987 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Divine Fruit (神果)? Upon hearing the turtle's words, I tilted my head puzzled. I had heard of the Divine Tree (신목), but the concept of a 'Divine Fruit' was entirely new to me. 'From the sound of it, it seems like it's simply a fruit from the Divine Tree.' If that's the case... 'Does that mean the tree I saw was also a Divine Tree?' It seemed to imply that the tree I had seen before was indeed a Divine Tree. 'What is this?' It was all very strange. 'It was too small for that.' The tree was too small to be hailed as a Divine Tree, and even if it wasn't... 'Where exactly is this Divine Tree located?' Was it any of the five great Divine Trees that Noya had mentioned? 'The distance wasn't that far either.' The location seemed to be relatively close to Yawol. Of course, it's possible that Yarang had carried me far, but I concluded that wasn't likely. The reasoning being... 'The timeframe doesn't match.' When I woke up, I was back at my original location, making it seem unlikely that Yarang had carried me far. Timing suggested it wasn't a distant place. Which would mean... 'If that tree were indeed a Divine Tree, it wouldn't be far from Yawol.' If it wasn't, though... 'Yarang might have another way.' There must be another method to cover such distances effortlessly without walking or running. 'But that's not what's crucial here.' What I needed to focus on was not Yarang's capabilities but the current situation. “Are you saying the tree I saw was a Divine Tree?” “You said you saw it yourself. Didn't you feel anything?” “...Was I supposed to feel something?” What was I supposed to feel? At that time, I did sense something unusual, but that was about it. 'I didn't feel anything particularly special or unique.' It was simply an odd-looking tree, with a peculiar atmosphere around it. That's all I registered. 'Does that mean I was supposed to feel something more?' I realized something was amiss from the turtle's reaction and turned to look far away. Towards the Divine Tree within the Hwasan Sect. Would I feel anything different? Holding onto that question, I stared at the tree. Thump-! “...!” My eyes widened instinctively. 'What is this?' The feeling was different. There was a significant difference from what I had been used to seeing. The moment I looked at the Divine Tree, I could distinctly sense the divergence. “What is it? Do you feel it now?” The turtle asked, noticing my reaction. “...Yes. I can feel it now.” Why hadn't I realized this before? Inhaling deeply and then exhaling, I could clearly sense the shift. From the moment I gazed upon the tree, everything had changed. 'It's divine.' Mysterious and noble, the mere sight of the Divine Tree elicited an inexplicable welling up of emotions and sensations. It felt as if I was beholding a great existence. A peculiar feeling indeed. 'Was this the reason, then?' I had noticed that many often paid their respects to the Divine Tree from afar. Not only the martial artists of Hwasan, but nearly everyone living in this place seemed to do the same. 'Does that mean everyone but me has been feeling this?' If they had been experiencing such sentiments, then it made sense. I could understand it, but... 'Why not me?' Why was I only now beginning to feel this? Initially, I hadn't been able to sense any of it. The only explanation, under these circumstances, was clear. 'It's because of that fruit.' Eating the fruit referred to as the Divine Fruit. It was making changes in my body and in the current situation as well. “What exactly is a Divine Fruit?” “Hmm.” The turtle, as if pondering, rubbed their chin, which appeared a bit comical considering the near absence of fingers. “So all this time, you weren't feeling anything either. And only after consuming the Divine Fruit did things change?” “Yes. So please explain what a Divine Fruit is.” What could it possibly be that... “Made my body change so strangely and brought about this situation?” Suddenly, I became a member of the Moonlit Night clan, and then there were these changes when I gazed at the Divine Tree. I couldn't understand any of what was happening. Seeking answers, I probed further with the turtle. “The notion is incorrect.” They rejected my statement. “What? But...” “To put it accurately, it should be referred to as a restoration rather than a change.” I paused, reflecting on the turtle's words. Restoration? Contemplating it deeply, I spoke once more. “...What has been restored?” If it's not a change but a restoration, what exactly has been restored? Inquiring this, the turtle glanced at Noya, who nodded slightly in return. It seemed to be a gesture of permission. Having noted this, the turtle continued to speak to me. “Child.” “...Yes.” “How much do you know about the soul (혼)?” “The soul?” The soul, as in the spirit or essence when talking about one's soul? “Well...” There wasn't much of a concrete answer I could provide regarding how much I knew. Not knowing it well but at the same time not being entirely ignorant either. Saying I completely knew would be inaccurate. Saying I didn’t know seemed incorrect as well. As one's martial skills improve, and as one rises through the ranks, reaching the realm of the mind (심상), it becomes somewhat naturally understood. 