Chapter 517
Rustle, rustle.
I could see the world gradually changing.
The first thing I saw was Peng Doyeon’s world collapsing.
To be precise, the world the god had occupied was collapsing.
I watched the white space crumble as if debris were falling.
The god that had collapsed in front of me as if kneeling had long since disappeared.
Three conditions.
I mentioned them and received its firm answer.
It was called a soul covenant.
An immortal god. Once they rose to a higher rank, among those called noble existences, they could not utter lies.
Was it called a tiny mercy?
Because there was neither the need nor the possibility for them to lie to frail, mortal humans, they did not utter lies.
No.
They could not.
I used that to obtain the covenant.
Listen if you don’t want to die.
It was the result I had gained through threats.
Whatever it was, it was fine as long as I got it.
Hoo.
I let out a sigh.
Honestly, it had been dangerous.
It had been a long time since I dealt with a god like that, too.
“There are barely any preparations here.”
Because there were not many things prepared in this world, dealing with a god itself was a somewhat uncomfortable situation.
At this point, it would not have been enough even if someone applauded me for pulling it off.
Not that I lost nothing at all.
There was no way karma would not pile up after dealing with a god.
I had certainly recognized the sense of foreignness that had formed in my soul, but in any case, I judged this much loss as clean.
Though I would have to avoid dealing with gods for a while unless absolutely necessary.
RUMBLE—
Within the falling world, before long, I closed my eyes.
I had dreamed all the dreams I needed to dream.
Now it was time to wake up.
*****
“.......”
I slowly opened my eyes.
The scenery before me was the same as before I had closed them.
Black Greatblade Peng Dojun was sitting there with a worried expression, and below him, Peng Doyeon had her eyes closed.
Seeing that, I moved my hand.
I removed the hand that had been holding Peng Doyeon’s.
“...Bang Seongyeon?”
“Huuu.”
Leaving Peng Dojun, who reacted to my movement, behind, I let out a sigh.
“What happened...”
“How long has it been?”
“What?”
“Time. How much time passed?”
“...About half a quarter-hour has passed.”
“More than I thought.”
I wiped my forehead with my hand.
Sure enough, it was covered in cold sweat.
“...Don’t worry. She’ll open her eyes before long.”
“What does that...”
His reaction was as if he could not understand what could possibly have been solved after I had only closed my eyes for half a quarter-hour.
Before that could even finish—
“Mmn...”
“...Huh...? Yeon?”
Peng Doyeon reacted.
She had had her eyes closed, but now she slowly opened them.
“Yeon. Yeon. Are you all right? Can you see your brother?”
“...Brother...?”
Her faint gaze fixed on the ceiling.
As she stared at it—
“Ah...?”
As if she had sensed something strange, a reaction came not long after.
“Uh...?”
“You can’t see them, right?”
“...Pardon?”
Peng Doyeon answered my question weakly.
Yes, it must feel strange.
The haze and foreign forms that had originally been visible to her would not be visible right now.
“It probably isn’t that you can’t see them at all. It’s just gone quiet for a while. I couldn’t erase them completely.”
If possible, I had wanted to clear them all away, but I could not.
The method to erase a higher god was not just a little tricky.
If I had tried it in this state, Peng Doyeon might have been scratched.
A wound on the soul did not heal no matter what you did.
Ah, saying no matter what you did was a little much.
It was not as if there were no methods.
It meant that it was possible for me, but impossible for Peng Doyeon.
In any case.
“...J-just quiet for a while?”
“Yes.”
“How... how is that...”
“If you beat things long enough, they all end up listening.”
I shrugged as I said it.
In life, a beating was the answer.
It was the same {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} in any era, in any world.
At those words, Peng Doyeon looked around.
It seemed she could truly feel that it had quieted.
“Ah... uh?”
“Yeon, are you all right?”
“Yes... yes... I-I’m all right.”
Her expression clearly said, Why am I all right?
“The world is quiet.”
Then she smiled brightly.
At that innocent smile, I scratched my cheek.
“As I said, they haven’t been completely erased, and it seems they’ve simply gone quiet—”
“Thank you so much... thank you...”
“Wh-why are you doing this?”
Peng Doyeon even bowed flat to me.
I was flustered at the sight.
Why was she doing this?
After pressing her head to the ground, she began to sniffle.
I saw her crying.
This was troublesome.
I did this partly because I felt guilty, too.
There was a high chance that higher god had run wild because of me.
It had probably intended to torment her bit by bit, but because I appeared and scattered everything, it got angry and tormented Peng Doyeon more violently.
...So I had to clear it away.
Since my justification had been established, I had handled it while I was at it.
Anyway.
I was glad she liked it that much.
I nodded.
Then Peng Dojun let out a low sigh.
“...Hoo... hoo...”
It was deep.
Very deep.
It was a moment when his worry showed plainly.
“...Is she all right now?”
“No. I don’t know how many times I have to say this, but she isn’t completely all right.”
“Then...?”
“I just blocked it. Roughly ten years? It should stay quiet for about that long. I don’t know what happens after that.”
“...Ha-ha... Ten years.”
“Find a method within that time. This is as far as I go. The dangerous situation has passed, so that should be enough.”
“.......”
“So don’t forget your promi—”
“Thank you...!”
“Guh!”
Peng Dojun suddenly hugged my body.
His rough hands twisted my entire body.
This bastard?
Wasn’t he trying to kill me with this hug?
Coughs kept bursting out of me.
“This crazy bear...”
