Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint - Chapter 551



The Village Farthest from Death

In the wild, there are no borders, no signposts. Standing in that land, where nature itself has grown lush, one truly realizes how different territory and domain can be.

As you walk, the scents around you change. Though they may appear the same on the surface, a feeling arises that this land is not what I once knew, as if I were soaked in a light rain. The moment that discomfort rises to my nostrils, the territory has already changed.

Territory is not land, but power. The moment we become aware, we have already entered the domain of the immortals.

Totems carved from living wood appear sporadically. A totem with the face of an old man, eyes and mouth protruding, wore a fearsome expression as if to threaten intruders. Adornments made from beast bones hung from a large, ancient tree.

A clear territorial marker. Rash nodded vigorously upon seeing it.

“Ah! Since there are totems, we must be close! Follow me!”

Rash began to walk, finding the path with familiarity.

Typically, on the outskirts of a territory, there are scouts, watchtowers, traps, and all sorts of measures to guard against and exclude intrusions. However, in the domain of the immortals, there was nothing visible except traces of life. Rather than hiding their existence here, they seemed to flaunt it.

After walking for a while, a village came into view. It was a village with quite an impressive architectural style. Houses built in somewhat clumsy shapes were scattered at a reasonable distance from one another. Humans with charred brown skin were leisurely spending their time under the shade made from woven leaves.

The roof, walls, and pillars are components of a house, but simply adding them together doesn’t make it a home. Yet, the houses of the immortals seemed to illustrate how the sum of components and the totality of a house could be so different.

—

Clearly, there are pillars, walls, and pillars all around. But the home of the immortals was not a home. Everything seems to be there, yet what is missing?

Ah, that’s it.

There’s no sign of intent to become a ‘home.’ It’s like watching athletes play separate sports.

“Right arm. Have you returned?”

A man with a robust physique approached Rash, who was walking calmly. His sun-kissed, bronze skin and muscular body seemed to embody the rugged wilderness. With a short beard, he approached Rash with a welcoming stride.

And then, he suddenly kicked Rash in the shins.

Crack. Rash’s shin twisted.

Though Rash had a sturdy body and had mastered the art of martial prowess, he was helpless against the sudden kick. His body rolled twice before crashing to the ground.

“Ugh?!”

“What’s this? An attack?”

As the startled Aji barked and the returnee frowned, Rash extended his hand first and spoke.

“Ah, please don’t be alarmed. This is our tribe’s greeting.”

Though he had been attacked unexpectedly, Rash rose calmly as if he had anticipated it. His shin, which had seemed broken, had already healed.

“Left leg. Was there any trouble while I was away?”

“If there was, there was; if not, then not. It’s common for the blessing rain to wet the ground, but isn’t it a joy?”

“Nothing special happened, then. That’s a relief.”

As Rash brushed himself off, ‘Left Leg’ looked at him with a dubious expression.

“More importantly, you…”

“Ah, my apologies.”

Then Rash, with tremendous force, threw a punch.

Thud. ‘Left Leg’s ribs caved in. The shock was like an explosion, sending ‘Left Leg’ flying backward, leaving a long mark on the ground.

Unrestrained and unfiltered violence. Yet, ‘Left Leg’ spoke with a tone of regret.

“You’ve grown weaker, Right Arm.”

Immortals do not die. Even if injured, they quickly regenerate as long as they touch the ground. Instead of worrying about his own injured and broken body, ‘Left Leg’ spoke of Rash’s fist.

“You lacked momentum at the end. Did that witch perhaps drain your blood?”

“No. The blood fiends do not covet our blood. However, I have been spending a lot of time with the Piou lately. I’ve grown accustomed to keeping my hands to myself.”

“Aha. The Piou.”

‘Left Leg’ glanced at me and the returnee. Compared to their robust and muscular forms, the two of us appeared small and frail.

‘Left Leg’ looked at us with a face full of sympathy, endlessly kind.

“You’ve had a hard time, haven’t you? Of course, the Piou, who are tormented by the fear of death, have it much worse.”

—

“Piou? Worried about dying?”

The regressor took the provocation to heart and flared up. Rash, who had grasped the regressor’s personality to some extent in the abyss, waved his hand before the regressor could respond to the provocation.

“Ah, I mean those who are not of the immortal race. It refers to friends whom we, the undying, must surely help. They call us savages from the outside, but that’s only because we do not die. We are kind to Piou.”

