Episode 829
Kyuhung!
The sea otter seemed to feel uneasy and quickly turned around and dived into the sea.
Paaang!
Raon stepped on Taehwabo in the waves. He even brought in a fierce wind and stretched out his hand towards the pentagonal stone that the sea otter was clutching tightly.
Kyow!
The sea otter suddenly changed direction and tried to run away, but it had already predicted its movements based on its hand gestures.
‘I’ll just check the stones.’
After blocking the sea otter’s escape route, Raon stretched out his hand toward the stone the sea otter was holding.
‘hmm?’
what?
Even though my hand touched the pentagonal stone, nothing happened. Even though I was opening up my soul, I felt nothing at all.
‘Wasn’t this something you could tell by touching it?’
Merlin said that if he was at his level, he could fall into the image of the soul the moment he touched the stone, but no energy or phenomenon was felt from this stone. It was literally just an ordinary stone.
-Hmm.
Ras frowned as he looked at the pentagonal stone in his hand.
-I can’t feel it exactly because I’m not in good shape, but as you said, it looks like an ordinary stone.
‘So it’s not true after all?’
-That’s right. This probably means that the sea otter is not that madwoman, but a resident of this sea.
The guy let out a sigh of relief, as if he was fortunate.
‘I knew that.’
If Merlin were that sea otter, he wouldn’t have run away, so I knew it was a real animal.
The shape and color of the sea otter’s stone were so similar to Lavawin’s testimony that I touched it, and it was just an ordinary stone.
‘sorry.’
Raon gave the stone back to the sea otter and nodded.
Kuu.
The sea otter nodded as if it was okay and walked away.
‘Do sea otters even comfort you these days?’
Raon laughed and went up to the sea again.
“what? “Did you find it?”
Rimmer came next to me and nodded.
“no.”
Raon shook his head.
“The stone the sea otter was carrying was pentagon-shaped, so I chased after it and it turned out to be an ordinary stone.”
“Sea otter? ah! A stone that breaks open seashells?”
Rimmer raised his fist and pounded his stomach as if he were a sea otter.
“that’s right.”
Raon nodded.
“The shape was similar and the color was emerald, but it wasn’t.”
“It would be funny if I found it that way.”
Rimmer said with a laugh that it must have been fun.
“As you said earlier, since you stayed on the beach, it seems correct to say that the angle has been chipped away. “It would be right to just search through everything.”
He whetted his appetite, saying that rather than looking for the pentagonal stone, he thought he should look at all the stones here.
“It’s not difficult, but it will be very hard work.”
Raon let out a short sigh as he looked at the stones sunk in the clear sea.
‘For others even more so.’
Since it was his family’s business, he had no choice but to do it, but he was not the crew of Gwangpungdae or Cheongpung.
I felt sorry that I would have to suffer at the beach for quite some time.
“It’s something you have to do even if it’s hard.”
Rimmer said with a small smile, telling me not to worry too much.
“Uh…”
Raon blinked at Rimmer.
“why?”
“It’s surprising that someone who doesn’t seem to know the word ‘comfort’ comforts me…”
The Rimmer he knew would have thought it was annoying and gone to rest after searching, but today he searched for the soul stone with even more passion than Aris.
It was so different from usual that I almost burst out laughing.
“Don’t you think I’m too crazy?”
Rimmer frowned as if he was dumbfounded.
“A little bit crazy? No, I did quite a bit, but I’m not so selfish as to leave my precious things behind and go to rest.”
He smiled softly, saying he knew how important his family was to him.
“So let’s do our best to find it.”
Even after saying this, Rimmer turned his back as if he was embarrassed and left to look for the soul stone.
“…thank you.”
Raon bowed his head towards Rimmer’s back.
‘Thank you for comforting me. Still, I can’t help but feel sorry.’
Since the only people who could find the soul stone were themselves, Aris, Rimmer, and Lavawin, the Gwangpungdae and crew had no choice but to literally select the stones.
I felt even more sorry because I had to use high-quality workers for tedious work.
“Whew…”
Raon sighed briefly and went back into the sea to search for the soul stone.
* * *
-Ouch!
As the moon set and the sun began to rise again, Lars held his head and let out a groan as if in pain.
-ah! It’s frustrating and I can’t do it!
‘what?’
Raon brushed up his wet hair and closed his eyes.
– So when will you find it? The island over there was also small and there was nothing on it! If this continues, you will never be able to see ice cream again in your life!
The guy complained that it would take too long to find the soul stone.
‘It can’t be helped. ‘Just be patient.’
-You do it yourself.
Lars grabbed his shoulder tightly with his round hand.
‘I? ‘What do I do?’
Raon tilted his head while looking at Lars.
