episode_0149

149. Harmony.

Yohan opened his eyes.

“······.”

The scenery was different from before. Instead of the battlefield filled with the blood of the Black King Castle warriors, a blue and vast sea was visible.

‘No, is it not quite that level?’

Still, it has become much larger than before. It must be the effect of the elixir he ate before, the White Jewel.

Yohan, who was standing on the lotus leaf, bent his knee and gently swept the surface of the water.

‘Warm. The balance is not yet achieved.’

In fact, he had not completely absorbed the energy of the White Jewel he had absorbed before. It was still lingering within Yohan’s body and his inner self.

It was an uncontrollable matter. If he had forcibly absorbed it, he didn’t know what would happen.

‘But there is no more time. After scraping together all the remaining energy, I will create a spell for the next stage.’

Yohan deeply immersed his arm into the pool of water, which was too large to be called a lake.

Something was caught. He immediately pulled it up.

Blazing─

It was a pure white fireball. The remnants of the White Jewel that Yohan could not absorb.

Even if he succeeded in accepting this, he would not be able to defeat the Fire Sword Master. He absolutely had to advance to the next stage.

Yohan constantly reminded himself of this fact and brought the fireball to his chest.

Swoosh-

The fireball was absorbed as if a snake was going over a wall. Immediately after, Yohan’s entire body boiled over.

‘Kuh-heuk······!’

In response, the waves of the lake also began to surge. Bubbles popped out, and hazy steam billowed out.

He had felt a similar phenomenon recently. Perhaps because of that, Yohan controlled the lake much more flexibly than before.

As if suffering from a severe cold, Yohan groaned for a long time.

‘Hoo······.’

How much time had passed, Yohan let out a long sigh and half-opened his eyes.

‘Now it begins.’

Splash-!

Yohan got up from his seat and jumped into the lake without a moment’s hesitation.

A slightly warm, lukewarm sensation enveloped Yohan.

Glug-

Yohan continued to sink below the surface of the water.

Originally, the temperature of water decreases as the depth increases. But the inner lake was different. The deeper he went, the hotter it became.

Thump, Yohan finally reached the bottom of the lake. Yohan lay down in a sprawling position and looked up.

Dark. That was about the extent of his impression. This is not reality. Therefore, sunlight did not exist. If there is no sun, how can there be sunlight?

────────.

No sound was heard. Nothing was visible. In that state, Yohan thought.

What is harmony, and what should he be in harmony with?

Suddenly, he felt the gently flowing waves.

‘Come to think of it, why is magic power in the form of a lake?’

Magic power is an energy with limitless possibilities. It can be transformed into anything, and it cannot be replaced by anything.

In other words, other forms are also possible. To give a specific example, rocks, lakes, flames, and······

[A huge tree, my magic power is rooted in that form within me.]

That was what a magician who mainly used plant magic had said in the past. His name was Gang Sik-mun.

Like this, the form of magic power differs from person to person. Why is it different? Yohan instinctively felt it. The answer lies in this question and answer.

‘Tree, lake. The difference between the two. What is it······?’

At that moment, lightning flashed through Yohan’s mind.

‘Ah.’

Swish, Yohan stirred his hand, cutting through the water. The flow of magic power fluctuates here and there.

‘Yes, the approach was wrong from the start.’

The form of magic power was not important. Only one thing was important. Whether or not he could achieve harmony with that magic power.

Yohan usually thought that he controlled magic power well. But he was wrong.

‘Without even being able to change the form of magic power within me, what control am I talking about.’

Yohan let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Jijik, a sound like paper tearing was heard. It was a strange occurrence. There was not a single source that could generate sound in this place right now.

In other words, the cause of the sound was not the inner world. Yohan rolled his eyes. Both fingers and both toes.

Jijik, Jijik-

They are being finely divided from the ends of the body. The particles are so fine that they are hard to see even when looking with wide eyes.

Jijijik-

Yohan’s body continued to be divided. Slowly, but very gradually.

Jijik-

How much time had passed. There were not many body parts left now. Both arms and legs had permeated into the lake, and only half of his navel remained.

His entire body was gradually disappearing, but Yohan did not feel any fear at all.

‘This is right.’

The very idea of controlling magic power was wrong. Magic power is not an object. Rather, it was closer to a living being with will.

Harmony (造化).

Completely erase his existence. Now, Yohan’s form no longer existed in the inner world.

His mouth shatters. His nose shatters. Eventually, even his eyes shattered into tiny pieces.

‘Ah······.’

It was comfortable. It felt like he had shed his human body and become an omnipotent being.

He felt like he could become anything and do anything now.

However, this is ultimately just the inner world. Reality is outside.

