Chapter 42
Change.
Quite literally, the appearance of the Malicious Extermination Sword had transformed.
It was truly a remarkable artifact.
Such a change only occurred in a very small number of divine weapons.
Thicker, longer.
On the grayish blade, violet hues first appeared, then black flames seemed to coil over it.
From this Malicious Extermination Sword, an overwhelming presence radiated that was incomparable to before.
If the first awakening had been the moment it stepped into the realm of divine weapons, now it was stepping into the realm of divine swords for the very first time.
And the difference was enormous.
“Let’s see, show me how you’ve changed.”
After confirming that the divine mana had settled and entered a stable state, I swung the Malicious Extermination Sword without applying any additional force.
In that instant, the blade’s light tore through space, creating the illusion that the entire world had been swallowed by darkness.
Astonishingly, it had temporarily cut through light itself.
With just one swing, it demonstrated the potential of its raw power—the kind capable of destroying everything.
Of course, it still had a long way to go.
“Already tired?”
Vibrating faintly, the blade of the Malicious Extermination Sword seemed to hum.
It had been a light swing for me, but for the sword, it appeared to have approached its maximum capacity.
It had revealed its early limits, yet it didn’t seem problematic.
Vwoooom!
As soon as I used its power, the surrounding natural energy stirred violently.
The divine mana embedded in the sword began drawing in nature’s energy to replenish itself.
And at an incredible speed, with more divine mana than before.
Vwoooom.
The trembling blade suggested that enduring this process was no easy task.
But I wasn’t worried.
The difficult stages had already been overcome.
The sword wouldn’t bow to such a trial.
That was my unwavering trust in the Malicious Extermination Sword.
And then…
“From now on, I shall call you the Divine Malicious Sword.”
This was my mark of recognition of the sword as a true divine blade.
Though it still had a long way to go, I trusted it would perform admirably as the Divine Malicious Sword.
With a smooth shrrrk, I sheathed it and surveyed my surroundings.
“It seems it didn’t take as long as I expected.”
I had briefly forgotten the passage of time while forging the Divine Malicious Sword, but seeing that the scenery hadn’t changed much, I guessed the process hadn’t taken too long.
During that time, I also noticed the black cat still sitting in the same spot, watching over me.
It had been protecting me all along.
A smile of fondness naturally spread across my face.
“Then I shall step aside.”
I assumed that after guarding the spot for so long, it must have been comfortable, so I rose and stepped back.
Immediately, the black cat dashed over and claimed the spot as if it had been waiting.
Purrrr.
Watching the cat make a happy sound as it settled in, I smiled warmly, then set my mind on the next task.
It was time to part ways with the black cat.
After a brief moment of indecision, I made a choice.
First, I shared my true feelings with the cat.
“Honestly… I’ll admit it. I’m sad to part ways with you like this.”
At my words, the cat stopped its contented purring and looked intently at me.
I continued with the main point.
“I won’t ask you to come with me if you don’t want to. But if you ever wish to see me, go to the abbot. I’ll inform him in advance. If you seek him, he will help you meet me.”
That was the best option I could offer.
Even after hearing this, the black cat simply stared at me, revealing nothing of its thoughts.
I wasn’t upset.
One can’t blame a cat for not receiving a treat it never expected in the first place.
Having expressed my intentions, I departed from the nest without lingering, descending beneath the tree.
Interestingly, despite the short time spent in the tree, the sensation of touching the ground felt oddly refreshing.
This helped alleviate some of the sadness of parting.
“Then, let’s head to the abbot.”
The work wasn’t finished yet.
I still had one request to make and one story to hear from Abbot Beomun.
Luckily, finding Beomun wasn’t difficult.
“Congratulations on finding what you sought.”
Beomun sat in front of the temple, facing the tree.
He had obviously been waiting for me.
Approaching him, I asked to confirm.
“So, you knew about the birdhouse up in the tree?”
Beomun nodded faintly, smiling.
“I have never left Cheonmun Mountain Temple, so I know everything about it. How could I not notice such a large birdhouse?”
“Then you also know about the black cat living there?”
“Of course. I provide its meals—how could I not know?”
Only then did I notice the bowl in Beomun’s hand.
I had realized it contained food, but only now did I understand it was for the black cat.
“So you weren’t waiting for me… you were waiting to feed the cat.”
Just then, a black object fell from the sky with a plop!
Meow.
As they say, speak of the tiger and it appears.
The black cat had come down from the birdhouse, probably hearing the food.
“Here. Eat up.”
Beomun placed the bowl beside him, and the cat immediately pounced.
“Careful, don’t choke. Eat slowly.”
But the cat, clearly very hungry, devoured the food quickly.
Watching it, my own hunger surged uncontrollably.
Growl.
“…Why is my stomach like this?”
The intensity of my hunger was puzzling.
I had only skipped one meal, yet I felt so famished.
But I had misjudged the time.
“Could it be… that I’ve been up in that tree for four days without eating?”
