Chương 160: Master's Grace (6)

What is memory?

Though there are many definitions, what I've felt is that memory is a kind of 'root.'

There are various things that can sustain a person, but among them, 'memory' is something special.

I feel empty,

'Was it the first return, or the second...?'

I don't remember clearly what came before.

When I first died, Someone seemed to have taken care of me.

Was it the son of the Kang family, or the granddaughter of the Ju family?

Memories of dying of old age are gradually submerged and eroded by the flow of time.

Naturally, the memories before that were the same.

Perhaps, the thousand years I was captured by the Mad Lord were the biggest problem.

Until then, I could still somewhat withstand it.

But then, trapped inside a puppet, enduring a thousand years just to control that puppet.

My soul must have been too greatly eroded.

What I somewhat remember about my first life is the time spent with Kim Young-hoon and Kim Yeon. Both had been with me for nearly a thousand years each.

'But I can't seem to remember anyone else.'

If I were to forget, I should forget everything. Why forget only vaguely?

'Why does this vague memory of that person being good remain, making me feel this way.'

I replenish my spent vital and essence blood by drinking a sip of Light Spirit Sacred water given by Oh Hyun-seok.

With the water full of vitality from the Light Spirit Pond, my head, which had burst open instantly, is completely healed.

"Let's go back now."

He said.

"... Yes."

I stand up, holding Oh Hyun-seok's hand.

That's when it happened.

Flash!

The sky flickers, and a blue dim light flies towards us.

It's Cheongmun Gyu.

"You crazy people! What have you done here!?"

"Ah... We were sparring?"

At Oh Hyun-seok's words, Cheongmun Gyu's face contorts with anger.

"What were you planning to do if the Mad Lord noticed all this commotion!"

I look at Cheongmun Gyu and say,

"Don't worry. The Mad Lord's gaze will absolutely not reach here."

"What? What makes you say that!?"

Of course, it's because I had worked for a thousand years in the Mad Lord's fortress and knew all about the detection range of the Mad Lord and the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

Of course, saying something like this might get me treated as a madman or tortured as a spy, so I had to be careful.

"Do you know about the Mad Lord's puppets?"

I draw the designs of the Mad Lord's puppets on the ground, showing their internal circuits and mechanisms, and slowly explain them to Cheongmun Gyu.

"Once, when I was in the lower realm, I dismantled the remains left by the Mad Lord's puppets. I had also seen the remnants of the Mad Lord's puppets in the Cold Spirit Race before. Based on that, I analyzed them..."

As my detailed explanation about the puppets continues, Cheongmun Gyu, as if having a headache, frowns and waves his hand.

"Alright, I get it. Let's assume it's as you say, but just in case, be careful. This area is not the Human Territory, but the domain of other races. You might accidentally provoke other races!"

"Yes, we'll be cautious."

Oh Hyun-seok and I bow to senior brother Cheongmun Gyu and then return to the base camp of the expedition.

It soon became night.

Flash!

I went to the place where I drew the circuits and closed my eyes.

Below, a long circuit leading to the Mad Lord's Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress was drawn.

Drawing the circuit and imbuing it with spiritual energy took about 6 months.

However, connecting the circuit to the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress without it noticing and gradually seizing control of the fortress took over 4 years.

Pchhhhhght!

"Still, it's finally over."

The circuits that took a thousand years to control in the past.

My body is so accustomed to the circuits of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress it felt like the circuits were engraved in my memory and soul.

Sizzle!

Oh Hyun-seok approaches me, who's concentrating on the circuits late into the night.

"... First off, can you tell me how much you remember?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, I open my mouth.

Until now, I had been afraid to speak out for fear of being caught, but now that it's revealed that I have no memory, I feel relieved.

"I somewhat remember Director Kim Young-hoon and Team Leader Kim Yeon."

"Is that so..."

"Beyond that, not much else, I'm afraid. I'm sorry."

"No, what do you have to be sorry for?"

He sighs and sits down beside me.

