Chapter 208 – Waiting for the Same Moment, the Same Time (1)

The stifling air pierces the lungs.

An empty factory district. An area where remnants of the Flower’s influence are suspected to linger.
Even while expanding my magic to search for signs of life, not a single small creature can be seen.
It’s a failure once again.

I had previously downloaded a file, and among the numerous addresses, I marked this location with a small ‘X.’

– Whoo! Whoo!

A sudden vibration echoing from my pocket.
I take my phone out and check the messages.

– Unconfirmed Messages (21)
[Star in Your Heart]: Sleep well! Dream of me♡ – 4:32 am (2 messages)
[Azalea]: Is everything okay? Take your time finishing work. – 2:11 am (3 messages)
[Zodiac]: Statue~~! Everything’s clear!! But about that terrorist incident last time… – 11:32 pm (1 message)
[Se-Young]: (Photo) – 7:12 pm (1 message)
.
.
.

Messages sent for various reasons.

I read the messages they sent me one by one.

Byul played games all night and contacted me just before going to bed. Azalea was worried about me. Hwangdo faithfully fulfilled my request to update me on Cheondo’s situation.

And Lee Se-Young –

-(Picture)

She sent an eerie, unidentified picture.

“Phew…”

Taking a deep breath, I tapped the screen.

-Se-Young: (photo)

A pink test strip appeared as soon as I pressed on the message. A “T” on the left and a “C” on the right – anyone could tell it was a pregnancy test. I covered the center of the picture with my hand and examined the surface. Se-Young’s face, holding the device, seemed to be glaring at me from beyond the screen for some reason.

‘There’s no difference between having one or two daughters. No, I should be happy about it.’

Becoming a father isn’t a bad thing. After making sure my heart was prepared, I removed the finger that covered the center.

“Yeah, the water was strangely viscous that day – Huh?”

…A single line.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed that one side of the photo had been edited, and the word ‘non-viable’ was written in the background in a corner of the test kit.

I exhaled a bitter breath.

“No… this won’t do?”

I made it full as requested, yet it remained unfruitful.
Even with the intention of impregnating her, it appears that creating a child is not so easy.

I tapped the keyboard to vent my minute emotions.

– Me: (Crying tree cone)

I didn’t achieve what I wished for, but I must have known.
I wish I could cherish myself more.
Se-Young’s life is at stake, as well as my mental state. If, after all this, I still push too hard… then truly, I’d be creating a son to raise for the rest of my life.

“Phew.”

The time is exactly five o’clock.

I roughly pinpointed seven places where I suspected Flower might be located.
Fortunately, no Flower has been discovered so far, and no traces were left behind.

‘It’s a relief there are no flowers, but… I wish one would appear soon.’

As I placed my hand on the face and gently peeled it away, a white mask slowly emerged from the skin.

– Squeak.

The skin and the mask layer separated. There had never been a scene as grotesque as this. To others, it appeared as if the skin was splitting and the flesh was being torn apart. Embracing the cool breeze, I gathered the magic within my body.

‘Let’s call it a day.’

I also had matters to attend to with Sansuyu’s secretary. It seemed like the perfect time to briefly greet Azalea in the morning and meet the secretary after heading to the academy.

* * * * * * * * *

“Yongsan.”

Dawn on the streets.

A compact car traveling at breakneck speed took a dramatic right turn. The petite girl stared intently at the device, panting for breath.

A man and a woman, just the two of them.
The pair, dressed in rustic attire, rushed about frantically.

“This time, it’s Gwangju.”
“Are you joking? Why does the location keep changing? Are you properly releasing your mana?”
“I am, but it keeps moving.”

The man pondered.

How can someone move so quickly? They’re not some legendary Pokémon.

Aori, the red-haired woman, blew fiercely into the magic injector with an expressionless face.

A tracker chasing King Mokryeong’s power.
Yet, its detection range remains limited to around 100 kilometers.

“I’m going mad. Is it not a mistake? You claim to be a descendant of King Mokryeong. Are you lying?”
“I’m not lying. My grandmother always said so…”
“Quiet, don’t speak. It’s irritating.”
“…”

The man, with blonde hair and sun-kissed skin.
Mok Tae-yang gripped the steering wheel with his long, slit-like eyes, furrowing his brow nervously.

