Chapter 234 – Timing (5)

Si-heon and Tae-yang faced each other.

“King Mokryeong.”

A single, heavy word that resonated deeply. Lee Si-heon, the successor of King Mokryeong. To him, King Mokryeong was an unforgettable name. It was tiresome and seemed unrelated to him, yet it was continually mentioned. From the time he received the protection of the color tree, to when he traveled to the past, and even now.

It was a personal sentiment, but not a pleasant one.

He understood that it was a power meant to be used, but it wasn’t a power he liked. The reason his temperament didn’t wane, despite expending mental energy daily to withstand the lascivious demon, was due in part to the ability he possessed as King Mokryeong.

There was no chance for improvement.

He had to be with as many women as possible.

Subdue the trees along with them, and make them his own. These days, such emotions were gradually growing stronger.

After returning from the past, there are moments when my mind grows hazy unless I am in the company of certain individuals.

I haven’t spoken of it, but my focus is intense. Lee Si-heon is well aware of this. He ruefully strokes the collar of his clothing.

“Judging by your reaction, it seems you know something.”

Having interpreted Lee Si-heon’s expression, Tae-yang shifts his posture. His tone of voice changes.

Etched upon the surface of his tanned, brown skin are faint scars, hardly noticeable at a glance. These marks were not made by a sword. They were scars left behind after the skin had been torn apart in several places before healing—evidence of having been whipped or tortured.

“I do know. But why?”

At the composed response, Tae-yang’s face sours.

His eyes appear to be filled with an inexplicable euphoria, and he seems incredibly excited. It’s evident that he cannot control these emotions. Despite his best efforts to remain as solemn as possible, it is quite apparent.

“What if there is someone who inherits the power of King Mokryeong?”

Siheon paused for a moment before speaking.

“Perhaps it’s me.”

He uttered the words nonchalantly, as if inheriting the power of the formidable King Mokryeong was a simple matter.

A fleeting expression of joy appeared on Tae-yang’s face, and he swept his hands over it.

“Phew, shit. Finally, really…”

Tae-yang cursed and let his emotions pour out. The fruit of searching for Lee Si-heon for such a long time—how many years had it been? He traced Si-heon’s mask between his fingers and continued in a heavy tone.

“Sorry about that. I got a little excited.”

“So, what is it?”

“Well, Aori and I have come all this way to find you.”

“I already know that. But why?”

Lee Si-heon responded coldly.

The power of King Mokryeong. Why were they searching for me? And why was I granted this power?

Tae-yang took a deep breath, overwhelmed by emotion, and slowly opened his mouth.

“I’ve only heard stories too. Around this time, someone who has inherited King Mokryeong’s power should appear. Our task is to find that person and guide them.”

Guide them.

Tae-yang, extending the end of his sentence for a moment, spoke quietly as if to avoid any misunderstanding.

“Of course… It was also said that if the person with King Mokryeong’s power is not suitable, we should take that power away from them. Oh, wait. Just a second… It’s problematic if you suddenly become hostile. I have no intention of being adversarial, and I don’t even have the confidence to handle King Mokryeong’s power myself if I were to take it away.”

“Explain in detail.”

“So… No, where the hell should I start explaining this?”

Tae-yang scratched the back of his neck and frowned, seemingly perplexed.

“Aori and I are not your enemies. If only one can prove they are a person worthy of that power. Anything… okay? I can tell you anything.”

“Proof?”

“Proof. Yes, proof. They explained it in such an abstract way that…”

Tae-yang felt stifled, like a late-term sergeant forced to undertake a mission he didn’t want to do. He struggled to figure out where to begin his explanation.

Then suddenly, he came up with a good idea. Tae-yang began to loosen his hands.

“So to put it simply.”

A hint of hostility flashed in Tae-yang’s eyes.

“It’s like this-“

A swift surprise attack.

A fist flying straight toward its target. His blow was indeed quick and powerful for an academy cadet.

-Whoosh!-

Lee Si-heon turned his head to dodge the strike and stepped back simultaneously.

“Timing or whatever, I hate it when I make a relationship and think about whether it will get tight or not.”

That’s convenient for you anyway. At such a question, Lee Si-heon frowned.

There’s no need to rack your brain trying to decipher someone’s intentions while conversing with them. Was that the intent, but somehow it irritated the nerves?

“Mok Tae-yang of Seoul Academy. Have you introduced yourself?”

Tae-yang composed himself.

“I don’t have an original surname. I was taken in and raised at a place that was an organization solely for the descendants of King Mokryeong.”

“I see.”

“The mission they entrusted me with was this: when the successor of King Mokryeong eventually appears, I am to test them.”

As he starts swinging his fists, his thoughts become clearer. Descendants of King Mokryeong. King Mokryeong had violated all kinds of trees and wooden beings. Undoubtedly, his seed would have spread to women across the world.

Even if the World Tree selects and banishes these descendants, there would still be survivors somewhere.

“How about we have a match without using any magic?”

However, this information wasn’t important to Lee Si-heon.

What mattered was that there was someone in front of him who might be unaware of any information about himself.

“Thankfully, I know you’re the successor to King Mokryeong. Had I not known, I might have really needed to kill you.”

A teasing continuation of the conversation.
I might have to kill you.
The weight of those words is not light.

As if to silence him, Tae-yang moved his body before he finished speaking.

-Thud.

As Si-heon exerted force on his body, his muscles swelled throughout. Briefly, he even managed to break free from his status window.

