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**

The only thing left is to start the operation now.

I gently caressed Mo Yong-san’s cheek. His frail body, small and weak compared to his peers, looked as if it could snap at any moment.

“San-ah.”

“Yes, Master.”

“I’ll say it once more: you must endure. It will be tough and painful. But don’t give up. The moment you give up, it’s all over.”

“…Yes, Master. I won’t give up.”

I tied the rope I brought to the bed. After binding Mo Yong-san’s limbs, I exhaled.

Bai Ya. It’s time to work.

Bai Ya responded to the call, exuding a shimmering aura, curling around my hand.

What needs to be done was simple. Bai Ya helped maintain the flow so that the dark energy could circulate continuously.

If it stays clumped in one place, it will burst. It would be just like suffering severe internal injuries, so it needs to keep circulating.

The thing that would bore a hole for that circulation is Cheongeop. Just a little. A minuscule amount to dig into the interrupted pulse according to my will.

It’s like prodding a wound. At the same time, it must be sustained in that state for a while, regenerating while remaining penetrated, so the pain will be excruciating.

But it must be done. This is the best course.

“…I’ll start.”

I first divided the Cheongeop. A needle-sized piece of it was pushed into the blood vessel.

An overwhelming amount of dark energy exploded. The surrounding air felt like it was freezing from the lethal aura.

It was far too much for a child to contain. Hence, I let some of it be absorbed by Bai Ya.

With a satisfied munch, Bai Ya soon began to move as I intended. It kept rotating in the blocked pulse.

The first blocked pulse.

At the point reached, I slowly began to pierce a hole with the needle-sized Cheongeop.

“Grrrgh?!”

Mo Yong-san began to thrash violently. I had to forcibly hold him down.

You must endure. If it gets interrupted halfway, your energy will run rampant and kill you.

Once you start, you must see it through to the end. That’s the only way you can obtain what you’ve longed for so much.

Beginning the repetitive task that requires a long duration.

How long will it take?

I don’t know. I’m just moving the Cheongeop.

Until the blocked pulse opens up, and the swirling dark energy inside stretches out in the right direction.

…

“Ahhhhhhh!!!”

Mo Yong-hwi suddenly opened his eyes wide, unable to hold back, his feet stomping on the floor.

Narin and Gwangyang clung to him.

“Lord Alchemist! You can’t go in there!”

“Weren’t we just saying it’s dangerous for both of you if you do?!”

“…Grrggg!!!”

Before my eyes, my grandson was wailing. But I could do nothing.

I thrust my trembling fist into the rock. I smashed my head down over and over.

It hurts, but it’s better this way.

The pain helps awaken promises that were nearly forgotten.

Please… please…

We must somehow save his life…

I folded my hands in prayer. I knelt in the yard, praying toward the unseen.

Time passed. The screams didn’t stop. Eventually, the voice even strained away, leaving only the sorrowful cries of a beast.

The trembling body of the Alchemist seemed like it would burst out at any moment.

If only he could endure that pain himself.

“Why… why is heaven… why… to that little child…”

The explosive force eventually devoured Lord Alchemist’s body. Narin and Gwangyang, who were guarding the door, were startled.

“Lord Alchemist!”

“Wait!”

“Get out of the way! I need to see with my own eyes! Something… something must be terribly wrong! If you don’t move, I’ll…!”

“Grandfather.”

A hand grabbed his. Alchemist Mo Yong-hwi turned to the side.

The child holding his hand shook his head. Strong conviction shimmered in his eyes.

“My dad doesn’t lie.”

“…What?”

“Just wait. Together. It’ll be alright.”

The trembling hand was weak, but it held on tightly.

“We’ll wait together, grandfather.”

“……”

“San-i said… he can endure.”

The Alchemist looked at the warrior, who was on the verge of despair, through the eyes that were gazing at him.

“…Ah.”

Just one inch. He almost used an assassin’s dagger on those trying to help him.

“Thank… you…”

Even with the screams still echoing, he was filled with gratitude.

Once again, he pressed down the surging voice, forcibly sitting down.

