905 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"Oblivion..." The word lingered in my mind, leaving me in a daze. 'As punishment?' Mother had been punished for not fulfilling her duties. And the punishment was oblivion? "...Is that true?" "At least, to my knowledge, it is." "..." Noya's words were hard to believe. Yet, there was no reason not to. I was aware of how absurd this world could be. If Mother indeed had been punished, there had to be a reason. '...For failing to fulfill her role as a harbinger of calamity.' That had to be the cause when I thought about it. Then it dawned on me. 'That's why Mother looked at me with those eyes.' Why she viewed me with such an emotionless gaze. I felt like I'd finally gotten an answer. The problem was. 'Then who was the mother I met?' The one who appeared at the Shinryong Pavilion and during my encounter with the Blood Demon—she was unmistakably Mother. The being called the Master of Myriad Worlds that I met recently was also Mother. The Blood Demon's reaction confirmed it, and I was sure of it too. 'What is going on?' I couldn't understand. Simultaneously, I recalled the words Mother said to me before I lost consciousness. 'She told me not to think about finding her.' Could she have predicted this situation? 'Does that mean Mother knew I would come to this world?' There was no way to interpret it otherwise. Mother had known I would come to Myriad Worlds. But how? 'Was there some mechanism? Or did Mother deliberately send me here? No, it doesn't seem intentional.' I judged that it wasn't. Mother's reaction had been peculiar for it to be intentional. If aware of her own state, I believed she wouldn't have sent me like this. So. '...It must be the former, then.' What difference created this situation? I pondered hard to find any changes. With as chaotic a life as mine, a few things came to mind, but I focused on the recent ones. 'The first, without a doubt, is...' The space of those beings. The tree I touched underground. As soon as my hand brushed it, it crumbled and was absorbed into my body. I wondered what could have caused it, thinking it might be the issue. 'Or...' The elixir known as Heavenly Pill mentioned by the Heavenly Golden Sect Leader. Was ingesting that the problem? 'It could be.' I didn't even attempt to eat it voluntarily. As soon as I opened my mouth, it forced its way down my throat. Given just this, how bizarre is it? '...If not that.' A vision of a white flame flickers in my mind. The white flames. Was it the ability to emit the white flames after the Heavenly Pill incident that was the problem? If not, perhaps... 'The culmination of the Nine Wheels Flame Technique...' Reaching its peak when it had previously stagnated. That was undoubtedly a significant change. 'I couldn't attain it even in my previous life.' Despite consuming so many yokai and accumulating massive internal energy, I had remained stagnant then. But in this life, I had finally reached an unprecedented level. Could that have been the issue? 'But still, it doesn't make sense.' Seeing it merely as the cause felt too simplistic; one glaring issue remained. 'If it was the cause, why didn't it explode immediately?' There's a clear time delay. Though it could have exploded with a delay, thinking so seemed nothing more than forcing a connection. 'I can't definitively say it is the cause, but...' Ultimately, what seemed more accurate was not seeing it as the precise cause. 'It feels more like preconditions being met.' The conditions were fulfilled, leading to an encounter and following effects. So, as for that encounter, could it be... 'The Blood Demon?' Facing the Blood Demon, could that have been it? This notion suddenly struck me. Though it's ultimately just an assumption, when weighing possibilities, it seemed the most plausible. '...' Could the Blood Demon really have been the issue? Moreover... 'If my hunch is correct, it means they foresaw and orchestrated this.' Whether it was the white flames or the culmination of the Nine Wheels Flame Technique, whatever it may have been. If it really means that such outcomes were anticipated, orchestrating my current situation. How could that even be? 'If I hadn't reached this stage, it wouldn't have occurred.' Did Mother, or perhaps some other entity, foresee me reaching this stage and anticipate it? Or rather... 'Did they believe in it?' Did they believe I would reach this stage? 'That can't be.' I shook my head. There was no way it was true. After all, in my previous life... "Oh." In the middle of my thoughts, my eyes widened. "...Could it be?" Impossible. Could they have foreseen my regression as well? 