The look in his eyes made it clear that he knew I had figured it out.
And I hated it.
That smirking mouth, that gaze fixed on meâit was all unbearable.
I wanted to punch that damn smug face so badly,
but right now, I couldn't afford to waste my energy picking a fight with him.
"Even the Abyssal Pit⊠was part of my mother's plan?"
The sacred tree beneath Mount Hua.
And the Abyssal Pitâno, Kurungâthat had been there.
Noya had called it a being of master-class significance.
But why had such a thing settled under the Mount Hua sacred tree in the first place?
âAnd now you're telling me even that was at my motherâs request?â
According to Shin Noya, all of this was orchestrated by my mother.
Noya becoming a general.
Noya betraying them and disappearing with the sacred tree.
The resulting instability in Mangye.
And now, even the calamity caused by the disappearance of the Abyssal Pitâ
All of it had been set in motion by my mother.
"âŠFor what purpose?"
What was so important that it had to be done this way?
What was my mother's goal?
And why had Noya gone along with it?
I couldn't understand it, so I had to ask.
It wasnât just about acknowledging that my mother had created this situation.
I needed to understand why.
Noya, upon hearing my question, looked at me with a somewhat indifferent gaze.
"Who knows? I donât fully understand your motherâs intentions eitherâŠ"
He trailed off for a moment, pausing in thought before he continued.
"If I had to guess, the first reason would be to prepare something for you.
And the secondâ"
Noya lifted a finger and pointed to the sky once more.
"âWould be because she seeks the end of Mangye."
"âŠ!"
His words made my face harden.
"âŠThe end of Mangye?"
Where the hell had that come from?
Why was he suddenly talking about the end of Mangye?
"She has spoken of it often.
And everything happening nowâthis crisisâ
Itâs simply the result of your motherâs wish finally taking shape."
"I donât understand what you mean. Explain in more detail."
"I already told youâthe moment one sacred tree was disturbed, an anomaly spread across all of Mangye."
"âŠYes."
That anomaly had caused the sudden increase in energy density in the air.
"If the loss of one sacred tree caused this much disruption,
then what do you think would happen if more sacred trees were removed?"
"âŠ"
"It would be a catastrophe.
And more importantlyâ"
Noya lifted his head toward the sky.
To the place he had pointed at before.
"If something were to happen to the masterâs sacred tree up thereâŠ
I canât say for certain,
but it would likely bring about something truly devastating."
Hearing this, I immediately responded.
"âŠSo thatâs what you mean by âthe end of Mangye.â
And youâre saying my mother wanted that?"
Noya and the Abyssal Pit had moved to carry out that plan.
But the current master was unaware of it?
Why would my mother have wanted something like that?
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldnât understand.
And another thingâ
"You also said this was all for me.
I canât accept that explanation either."
Something that had been prepared for me?
"I havenât received anything."
There was nothing I had gained here.
Not even the one thing I had wanted most.
The mother I longed to see didnât even remember me.
How could any of this be connected to me?
How did any of this matter to me at all?
"âŠ"
Noya remained silent.
He simply looked at me.
And the expression in his eyesâ
That heavy, complicated gazeâ
It pissed me off.
"âŠWhy are you looking at me like that?"
"Originally," Noya began.
"I would have liked to explain everything to you, as if I knew all the answers.
But I canât do that anymore."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I donât know everything your mother is thinking.
And besidesâ
Something has happened that even I wasnât aware of."
"Something you didnât know about?"
"That so-called Divine Sword.
I mean Yarang."
"âŠ!"
Noya had mentioned the Divine Sword.
Hearing that, I fell silent for a moment.
"I never heard anything about that child."
His voice, though calm, carried a faint trace of unease.
Normally, I wouldnât have thought much of it.
But this was different.
I knew that my mother and Shin Noya had some level of history between them.
And it didnât seem like just any connection.
So the fact that Yarangâs existence was something unknown to himâ
It clearly meant something.
"As things stand, I truly donât know what your mother is trying to accomplish."
Even he wasnât sure.
I bit my lip slightly at those words.
"But thereâs one thing you should remember."
Noya fixed me with a serious gaze.
"No matter whatâ
Your mother has been doing all of this for you."
"âŠHow can you be so sure?"
