Possessing Nothing

TL: xLordFifth

PR: Yul, Gort

Episode 386: Party(2)

[You had a tough time pretending not to know.]

‘I never pretended.’

[You didn’t say anything directly. Being silent and doing nothing is the same as pretending.]

Lee Sungmin did not respond to Heoju’s teasing. The feast was over. The great fire that had blazed fiercely was now a small, flickering ember, and the noisy fairies had huddled together and fallen asleep.

The Spear King was still curled up and asleep. Teresa was sleeping nearby, covered with a blanket, a content expression on her face.

Scarlett, who had been throwing blatant questions throughout the drinking, had returned to the magic tower, and Baek Sogo was lying asleep not far away.

Lee Sungmin got up, removing the blanket from his knees.

‘I know. There’s no way I wouldn’t.’

Her questions were blatant, and so were all her actions until now. Even knowing, he did not react.

Just as Heoju said, he had pretended not to know. He felt he had no right to acknowledge it and also wondered, why me?

“Queen Oslo.”

Lee Sungmin called out to the fairy queen by the lakeside. Even during the party, Oslo was not her usual chatty and cheerful self.

She had sipped a little drink and then returned to the lake. He knew why. After all, Oslo had known the vanished Queen of the Spirits from a distant past.

Though there was hardly any interaction, a being of equal standing had vanished after thousands of years of co-existence.

“I’m not affected.”

Oslo popped her head out of the lake surface, mumbling. Her eyes were slightly red.

“It’s just, well, yeah. I feel hollow… and empty… That’s all. It happened too easily.”

Had it been a complete mess of a fight, where they fought, struggled, and someone died, would it have been different?

The Queen of the Spirits’ vanishing felt useless. Because she had descended with far less power than her original, the fight was not difficult, and in the end, the Divine Spirit intervened and completely exterminated her existence.

“I am afraid.”

It was fear rather than sadness that was greater.

Oslo murmured in a small voice. She drooped her wings and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

“Even though it might not seem like it, I’ve lived for a very long time. I’ve been here since the beginning of this world… It’s not that I suddenly cherish my life. But… it’s too easy. The thought of my existence being extinguished so easily without my knowing, of being completely obliterated without being able to do anything, terrifies me.”

That fear, it’s the same for everyone. If the Divine Spirit intervened, one would be obliterated before even having a chance to resist.

The uncertainty of why gods do not do so induces even more anxiety. Is it not yet the time for harvesting? What exactly do they intend to do?

You’d just end up dead hanging around with me. He recalled Frau’s teasing words. He couldn’t argue against them.

Frau was selfish but correct. Even if the world does not come to an end, what meaning would it have if one ends up dead themselves?

“And I’m anxious.”

Oslo stepped out onto the water’s surface, standing atop the lake. She looked up into the sky, dropping her arms from her shoulders.

“The Divine Spirit extinguished Sarahenne. But why haven’t I been extinguished? What about you? And others? Is there no need?”

“There must be a reason.”

It wouldn’t be without meaning. There must be some reason. Oslo glanced at Lee Sungmin’s impassive face as she asked.

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“I am afraid.”

“Then why don’t you give up?”

“If I give up, everything up to now becomes meaningless.”

Could we encounter another day like today, drinking and laughing freely? Survive in a world where no one dies, where there’s no end for everyone…

That’s impossible. It’s too much to ask for. Not losing a single person is an absurd thought.

If only that were the case, it couldn’t even be called an apocalypse. There would be sacrifices, regardless of who it might be.

Acknowledging this made his heart ache. It was a given, yet Lee Sungmin wished that no one would die.

Even knowing it was impossible.

Lee Sungmin approached Aine, who was lying near the lake. She was a good captive.

Since bringing her to this forest, he had not once given her food or water, yet Aine was still alive.

Completely subdued under Oslo’s power, she was deep in a long sleep.”What are you up to?”

“Nothing at all.”

Oslo approached and asked. Lee Sungmin nudged the fallen Aine’s body with his foot, turning it over.

Aine’s chest rose and fell slightly. Oslo looked at Lee Sungmin, who was looking down at Aine’s chest with a worried expression.

“…Don’t think dangerous thoughts.”

“We need to consider all possibilities.”

“You know as well as I do. Your body has its limits. Predation won’t make you any stronger.”

“It might be different from the existing predation.”

“The risks are too great.”

“I have no talent.”

Now, even as he said it, there was no bitterness. It was just an obvious fact. Reaching this level and becoming stronger was possible not because of talent but due to a destiny that transcended talent, along with the help, teaching, and various other conditions he received from others.

“The biggest reason I could come this far without talent is because I possessed a destiny that required me to have at least this much power. And that destiny disappeared along with the annihilation of the Predator of Massacre. That destiny no longer binds me, so growing along this line of destiny is impossible.”

Of course, this doesn’t mean Lee Sungmin has no room for growth.

As the Blood Demon said, Lee Sungmin’s body was incomplete. The state of martial arts and his physical body were not in balance.

Since his potential for growth has been forcefully given, Lee Sungmin can become stronger.

It was different. When following the line of destiny, he ‘unconditionally’ had to become stronger.

