No Dark Secrets In This Book

Episode 143



Episode 143

From then on, I began to throw out topics. It wasn’t an atmosphere like the Zen questions and answers in Buddhism. It was closer to urging and rushing.

Because I only knew one answer to escape and I was determined to force this answer, there was no other choice.

‘Normally, you should let them find the answer on their own.’

…But I’m not sorry for the ultra-fast force-feeding education.

I hear the sound of the Jordan River in my ears right now.

‘Be grateful that I’m helping you.’

“From now on, don’t think and just listen to me.”

Having posted a threat message with determination, I got straight to the point.

“If you said you have to break the framework with your own mouth, why do you insist on becoming a dragon? Are you stupid? An idiot?”

[Well, that’s because it’s my lifelong wish…]

“Break the framework, you dimwit.”

[Well, actually that was just my interpretation…]

“You said other kids managed to return alive with that!”

[But if I don’t become a dragon, there’s no meaning for me to live…]

“Why isn’t there? No, before that.”

I prepared a fact violence machine.

And, fire.

“Is there any meaning to living now?”

[Huh?]

Huh, my ass…

[Come to think of it, there isn’t?]

…This dense idiot is wasting time!

[Th-then if I just set a goal other than becoming a dragon and cultivate, then that would…]

It was meaningless to teach more. It wasn’t because this guy was lacking. From here on, it was a matter of individual capability.

“Damn, if I was a little later you would have died. Forget it and start cultivating quickly. It’s really dangerous.”

[No! Wait a moment. I’m also on the verge of enlightenment. If I start first… it won’t do. You have to go first, Master! Of course that’s obvious!]

What we could both understand was that even if Saha didn’t have a connection with the World Tree, I knew that the cosmic force pulling me upward was getting stronger and stronger. That meant I was dying. It was far from lofty things like rapture or ascension.

Literally a dog’s death.

‘Did you think I endured until now to die a dog’s death?’

I will never die leaving Ryuseong behind. While I’m at it, let me say a word to the only dangerous factor that could kill me once I start the First Celestial Cycle.

“Hey. You. If you…”

[Yes. Me?]

“…”

But my mouth is itchy. Unable to make a threat, I decided to just say something itchy. 

“I hope you come to Earth.”

[…Why?]

“Wouldn’t it be nice to meet me too when you come to Earth?”

Saha’s expression hardened.

[…Reincarnation isn’t as simple as you think. There are cases where the space-time gets completely misaligned. I could reincarnate even before you are born. Plus, the outer appearance changes too. You won’t be able to recognize me anyway, so why?]

“Why hasn’t such a wise person like you attained enlightenment until now?”

[….]

I feel Saha glaring at me. I just laughed in that state. Lightly. Refreshingly. 

“I’ll be able to recognize you. Because you have bad luck.”

[Hey.]

“So what if I can’t recognize you? You’ve already met me. You filled one slot.”

[Slot? What’s that…]

As if reciting a poem and discussing elegance, I said,

“…Once is a mistake, twice is a coincidence, and three times is inevitability, you said.”

[….]

“We just need to pass by each other two more times.”

Then I heard Saha laughing. Although we met for a short time, it was the first time it laughed.

[Alright. I’ll go to Earth. Wait for me.]

“Yeah. I’ll wait. Just be late. I’ll kick your butt with my foot.”

[…I don’t like that though.]

The sound of joyful giggling came from both of us at the same time. It wasn’t a bad feeling.

I thought helping others was a useless thing to do.

‘Maybe it wasn’t.’

Soon, I closed my eyes.

‘I circulate mana.’

Although it’s not in the textbooks, whenever I circulated mana, there was a sensation as if my soul was floating around like a balloon, but for some reason, I hadn’t felt the feeling of floating in a very long time. I thought it was because a mana circle was inserted into my dantian, but maybe that wasn’t the case.

Is it because of Ryuseong’s voice calling me from somewhere?

I was calm like a boat that had dropped anchor. As if I had gained self-power on the central axis…

As I sank deeper and deeper into the pitch-black darkness, I saw a vessel in a cave. This cave was an organ called the dantian that holds mana, and the vessel was used to hold Innate True Energy.

The vessel was very large but it was broken.