"What kind of parent would do something harmful to their own child?"
"âŠ"
Tch.
I couldnât agree with that at all.
I had seen plenty of cases where that wasnât true.
Hell, my own family was a perfect example.
We werenât exactly a harmonious household.
Maybe my face showed my displeasure,
because Noya gave a wry smile.
"Well, I wouldnât knowâIâm an orphan, after all. Hah!"
"âŠ"
Even in a moment like this, he cracked a joke.
What the hell was I supposed to say to that?
Damn old man.
I let out a deep sigh, turning to face the setting sun.
"âŠSo then, for now, is there no way for me to see my mother?"
Even if I met her, she wouldnât be the same as before.
But Noya had met her.
So surely, there had to be a way.
Thatâs why I asked.
"Hell if I know."
And the bastard gave the worst possible answer.
"As I said before, I canât be sure.
ButâŠ"
He trailed off for a moment before addingâ
"If you do what she was trying to do,
then maybe youâll find your answer."
"âŠ"
What my mother was trying to do.
"Destroying the sacred trees?"
She wanted every single one of Mangyeâs sacred trees destroyed.
And doing that might lead me to her?
What kind of ridiculous logic was that?
"âŠWell, I guess it works out."
I rose to my feet.
I already had business in Mount Hua.
I already had plans to act for the sake of my sect.
And if my motherâs goal just so happened to align with thatâŠ
Then maybeâ
âWho knows.â
Even Noya wasnât certain.
So how the hell could I be?
Butâ
ââŠItâs not like I have any other options.â
There was nothing else I could do.
And this was the only lead I had.
I pulled something from my sleeve.
"Noya."
"âŠYeah?"
"Just to be sure, let me ask you something."
Click.
Slowly, I placed a mask over my face.
[Did you follow me here just to tell me all this today?]
My voice changed.
Noya watched with faint amusement.
Had he come all the way to Yahwol simply to explain these things to me?
"No. Like I said, I had my own reasons."
[Meeting Yusa?]
"Yeah."
That guyâŠ
Well, whatever.
I could worry about that later.
For nowâ
[The night is coming.]
The fading sunlight signaled that it was time.
[Iâll hear the rest when I get back.]
I had work to do in Yahwolâs night.
As I turned fully toward the dying sunâ
"Want some help?"
Noyaâs voice called after me.
I scoffed.
[No need.]
Hooom.
Dark energy surged within me as I lifted into the air.
[Just sit back and watch. I wonât take long.]
With those words, I vanished into the night.
****************
The moment Gu Yangcheon disappearedâ
Shin Noya silently stared in the direction where the black flames had faded.
"âŠThat brat."
His ability to manipulate energy had improved considerably.
Far beyond what he had displayed during their last spar, when Shin Noya had used him to vent his frustrations.
âDid he realize something in that time?â
But there hadnât been any major opportunities for such an epiphany.
If he had gained insight into something, what could it have been?
Shin Noya never even considered that Gu Yangcheon might have learned something from watching him beat Yusa to a pulp.
He simply thoughtâ
If the kid had found enlightenment in something, then that was enough.
And just as he was about to smile slightlyâ
"CoughâŠ!"
Suddenly, Shin Noya shut his mouth and dropped to one knee.
"Sect LeaderâŠ!"
Gubong, who had been keeping his distance, rushed over in alarm.
"Are you all right�!"
"Iâm fine. Itâs nothing."
"No, youâre not! Please, we need to return to Mount Hua immediatelyâŠ!"
"Return? Itâs already nightâ where would we go?"
Given the state he was in, he would have to wait until morning at the very least.
Besidesâ
"If I pretend nothingâs wrong and leave now, what will we do if that brat causes a mess? HehâŠ"
"Sect LeaderâŠ"
"Itâs fine. Iâm just⊠a little tired."
As if to prove his point, Shin Noya pushed Gubongâs hand away and straightened his posture.
He acted as though he were fine.
But in truthâhis body was in terrible shape.
Even the faint tremor in his fingertipsâhe tried to hide it.
And as he let out a dry laughâ
âDamn it.â
This wasnât good.
No, it was far worse than that.
âIt seems⊠I donât have much time left.â
The miracle that had been granted to himâ
It was reaching its end.