"... Since I didn't know you were like this... from now on, I will also look for spirit medicines or scriptures that might help with your memory."

"... Thank you."

"And."

Oh Hyun-seok looks at me.

"It was when I rose to the Nascent Soul stage, but I'll tell you in case it might help you."

"What kind of help?"

"When I rose to the Nascent Soul stage and was forming the Nascent Soul in my body, I saw something like a swift review of my life."

"A swift review of your life?"

"Yes, all the moments of my life flashed by quickly in front of my eyes. If this happens commonly during the breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage, perhaps you can also see something like this and have a chance to recover some memories?"

"... I see."

My eyes light up.

If what he said is true, reaching the Nascent Soul stage can possibly cure this loss of memory.

"Thank you very much. For now, I will cultivate further with the goal of reaching the Nascent Soul stage."

It surely wouldn't take another thousand years to enter the Nascent Soul stage, no matter how late.

'After reaching the Core Formation stage, my lifespan increased to just over 600 years, so I should be able to reach Nascent Soul stage within that time.'

If Oh Hyun-seok's words are true, reaching the Nascent Soul stage can give me a bit of hope.

'Of course, for now, let's first make contact with Kim Yeon.'

Wo-woong!

After focusing my mind and wrestling control over a small part of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress without it noticing, I look around various places of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress through the eyes of one of the fortress's puppets.

'If it's where Kim Yeon is staying, then…'

Bo-oong!

I move a puppet bee and enter the interior of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, finding the inner garden within the fortress.

And finally.

'Found her!'

Bo-oong!

Far away, I see Kim Yeon, wearing pink attire, staring blankly at the ceiling.

I first read the overall flow of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

The massive flow of mimicking-intent and madness pervading throughout the entire fortress.

And this flow is gathering towards the direction of the Mad Lord's workshop.

'The Mad Lord is currently in the workshop, then…'

I land in front of her as the puppet bee.

Kim Yeon looks blankly at the puppet bee.

I look at her haggard face for a moment and then move my consciousness.

'Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, activate.'

Wo-woong!

My consciousness, which has taken control of the puppet bee, moves.

The Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon is a method I mastered long ago.

According to the final form of the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, my consciousness begins to unravel.

Ssssss!

My consciousness unravels like threads, similar to Kim Yeon's consciousness.

It looks similar to the consciousness of mortals, but while the intent of mortals each have its color, the threads of intent from the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon are all transparent, like the realm of consciousness.

"Uh...?"

She flinches as the essence of consciousness bursts forth from the bee puppet.

Before she can react, I connect my threads of consciousness to hers through the bee puppet.

"What is this..."

―Yeon-ah.

Then, I speak to her through my threads of consciousness.

"...?"

It worked.

So now, I will come to meet you.

Flash!

I raise a Gang Sphere next to me in the void.

A mental clone, which my consciousness had previously separated, stands beside me.

I infuse the Gang Sphere into the circuits of the Mad Lord.

Tsssssss!

The Gang Sphere moves quickly through the circuits towards the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, and upon reaching the fortress, it settles into the bee puppet I control.

And then, 'I' appeared before Kim Yeon's eyes.

Wo-woong!

To the naked eye, it looks just like a spherical mass of energy.

However, to her, who knows how to handle consciousness, the true form of the Gang Sphere should be visible.

―... Have you been well?

I ask through the Gang Sphere, conveying my heart language.

And then, she begins to cry.

Creak, creak...

Her left hand had been modified into a puppet arm.

'I even pleaded with him, yet he still went ahead and modified her to this extent.'

Wo-woong!

Her current realm is at the level of Grand Perfection Core Formation, the same as mine.

In a previous life, I vaguely remember she had already surpassed the Nascent Soul stage by now. It seems in this life, she hasn't reached it yet, probably because I wasn't there to protect her from the madness of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress and assist her with the interpretation of the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.

"Wh-what is this..."

―Quiet. The Mad Lord might hear. Vibrate your consciousness and infuse it into the illusion of me in front of you. Imagine placing a thin thread in front of you, and blow your voice into that thread.