'It's madness.' Among everything I've contemplated, this was the most incredulous possibility. 'They planned everything anticipating my regression? That's just absurd.' If it were true, there would be an overwhelming sense of horror. '...It's as if my life has been orchestrated by someone all along.' Such a thing shouldn't happen, and it should never come to pass. Grinding my teeth, I erased these thoughts and turned to Noya. "Noya." "Yes." "Even if everything you say is true, there remains an enigma. Above all, there's a contradiction in your words." "A contradiction?" A subtle frown crossed Noya's face. I inquired about what had been bothering me. Indeed, there was a very unsettling contradiction in Noya's words. "If the Blood Demon's world encountered an issue and invaded Zhongyuan as a calamity... it seems Mother was in a similar situation. This is what puzzles me." A calamity from a vanishing world invading Zhongyuan? As a story, it makes sense, but in that case, what about Mother? "The Myriad Worlds still exist. There was no need for Mother to descend upon Zhongyuan as a calamity." An enigma and a contradiction. This had been nagging me since the start. When I inquired, Noya nodded. "That's a valid point. It's natural to have questions." "Then..." "However, Myriad Worlds is different." "Excuse me?" Different, he says? "The reason your Mother was sent to Zhongyuan is precisely that. It’s because she was the ruler of Myriad Worlds." "...Could you elaborate?" "The entity known as the Master is not as supreme as you might think." He suddenly brought up the Master, but I didn't interrupt him. I figured there must be a reason. "Though the world's life is connected to the Master, it doesn't mean the Master is inherently powerful. It's merely how they are born." "Merely born that way?" "Yes, that's the nature of a Master." His words were incomprehensible. And I couldn't grasp why he was bringing it up now. Then. "Young one, the Master is typically a singular entity presiding over a world's beings." "...Are you implying?" "Myriad Worlds, as I've mentioned before, is a gathering of various types of beings. Hence." Noya rubbed his neck as if weary. "In Myriad Worlds, do you think only a single Master exists?" "...!" I barely caught my breath. In other words... "Are you saying there are multiple Masters in Myriad Worlds?" "Yes. More precisely... it's a scenario where multiple are born." To be born that way—it seemed that phrase held deeper meaning. "However, neither Myriad Worlds nor the universe desires this, so conditions are set when accepting them into Myriad Worlds as a form of consideration." Noya extended two fingers. "One is to pledge loyalty to the Master of Myriad Worlds." The second is. "To become one of the Moonlit Night." "...The Moonlit Night?" "It refers to those who originally existed in this world. With such conditions in place." "Does that mean no other Masters appear?" "That's what they say. But..." Noya moved to stroke Kurung's fur. The creature lay on the ground, showing no reaction. "There is one other Master she acknowledged. It had been possible for her to descend as a calamity upon Zhongyuan because of this." "What do you mean... another Master?" "You can see it yourself, can't you?" "Excuse me?" Turning my gaze, I stopped suddenly at what I was seeing. Indeed, there was something there. Something with a presence as distinct as when I beheld Mother or confronted the Blood Demon. "...Kurung?" "Yes, Kurung." [...] The creature responded slightly at its name. Although its eyes were displeased, there was a sense of resignation I could feel within them. "This creature is a Master?" Could it really be? ‘It's true….’ When I considered how it stood against Mother, calling it that wouldn’t seem inaccurate. "As I mentioned before, a Master should not be judged merely as a powerful being. Generally, they appear strong." "If Kurung is a Master, how does such an existence come to be?" "Because it’s necessary." Noya's hand stopped mid-stroke on Kurung. "Darkness is necessary everywhere. Not night, but darkness." "What does that mean?" I inquired, and Noya sighed softly. He looked visibly tired. Why does he suddenly appear so forlorn? The moment I pondered it, Noya spoke again. "If she's managing the surface, then this creature represents the opposite." "The opposite?" "Myriad Worlds needed something to govern those who might become Masters or those who refused to become the Moonlit Night. Not only