Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint - Chapter 549



Somehow, the fortune seems good

“Bark! Don’t come again!”

“Meh-eh-eh! Don’t ever let me see you again!”

Remm fled to the top of the monastery, wailing. Regardless, Aji seemed satisfied with the long-neglected toy, stretching out comfortably.

“Goodbye!”

“May the blessings of the heavenly gods be upon you, brothers!”

With the farewell of the fallen nun and the happy children, we left the blood monastery. Holding only the blessings of the saint and the nun.

As I walked down the sloping path leading to the blood monastery, I spoke to Rash.

“Rash, could you guide us….”

I was about to say when I fell silent at the sight before me.

The wind blew toward the direction we were headed. As if pushing us forward. The soft yet certain breeze moved the wild grass, pointing us toward the path we should take.

The swaying blades of grass seemed to draw arrows. It felt as if the whole world was saying, “You must go this way.”

“This way!”

Rash, who was trying to lead us, murmured as he felt the wind blowing.

“It’s a fair wind. A good omen. I think asking the teacher for help was a wise choice!”

“Why are you only saying that to Hughes? I’m here too.”

“Haha! Sorry for leaving you out. Yes, boy! You’re here too!”

Everyone had no regrets about riding this current. After all, what did it matter if the prophet felt uneasy? They were offering immediate help with my affairs.

We moved as the wind guided us. Rash possessed an unyielding stamina as long as his feet touched the ground, while I, riding the clouds, and the returnee soared faster on the tailwind. Aji, in the midst of it all, showed leisure by running far away and then slowly returning.

As the scenery changed and the mountains shifted, the native village began to come into view. Now, passing through the wild lands, a savage land where beasts and humans coexist appeared.

The natives, seeing us flying through the sky, screamed and either fled or chased after us in an attempt to hunt. Of course, most of those attempts barely touched a shadow and passed by, but it added a bit of tension to our journey.

“From here on is the land of the old nations. Teacher, do you know about the nations?”

“I do. As much as anyone else.”

The nations. A land of savagery created in a place teeming with life.

The five lords who overthrew the human king spread across the continent, establishing their own kingdoms.

Among them, the beloved Agartha came all the way to this distant southeastern land, uniting the tribes that could never intertwine to establish a nation.

—

“Muhoo Agartha. The descendant of a ruler beloved by all. With her beauty and charm, she captivated other tribes, creating a coalition of countless clans over which she reigned. Until the day the World Tree burned and fell.”

“You’re quite knowledgeable. As expected of a teacher.”

As I recited the contents written in the history books, Rash nodded as if he had anticipated it.

“But there’s a slight difference. While that’s how it’s known in the military state, the true power of Muhoo is not that.”

“I know. It’s language. To be precise, it’s the ability to convey.”

Every beast has its own characteristics, and those traits are reflected in their king. The personal Aji is friendly and approachable to humans, while the sheep-like Remm has a lush coat.

The same goes for human kings… However, the five rulers have somehow stripped the human king of his power.

The one who took the human strength was the Overlord. He was powerful enough to uproot and throw mountains with his bare hands, wielding all weapons with ease, and could fight tirelessly for seven days and nights.

The one who took human technology was Elric, the king of the Golden Kingdom. He could perfectly recreate any tool he had seen once, mastering all techniques and understanding their principles to create masterpieces.

The one who took human sociability was Grandiomor of the Kingdom. No human could oppose him, and even the strongest and most cunning could be turned into allies under his influence.

Certainly, these are traits possessed by humans, but they are not exclusive to them. Pure brute strength is greater in bears or tigers, and building nests is something birds and beavers also do. Forming groups is something you can find all around.

Agartha is no different. What Agartha took was language. More precisely, it was expression.

Even in the time when there was no language, when humans used their tongues solely for tasting, there were means to express their emotions. Gestures, voices, shouts, expressions, movements, and so on. The ways to warn enemies and show goodwill to allies were endless.

And Agartha perfected all of it.

“A beautiful face. Gestures that reveal emotions. A soft voice that wins the favor of both humans and beasts. Even in this barbaric land, where a different language is spoken and over a hundred thousand gods are worshipped, Agartha subdued everyone with that one power.”

“Hmm. You are far more knowledgeable than I expected. Even as a native of this land, I doubt I could explain it as fluently as you!”

“Being articulate is my strong suit.”

The nation that Agartha gathered and led was the Man-guk. Always on the fringes of civilization, it was not well-known, yet Man-guk has always reigned as a powerful and threatening state.

Especially since, despite being a descendant of rulers, it distanced itself from celestial beings and embraced local beliefs, Man-guk was subtly regarded with suspicion.

“Though there aren’t many records and exchanges are few, it’s said that in the past, Man-guk had a civilization so powerful and splendid that it could almost be compared to an empire. You can see that from the remaining ruins, treasures, and elixirs of Man-guk. Even after hundreds of years, adventurers still come seeking hidden treasures.”

“Now it’s just the legacy of a fallen nation! If you know so well, there’s no need for a warning!”

“Anyway, I understand why you advise caution.”

One cannot dismiss Man-guk as a land of savagery. In fact, it is more fundamentally chaotic and free, making it frightening.

For hardships will always come in unexpected ways…

But it should have been that way.

Even in a land of savagery that leaves even the most renowned adventurers at a loss, the journey was surprisingly smooth.

“It’s getting dark. We should find a place to rest… What’s that?”

“It’s an adventurer camp. Camps set up by adventurers seeking elixirs, made here and there to rest for a while, considering the weather and terrain. It’s fortunate that it’s well hidden from others who might plunder.”