I slowly explain the intricacies of the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon to her, helping her to communicate through consciousness.

[... Eun-hyun, Oppa...?] ―That's right, it's me.

I speak with a bitter smile.

―Sorry for being late.

[Ah....]

"Uh..."

She couldn't hold back her vocalized cry and wept, shedding tears.

Thud!

Kim Yeon sits down, covering her face with her puppet arm, and continues to cry.

―... I'm nearby right now. I've sent a consciousness clone to you from nearby, so is it possible for you to come out of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress at this moment?

[Yes, I can come out. But if I go beyond 100 li from the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, Heavenly Being stage puppets will attach themselves to me as surveillance.] ―Then that's settled. Bring the Heavenly Being stage puppets and come out first.

Upon hearing my words, her face noticeably brightens.

―Let's meet again after a long time. Come to the place I'm telling you about. First...

Crackle...

The connection through the Mad Lord's circuits are cut off.

Connecting any further to the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress might cause it to detect us.

"... Hyun-seok Hyung."

"What is it?"

I get up and say,

"I've made contact with Team Leader Kim Yeon."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, she plans to come to the wasteland where we fought. Would you like to meet her too, Hyun-seok Hyung?"

"Of course, it's an old colleague we're talking about!"

Together with Oh Hyun-seok, we head back to the wasteland where we previously sparred.

I look up at the sky.

A large moon is illuminating the sky.

'How strange.'

This Bright Cold Realm is supposed to be much larger than the Head Realm.

Just thinking about it casually made my head spin, but how can there be a 'moon' floating in the sky?

'Maybe, that's not really a moon.''

I stare at the moon, lost in thought for a moment.

And then.

Flash!

From a distance, I feel the presence of puppets coming this way.

'As soon as the puppets arrive, I'll suppress their puppet circuits.'

If the puppets are detached from the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, I can quickly suppress their circuits.

Whether the puppets are of the Nascent Soul or Heavenly Being stage, in front of me, who had handled the Mad Lord's circuits for a thousand years, they are greatly countered.

However, seeing Kim Yeon surrounded by puppets coming towards us, I sense something off.

'Why is the color of their intent..'

Shudder!

Then, with all my might I grab Oh Hyun-seok, who is waiting beside me, and dodge to the side.

Sizzle!

Old and wrinkled fingers brush past the space where I had been standing.

And from afar, Kim Yeon shouts with a pale face.

"Run away, Oppa!"

"Hehehe...

A familiar voice is heard.

Crackle, crackle...

An old puppeteer who has reached the Four-Axis stage emerges from the darkness.

"Stepping out of the workshop, I saw my disciple filled with excited intent about going somewhere, thinking of you non-stop in her mind. So, Seo Eun-hyun was it? You've finally come to keep your promise!"

The Mad Lord shouts with eyes filled with emotion.

The nonsensical promise I once made to become Kim Yeon's puppet if I ever visited the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

Of course, it wasn't sincere, but it seemed the Mad Lord believed it, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Click, click, click!

Several more puppets appear next to the Mad Lord.

Each one is of the Four-Axis stage.

[She], who possesses the utmost power of the Four-Axis stage, also reveals herself beside them.

Oh Hyun-seok's face contorts, and Kim Yeon's face turns pale.

"I've given much thought to what kind of puppet I should transform you into. When I was young, there was such a fairy tale. It was about a prince from another country coming to save a princess from a sorcerer. Seeing you willing to become a puppet without hesitation for my disciple, I thought you were like the prince. How about 'Prince Seo'? Yes, the Crown Prince! I will evolve you into 'Crown Prince Seo'! Don't you like it?"

I calmly observe the situation for a moment and reply.

"Other than General Seo, I don't think anything else is necessary."

And then, I raise one hand.

"Come forth, True Origin General Seo."

Kugugugugugu!

Behind me, a massive figure with a presence rivaling that of the Mad Lord appears.