that..." [Grrr.] "And something to contain and incinerate the vanished." "...Excuse me?" The words that followed left my eyes widening. In other words... "A pit, deep and bottomless. Wherever you might attempt to search inside, it’s a place you should never be able to escape once inside." Could it be Kurung? "The world called it the Abyss, and this creature..." It contained and erased the beings without a Master. In other words. "It is the Master of that Abyss." Essentially, it meant the origin of yokai. ***************** The sun was slowly setting. Although I couldn’t feel the twilight, I could cautiously predict it was getting darker and darker. I sat expressionless as the approaching night watched me. "...." My face showed nothing, but internally, thoughts tumbled around, leaving me feeling malfunctioned. "Damn life." I quietly uttered a lament. No matter how much I cursed it, it couldn’t possibly be so miserable. With a dry hand, I brushed my face again and again. I’d known for a long time, digging always brought out worse things. "Can't they give me something manageable?" I'd try to endure it if I could, but the difficulty of this was overwhelmingly unfair. "Haaa…." Why is nothing ever easy? In my past life and this one... no, come to think of it, is it more difficult right now? It seems so. Just when I feel I can manage, something new always piles on, complicating matters further and further. "Damn it. If they're going to do it, they should finish it for good." And Noya, who was explaining things, suddenly looked fatigued and said he needed to go somewhere briefly, disappearing again. Once Noya was gone, Kurung glanced at me and slipped back into its crevice. Staying in that spot felt awkward, so I eventually had to return to my quarters. They’d told me to rest, but under these circumstances, how could I? It was absurd. "Hooo…." Sleep was impossible. Yet, I didn't particularly want to move. It spoke to how mentally drained I was. So much so... "Can't I just be left alone? I'm really not in a good place right now." I muttered as I stared into a certain direction. This wasn’t directed at myself. Since my return, there had been someone watching me from afar. At my words, the lurking figure slowly revealed themselves. A creature with black hair and beast ears. It was Gu Bong, whom I'd met earlier. Seeing his face, I couldn't help but exhale a sigh. "What do you want from me... ah, never mind." The thought of even asking was tedious. I stood up, deciding it wasn’t worth my energy. In truth, there was no need to ask. The look on his face revealed everything. I spoke to Gu Bong. "Since earlier, I've really been bothered by your eyes. People who look at me like that usually have something specific in mind." Having encountered it throughout my life, I wasn’t wrong, which only made it more infuriating. As I frowned deeply at Gu Bong, he finally spoke. "The sect leader may have said it's alright, but I disagree." I stared at him, urging him silently to continue. "No matter how long the sect leader has awaited your arrival, your behavior is unacceptable. At least in our sect, it is." Hearing this, I couldn't help but laugh. "You jokester, this isn't even a mountain, so what are you babbling about 'sect?' You probably haven't even been to a real mountain, let alone understanding what a sect is." "...Do not insult the sect." "Why would I insult the sect? I actually like it there. If anything, I was mocking you... no, not even that." I waved my hand dismissively. Continuing with wordplay felt like too much effort. So I decided to get straight to the point. "So, are you proposing we fight or not?" Hearing my words, Gu Bong’s eyes widened. He clearly hadn't expected me to say it outright? But his surprise was short-lived. His eyes steeled as he spoke. "As the head disciple of the sect, I must teach you some manners—" "What a long tongue. I'm saying let's fight." Crunch. I clenched my fists, and the sound of joints popped audibly. "I'm letting you know in advance. I'm quite upset right now, so I might not be able to control my strength. Is that still okay with you?" "..." My words caused Gu Bong's brow to furrow deeply. "Such provocations won't—" Gu Bong couldn't finish his sentence. Bam—! “Ugh—!” "Alright then." My fist was already buried deep into his stomach. The firmness of the contact made me tilt my head in curiosity. It didn’t sink in as deeply as I expected. He was sturdier than I thought. And perhaps, for that reason? ‘He should work perfectly as a punching bag.’ The thought crossed my mind inadvertently.