-What the king wanted to do! Open your soul and detect the soul stones around here!
Lars raised his fist, saying he would be able to find it right away.
‘They say that’s up to you. ‘I haven’t even reached transcendence yet?’
Lars said that the size of the soul grows according to the life lived.
No matter how much suffering he experienced, he could not follow the demon king’s spirit.
‘It doesn’t make sense for me to do it when my aunt doesn’t either.’
-Haaaa…
Lars let out a long sigh as if he was pathetic.
-Didn’t King Bon say this a long time ago? Your soul is so big that it can’t be compared to that poor weapon!
‘That’s right….’
Raon nodded. Lars often said that the size of his soul was so enormous that it did not match his age and strength.
-The size of your soul when you turn that damned ring is greater than that idiot!
Lars raised his finger and pointed at Aris.
-That’s why the King says it’s a fraud every time!
The guy put his hand down, asking me to realize his abilities.
‘Hmm…’
Raon licked his lips as he placed his hand on his left chest, where the ring of fire was spinning.
‘Even if that were the case, wouldn’t it be difficult? Even if I open my soul with all my might, this area will be everything.’
-How stupid! What you were given wasn’t just your soul.
Lars raised his hand and pointed to the bracelet hanging on his wrist.
‘The power of the demon kings….’
– That’s right. What has been given to you is not just strength and characteristics, but a piece of the devil’s soul!
The guy slapped his wrist, demanding to see clearly.
‘I know, but…’
Raon bit his lip, recalling the demon king’s feelings at the edge of his soul.
‘I can’t use it all now.’
Because his rank is insufficient, he cannot summon all the power of the Demon King.
It took all my attention just to bring out the most familiar anger.
-I will help you.
Lars sat down on his shoulder and wiggled his chubby fingers.
‘what?’
-The King said he would help us control the power of the devil bastards.
‘But you…’
-It’s difficult to use physical force at the moment, but it’s quite possible to support you.
The guy calmly lifted his chin as if to tell me not to worry.
‘No, it’s an action that is too hard on you.’
Ras said that he could not use external power due to the condition of his spiritual body, so even though he said he would help, I was worried at first.
-It’s ridiculous to worry about the king over a child!
Ras raised his round chin and sneered.
-That’s it! It’s starting now, so get ready! If you can’t keep up, I’ll leave you alone!
The guy twisted his mouth to tell me to follow him at any cost.
‘…thanks.’
Raon thanked Lars and closed his eyes.
Wooooow!
By resonating the ring of fire, the power of the demon kings sleeping deep within the soul was awakened.
Coo coo coo coo!
-Starting now! Concentrate!
Along with Lars’ shout, the guy’s anger seeped from above his shoulders.
Coo coo coo coo!
It was not an anger aimed at stealing his soul as before, but a concentrated force to control the powers of other demon kings.
-Even the real king can’t hold out for long! Use those emotions with your hands and feet and spread them throughout this beach!
‘okay.’
Using Lars’ shout as a stepping stone, I raised my concentration to the limit.
Hwaaaaaaa!
The power of the demon kings leads to a feeling of anger, and it feels as if the entire beach is in their hands.
It was an omnipotent sensation, as if my skin had transformed into an entire island.
‘I can see everything!’
It was the moment I entered an extra-sensory world where I could feel not just stones and pebbles, but even the shape of each grain of sand.
Squeaky!
I felt the power of Rust clearly in the empty air.
“What is this….”
Raon’s lips trembled. Rust, who thought he had returned to the Demon World, was looking at himself in a pink air current.
-Kyaaaaaaa!
As soon as Lars saw Rust, he was startled and took his hand off his shoulder.
The omnipotent feeling that I could do everything disappeared in an instant.
“Rust? “Why are you here?”
“Ah…”
Rust, who was in a pink airflow state, let out a sigh like a sigh.
“Hihihihi!”
While I was wasting my time watching Rust, a baby sea otter came up from the water and started giggling.
“I told you! “You came too close!”
A sea otter that speaks human language. There was no need to ask who was inside.
“Even Merlin…”
“Yes! it’s me!”
The sea otter quickly nodded.
“Why are you two here?”
“I made a small bet.”
Merlin grinned, saying that it ended in victory thanks to him.
“I’m sorry…”
Rust revealed his face among the pink air currents.
“I’m so glad you used my power…”
She bowed her head, saying she was truly sorry.
-Uuuuuuuck!
Lars whimpered and hid behind himself.
-Why did those crazy women come? Why are idiots hanging out together! At this important moment!
The guy screamed that everything was ruined.
‘You do not have to worry.’
Raon shook his head, tapping Lars’ head as he cried out.
“I wonder what the bet is, but we’ll talk about it later.”
“Looking for a soul stone? “I’ll help you too!”