My mind went instantly alert.
Four days?
“…Four days have really passed?”
“I would not lie to you, Master.”
It was shocking news.
So shocking, in fact, that I had forgotten even about the four days of fasting.
In four days, it wouldn’t be unusual if Dosanbaek and my siblings had already reached Geumhwa Trading House.
I needed to understand the situation in detail.
“…I’ll step aside for a moment.”
“I also brought some food for you, Master. Eat it on your way.”
“I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
Beomun let me go without question, perhaps sensing my urgency.
I used the pretense of heading to the restroom to reach a secluded spot.
‘Sahyun.’
I called Sahyun.
Luckily, he hadn’t gone far and appeared shortly afterward.
‘Finally awake, Master. Did you find what you were looking for?’
Meeting Sahyun after three days, I noticed nothing unusual about him.
Even after the shock of being defeated by Geumcho, he seemed fine.
I felt a bit relieved.
‘Of course.’
If anything had happened at Geumhwa Trading House, Sahyun would have informed me first.
Thinking this, I felt truly at ease.
Still, it was best to confirm.
“Did anything happen at Geumhwa Trading House while I was gone?”
Sahyun smiled enigmatically.
It turned out…
‘I anticipated some trouble, so I acted preemptively.’
He had bought time before an incident occurred, in a rather clever but somewhat ridiculous way.
‘Geumcho played a major role.’
Hearing the name Geumcho, the picture became clearer.
“You used dreams, didn’t you?”
Geumcho knew how to manipulate people through dreams.
“He must have visited Dosanbaek’s dream, giving him information he had no choice but to believe at first.”
For instance, he likely hinted at the location of unguarded treasure or nearby information that could only be verified later.
“Based on predictions, he probably revealed the location of treasure first.”
According to information from Haomun (i.e., Yeonhwa), Dosanbaek was extremely greedy.
If he gained information about treasure, he wouldn’t easily give up—even if urgent matters arose.
Or perhaps Dosanbaek didn’t view the Geumhwa Trading House issue as significant.
To a supreme expert with the strong backing of Gujoonghoe, the trading house might have seemed like nothing more than easy prey.
Sahyun confirmed my assumptions.
‘Master, you were aware of Geumcho’s method. He first let Dosanbaek pick up fallen money in the dream, then once he trusted the dream, revealed the location of the treasure hoard.’
So far, just as I expected.
There was more.
‘The interesting part is the source of that treasure.’
“Where from?”
‘The Nokrim.’
Ah.
‘It was their slush fund.’
In short, Nokrim had pitted themselves against Dosanbaek.
Buying time and reducing troublemakers at once.
It was a clever, two-birds-one-stone strategy.
‘They’re currently being chased, so it will take at least another two days to settle matters and reach Geumhwa Trading House.’
That was good, but I needed to confirm one thing.
‘Then what about my siblings? Are they safe?’
Naturally, I worried about their safety while traveling with Dosanbaek.
Sahyun’s reply was unexpected.
‘Fortunately, Dosanbaek sent Master’s siblings to Geumhwa Trading House first. They should have arrived by now.’
Wow.
I couldn’t help but admire the strategy.
Releasing the most powerful hostages like this—Dosanbaek really underestimated Geumhwa Trading House.
‘It makes our job easier.’
Things had gone even better than I expected.
Though Sahyun deserved credit, Geumcho’s contribution was the greatest.
It was impossible to overlook.
‘Where is Geumcho now?’
I intended to meet him personally to express gratitude.
Fortunately, Sahyun already had the answer.
‘Master, if you wish, he asks that you come to the location he revealed.’
‘Hmm.’
Today seemed to be full of surprises.
I had forgotten that after the trial, I had planned to meet Geumcho.
I hadn’t really forgotten—just postponed due to pressing matters.
Either way, I should have notified him in advance.
‘When I meet him, I must apologize before expressing thanks.’
‘He seemed a bit sulky.’
‘Really?’
‘Of course. Ghosts value time above all.’
I chuckled at Sahyun’s words.
He seemed to have a subtle talent for putting people at ease.
I also owed him my thanks.
‘Thank you for your help.’
‘It’s nothing. Geumcho did everything.’
‘But it was you who explained the situation to Geumcho and involved him.’
That alone justified my gratitude.
Though just saying “thanks” felt insufficient.
‘If you need anything, feel free to ask.’
I was willing to help—until I heard Sahyun’s next words.
‘Do you want Zaha Divine Skill as well?’
Hmm…
I had heard that request before.
I had refused before and couldn’t fulfill it now either.
Still, I couldn’t entirely ignore Sahyun’s repeated willingness to help.
“Instead, could you teach me another martial skill?”
Coincidentally, I had a suitable skill in mind, even with a similar name.
Upon hearing it, Sahyun’s eyes widened, betraying the effort to hide disappointment.
“There is a Zaha Divine Martial Skill. If you wish, I will teach it to you.”
