1318 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Those with strange talents. These individuals are generally born and raised with heightened senses, or so the Ancestor explained. Certain faces came to mind at his explanation. The problem is. "……More than five?" It wasn't just five. When I counted those who came to mind, there were more than ten. At my puzzlement, the Ancestor continued. - It's not about excellence. Understand it correctly. What you need to focus on is strangeness. "……Strangeness?" - The senses of the Dragon Emperor emerged grotesquely after devouring his siblings. The Ancestor folded one finger and spread out nine. - A monstrous anomaly born only after consuming all nine siblings repeatedly. The Dragon Emperor, at the limit of gluttony, found even his own senses warped. ‘He devoured all his siblings…’ The implication of gluttony subtly lingered in my ears. - The Dragon Emperor's sight can perceive possibilities as colors. His sense of smell detects desires. Taste senses deceit, touch can open what must remain closed, while hearing perceives the sounds of all things. "……." - So, what do you make of it? The Ancestor asked me as he finished his explanation. - Surely something comes to mind? ‘This is.’ My eyes trembled. Even if I couldn't recognize all, there were some I felt sure of. As the Ancestor described, those with peculiar talents surfaced in my thoughts. ‘Noisy.’ Those were the words Woo Hyuk often muttered in silence. When asked what was so noisy, Woo Hyuk replied with a bitter laugh. ‘There's something. Something others can't hear.’ I dismissed it back then, thinking it was nonsense. But that comment now resurfaces. ‘Open... open it?’ Then there's Cheol Jiseon. ‘No way.’ I recalled him opening the Demonic Mirror Gate, something that should not be opened. ‘Could that be it too?’ Could Cheol Jiseon also possess the Blood Demon’s senses? Then what about eyes, nose, and taste? ‘……What’s this?’ Someone flashed through my mind, concerning taste. ‘I can sense lies.’ "Ah." I remembered the young sword demon who said he could feel lies. Absurd. “It's driving me insane.” It was all connected. Everything was linking together. - Does it dawn on you now? "……How did this happen?" Is it not enough that they were all born at once? “They're around me?” Is that even possible? I swallowed my shock as my eyes widened. - Indeed, they're around you. The Ancestor stated, as if satisfied with his explanation. - The senses that the Dragon Emperor desired have gathered around you—is this really just a coincidence? "……." His words froze me. “……If it's not coincidence, then what is it?” - If not coincidence, then it must be destiny. A manufactured destiny. "……." - Born to serve as a harbinger of calamity, you are inherently different. If your father was born to capture such anomalies, then what about you, the opposite? “……What do you mean?” - The fire of the Gu family opposes beings from the otherworld. Such is the law given by the world for my misdeeds. Haven’t you felt it—the way your father’s flames nullify power? "……!" I recalled the fire that negated power. So, that wasn't just the power wielded by the Sword Queen or the power gained by my father becoming a Apostle? - Such absurdity. The Eulryeong Sword Queen—the power given by her half-hearted master won't reach that far. It's wrong. The Ancestor clicked his tongue as he spoke. - Only because your father accepted it himself did he become Apostle. Normally, such ridiculous power couldn't infiltrate. Such is the nature of our flame. However. The Ancestor's hand pointed towards me. - You are different. "……." - Born not to burn the grotesque, but to become grotesque yourself, you are innately contrary to all of it. “……What do you mean?” - It means you were born to contain much more, rather than to burn. "……." - You will contain that which cannot be contained and reach where you should not go. Ultimately becoming a calamity—it is because the grotesque is naturally drawn to fulfill all these conditions. So, is it that many with heightened senses are naturally drawn to me because I am destined to become a calamity? - For humans, the senses of the Dragon Emperor are powers unmatched to their stature. Hence, possessing such unmatched abilities may inevitably lead to side effects. However, they won't feel such things by your side. Your very spirit suppresses them all. “……Suppress? If they're by my side?” - Becoming a calamity entails this. One does not permit the existence of grotesque outside of oneself, and your spirit oppresses it. "……." - Do you understand now, just how tenaciously your fate is intertwined? I let out a dry laugh at his words. “Indeed. It's truly a joke.” The reality that everything happening to me was predetermined was unbearably vile. I held back the urge to vomit immediately and asked directly. "……So." I focused my gaze. “I understand there are all these senses. So what should I do next? You said the Dragon