Whenever it seemed like a problem might arise, a suitable solution appeared nearby. If a place to rest was needed, a camp or hideout would show up, and when hunger struck, a beast that could be hunted would conveniently pass by. The path was smooth, the grass was growing, and there were no muddy patches or pits in sight.

I couldn’t tell if I was traversing the wild lands or strolling along a well-maintained national road of the military state. Inside the camp I stumbled upon, I casually ate food that was fortuitously left over, warmed by the remaining firewood, and tilted my head in confusion.

“Traveling doesn’t have to be exhausting, but it is a bit dull, isn’t it? Was this place always such an empty land?”

“Not at all. When I set out for the monastery, I was ambushed more than five times. Three times by beasts, and twice by outlaws. Well, from their perspective, I would be the intruder!”

At first, Rash had been glad there were no incidents, but he felt an odd sense of unfamiliarity in the unusually peaceful environment. In contrast, the returnee accepted this setting as a matter of course.

“The heavenly saint blesses our entire journey.”

“What exactly is the principle behind that?”

“Principle? There’s no principle to a blessing. It just happens. From what I’ve heard, it forces a future that converges towards a goal, but for us, who cannot see the future, it’s hard to understand.”

“Just hearing about it makes my head hurt already.”

“Well, it basically means that only good things happen to us. Unless it’s something that won’t happen at all.”

Are we deleting other futures, or fine-tuning them? Or perhaps, are we just following a path that has already been read and prepared? I can’t make any guesses. It might not even align with anything I can imagine.

“If everything goes well, there won’t even be mosquitoes at night. We’ll be able to stretch out and sleep.”

“Huh? I’ve already set up a barrier with my talisman to block them out.”

“Oh, really? No wonder I felt like I was sleeping a bit better at night.”

Even if the saint’s blessing seems impressive, if it’s all something one can do by their own ability, isn’t it really that remarkable? Then what does the blessing actually mean?

“Let’s get some sleep for now. We have a blessing, so there shouldn’t be any threats, but I’ll still keep the barrier up.”

“Teacher and boy, rest. I will take the watch.”

“You?”

“Teacher and boy are the ones who are dying. You need to sleep at night. But as long as my feet are on the ground, I don’t need to die or sleep. You should at least grant me this convenience for helping you.”

“Is that so? Then fine.”

‘I can sleep comfortably without distractions if I don’t set up a barrier either.’

After seeing Rash off as he stepped outside, the returnee and I divided our spots. First, we prepared a hiding place near the entrance and chose the upper bunk of the hammock bed.

“I’ll sleep on top. I don’t like feeling cramped.”

“That works out well. I wanted to sleep below. It’s easier to escape from down there.”

We silently found our preferred spots. Surprisingly, when people with opposing tendencies are together, there’s little friction. They don’t covet the same things.

“Let’s sleep well and have breakfast before we set off.”

“Ahh. Yeah. We need to take breaks like this every few days. Sleep well.”

“Shei, I have something to ask.”

“….”

Only the sound of soft breathing filled the silence. Had he already fallen asleep? Hmm, judging by the interruption in his thoughts, he really has. I was hoping to gather some information through small talk before he drifted off.

He seems blissfully unaware, but if something approaches, he would react immediately. It’s only because we’ve grown closer that he can sleep even with me nearby.

The more I reflect on it, the more I question the existence of the saint’s blessing. It seems to exist, yet it also feels like it doesn’t exist at all.

If you believe that there will be no obstacles in your path, can you do anything, or can you do nothing? Is blessing something that helps those who help themselves, or is it about forcing fate?

Tsk. It would be nice to read the saint’s thoughts, but that seems unlikely. Perhaps, like a returner, she might be blocked by some means. Even Perel felt something was off when he read thoughts.

Tossing and turning, I finally sank deeply into the hammock. After gaining the demon, my body didn’t tire easily even after days of walking, but the mental and habitual fatigue lingered, pleading for rest.

For now, let’s sleep. Maintaining a decent relationship with the returner should suffice. Whether saint or demon, they are the closest to me, so I’ll cling to them like a parasite to glean some clues.

…Well, it’s meaningless if I return. But it can’t be helped. It’s easier to ignore things that cannot be resisted. As I gazed at the returner lying in the hammock, I soon closed my eyes against the drowsiness that washed over me.

Feeling as if a tangible darkness was pressing down on me.

I don’t usually dream, but tonight my sleep felt uneasy. It was as if an unwelcome guest had come to grab me by the collar and look down at me. I wondered what kind of nonsensical nightmare this was, yet strangely, my mind was clear. As if it were not a dream at all.

It wasn’t an illusion. I realized that some entity with substance was pressing down on me. I urgently activated my telepathy.

A human? No. I can’t read any thoughts. A beast? Surely not. Even if Rashya could be that, Aji wouldn’t remain silent. Then what is it? What is overpowering me? Why isn’t Aji barking, and what is the returner doing that they’re still in dreamland?

This isn’t the time for this. Whether it’s a beast, a human, or some strange phenomenon, I need to escape whatever has invaded my hammock without a sound. Fortunately, the pressure isn’t too severe. I can still move if I resist.

Then, I’ll assess the situation and escape before it reacts. I pretended to sleep, breathing softly as I cautiously opened my eyes. Through a small gap created by moving my eyelids with qi, I glanced at whatever was looming over me…

“…Cool.”

And when I discovered the returner sleeping soundly above me, I felt an even greater sense of confusion and fear than before.

From noble mtl dot com