“No change yet?”
“Not yet. Hoo hoo hoo.”
“Search diligently. Have you forgotten that our mission is to find the one who will succeed the king?”
“That’s already the seventy-fifth time you’ve said that.”

Although they spoke with skepticism, it was uncertain if they would meet the successor this time.

The place where King Mokryeong’s magic was most frequently and consistently detected was Korea. In order to find the one who would inherit King Mokryeong’s legacy, it was the proper course of action to stay and search in this land. However, four months had already passed, and they had achieved no results.

“Hoo hoo hoo. Tae-yang… My eyes are spinning.”
“What have you done already?”
“I’ve been expelling magic for four hours…”
“Anyway, these tree spirits have no skills other than being devoured.”
“Don’t say such harsh things…”

The individual who would inherit the will and blood of King Mokryeong was being sought. Yet, even if they were his descendants, they did not necessarily inherit the power of King Mokryeong.

“…We must find them.”

A few months prior, the power of King Mokryeong had manifested in the world.

“There’s a genuine one, not a half-baked version like me.”

Find it.

If they were worthy, they had to be directly informed of the value and power of that force.
If they were unworthy, they had to be killed and their power taken.

“Flower and even the World Tree are targeting that person. We need to find them first.”
“How can we with such a cheap machine and a cheap car?”
“Deal with it.”
“Sad… Huh?”

Aori, who was absentmindedly fiddling with the machine, suddenly let out a regretful sound.

“Why?”
“The energy is gone.”

They had hurriedly dressed up early in the morning and set out. Yet, the person vanished just as they were about to catch them.
It was the moment when “what if” turned into “as expected.”

“Sigh… Damn it.”

Tae-yang took his foot off the pedal.
The speed of the car, which had been moving swiftly, gradually slowed down.

“Tae-yang, don’t stress too much. You said you’re going to the Forest Keeper Selection soon. They could be there.”

“…Fine. Aori, it’s just you. So please, leave me be. I want to be alone.”
“Do you mean to abandon me?”
“That’s what I feel like doing right now.”

Mok Tae-yang. Twenty-three.
A man who has spent his life chasing trees and King Mokryeong.

Aori. Twenty. Same boat.

Having devoted over twenty years to the same quest, it’s only natural to feel overwhelmed at times. Tae-yang, steering the car back toward their home, pursed his lips in bitterness.

– Uuuung!

On the way back home.

The car’s interior was utterly silent.
Returning to that wretched house, devoid of electricity and running water, held no appeal for either of them.

Tae-yang had no social standing, so he couldn’t find any significant work. Although his earnings weren’t meager, he often found himself broke after spending money on various artifacts in his search for King Mokryeong.

“Ugh… what a waste of gas.”
“I’m hungry.”
“Have some cup noodles.”

“That was tiresome… How about putting more of the money you make towards living expenses?”
“Do you earn the money? I do. If you’re unhappy, why don’t you sell your body to make money?”
“…Impossible.”
“Right, damn it. Am I the only one who has to do the dirty work?”

How could one feel good about the money earned through such sordid means? What should be done about that jobless wretch? As these thoughts filled Tae-yang’s mind, a tree on a hill in the distance caught his eye.

– Squeak.

The car came to a stop.

Tae-yang’s face grew stern and solemn.

“Go in first,” he said, determination lacing his voice.

Aori frowned.

“…Again?”

Tae-yang offered no response to Aori’s question. She stared blankly at him for a moment before abruptly rising and heading towards the nearby mountain.

“Well, I might as well do it too.”

They each took their separate paths up the mountain. Each had their own task to accomplish.

If one were to inherit King Mokryeong’s power or blood, there was something one simply couldn’t resist doing. Tae-yang, his expression unchanging, located the tree he had seen previously.

Though it was quite a distance away, he found it with ease. The radar that located trees was nothing short of supernatural.

“Ah, there it is. Right here.”

It was the most provocative tree he had come across recently. As Tae-yang brushed the edge of the knot, the tree’s branches quivered.

‘Oh, was this a sentient tree?’

Tae-yang reached out and gently caressed the branches. Then, a voice from the tree began to emerge faintly behind him.

“[…Filthy human.]”

“Huh? Look at this one.”