He always faced trials that were surmountable. He grew by resisting and surviving those trials.

But not anymore.

Having escaped from destiny, he cannot expect the comfortable protection of destiny.

“I have no plans to attempt it right away.”

Predating on Aine is far too risky. There’s a chance this body, already at its limit, could collapse.

It’s too dangerous to embark on such a venture now.

‘Not yet.’

Yes, not yet.

* * *

Where could Geniella be now?

She might be marching toward the Forest of the Fairies. Originally, Lee Sungmin wanted to attack Geniella during the day, not at night.

But knowing that Geniella’s Demon Eye’s last ability was to bring forth a full moon, such a strategy of assault becomes meaningless.

Though the time cannot be determined, the place can. The Forest of the Fairies is Oslo’s territory.

Geniella, unwilling to give up on Aine, has no choice but to come here. Fighting here at least provides a minimal chance of victory.

‘It’s not enough.’

He must consider all possible measures. Just leaving the possibility to predate on Aine open is insufficient. Lee Sungmin’s current advantage over Geniella was speed. No matter how fast Geniella moved, she could not surpass Lee Sungmin, who possessed the Pegasus.

The next day.

Lee Sungmin, suffering from a hangover, along with Lloyd, Scarlett, and the cooperation of Baek Sogo, headed to Travia.

What he intended to do was a clean-up in Travia. When Geniella came to Mount Wudang, she didn’t bring other vampires from Travia.

Only Gemini, Chen, and Kuhn were with her. This means that the other bloodlines were left in Travia.

It was an excellent opportunity.

“Oh my.”

A voice faded from her mind. Geniella, standing still, brought a finger to her temple.

She saw the bloodlines connected to her disappear one by one. It wasn’t simply death.

If that were the case, Geniella should have had the power of the dead bloodlines returned. She raised her hands to cover her eyes.

Her vision connected to another vampire in Travia. Soon, that vampire’s vision went dark. That was enough.

‘Sealing… Yes, that was an option. But wouldn’t you prefer predation over sealing if it were you? It’s easier and more beneficial.’

Surely, you wouldn’t have lost the desire for predation now. That means there must be a reason you cannot predate. The voices continued to fade. Geniella lowered her hands, covering her eyes, and chuckled.”Why is that?”

Gemini tilted her head, looking at Geniella, who was smiling.

“Travia is under attack.”

“Is it the Ghost Spear?”

“Yes. Honestly, it annoys me in so many ways. It makes me not even want to negotiate.”

As if she had ever intended to in the first place. Gemini shrugged at that thought.

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“How could it not? My children are being slaughtered. I’m very angry.”

“For someone angry, you seem quite calm.”

It was then Juwon, who had been silent, spoke up.

Juwon joined them a few days ago. Living deep in the southern forests, He had left the forest to follow Geniella, who had come searching for him.

He had wondered if Juwon was with Brook, a powerful werebear from the generation of Howon. However, by the time Geniella found Juwon, Brook had already become part of Juwon’s meal.

“It was their destiny to die anyway.”

Geniella stopped lending her ears to the fading voice. She felt regret, pity, and sadness.

But it was inevitable. Even if she felt a terrible rage over their deaths, traveling from the south to Travia was impossible.

And to head north now would take months.

“More importantly, are you okay? After Travia, it’ll be Chephede. Your Lycanthrope is there.”

“Indeed.”

Juwon nodded.

“Revenge must be taken.”

Juwon muttered, looking toward the distant north, reminiscing the time when Howon was the chief of the Lycanthrope.

After challenging Howon, Juwon became the new chief by defeating and consuming him. Consequently, Brock, a loyal follower and longtime friend of Howon, left the pack to wander afar.

However, Nero remained by Juwon’s side as his loyal servant.

Trusting Nero, Juwon had left Chephede in his care before setting out to hunt down Brock.

Nero… wouldn’t leave the city. Juwon smirked bitterly.

“Does it not motivate you?”

Janielra smiled, almost void of any voices in her head. She twirled around on the deck.

Breathing in the salty sea air, she slowly raised her hands above her head and lifted her arms.

“It really makes me want to kill them.”

Whoosh…!

Red magic enveloped the ship. Despite Volander’s disappearance, the ghost ship wandering the West Sea remained, along with the Death Knights who survived the Germud battle.

Geniella had gathered the ghost ship and Death Knights. But not only them.

As she traveled south, she took aboard especially strong monsters from the Predator faction, and now, even masterless Liches following Arbes and Kim Jonghyun.

‘Aine.’

In the center of the hooded Liches, Prescan placed a hand over his heart, resolved.

‘I’ll save you, even if it costs me my life.’

The ship, enveloped in Geniella’s magic, floated above the waves. She slowly directed her arms forward, gauging the direction towards the Forest of the Fairies.

“Will it take about five days?”

Previously, it had taken Lee Sungmin a month to reach the Forest of the Fairies by ship. That was the reasonable time for a simple ship.

However, this was no simple ship. Originally a ghost ship unaffected by waves or wind, Geniella’s endless magic now further empowered it.

The ghost ship sailed across the sea, high in the sky.