“Thank you so much... Truly... thank you. Really.”
“.......”
Damn it.
I could feel that he was sincerely grateful, so I could not even curse him.
Suppressing it with a grind of my teeth, I spoke.
“...That’s enough, so let go of me. I’m dying.”
“Ah! My apologies.”
Peng Dojun stepped back with an awkward laugh.
Then he took something out from inside his clothes.
What was that?
“This is...?”
“It is the Black Mountain Token.”
“Black Mountain Token?”
“It is a gift for you, for when you someday visit the Peng Family. If you take this with you, you will likely be treated like the young patriarch.”
“...Why are you giving me this?”
Why was he trying to give me something so incredible?
When I spoke in bewilderment, Peng Dojun disgustingly wrapped my hand in his.
“This is the only thing I can give my benefactor. Please accept it.”
His huge hand covered the back of my hand.
It was enough to give me chills all over.
“...Yes. Well. Thank you.”
Still, since he was giving it to me, I did not refuse.
If I would be treated like the young patriarch, there would be quite a lot I could do.
That aside.
“You haven’t forgotten the promise, right?”
“...Ah.”
At my words, Peng Dojun nodded.
“Yes. You said we were going to Xinjiang?”
“Yes.”
“I will go. A promise must be kept.”
The answer I wanted came.
Hearing it, I nodded the same way Peng Dojun had and spoke.
“That’s a relief. Then will you leave now?”
“Hm?”
“I’m telling you to take your little sister and leave. Let me rest a little. We’ll talk about the rest tomorrow.”
“Ah, uh.”
At my firm words, Peng Dojun sprang to his feet.
He went straight toward Peng Doyeon.
“Let’s go, Yeon.”
“Ah... yes...”
Peng Doyeon looked at me with a regretful expression.
She seemed to have more to say.
I pretended not to know.
I was exhausted and did not want to do anything more.
After the Peng siblings left like that—
“...Ah, I’m dying.”
I lay down, exhausted.
The moment I lay on the bed, fatigue rushed over me.
This was not physical fatigue, but fatigue that had formed in my soul.
Dealing with a god was tiring in many ways.
Especially in terms of the soul and mind.
Drip.
At the feeling of something flowing, I wiped my nose with the back of my hand.
Damn it.
My nose was bleeding.
I must have been seriously exhausted.
Let’s rest a little.
I let out a sigh and tried to sleep for a bit.
The moment I closed my eyes, I fell asleep.
So I did not know.
Whoosh.
Suddenly, a blue flame began to flicker from the area around my chest.
And when that blue light flickered—
[Huh.]
The Heavenly Demon let out a startled breath, as if he had realized something.
For him, it must have been a fairly shocked reaction.
*****
Dawn came the next day.
Damn it.
I had slept an entire day.
I must really have been absurdly tired, because it had been a long time since I slept this long.
Ugh.
I got up.
But something felt...
Why do I feel so refreshed?
My body felt strangely refreshed.
I could not remember the last time I had felt this refreshed.
Was it because I had slept for so long?
Not bad.
I rubbed my eyes.
Then I raised myself up.
First.
I had finished Peng Dojun’s matter.
Now I needed to handle the remaining work.
Thinking that, I stepped outside.
My destination had already been decided.
Honestly, I did not know the exact location, but if I tried to find it, I could.
When I came out of my residence, the Alliance martial artists looked at me.
In particular, I saw the unit leader who had been assigned to guard me.
“.......”
I looked at him as if gauging his mood.
For some reason, he gave me a bow with an uncomfortable air.
I feel really sorry.
He had come to protect me, but I kept disappearing on him, so he must have been worrying a lot.
I gave him an awkward smile, showed proper courtesy, and moved.
“Where are you going?”
Fortunately, he did not add words like “again this time.”
At that, I spoke.
“Ah, there’s someone I need to meet.”
“If it is someone you need to meet...?”
“I’m going to meet the Young Cult Leader.”
“...!”
At my words, the unit leader’s eyes filled with doubt.
His expression asked why I was going to meet that man.
“I have something to say to him.”
“That is dangerous.”
“What could be dangerous? Such an impressive unit leader will be protecting me.”
I tried speaking with a little honey on my tongue, but—
“You disappear where I cannot protect you.”
“.......”
The unit leader must have had things piled up, because he spoke to me like that.
I had nothing to say.
“I’m sorry. I won’t run away anymore.”
“...Yes. Please.”
“...Ahem.”
I cleared my throat once and moved.
“Are you truly planning to go?”
“Yes. There’s one thing I need to say. Nothing much will happen, so don’t worry.”
“It is something I cannot help but do.”
“Then would you accompany me? I’m scared.”
“...Under... stood.”
The unit leader followed me with an expression that seemed to say he had a great deal he wanted to say.
As I walked, I naturally found the destination.
I only had to go to the place overflowing with evil energy.
When I arrived at one residence—
Clack.
Those guarding the front placed their hands on their sword hilts.
Look at this?
The moment I was about to open my mouth at the sight—
[Let him in. He is my honored guest.]
A powerful voice came from far inside.
“That’s what he says.”
“.......”
The Demonic Cultists stepped aside.
Demonic Cultists in the Murim Alliance.
No matter how I looked at it, this was a fucked-up situation.
“Good to see you.”
I went inside and looked at the Young Cult Leader.
“Welcome. What brings—”
“Since you asked me for a favor, I came to ask one of you too.”
“...What?”
The Young Cult Leader narrowed his eyes.
A favor?