1170 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

I've seen countless trees so far. Not just the common ones; I've witnessed trees from different realms aplenty. Yet, there is one that stands out vividly in my memory. ‘A tree with white leaves.’ The one I first encountered in Sichuan. A tree with leaves so white they seemed to defy reality. At a mere glance, anyone could tell it was no ordinary tree. An inexplicable sense of awe rose within me, and its alien appearance naturally captured my gaze. Recalling that tree, I looked at the one before me now. The feeling was similar. Though not much taller than other trees, its roots were immensely large, covering almost the entire space. In fact, the roots appeared to be twice as large as the trunk. The color wasn't white, but a deep, bloody red. The sensation it emanated was... ‘Hostility and discomfort.’ The bright and awe-inspiring feeling from the white tree was replaced by entirely different emotions here. ‘Why do they feel similar?’ As I gazed at the red tree, I found myself thinking it was akin to the white tree. I shifted my eyes to survey my surroundings. Is this the Vigeo? If it is, then it contains but one thing. Should I consider this tree the treasure of the Vigeo? I approached it cautiously. The closer I got, the more overwhelming the sense of repulsion became. ‘I feel like I’m about to vomit.’ For even a moment of laxity, it felt like I would be tempted to set the tree ablaze. I suppressed my emotions by summoning my energy. There was much to discern—how could I act impulsively? ‘Why is something like this beneath the battlefront?’ Especially in the Gu territory at that. Thud. My toe tapped against the root of the tree. There was no reaction. I continued past the sprawling roots toward the main trunk. Finally, I stood before the tree. “……” Squinting, I studied the tree carefully. ‘What could this be?’ How can something like this exist here? Curiosity filled me as I extended my hand. I hesitated just before my fingertips touched the bark. A brief moment of contemplation on whether it was safe to touch. Thud. I then placed my hand on it. In that moment. Saaaah-!! “……!” A surge of force emitted from the tree, causing my body to tremble. ‘This is...’ My eyes narrowed with realization. ‘The smell of blood.’ It was the unmistakable scent of blood, potent and pervasive. But it wasn't just any scent of blood—. ‘The aura of a Blood Demon.’ It was unquestionably the aura of a Blood Demon emanating from the tree itself. What is this? Could this also be one of the Blood Demon's handiworks? I quickly withdrew my hand from the tree. It wasn't difficult to pull back. There were no issues. Hisss. Shaking off the discomfort clinging to my hand, I looked back at the tree. ‘This is indeed the aura of the Blood Demon.’ There's no way I'd forget that presence. It's undoubtedly the aura of the Blood Demon. ‘Then why is it here in the form of a tree?’ Utterly unexplainable. I furrowed my brow in contemplation but couldn’t make sense of it. Zzzzt-! “……!” Suddenly, a jolt of pain struck my eyes. “Ugh…!” The heat felt as if my eyes were going to burst, forcing me to shield them with my hands. Why this sudden pain? It was abrupt and almost unbearable. I staggered for a while when— Ping-! With a sensation of something being expelled, the pain ceased. It was over in an instant. “Hoo.” The moment the pain subsided, I exhaled. Then I heard— -The blessing doesn’t seem to work. What is this? A voice followed. This voice...? “Blood Demon?” -The Blood Demon, you call me. So, you are one of those who know me. What are you? It was the voice of the Blood Demon. “You….” Did this creature imbed its consciousness into the tree as well? And what about that curse? -I cannot see into you. You were such a promising vessel. What a shame. “What nonsense are you spouting? A blessing? What were you trying to pull on me?” -A chance to embody a greater existence, what else could a blessing be? “More senseless drivel.” Now I understood. ‘The reason behind all this hostility.’ It was because the tree wasn’t merely imbued with the Blood Demon's aura; it was the Blood Demon itself, hence my feeling of animosity. “What were you planning? Don’t tell me—” I gathered my aura around myself. “Did you leave your heart here like you did at the Northern Sea?” -Huh? The Blood Demon reacted to my words. -You know about the heart. “What were you trying to do here?” -Indeed, now that I see… You are a dragon. How could a dragon exist? The conversation wasn’t making any sense. Both of us were speaking only to our own ends. However, there was one realization from the exchange: ‘It doesn't know me.’ I had encountered the Blood Demon in this era. There was even a ring it had given me, so it didn’t make sense for it not to recognize me. ‘The change in appearance is irrelevant.’ The Blood Demon seemed genuinely astonished at the notion of a dragon, hence it must be something else. ‘This is a different entity.’ It seemed prudent to consider it a cognitive fragment. Then why was such a fragment embedded here? As I rapidly processed this, the Blood Demon reacted as though understanding something. -Oh. The Blood Demon had a moment of clarity. -I see, you don’t belong to this realm. “…….” -So, that’s why the blessing wouldn’t work? Ahahaha. It is unfortunate indeed… a delusion, this realm. “What nonsense are you muttering now?” -Who granted you access here? There shouldn’t be anyone capable of bestowing such a thing. Whatever I said, the Blood Demon seemed more engrossed in its monologue, or rather, in making sense on its own. -Struggling only leads to futility. Nothing will change from it… truly. “You're spewing garbage again. Can’t you just say something understandable? These damned things…” Fwoosh-!!! Flames erupted from my hand. It seemed the best course was to simply incinerate it, since coherent conversation seemed implausible. The azure flames intensified, turning pure white. Knowing these flames would be effective against the Blood Demon, I had crafted them. -…hahahaha. Interesting. Upon seeing the white flames, the Blood Demon chuckled. -This is remarkable. Yes, it should be this way. If there’s an anomaly, there certainly should be. "Though it's unfortunate, I find solace in witnessing the existence of a fracture." "You’re really making me lose my temper." Just as I was about to ignite the tree, unwilling to hear more— "Out of jealousy, I must advise you. Because it will not be I who experiences this." I froze, my hand stopping just before touching the tree. It promised to tell me something valuable. "What do you mean by something good?" "I am the sight." "Hm?" What does 'sight' mean all of a sudden? It was an unexpected statement. "Furthermore, it is the last blessing among the remaining senses. Seek it before I've gathered everything." "…What?" Seek it? I tried to respond to the rather bizarre directive, but— Rrrrrustle-!!! "Huh?" Suddenly, the tree began to wither. It only took a moment. The moisture was sucked from it, leaving it dry. The leaves, once vibrant, now fell all around. Crackling to dust, the tree collapsed and vanished before my eyes. "…Ha." What kind of nonsense is this? The existence of the Blood Demon's aura beneath the battlefront is bizarre enough, but— ‘It realized something on its own and then just disappeared.’ It was surprising to see it seemingly accept its fate and vanish, almost as if it had seen something in me. ‘And what about the senses?’ This place harbored 'sight.' Now I’m tasked to find what’s left? ‘What an absurd thing to say….’ I stopped mid-thought. ‘Oh.’ A recollection came to mind—something Iron Monk had mentioned back at the Shaolin. ‘The Blood Demon’s five senses were each sealed and scattered. Flown to Cheonhae.’ “……” The dispersal of the Blood Demon's senses, scattering them to different locations. At that time, I had merely understood it as sealing or disposing of them. ‘Could this be related somehow?’ Linking it to the Blood Demon's recent words suggested there might indeed be a connection. Five senses. Sight. The Feng family. As I felt something almost within reach— RUMBLE—! "Damn." Vibrations erupted within the Vigeo. I quickly turned my head and activated my clairvoyance to assess the situation. ‘It’s dangerous.’ Cracks were beginning to form in the space. It would soon collapse. Upon confirming this, I was about to act when— ‘What’s that?’ An entrance that hadn't been there before appeared on the wall. What is that? Originally, it hadn’t existed. It seemed to be an anomaly created as the tree vanished. ‘What should I do?’ It looked very much like an invitation to enter. ‘I could escape through the way I came without delay.’ Leaving through the way I entered was still an option. But should I risk going through the mysterious entrance? It could be a trap. “……” My decision didn’t take long. Fwoosh—! Surrounding myself with flames, I stepped through the newly formed doorway. CRUMBLE—!! As I entered, the sound of the collapsing space echoed behind me. * * * The newly formed passage was no different from the entrance. Though it was dark without torches, my fire-lit eyes allowed me to see clearly. The path was simple, without any apparent traps. There was truly nothing despite the tension I felt. “……” Keeping my senses alert just in case, I moved forward without any significant issues. After walking a little faster, I soon found a door that seemed to be the exit. It looked just like the entrance I had come through. Implying continuity in the location. I grabbed the doorknob. Creeeeak—!!! As the iron door groaned open, my view expanded. Where would it lead? I didn’t fully let my guard down, just in case. What I saw was— “What?” To my surprise, it was a place I already knew well. "This is..." A forest amidst ruins. A secluded area known to few, not easily accessed by anyone. Maintained and concealed by the Gu family. "…It's where the egg is." Where the red egg was. It was the location I had found when I first came to the frontline in my past life.