Emperor could feel all senses through Taecheon.” Here's the question: if this is all destiny and if the Dragon Emperor wished for reincarnation now, then. “Why didn't he absorb all those senses?” What reason could there be for remaining idle, even now? That was what I wanted to know. - He must be waiting for the right time. "……The right time?" - Before obtaining the senses, the most crucial matters are whether the body to contain them is complete, and the presence of the aura to envelop them. "……That means." - The blood demon is likely waiting for the body to be completed. Though it might not be fully ripe yet, it would likely be almost there. “Wait.” I interrupted the Ancestor's words. Waiting for the body to be complete suggests that there was a body, and I already heard that the aura was the aura of the Heavenly Demon. Then. “……Is the body possibly Wi Seol-ah?” - You ask the question even though you already know the answer. “Damn.” Since I hoped it wouldn't be, that too is the answer. I clenched my teeth. - The body and aura of the Dragon Emperor exist, and the senses exist in the same era. It's the result of the rift created by Taecheon. The Dragon Emperor must have been waiting for this very moment. The point where every moment converges. The moment the Dragon Emperor awaited just happened to coincide with my existence. Then. - However. The Ancestor, touching his chin, continued. - There is something unusual, though... "What now?" - No, this isn't something for you to hear. "You're kidding me, right? After coming this far?" - Because we've come this far, I was able to say this much. I hope you'll understand. "Understand what?" - You must not let the Dragon Emperor take your senses. The same goes for your body and spirit. If he takes those from you, things you don't wish for will happen. Things I don't wish for? - You will lose those precious to you, and you will also lose yourself. "Losing myself... Does that mean I'll become a calamity?" - Yes, the Dragon Emperor is likely hoping for that. He seeks to acquire even the version of you that becomes the calamity. "……Me?" - He must believe that only then will he be truly complete. That greedy creature is not just after his original position, after all. The Ancestor rose from where he was sitting. For some reason, I could smell the scent of burning from him. - It's truly a pity. The Ancestor's face returned to how it looked when I first saw him. A deep sadness emanated from him. - It's regrettable. To protect what you desire, the outcome you wish for is predetermined. His hand reached out but I didn't stop him. The arm steadily extended, patting my shoulder gently. - You would have realized it when you first touched your true power. "……." - You act clueless, but surely you already know. The clarity in the Ancestor’s eyes spoke volumes, and the worry held within them was unnerving. He was right. The moment I touched Tolly, I realized it. - If you embrace it, you will fully gain the qualifications of a calamity. By accepting Tolly, I understood what would become of me. I understood the meaning of regaining that power. - The gears that child barely managed to hold back will start turning again. It means fate will ultimately cycle again. That child. A woman with black hair flashed through my mind. ‘The Heavenly Demon.’ The Heavenly Demon again. ‘What on earth did you do?’ To what extent had she infiltrated, and why? ‘Why can't I bring myself to hate?’ To the being I should want to destroy most, I felt myself slowly drifting away. I hated this feeling because it seemed like I was losing my life's purpose of having someone to detest. - It’s your choice. "……Giving me a choice after deciding my ending?" - We don't relish it either. Both your mother and I see this as the best course. "Ha... So I'm just supposed to become a calamity, quietly?" - Becoming a master doesn’t necessarily mean becoming a calamity. The qualifications alone suggest that possibility. The Ancestor shook his head. - I can't tell you to overcome it. That would also be my choice. "……Irresponsible from start to finish." - I'm sorry. Crackle, crackle. The Ancestor’s hands gradually burned. The source of that burnt smell was his very flesh. Watching the Ancestor vanish, I sensed the damnable time was up. - Our next meeting will likely be the last. I offered no response to his bitter tone. - ……I'm sorry. Nor to the repeated apology. Crackle. As I watched the Ancestor fade away, my expression remained frozen. "……Hah." A sigh escaped. Creeeeak-!! With my sigh, the white backdrop began to crumble. Among the crumbling world, one thought filled my mind. Becoming a calamity. Having a predetermined fate. That wasn’t the focus now. ‘How.’ How on earth could I— ‘Protect them?’ Protect what was important to me. Right now, the idea of becoming a calamity didn't matter in the slightest. I had to defend against the Dragon Emperor. That singular thought flooded every corner of my mind.