Chapter 235 – Striking Gold (1)

“Awake, are you?”

Tae-yang stirs, looking around with a pallor that speaks of near death. He rubs the front of his clothes. Upon realizing the pain in his chest isn’t as severe as expected, he gazes at me, moved in his own peculiar way.

While he was unconscious, I’d healed his broken bones with my power.

“Get up for now. Much time has passed. We can talk at leisure on our way back.”

At my words, Tae-yang studies my face for a moment.

“…”
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”

His tone, once casual, had shifted back to a more respectful register. He catches his breath before speaking again.

“Shall I address you as ‘brother’ starting today?”

‘Brother’? This sudden shift?

It’s clear our relationship isn’t a casual one. An associate of King Mokryeong. A descendant, the one who inherited his power. He knows that I am the successor to King Mokryeong, and he’s aware of my full capabilities. Is all that’s left for him to kneel?

“Let’s leave for now.”

I dust off my hands and rise from my spot. Tae-yang follows me, and together we reach the bonfire where the women had gathered.

The time is early evening, the sun just beginning to dip. This is my first encounter with the night and the looming sky after spending a day in the dungeon.

When Hae-nul sees Tae-yang and me, her face lights up.

“Oh, you’re finally here? Tae-yang, where on earth have you been?”
“I found something intriguing nearby and went to investigate.”

With these words, Tae-yang nonchalantly takes a seat by the fire. Aori quietly observes him. They’ve known each other from the start. Their effortless interaction suggests a relationship beyond mere acquaintanceship, although they don’t appear to be lovers either.

Aori alternates her gaze between Tae-yang and me, then boldly declares in his presence,

“You’ve returned, the male who’s been put in his place.”

A provocative remark.

“What did you say, woman?”
“At last… Tae-yang, you’ve been humbled. A lesser male.”
“Ah, you truly are insufferable.”

Her words are so blunt they could shatter a man’s pride. A vein throbs visibly on Tae-yang’s forehead.

“…Why must I bear the burden of restoring order?”
“You’ll be on guard duty later. Make sure you don’t fall behind.”

Her frankness leaves even the listeners taken aback.

“They’re always like that, hehe. I don’t understand what they mean, but it’s amusing to watch.”

As I sit down by the bonfire, Hae-nul, watching the two with a radiant smile, remarks. If she knew their true intentions, she wouldn’t be smiling, but seeing her innocent, puppy-like grin, I find myself unable to respond.

“What’s the matter?”
“No, it’s nothing.”

Dragon versus tiger. Such an epic expression seems unfitting to describe the crude subject of their conversation, yet the intensity of the conflict is too great to compare it to a mere squabble between mice.

As I collected my thoughts and opened my eyes momentarily, the verbal clash between Tae-yang and Aori had escalated to the point where they were even tugging at each other’s faces.

“It hurts… let go!”
“Retract that statement.”
“No way. If it’s you, I can do it with my hands, but not… with what’s down there.”
“Damn. Disgusting. Don’t spew that kind of dialogue. Don’t you know how many customers there are like that?”

Customers are insane.

I don’t view it negatively, but it feels strange to see someone so openly admit to working in the adult entertainment industry. The vulgarity of their conversation seemed to be piercing the heavens.

I looked at Tae-yang with disdain.

There wasn’t a trace of the serious demeanor I had seen in him before. I wondered if he was even capable of having a meaningful conversation.

Still, the fact that there was someone who knew something about King Mokryeong was undeniably exciting.

‘Let’s see what this cursed ability is all about.’

* * * * * * * *

“Aori. I hope to rely on you. Your Majesty.”

It was late in the evening.

At the watch hour, when the scent had lulled to sleep, we found a spot nearby and faced each other.

Aori was respectfully kneeling, her lips curved into a crescent moon. I too, removed my mask and exposed my true face.

“So you’re the great-granddaughter of King Mokryeong, and Tae-yang is the one who inherited King Mokryeong’s powers?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”

Aori, who nodded several times in agreement. Tae-yang looked down at her with apparent disgust.

“But why ‘Your Majesty’?”
“Because he’s a king. Hence, ‘Your Majesty.'”
“Isn’t it usually ‘Your Highness’?”
“… The second King Mokryeong could have become Emperor Mokryeong. Right? Then, as the great-granddaughter of King Mokryeong, I am a fallen empress.”
“Oh. So you and your brother would be blood relatives then?”
“Exactly.”

When I raised an eyebrow at the banter between Tae-yang and Aori, they both instantly shut up. King Mokryeong or Emperor Mokryeong.
The notion of incest, was it birthed from some deranged household?

Even if Tae-yang understands, Aori is genuine.

The perspectives of these two were completely different from mine. I’ve encountered numerous crazy people, but when it comes to being offbeat, these two top the list. I realized this during our conversation.

“So what does it mean to receive a power transplant?”
“Oh, that… It’s a bit of a long story, but I’ll tell you if you’re okay with that.”
“Go on.”

Tae-yang immediately began to recount the story, starting from the beginning.

“As I mentioned earlier, the descendants of King Mokryeong are scattered all over the world. There are many who wish to misuse that power, and the Flower and the World Tree are among them. I’m not one of them. Firstly, Aori’s children were cultivating the power of King Mokryeong.”
“Cultivating?”

“King Mokryeong’s power has been passed down, in fragments, to his descendants. We study them by extracting their blood, their strength.”

They usurp the strength of other tree beings, a method of energy absorption.

This is the essence of King Mokryeong, a unique ability, almost emblematic of his nature. Tae-yang unfurled his hand, gathering his magical energy.

A faint cluster of violet mana oscillated gently.