Blood flowed from his repeatedly struck forehead. He didn’t wipe it away; he just sat there, forcibly restraining himself.

I must wait. I have to wait.

I must believe… didn’t my grandson say that?

If I don’t believe, who will?

I must have faith. For his sake, I must.

The blood that had been flowing dried up, congealing into a scab that stuck to the wound.

Days changed. What was day became night, and what was night became day once more.

The screams halted. Now only gasps could be heard. Mo Yong-hwi stared blankly at the building.

He finally heard a presence. For the first time. The sound of someone moving.

“…San-ah?”

—Clatter.

Jeok-un, with his hands wiped clean, lifted his head. The Alchemist stammered with trembling.

“Uh, what… happened…?”

“……”

Jeok-un stepped aside. Behind him, a small shadow swayed, on the verge of falling.

“…Dad…”

The voice that murmured in a hoarse tone made Mo Yong-hwi leap forward. He checked the condition of his exceedingly tiny grandson and confirmed with his own eyes that everything that had painfully tightened his life had come to an end.

“…Thank you.”

With that one phrase, he was indebted to someone whose favor could never be repaid.

No matter what he offered in this world, he could never repay that grace.

“Thank you… Muk Geom…!”

…

I treated Mo Yong-san’s ghostly pulse.

After handing him over to Mo Yong-hwi, I checked my own condition.

The accumulated fatigue from the lengthy and meticulous work. Aside from that, nothing particularly troublesome had happened.

Rather, if any problems arose… it might be on another front.

I checked my Dantian. I smoothly examined the energy contained within.

The dark energy, which had not harmonized with the vitality until now, had completely found balance. The abundant dark energy that Bai Ya gradually absorbed during the procedure was now refined and settled into my Dantian.

As a result, my vessel had forcibly expanded. The relatively weakened vitality was bitterly complaining.

However, that complaining was short-lived.

The Alchemist rushed in with something.

“Here, eat this at least! It’s perfect for replenishing your weakened body from the great law!”

He handed me a rare elixir known as the Sunlight Herb.

I recognized the name. It was essentially an elixir containing the peak of vital energy.

“Why are you giving this to me…?”

“It was supposed to be given to San-i once a year; this is the reserve. Thanks to this, he could at least move his body. But now that he doesn’t need it anymore, shouldn’t it be given to you?”

Mo Yong-hwi’s eyes glistened with tears.

“You are the benefactor of my lifetime. If there’s anything you want besides this, just say it. I’ll bring it all!”

“This should be enough for now…”

I operated my breathing technique to replenish my vitality. The sulking Black Pearl melted away into relaxation.

The immense lack of energy was replaced. That alone was sufficient, yet the Alchemist pulled out two additional elixirs related to vitality from somewhere.

“Take this too! You must have used up a lot of energy managing the dark energy, so you’ll need to replenish your vitality!”

This was likely going to be devoured by my vitality.

I didn’t refuse. Since Black Pearl was eyeing it. I perfectly digested everything I had consumed and stored it within me.

Most of the elixirs my Master had given me were related to martial energy. Not to mention the blood energy I had honed since the beginning, now even the remaining vitality and dark energy were perfectly balanced.

I released the overflowing energy. That was better.

“…Huh.”

I gathered my breath. After a week of training, I slowly opened my eyes.

The Four Elements Combined (사원합일).

The four energies, each achieving equilibrium, spun in circles within my Dantian. This led to breaking through several more walls.

I reached out. I grasped the Blood Sword and quietly unsheathed it in the room.

The blade descended, mixing four energies.

Without the help of the Ear Sword, the pure modified sword.

The Fire Wheel Blood Demon Sword.

Flames clung to the swung sword. The fiery energy, drawn forth entirely without the Ear Sword’s assistance, blazed dazzlingly.

“…….”

If I can wield this much without the Ear Sword…

With its help, the power would surely multiply several times over.

I slid the sword back into my waist. After stretching lightly, I stepped out of the room for the first time in a week.

Sua, who had been sitting on the floor, dozing off, turned to me.