His enhanced physical abilities were difficult to keep up with, even for the eyes of an ordinary trainee. In that state, he delivered a single blow, smashing his fist into Tae-yang’s face.

-Crash!

Tae-yang hastily raised his arms to block the attack. His stance crumbled under the unexpected weight, and he retreated.

Lee Si-heon dove into the now unsteady arms of Tae-yang.

-Wobble.

That alone was already the end.

-Bam!

He grabbed his opponent by the collar and slammed him down to the ground.

With both legs straightened, Tae-yang’s body rotated in a circle-like motion.

His body slammed onto the ground, not knowing the reason why. Unprepared for the pain, his lungs contracted, and agony erupted from his mouth.

“Kheuk…!”

– Drrrrruck!

Tae-yang’s eyes widened. The sound of his ribs dislocating. His pain-contorted face was a distressing sight. But it didn’t end there.

Reaching out, he grasped his opponent’s throat as if catching a chicken, bringing it to the brink of twisting. With one hand, he thinly sliced his magical power, creating a blade.

“It seems you’re quite mistaken about something.”

Just before driving the blade in, he opened his mouth and uttered coldly.

“Deciding who dies is not up to you.”

The corners of Tae-yang’s eyes crinkled in pain. Blood seeped from his nostrils. His lips trembled.

Though the force was a bit strong, it was bearable.

He had only adjusted his power enough so that people nearby couldn’t hear.

“King Mokryeong or whatever. I don’t know who you are.”

Evaluation?
Ridiculous.

“But you must speak properly.”

Did he hope for no reaction while hearing such words? As the saying goes, he is King Mokryeong’s successor.

He had already experienced an assassination attempt. Lee Si-heon’s icy eyes turned toward his face. Even hidden behind a mask, it was revealed.

Eyes that had killed dozens, if not hundreds, of people.

An acutely felt terror. A scoffing smile formed on Tae-yang’s lips.

His grip tightened.

He felt his breath caught in his throat, pulsing. The sensation of one’s hand right before death, and the feeling of breathlessness just before dying – he knew both well.

“…Huff, huff.”

Tae-yang looked at Lee Si-heon, even as he struggled to catch his breath.

His gaze remained unchanged. The tension in his veined forearm relaxed slightly. His breathing eased.

A voice, weak and on the verge of dying, flowed out of Tae-yang’s mouth.

“Heh, damn. So fucked up.”

An absurd statement, yet paradoxically, it perfectly conveyed Tae-yang’s personality. Lee Si-heon concluded that Tae-yang was the type of person who held no particular attachment to life.

He had encountered many like this among those he had killed. People who had lost their minds on the battlefield, their faces expressionless until the very moment they died.

But Tae-yang was different.

He was the embodiment of a man who had lived at the very bottom. A distinct madness born from having endured countless experiences far more wretched than death itself.

Tae-yang had suffered hardships since childhood. It was only natural for death to be his constant companion. He had even experienced pain equal to death while receiving a portion of King Mokryeong’s power.

Casual sex without a care? He’d done that, too. He was a man who had tried every sordid and dirty deed imaginable.

Of course, even Tae-yang, a specimen of such a flawed human being, shuddered for a brief moment in the face of the looming horror.

“Okay. I concede… No, brother. Please, look now. I’ll tell you everything.”

Despite signaling his surrender, Lee Si-heon’s face remained tense and unyielding.

His expression looked disoriented, far from adapting, as if his head were spinning. If this is the case in a simple duel, what would happen in a truly life-and-death battle?

For an instant, it seemed as though he had caught a glimpse of King Mokryeong’s spirit – the ruler who had once governed the entire world, coming close to absolute domination.

He might not be aware of it now, but did he even know he was making such a face? It was hardly a human expression.

Could it be that King Mokryeong’s power was slowly shaping the person to possess the qualities of a king?

At first glance, his face seemed somewhat playful. However, that man’s countenance abruptly transformed when he threw a punch. Casting off his disheveled appearance, he immediately revealed his true self.

The chilling touch of his lips and the haunted look in his eyes were more than enough to turn a fleeting thought into unwavering conviction. Despite the trembling of his legs, Tae-yang’s lips continued to curve into a smile.

Like a king, perhaps that was what he envisioned.

“What are you curious about?” Tae-yang asked.

“Everything,” Lee Si-heon replied.

As if acquiescing to his request, Tae-yang’s body trembled. Somehow, without even answering, his body obeyed the command.

Feeling such an irresistible force, even the slightest doubt dissipated.

“Anything you know.”

Tae-yang laughed until he was on the verge of passing out.

“But… brother, can you please heal me now?” he implored as the battle concluded. Sensing the dwindling oxygen supply to his brain, Tae-yang begged desperately.

In that moment, Lee Si-heon’s expression began to soften.

As the fight drew to a close, his face grew gentler, even if just slightly.

The paralyzing fear had dissipated, and the light had returned to those ghostly pupils.

As if gradually imbuing an emotionless wooden doll with expressions, Lee Si-heon, now with a touch of humanity, stared intently at Tae-yang before him.

Slowly, the corners of his mouth lifted. His mask was open at the bottom, revealing his expression.

Tae-yang read Si-heon’s countenance. He instinctively determined that there would be no mercy, not even a taste of kimchi soup.

Still, he harbored the shameless hope of receiving at least one potion. But before long, Lee Si-heon’s lips parted.

“Just pass out, you little shit.”

“…Yes.”

Indeed, there was no mercy for someone who had jumped in once.