Yohan opened his eyes.

***

Clang! Thwack!

“Kuh-heuk!”

Sama Han let out a clear groan. A stream of blood spurted from near his shoulder.

He swung his fan with a staggering gesture. His body was full of wounds, and just standing was a miracle.

“Persistent. Is that shaman so trustworthy? It’s not like you.”

Sama Han strained his eyes. Because sticky blood was tangled in them, they didn’t open well. Still, he could somehow see ahead.

“Heh, not like me. Old man. What does that mean?”

“Well, weren’t you a man far from recklessness? If I knew you, it would be normal for you to run away immediately.”

The Fire Sword Master said, looking around.

The nameless woman and the black monkey were struggling to block the cloud of flower petals and had no energy to spare, and the eye-closed shaman had been motionless since earlier.

The Black King’s situation was not good either. He had overworked his remaining left arm so much that his fist was swollen.

The Fire Sword Master looked at Sama Han again. He seemed to be asking with his eyes. ‘Really, isn’t it a reckless situation?’

Sama Han curled his lips up.

“Hey old man. You’ve become talkative as you’ve gotten older. Are you more afraid?”

“Hahaha! Of course, the older you get, the more worries you have.”

Sreung, the Fire Sword Master shone his eyes and drew his sword.

“So I proposed to end it. Now, I’ve given you enough time to rest, right?”

“······Can’t you give me a little more?”

“I can’t.”

“That’s a shame.”

Sama Han seemed genuinely disappointed. Immediately after, the Fire Sword Master’s figure stretched out long.

Sama Han’s eyes darted around busily, watching his movements.

‘Left!’

Swish- Sama Han twisted his body and held the fan vertically. And he widened his eyes.

“······!”

He wasn’t there. He was sure it was the left, but he couldn’t see the Fire Sword Master’s face. If so······

Clang!

“Kuh-heuuek!”

A deafening roar was heard from the right. He knew without looking. The Black King must have blocked the Fire Sword Master’s sword.

“Hiss!”

After exhaling a short breath, Sama Han stretched out his fan to the right.

The Fire Sword Master softly retracted his sword and blocked it.

Clang!

An amazing skill that blocked the attacks of the Black King and Sama Han at once. The two men whose attacks were blocked bit their lips.

Immediately after, the Fire Sword Master’s sword disappeared.

Thud-

“Cough!”

Sama Han coughed up blood and knelt on one knee. The Fire Sword Master had already retreated far away.

Whoong, the Black King’s fist belatedly cut through the air. The Black King muttered as if feeling helpless.

“It’s not a human movement······.”

A movement like flower petals swaying in the wind. That’s how the Black King felt.

“Old monster. Can you continue?”

“Heu, well. I don’t think I can dare to decide.”

The Black King frowned.

“Why has your confidence dropped so much. Get a grip. It’s not over yet.”

“Confidence?”

Sama Han asked back and laughed, “Puh-heh-heh.”

“I was just stating the facts. Really. We were not given a choice.”

“Haa, this senile old monster─”

Just as the Black King was about to lash out, Sama Han shone his eyes fiercely and said.

“That cunning shaman bastard. I don’t know what kind of sorcery he used, but he’s finally getting the job done.”

“······What?”

At that moment, the attention of all the humans on the battlefield was focused on one place.

The leader, who was still with his eyes closed. He was drawing attention.

He didn’t know why. He just couldn’t take his eyes off him. Especially the Fire Sword Master was the most surprised.

“······Huh, heh heh heh heh!”

He laughed as if he had lost his mind for a moment, then hurriedly kicked off the ground and charged towards Yohan. It was the fastest speed he had shown so far.

Sama Han shouted urgently.

“Block him!”

The Black God, who had been barely managing to block the storm of flower petals, reflexively threw a hidden weapon. Dozens of blades surged towards the Fire Sword Master.

Sara was not standing still either. Even if she had to suffer fatal injuries, she would protect Yohan no matter what!

Tatat-!

The Fire Sword Master’s speed was very fast. However, the distance between Yohan and the two men was even closer than the Fire Sword Master.

Chaechaechaechaeng! Clang!

The hidden weapon struck the Fire Sword Master first, and then Sara arrived.

“Get-out-of-the-waaaaaay!!”

The Fire Sword Master unleashed a thunderous roar and shook off Sara. She spat out a little blood and fell away.

“Hiss!”

There were no more obstacles. The Fire Sword Master arrived in front of Yohan in an instant and swung his sword as it was.

Soon, the blue sword blade was about to touch Yohan’s uvula─

Whirrrrr-

Kwaaaaaaaaang!!

A huge cloud of fire enveloped the two men.