Merlin stretched out his hand to come to the main body.
“I already found it.”
“uh? “You found it?”
-Really?
Merlin and Lars’ chins trembled as if they were startled.
‘okay.’
Raon nodded calmly. Although he was surprised by Rust and Merlin, his concentration, which had become a bright spot, did not loosen immediately.
As his soul spread out across this beach, he clearly captured the gloomy feeling of being covered in darkness.
‘It’s here.’
Raon looked at a fist-sized pebble in the shallow sea not far from the shore.
It had a round shape with all the corners cut, and had a green color darker than that of an emerald.
I could feel someone’s crying, sadness, and despair right in this gravel.
‘He doesn’t seem like a good soul.’
I still have to go though.
Raon let out a short sigh and grabbed onto the pebbles.
Hahaha!
My vision turned black, along with the sensation that my body was floating, as if I was looking at the memories of my ancestors.
* * *
seven? No, I see a girl even younger than that.
The girl practiced her sword skills in the vacant lot in front of her house, and her talent seemed to be growing day by day.
Even at a young age, there were a few times when the girl’s emotions wavered as she seemed to have devoted her whole heart to swordsmanship, and that was when she saw children her own age playing together.
The girl looked blankly at the children, as if envious, wondering what they should play with today or what they should find.
One of them approached the girl and stretched out his hand. He smiled brightly and asked me to play with him.
[Me too?]
When the girl tried to hold the child’s hand, a middle-aged man with a harsh look came out and blocked the way.
[Go away.]
At the middle-aged man’s sharp voice, the child ran away in tears and never appeared in front of the girl again.
[You have work to do. Don’t disappoint me.]
The middle-aged man, who appeared to be the girl’s father, told her to focus on training with dry eyes that were not filled with any affection.
From then on, the girl swung the sword day and night.
He didn’t pay attention to other children his age laughing and playing, and he swung his sword every day with the sole intention of living up to his father’s expectations.
When three years passed, the girl reached the level her father wanted.
When the girl went to see her father with excitement, he only said one thing.
[It’s time. Let’s go.]
‘Good job.’ Or, without a single word of praise, ‘Good job,’ he got up and said, “Let’s go somewhere.”
The girl was not disappointed. Thinking that fun days were ahead from now on, I followed my father into an unknown underground cave.
The place was full of children who appeared to be the girl’s age.
The girl was happy because she finally had friends, but the other kids didn’t seem to have any such thoughts.
Everyone had cool eyes as if they were looking at the girl’s father.
The girl’s life did not change much. I swung my sword all day long in the community and slept alone in my cell.
I wasn’t even given enough time to rest, let alone get to know someone.
The other children quickly adapted to this hell as if they were familiar with it, but one child was different.
He always had tears in his eyes, as if he was frightened by the gloom of this underground place.
The girl seemed to have feelings for the child who seemed to be looking at her and took care of him from the side.
It was when the girl developed a bond with a child named Balde and felt a little happiness.
Even though it was dawn, I was not called to the training group, and instead stayed in my solitary room where I only slept.
While I was trembling with happiness at not having to swing my sword and anxiety at not seeing Balde, I heard someone scream from far away.
Even the next day. Continue the next day.
A strange land where someone screams as each day passes. The girl was frightened and called her father’s name, but of course there was no answer.
After a week with the girl worrying about her father and Balde’s well-being, the door to the cell opened and her father came in.
[Father!]
The girl ran screaming for help, but her father kicked her with his eyes as if he were looking at a bug.
As the girl was rolling on the floor after being beaten, a boy with cold eyes came in front of her.
Balde. A young, inexperienced child with whom he had developed a small relationship was raising his sword with the same look in his eyes as his father.
[Balde. Who are you….]
When the girl shouted to put down the sword, Balde’s sword pierced through her heart.
My heart felt warm. Only after he felt the sense of emptiness that all the auras he had accumulated in his altar and his own soul were being sucked in did Balde draw his sword.
[Daddy, Balde…]
The girl used her last strength to reach out to her only friend and father.
But the hand stopped in midair, and her father and friend left the darkened room without even a glance.
[Half success?…]
The girl recalled her own life while listening to her father’s cold voice.
A cold father, a sword he swung his whole life, children who reached out to him to play, and even the betrayal of a friend he made at the end.
The despairing moments of not being able to live like ordinary children flowed down from her pupils.
I just wanted to play with other kids…
Kuwaaaa!
The girl’s body burned with black flames and turned into a huge fiery monster.
All dark energies, including death, despair, anger, and pain, were present in the child’s soul.
‘Okay…’
Raon opened his hand without pulling out his sword, looking at the child’s soul that had become a black flame.
‘I’ll play with you.’