1267 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Vines. Not just small vines, but large ones, induce deep contemplation. Perhaps it was the time in my previous life. Specifically, after being devoured by the Ma Gyeong Moon, when I arrived in this world. [TLN: The Demon Gate, by virtue of which he entered this realm] As for the timing, it was likely around the second year. That was when I separated from the group led by Moyong Hee Ah and moved independently. "What are these vines?" Lost in the forest for days, wandering endlessly. In a mess, Moyong Hee Ah and I were searching for a way out. "It seems like these vines are the problem." "Vines?" Having been trapped for days, Moyong Hee Ah sensed something odd about the forest. She deduced that these vines were the cause of the anomaly. I couldn't understand it. "What about these vines?" "They're the only odd thing in this forest. Days have passed, and we haven't found the way out, let alone exit. Isn't that strange?" "So, you're saying these vines are the problem in your view?" "Don't you think so too?" "…I don't know." To me, they were just vines. What seemed strange? If there was anything odd... "They're absurdly large." The vines were extraordinarily massive for their kind, which seemed the only unusual aspect about them. "Why don't you try setting fire to them?" "What?" Moyong Hee Ah suggested setting fire to the vines. "Shoot them with fire?" "Yes, give it a try. They might burn." "But last time, you told me not to use fire as it might all burn down." "That was then. We don't have any other means now, do we? We have to try something." "…" Her temperament changes swiftly; from cautious to bold. Knowing there was no point in arguing further, I attempted to set them afire. Whoosh--!!! Flames burst from my hand. My skills weren't advanced, so the display wasn't grand, yet the vines began to char sufficiently. However. Sizzle. The vines showed no reaction. Were they burned? It didn’t seem so. They appeared completely unscathed. "Like candle flames, I suppose." "…Is that so?" Her demeanor in dismissing my effort was baffling. Feeling a rush of frustration, just as I was about to retort— "Though I'd expected little from you... seeing how unscathed it is by flame suggests there may be something more." Moyong Hee Ah approached the vines, examining closely. But despite her scrutiny, seemed nothing was uncovered, as her eyes narrowed in thought. When she touched the vines with her white hand, "Hey." The vines were thorny; it seemed reckless to touch them. “Ugh…” As expected, Moyong Hee Ah recoiled, clutching her hand. “Could you be more careful?” Why would she touch something obviously dangerous? It baffled me. “Didn’t expect it to happen upon contact.” "What do you mean? It looked risky right from the start. Are you bleeding?" “Yes, it’s bleeding.” Blood dripped from her fingertip. Shaking my head, I tore off a piece of my sleeve and wrapped it around her hand. “Seems you have spare clothes, huh?” “Enough to clean up your mess.” We exchanged banter as I wrapped her wound. “How long must we persist in this?” “How should I know…” Just as we were about to bicker again— Rumble—! “What?” “Huh?” Suddenly, the vines began to tremble. Out of nowhere, they moved towards us. Crash—!!! “What the hell?!” They charged at us without warning. * * * As memories flood back, I shudder momentarily. Those pesky vines. Are they the same as the ones that attacked me back then? Recalling this, Mi Hyo Ran speaks up. “Be careful.” She warns, pointing out the vines. “These vines become aggressive when they detect human blood.” “…” Mi Hyo Ran’s words confirm my suspicion. These were likely the same ones from back then. Though I wasn’t sure about the location, the vine type seemed identical. “To reach our destination, we need to get through these.” “The vines? How? Should we cut them down?” Dok Bong (Poison Phoenix) draws a dagger, preparing to act, but Mi Hyo Ran shakes her head. “No, you can't resolve it by cutting the vines... But rather, it would only multiply.” “Then what should we…? Should we use energy instead?” “No, energy usage won't work either. In fact, it would make them stronger.” “Then…” “There is a weakness, nonetheless.” “Weakness? Really?” “Yes, those vines do have a weakness—a way to overcome them.” The method to dismantle those massive vines... ‘That is...’ “You need to find and erase the original vine in there.” "The original? What does that mean?" Dok Bong stared at the vines, perplexed by the enormity and density, wondering what could possibly be hidden within. ‘There is one.’ I knew. Within this green mass, there was one vine differing in color. The color I saw back then was probably. ‘Purple.’ A purple-hued vine. Finding and erasing it would cause the vine clusters to disappear. The problem was. ‘It's quite difficult.’ Due to its size and density, locating and dealing with the vine amidst this tightly packed space is no easy task. Moreover. ‘If blood is drawn while searching,’ It would lead to a reluctant battle; hence, it was far from easy. “Where is something like that supposed to be…?” “That’s what we need to look for now.” Back then. ‘When the vines charged at us,’ I remembered it felt dangerous as they coiled toward Moyong Hee Ah. Then someone appeared and saved us. That was. ‘Wi Seol Ah.’ They called her the Small Sword Saint of her time. She appeared amidst the chaos, and slashed the vines apart. When she severed the purple vine, the vines disappeared instantly. ‘The strange part is.’ She had also cut down all the other vines at that time. ‘Hmm.’ How did she do it then? I recall the past. ‘Vines aren’t just affected by fire.’ Not only flames but other energies don't work either. It doesn’t seem like this time will be any different. Yet Wi Seol Ah managed to cut through them. What could it be? What was different about Wi Seol Ah back then? I pondered on this. There must have been something, hence the ability to slice through the vines. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time. ‘There must have been something.’ I kept ruminating over this. While I dwelled on these thoughts— "We need to act quickly. Once we pass through this area, we can proceed directly. Everyone, let’s begin." Mi Hyo Ran urged us to find the original vine. Just as everyone was about to move. "Ah." A realization struck me. "Is it that?" I wondered if that was it. Heading towards the vines, Mi Hyo Ran looked at me with a puzzled expression. "Baek Gong Ja...? What are you...?" Woosh—!!! Flames wrapped around my hand. Mi Hyo Ran urgently called out. "…What! I just told you…! Using power will backfire…!" Even as she tried to prevent me from firing the flames at the vines— Sssss—!! I ignored her and gathered strength from my core. The flames changed hue. From a greenish glow to a pure white. ‘White Flame.’ The flame of the Supreme. Once created— With my inner sight active, I looked at the vines. I couldn’t spot it with my eyes. In that case, ‘I’ll just have to sweep them all.’ If I burned everything, I’d find it. With that thought, I unleashed the white flame. Crash—!!! "Oh no…!!" The intense flames directly struck the vines. Mi Hyo Ran's face turned grave, probably fearing the vines would grow stronger from energy exposure. "What?" Soon, Mi Hyo Ran’s expression shifted. "Why are the vines…?" Amazingly, the vines were burning under the fire’s embrace, vanishing rapidly as if they never existed. All those numerous vines. The original vine, whether it was there or not, ended up being consumed entirely by the blaze. "As expected." Seeing this confirmed my assumption. ‘The power of the Supreme.’ The reason Wi Seol Ah could cut the vines with her sword. The white energy she wielded—the power of the Supreme—seemed to be the key. Fragments of the charred vines fell to the ground. And as they hit the earth, they dissipated into dust. A wideness of emptiness now stood in front of us. "Can we proceed now?" "…What?" I asked Mi Hyo Ran, who wore a bewildered expression. "How did this…?" "How could it not happen? It’s a plant; of course, it’ll burn." I stated matter-of-factly. Though Mi Hyo Ran looked peculiarly at my words, I dismissed it. "Are we going or not? The vines might come back at any moment, no?" "Ah…" There seemed to be much she wanted to ask, but there wasn’t any time for that. As I pointed out, even if vines were wiped out, they’d soon regrow. Hearing this, Mi Hyo Ran snapped back to reality. "Let's move… We must go at once." We all ventured into where the vines had once been. * * * Another day passed like that. With the vines gone, the path was clear and easy to traverse. It didn’t take long with nothing particularly burdensome in the way. "…We’ve arrived." Mi Hyo Ran declared, eyeing a large cave within the forest. It was a significantly large cave. Positioned deeper and more expansive than where Dok Bong was. "This is the western hideout…." And the supposed location of the Shin Ryong (Divine Dragon) Corps' vice-commander, Tae Ho An. As Mi Hyo Ran explained, she added more to her statement. "…It’s also the place attacked by the Dark Dragon." "…Hmm?" That unexpected title caught my ear.