'Be it martial arts or anything else, it ultimately connects to the soul.' Even if one doesn't know the extent of the connection, denying its presence too is wrong. Knowing this made my answer rather ambiguous. Having listened, the turtle nodded again and clarified further. “Divine Fruit rectifies distortions.” “Distortions?” “Essentially, the Divine Tree itself is closely connected with the will of this world, and the fruit it bears is meant to rectify the anomalies that exist within one's soul. Do you understand?” “No, not at all...” How could I? It went completely over my head. “...” Hearing my reply, the turtle furrowed their brows. How absurd. You're expecting me to understand despite your convoluted explanation? At that moment, “So basically.” Noya, seemingly frustrated, began to explain. “The Divine Fruit cleanses the stains accumulated on one’s soul over the course of their life, restoring it to its original, pristine form. It's like a soul-specific miracle elixir, is that correct?” “Hmm...” Reflecting on Noya's words, the turtle pondered briefly before... "...Yes. You could roughly say that," the turtle responded with a resigned look, as if wanting to explain further but choosing to let it go. "Ah." I clapped my hands at Noya's words. The term ‘soul-specific miracle elixir’ resonated deeply with me. As I absorbed this realization, the turtle continued speaking. "However, consuming it doesn't strengthen your soul or increase your inherent power. It solely restores you to your original state." "But given what happened to me, isn't that quite a change?" I interjected, gesturing to my current form. From unexpectedly becoming part of the Moonlit Night clan to the involvement with the Divine Tree, how could this not be considered a change? To this query, the turtle responded with a more serious gaze. "I repeat, the Divine Fruit can only restore you to your original state." "So... considering all this..." "If there was a change within you, it's not a change but a return to the state your soul was originally meant to have," the turtle clarified. "...!" My eyes widened at her words. The state I was originally meant to have? Did that mean... "...I was originally supposed to be of the Moonlit Night clan. Is that what you mean?" It seemed so. This wasn't the first time I had heard something like this. After all, Noya had previously mentioned something similar. When I brought it up, the turtle spoke to me calmly. "It's not such a strange thing, is it?" "Why? Because of my mother?" "Yes, that's part of it." The turtle cast another glance at Noya. Why did she keep looking at him? I was about to question her when... "When it comes to you, it's as if you've retrieved a lost soul," the turtle explained. A lost soul? "Lost soul?" What did that mean? Did my soul wander off somewhere? "What's wrong with my soul?" As I pondered over this, surprisingly, it wasn't the turtle who answered but Noya. "Yangcheon." "...Yes." I narrowed my eyes at Noya’s call. The way he addressed me was the issue. Whenever Noya called me Yangcheon, it always involved something significant. I braced myself, feeling tense. "Do you remember that I said I had something to tell you?" "...I remember." It was something he mentioned upon our arrival. He said there was something he needed to say, so we came together. Was he finally going to reveal what he had to say now? I perked up my ears and focused, as he began to speak. "This is about your mother and your existence." Noya said with a weighty gaze. "Do you know that your mother was a calamity to Jongwon (the Central Plain)?" "..." With a hardened expression, I nodded. It was a fact I was aware of. The Blood Demon was the first calamity. And my mother was the second calamity. But... "Is that related to what's happening now?" Why was Noya bringing up this now? Was it necessary to mention it at this moment? When this question arose, "Yangcheon." "Yes." "This world is wicked in that it doesn’t repeat its mistakes." "I also know that." The world had attempted to bring down various incarnations of Jongwon using calamities. Knowing the Blood Demon's failure, they sent my mother. However, "Right. The Blood Demon failed, and so they sent your mother, but there's a problem with that too." "What's..." "Not repeating mistakes means the world wouldn’t want a repeat of the calamity caused by your mother either." "...But she didn't succeed, did she?" Even if mistakes aren't repeated, wouldn't it be the same unless a calamity succeeds? My mother never became a calamity of Jongwon. She met my father, gave birth to me and Gu Ryonghwa. And Jongwon remains intact. That's the scenario. So, what was Noya trying to convey here? Contemplating these thoughts, I voiced them aloud. "Yes. Your mother bore you. To be specific, she birthed you." Noya spoke as if that was the issue. "No, what could possibly be the issue with that—" I halted my words as something dawned on me, and I froze. With a blank stare, I turned to Noya. "...No, right?" Please tell me no. Tell me it's not that. I urged, verbalizing my plea. "It seems," Noya ignored my plea and continued, "You were destined to become the calamity of Jongwon." Offering up the words I least desired to hear. Oops! It seems like there was a mix-up between recent conversations and novel chapters. If you are looking for novel recommendations or specific themes like a relationship between a celebrity and a non-celebrity, let me know and I can help with that! As for chapter summaries or more specific information about a web novel, feel free to specify what you need, and I’d be happy to assist.