“That’s true. Piou. Don’t worry. I’m not reckless enough to waste my strength on Piou…”

In that moment, the regressor clenched his fist tightly and unleashed a flurry of strikes. In a brief instant, dozens of blows landed on the ‘Left Leg.’ The approaching ‘Left Leg’ was sent flying far away once more.

“Don’t underestimate me. From your perspective, I’m an immortal, right? You can’t even hurt me at your level.”

To use his fists simply because he felt ignored was a deed that would make a civilized person shake their head in disbelief. But this was the land of savagery. Barbaric actions became virtues here.

The flying ‘Left Leg’ grinned and shouted.

“Hahaha! You are a warrior!”

Boom. And then, charging forward, ‘Left Leg’ swung his log-like limb toward the regressor. The leg, appearing much thicker than the others, loomed over the regressor.

In that moment, the regressor drew upon his energy and struck the shin. The fist, infinitely small and pitiful compared to the log-like leg, was nonetheless filled with a force far greater and more intense than it appeared.

Cheonban-gyeong, the realm of energy strikes.

A fist-shaped mark appeared on ‘Left Leg’s’ body. The wind whipped around like a spear, piercing through ‘Left Leg’s’ form. In a complete victory of strength against strength, the regressor sent ‘Left Leg’ flying once again.

“To break my offering god…!”

Attacking out of nowhere and injuring him. However, this village was the domain of the immortal race. No matter how much they were hurt, the undying would regenerate perfectly, having no fear of wounds or injuries. Naturally, they wouldn’t care much if someone hurt them.

No, they would rather welcome it even more.

“Impressive! It’s been a long time since such a warrior has come!”

‘Left Leg’ grabbed his crumpled left leg and squeezed it like a tube. Then, the leg that had been crushed by the energy returned to its original form like a balloon. Nonchalantly and bizarrely restoring his body, ‘Left Leg’ spread his arms wide and exclaimed.

“Nice to meet you! We shall treat you not as Piou, but as a warrior!”

“Do as you please; it doesn’t matter to me.”

“With these savages, it’s easier to show strength than to bother with words. This is right.”

Whether it was intelligence or intuition, the regressor’s judgment was subtly sharp. Upon entering the village, the gaze directed at him had changed quite a bit from the initial ruckus.

The immortals, who had looked at them with indifference or pity, now seemed to regard him with a hint of envy and pride.

In any case, having acknowledged the regressor, ‘Left Leg’ now spoke to me with an eager expression.

“Now! Then, what about you?”

“No, I’ll just be Piou.”

I won’t do it. I will live as the weaker one, deserving of consideration.

Finishing the ‘greetings,’ Rash led us away and said,

“Well, this is roughly how it is. It may seem a bit lacking to the military folks, but it’s not that barbaric, is it?”

“That’s true. Even though we call them ‘Piu,’ we don’t really ignore them, nor do we just throw punches without regard for the person.”

“Long ago, we were just as wild as beasts. But as we became citizens of the world, we learned how to coexist. We came to understand the immense fear and suffering that those who are easily killed carry. Since then, a tradition of protecting and helping the Piu has emerged.”

In the village of the immortals, not only immortals lived. Here and there, humans with distinctly different appearances from the immortals could be seen. They all wore large red armbands that marked them as Piu.

I was the same. As I walked with the red armband, I could feel the gazes of the immortals upon me. They treated me as if I were a fragile toy, handling me with care.

“If you are recognized as a warrior, situations like this can arise. We, who do not die, do not hesitate to test our strength. A boy’s strength shouldn’t be a problem, but still, be cautious. If you let your guard down, you might get hit.”

The reincarnated one, who did not wear an armband, scoffed in response.

“That’s unnecessary worry. I can react even if attacked while sleeping….”

‘…But why didn’t I notice I was slipping while I was asleep and ended up sleeping together?!’

The reincarnated one slapped his cheeks hard with both hands. Rash looked at the suddenly self-harming reincarnated one with confusion.

“Do Piu also hit themselves to heal? Well, anyway. Since you are a Piu, you must go to Piu Village. After all, that’s the only inn where outsiders can stay.”

Piu Village. The name is quite intuitive. Well, the original inhabitants, the immortals, must have their own homes….

Ah, but wait. I was going to marry Kalis, yet I haven’t even seen her.

“What about Kalis?”

At my question, Rash’s expression darkened slightly.

“Same as before. She is a Piu, so she is in Piu Village.”