More and more Innate True Energy was leaking out through the cracks. So it seemed Ryuseong tried to protect me by blowing his own true energy into me.

‘The problem is more serious than I thought?’

I walked towards the vessel. From the current state, it looked like my soul would die rather than my body getting overloaded.

I thought it was fortunate that I got a chance to look this deep.

However, the crack in the vessel was about three times my height, so it didn’t seem possible to block the leak even if I blocked it with my body.

If the vessel breaks or the contents all flow out, a person dies. That is a natural principle.

‘I heard that if the soul is wounded, the vessel breaks too.’

So this huge, bottomless breakage was definitely not caused by the fall incident.

Then why did it break like this, as I was contemplating…

Suddenly I had a thought.

‘These are the wounds I inflicted.’

The wounds inflicted by myself who internalized the abusers’ mistreatment.

I tried to think that way, but shook my head.

“No. Those bastards inflicted them.”

This was correct. The fact that my soul was shredded and shattered was never my fault.

All I did was survive.

All I did was struggle to live with a tattered soul and a body that spit out Innate True Energy.

“Then what do I do with this now?”

It seems dangerous to draw true energy from here. The vessel is already getting damaged.

‘But it’s not like there’s mana in the dantian either. What should I do?’

My head was spinning but no particular solution was in sight. Perhaps because of the sound of true energy flowing from the vessel, I had the illusion that the sound of water splashing in the Samdo River was getting closer and closer.

I shuddered and stepped back.

But then something collided with a clang.

I turned around.

“Huh?”

There was a small… soju glass-like white porcelain, even smaller than my foot. It was another vessel.

“…Are you telling me to move the true energy here?”

If I follow the conventional way of thinking, it would be better to fix that large vessel and gather the true energy. Because then I could preserve more Innate True Energy.

But I decided not to do that.

“I got it.”

Because when I thought I had to change the framework, something came to mind. I grabbed the soju glass… no, the white porcelain and sat cross-legged on the spot.

And I put the white porcelain on the ground.

It was a vessel that looked like a miniature in my hand because it was so small. But this was the last hope.

I will squeeze out the Innate True Energy, the most important life force for humans, to the very roots… the already pure and fine energy… and purify it.

And transfer it to a small vessel.

‘The plan is perfect.’

Now all that’s left is my skill. The moment I solemnly reached out my hand and started guiding the true energy.

‘Damn it.’

It was revealed that my Innate True Energy was too pure and fine.

If it were an ordinary human, it would have gotten murky while living.

Cassice Demillang, the god of diet control and training, seemed to have done nothing to make the energy murky.

‘If I had to say I did something, that would be me! For having so many lewd fantasies!’

Nevertheless, it’s amazing that the Innate True Energy isn’t murky. But the problem was that the true energy was escaping too rapidly following my hand.

‘W-wait! Stay calm! I don’t have a vessel to transfer it to…! World Tree whatever, please give me strength!’

But right then, pop!

One more vessel appeared. There were two very small soju glasses.

‘No, no, no way, is this damn worldview wanting…?’

It hurts my pride but there’s no choice.

I decided to sacrifice myself for the greater good.

“Long live the World Tree! You’re cool! You’re pretty! You’re the best!”

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

Every time I spewed lies, one more vessel began to appear. If there’s a problem, it would be that they are all damn small in size.

‘But at least they’re appearing…!’

Even though I tried to think positively, it didn’t go well. First of all, it’s annoying that only tiny vessels appear when I give the same praise enough to piss me off.

‘I’m an astronomy major, so why do I have to blow true energy with a dropper like a chemistry major…’

I was disheartened but I endured firmly.

‘Yeah, because this is the only way to return to Ryuseong…!’

I praised the god while shedding tears.

It was a sacred time.

***

When I woke up after preserving all the problematic Innate True Energy, I hugged my lover while crying.

“Sob, Ryuseong…”

“…Kuk, it’s okay. Even if you go crazy, I’ll take responsibility for a lifetime…”

Even the damn things Ryuseong said in an attempt to comfort me felt sweet.

“I hate the World Tree so much… Waaaaah…”

I just spewed out any words and cried for a long time.

As much as I couldn’t when I was just born.

As much as I couldn’t while living.


Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.