“This is the power of the Kuji Mulberry tree. I encountered it during my work. That’s when I acquired it.”
“…Work?”
“Being descendants of King Mokryeong, we have two options for survival: sell our bodies or commit crimes. If we carelessly reveal our true identity, we’re swiftly identified and reprimanded by the World Tree.”

Tae-yang, having concealed his mana within his hand, now transformed his right arm.

-Squelch! Squelch!

Bark envelops the skin. Tae-yang’s right arm morphed into that of an eerie Ent, a grotesque tree-like entity.

“That’s how descendants can properly harness the power of the tree beings.”

Each in their own way.

Tae-yang channeled his mana into his right arm. Subsequently, flowers sprouted from the branches of his right hand, radiating a faint glow as they blossomed.

-Pop, Sizzle!

Chilies, shrubs, gwang, goebul, wolfberries, and so forth.

Flowers of diverse traits burst forth from his arm. A riot of color, a multitude of blooms.

He must have absorbed the potent lifeblood of many tree beings to cultivate these blooms. If he were to release all of this, he’d possess formidable power. If used well, it might even rival that of the national tree.

“Ent.”
“No, it’s Tree-ghost.”

Tae-yang corrected my murmur.

“The power of trees is potent. But they are single entities, whereas King Mokryeong can contain that power within a single vessel.”

A distinctive, splintering voice, characteristic of a tree being released.

A harsh voice, akin to the grating of iron, gradually emitted from his mouth.

As if using autotune to distort his voice, as though tearing his own throat. A disconcerting vocal transformation.

Tae-yang’s breath grew progressively ragged. He reverted his arm back to its human form.

“But tree beings can’t wholly embrace King Mokryeong’s power. Only humans can fully receive it.”
“So…”
“…The descendants tried to create an artificial King Mokryeong. I was the subject of that experiment.”

Tae-yang slumped in his seat, as though drained of some strength.

“But that’s only half the truth. My brother and I are different. Do you know what’s the most infuriating thing right now?”
“What is it?”
“My lust vanished when I stood before you. Damn it.”
“…”

That…

That’s rather pitiful.

“Those who clumsily mimic King Mokryeong naturally kneel before the real thing… Yes, I accept it.”
“…”
“For my experiment to succeed, I have no choice but to kill King Mokryeong myself. Then his power will become mine.”
“So you tried to kill me?”

Tae-yang’s lips quivered.

He hadn’t intended to kill me. It seemed they hadn’t placed much value on King Mokryeong’s power from the start.

“And so, you became a lesser male after being cast out? A pitiful Tae-yang?”
“You’re an ass… But yes, you’re right.”

Despite Aori’s mockery, Tae-yang sighed in resignation.

“Well, I apologize for attempting a test. I was told… to proceed. If I found you disagreeable, I was to end your life.”
“By those scholars or whatever they were?”
“Yes. To me, they were like father figures, but they were lost when I was fifteen, caught in the World Tree.”

Those who sought to harness King Mokryeong’s power appear to have vanished by now.

“So, what is your ultimate aim then?”

Tae-yang spoke softly.

“If I were to relay the instructions verbatim, it was simply to assist you. To kill if you were a menace. To aid if you were a man of trust.”
“Is that all?”
“Typical of the old men… lost in the glory of their past, instructing me to aid the king.”

Tae-yang did not seem pleased with his mission.
Nevertheless, looking at how he obeyed, it appeared he genuinely cherished those who had cared for him in the past. Despite calling them old men, a subtle affection seeped through his words.

“There are several dungeons erected by the king’s retainers. I could introduce you. However, their standards are stringent, they might attempt to kill you once they realize you possess the king’s power.”
“So, I’m not worthy of a king?”
“Exactly! You’re correct, brother.”
“Do you acknowledge me as a king?”

As the conversation flowed, I couldn’t help but ask this. Tae-yang laughed heartily.

“If you just answer one thing correctly, I’d acknowledge even a passing cur as a king. The rest was just formality, nothing else.”
“What is it?”

Tae-yang became serious.

I closed my mouth as well, attentively listening to his tale.

His weighty voice fell upon my ears like a verdict.

“…Does a tree turn you on?”
“You bastard.”

-Wham!

Suddenly, a fist was thrown.
Tae-yang, struck on the forehead, fell backwards, his head hitting the dirt floor.

“Ouch! Why, why would you do that, brother?”
“I was nailed to a tree, and this happened. You little shit. What’s this about a tree arousing you?”
“…You’re not turned on by it? How? Weren’t you an heir to King Mokryeong?”

He looked genuinely shocked.
Looking to the side, I saw Aori covering her mouth with both hands, also appearing startled.

A horrified Aori. Anyone would think she’d been shot.

“That’s… impossible…”
“The one who doesn’t make sense is you.”
“Have you ever been hard?”
“Well…”

I couldn’t say no.
Aori seemed relieved at my silence, her hand gliding down her chest.

“I knew it.”

My blood was boiling.

I’d have to deal with these perverted preferences in the future.
It seemed it wouldn’t be a one-time encounter.

I steadied my reeling head and let out a sigh.

“Right now…you must admit, you’re not adept at wielding your power.”

The words emerged softly from Tae-yang, collapsed on the ground.

“With time, you’ll grow fonder of the knot.”

“Just…silence, please.”

I had an inkling of King Mokryeong’s abilities, but hearing them with my own ears was an entirely different experience.

I swept my hands across my face, guided by Tae-yang’s imploring voice, urging me to trust him.

-*Thud, thud*.

Suddenly, Aori tugged at my clothes.

“My knot can also be of use, my King.”

A wave of madness threatened to wash over me.