“Ah… Dad!”

She rushed over and hugged me.

“Sua, if you’re sleepy, go inside and sleep.”

“Ah, I was worried about what happened since you didn’t come out…”

Had she been waiting for the whole week?

I affectionately ruffled Sua’s hair.

“It’s okay.”

“R-really, you’re not hurt? If you’re in pain, please tell me…”

“I’m fine. Actually, I got stronger.”

There was no need to mention the Four Elements Combined, of course.

It felt as though I had shed my shell once more.

My external energy naturally strengthened to match the growth in internal energy. I felt as if the muscles that had been dormant inside me were waking up.

Now, I feel like I could do things that I previously couldn’t just with pure external energy…

“Dad. But…”

Sua looked at me cautiously.

“What is it?”

“I think you should wash up a bit.”

“……”

She must have caught a whiff of me. It was definitely true.

Even if my body had minimal impurities, not washing meant it would be dirty, right?

Moreover, after leaping over a few walls, the remaining impurities had all poured out, creating a foul stench on my clothes.

I gently set Sua down and took a proper wash.

Scrubbing my entire body thoroughly.

…

At Cheonmu Academy, Alchemist Mo Yong-hwi gazed at the two warriors.

Gu Yangdo. Geumpyeong.

Myochoa, the Purple Sword.

Geumpyeong was a renowned figure—a hidden blade of the military. Although his title was Gu Yangdo, the power he wielded was known to be intertwined with the Seven Blades.

What about the Purple Sword? Myochoa was already known to belong to the Seven Blades among the Sages, and rumors spread that her power might rival even those of the Five Stars.

It’s rare to find a master even in the Martial Alliance. Mo Yong-hwi gazed at the duo and asked.

“So… you want me to accept you as assistant instructors?”

“Yes. We received a recommendation from the Martial Alliance Military Officer.”

“I also received a recommendation from Elder Dan Ri Jin Su.”

After receiving their recommendations, Mo Yong-hwi flung them behind him.

“……?”

“……?”

To the bewilderment of the two, he posed a question.

“Why should I?”

It was as obvious as it could get. One, Gu Yangdo operated independently under the general of the Martial Alliance, not the leader.

The other, Myochoa was one associated with Elder Dan Ri Jin Su.

Their intentions were clear. The fact that the position they asked for was that of “assistant instructor” was intimidatingly evident.

The two had recently undergone some kind of reprimand involving someone named Jeok-un.

“Why should I let you become assistant instructors?”

“But, we have the recommendations…!”

“Lord Alchemist! Surely there’s no reason not to accept us?!”

“Why should I accept those who would disrupt the order of Cheonmu Academy? Gu Yangdo. Myochoa.”

In the past, he would have readily accepted.

But now, things were different. These were lives he wanted to protect at all costs.

Mo Yong-hwi scoffed.

“There’s no reason to accept you. If you really want to persuade me, have your military officer and Elder come here directly. I have no time for pointless discussions with kids like you.”

Gu Yangdo and Myochoa gritted their teeth.

However, since their reputation was lesser than that of the Five Stars, there was nothing they could genuinely do.

They could only exit the room.

Mo Yong-hwi returned to focusing on his work. Now that he no longer needed support from the leader of the Martial Alliance, he wanted to overhaul Cheonmu Academy from the ground up.

To ensure that those being oppressed have a place to stand.

To give everyone a fair opportunity.

“Lord Alchemist!”

The door swung open. Lim Won-pyeong, grinning with triumph, entered, ribs shaking.

“The assistant instructor hasn’t reported to work for over a week. Isn’t this an insult to our Cheonmu Academy? We must impose a penalty!”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Muk Geom! That joker who’s been giving himself a ridiculous title! We should make sure he knows his place!…”

“…….”

“…Lord Alchemist?”

“I was actually looking for the person I needed to sift out first…”

Mo Yong-hwi smiled wryly.

Veins bulged on his forehead.

“Well, how nice. Junior instructor Lim Won-pyeong. Thanks for coming directly to me. Truly.”

 

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