traveling back and forth is annoying. Besides, they said there were Volcano Sect people there, so maybe I could just tell them?

As I thought this and climbed the mountain.

“…”

Utuk.

I stopped walking for a moment and rolled my eyes.

I slowly looked around, scanning the forest.

It looked like nothing was there. It was the path I always took, the usual trees and undergrowth.

And gradually, only the sky with its two moons remained.

“Hmm….”

I rested my chin on my hand and let out a quiet sigh.

“…”

I felt the wind.

I didn’t expand my senses or increase their density.

I just stood still, eyes closed, feeling the surroundings.

Standing like that for a moment.

Saaaaa.

I detected an anomaly in the flowing air.

“Found you.”

I opened my closed eyes. At the same time, I unleashed my energy.

Tung.

My vision shifted as I pursued someone.

As soon as I moved, the hidden presence also moved.

But.

Kwak-!

“…!”

My hand was faster, grabbing the opponent.

The opponent struggled to break free the moment they were caught, but before they could, I slammed them onto the ground with force.

Kwaaaaaa–!!!

A rough sound erupted as the ground cracked.

Air pressure surged, sending dust soaring into the sky.

Annoyed by the obscured vision, I cleared the dust with my energy, and.

The being trapped in my hand, embedded in the ground, came into view.

I smiled as I looked at them.

“It’s you, isn’t it?”

For the past few days.

The one who had been irritating me every time I left the Volcano Sect.

When I tried to find them with my senses, they hid.

When I just tried to look for them, they were invisible, which was just annoying.

“It’s you, right?”

I finally caught the opponent.

It was thanks to catching the anomaly I’d been trying to sense without using my energy for days.

“You called yourself Yarang, didn’t you?”

A woman wearing a black mask.

I wasn’t sure if she was actually a woman, but judging by her physique, she was.

Her neck caught in my hand, she stared calmly at me.

I couldn’t see her expression because of the mask.

Given the considerable pressure I was applying, she must be in terrible pain.

She didn’t even let out a groan.

‘This woman.’

The Master of Man-gye.

In other words, is she the one Mother mentioned as her daughter?

Furthermore.

‘The one who supposedly injured Cheonma.’

She even injured Cheonma and disappeared, didn’t she?

Kkwaak.

The moment I recalled that fact, I tightened my grip.

“What are you? Why do you keep following me around, pissing me off?”

“…”

“Don’t want to talk? Fine, then.”

She might be strong, as they called her a General, but.

She was someone who had been watching me until now anyway.

It would be better to provoke a fight and see how she reacted.

Having made up my mind.

“Let’s see how long you can keep your mouth shut.”

Hwarururuk–!!!

I surrounded my hand with flames.

Coating the blue flames with my energy.

I thrust them towards the woman called Yarang.

No.

I intended to thrust.

Hwarururuk–!!!

My fist, extended at high speed, lunged as if to smash the woman’s face, but.

For some reason, it stopped right in front of her face.

Was I just trying to scare her? No.

I had genuinely intended to hit this woman.

But.

“…What are you….”

I couldn’t.

My stiffened body refused to let me.

“You.”

Then, I said with trembling eyes.

“What is your identity-“

Saaaaaaa–!!!

“Kkuhk!”

I frowned, cutting off my words.

It was because energy suddenly burst forth.

Golden energy surged, blinding me.

I hastily brushed it away to regain my vision, but.

“Damn it.”

Yarang, whom I held in my hand, had already vanished.

Where is she? Where did she go?

I tried to find Yarang quickly, but ridiculously, there was no need to search.

She hadn’t run away.

She had somehow moved behind me and was just looking at me.

Seeing that, I was about to speak to Yarang again, but.

Tuk-!

Suddenly, the thread binding Yarang’s mask came loose.

The mask slowly moved away from her face.

Tuk. With a light sound, it dropped onto the ground.

Yarang’s bare face was revealed to the world.

Upon seeing it, my heart felt like it dropped to the floor with a thud.

I couldn’t help it.

The face of Yarang before me.

“You….”

The face I missed the most, both in my past life and now.

It was the exact same face as Shin-geom Wiseara.