As Tae-yang chuckled at the tree’s disdain, the tree was taken aback and stuttered.

“[Uh, uh…? Why are you-]”

“Can you understand me?”

“[How can a lowly human like you converse with me…?]”

“Ha, unbelievable.”

Tae-yang, scoffing at the tree inwardly, drew a hefty sapling from his waist.

“Today, I shall be impaled like a dog by a pathetic human.”

-Plunge!

[Moan!]

Impudent trees. Beings whose only worth lies in being violated and stripped of their power.

Tae-yang, who would soon participate in the Forest Keeper Selection Tournament as the representative of the Seoul Hunter Academy, resolved to satiate his carnal desires until that time.

[…Ah, ugh, eek! Please, no!]

An anonymous tree, its voice increasingly laden with lust.

Before long, it would kneel and become a single female tree.

A pure-blooded human participating in the Forest Keeper Selection Tournament.

He was the natural enemy of trees.

* * * * * * * * * *

Innumerable beings awaited the Forest Keeper Selection Tournament.

After all, it was a global celebration.

A broadcast viewed by over 100 million spectators across the globe.

Boasting a viewership surpassing 4 billion, even more than the Olympics, it is a gathering place for the blossoming talents who will one day illuminate their nation.

The number of those preparing for acts of terror was by no means small.

“…”

The faint scent of alcohol lingering at the tip of the nose.

*Trickle.*

Observing the droplets rolling down the surface of the glass, she raises it to her lips and takes a sip.

The red-haired woman swallows a mouthful of the drink. Unable to absorb it, she spits it out onto the floor.

“Ugh… Huh.”

A clear liquid spills from within her.

Her nose burns, but she doesn’t mind. Her bloodshot eyes had long given up.

And yet, far from losing the grace of a flower, she shines even brighter. The woman lifts her dark eyes and gazes into the mirror.

Embodying the height of decadent beauty, with her long legs elegantly crossed, she sits upon a chair, observing her drink.

“I’m ready.”

Without even glancing at her face, a man lies on the floor reciting a report.

“…Leave.”
“Yes.”

At the woman’s command, he promptly conceals himself.

The empty bar leaves her chilled side feeling desolate.

‘I’ve made it this far.’

There isn’t much time left—perhaps only a few days.

It was years ago that the bitter, scorched emotions reached their limit. She made it this far, finally. The woman silently repeated this thought dozens of times in her mind.

“…Hah.”

Yet, laughter still eluded her.

It seemed this agonizing pain would never cease. Until this mystery is unraveled, she will suffer her entire life, slowly withering away. In a place unknown to anyone, she will quietly shed her petals.

“What were your intentions when you decided to help us?”

Her thoughts, tainted with resentment, are abruptly interrupted.

“…It was bound to end up like this.”

Directly in front of her.
A hole torn through, ripped apart, and stained with blood… The woman mumbled as she gazed at the black cloth, frayed after years of wear.

The woman lifted her glass once again.

“Ugh.”

The harsh, biting alcohol failed to pass down her throat and dampened the floor instead.

Her slender fingers curled, one by one, forming a fist.

“I have returned.”

Another voice resounded from behind her.
Gu-seul, with jet-black hair and dressed in a suit. Her eyes, devoid of any glimmer, appeared almost emotionless as they focused on the alcohol the woman had spilled.

“…Drinking again, are you?”
“Mind your own business.”
“I apologize. My reason for coming today is to discuss the Cornus family.”

The Cornus family.

Not deeply involved with them, she had never even met them.
However, they were a household destined for imminent ruin.

“Cistus… It means the Third Rank will abandon the Cornus family.”

The woman nodded silently, as if she understood. However, despite her actions, her dark eyes merely stared blankly at the clothes before her.

In moments like these, she never looked at anyone else.

At first, Gu-seul thought it had to do with a past lover. But that was a misconception.

She wasn’t weak enough to be entangled in trivial emotions. Gu-seul surmised that perhaps she was trying to extract the answer to her current dilemma from someone in her past.

As if the clothes would reveal the path she should take if she simply observed them.

“Then I’ll go.”

Gu-seul bowed her head and concealed her presence.

Regardless of the woman’s past, she was busy now. After all, it wouldn’t be long before a disturbance was scheduled.