Chapter 124
“If we could just take that with us, that would be the right thing to do.”
The moment I thought that, my gaze fell on Gilnang.
Beep!
I didn’t even need to ask him to dig out the gravestone.
Gilnang had already started digging up the ground on his own.
Scritch! Scritch!
With every swing of his front paws, the sound of earth being dug up rang out briskly.
He had done this a few times before, so his speed was noticeably faster now.
A short while later, the entire gravestone finally emerged.
“It looks even bigger than I thought.”
What appeared above ground was just the tip—the true, massive base had been buried beneath the earth.
It was easily four or five times larger than I had anticipated.
Its sheer size resembled a small rocky mountain, and I had to click my tongue in astonishment.
There was no way all of this could fit inside the pouch.
“Gilnang, do you think it’s possible?”
It felt almost cruel to ask, but I had to confirm.
The answer wasn’t too surprising:
“This… might be impossible. Not just the size, but the weight of the gravestone’s ‘rank’ is far greater than I expected. I’m sorry.”
I shook my head at Gilnang’s apology.
He had made a reasonable suggestion. It was just that the gravestone in front of us was far beyond anything we had anticipated.
“Maybe if we split it into several pieces, we could at least carry it in parts.”
I briefly considered it.
But the more I thought about it, the less necessary it seemed to split the gravestone.
Its true nature was still unclear. If we broke it and ruined its real value, I would surely regret it.
“Still, leaving it behind feels a little unsatisfying.”
I was pondering what to do when Gilnang made a new suggestion.
“Master…”
“Would you perhaps share your divine energy with me, like you did with the Life-and-Death Needle Case?”
“Divine energy?”
“Yes. Then there might be a way.”
I paused to think.
My first concern was whether it was really safe.
With the Life-and-Death Needle Case, we were dealing with healing and life energy, which shared a commonality with my own divine power.
But Gilnang was a divine tool that controlled space. Its nature was completely different.
“If I recklessly infuse you with my divine energy and there’s a clash…”
I couldn’t guarantee his safety either.
Perhaps sensing my hesitation, Gilnang spoke with a teasing tone:
“If you’re worried about me getting harmed, how about creating another version of me first and trying it?”
Gilnang had always been with me—when we obtained the Golden Divine Book, when we made the pouch for King Jaho.
Except for King Jaho, Gilnang was the only one who knew of the Golden Divine Book’s existence. He said it jokingly, but I could tell he was half-serious.
Of course, I had no intention of accepting that suggestion.
“Challenges that start assuming failure are meaningless. I have no intention of gambling with you in the first place.”
He had been helping me so well, and now my greed would put him at risk?
If that happened, I feared that Sahun would drag me straight to hell the moment this life ended.
Even if I could appeal to him with our connection, in front of Yama, there would be no escape—hell bound.
The ancestors of the Volcanic Sect, already in the afterlife, would surely mock me.
I didn’t want to go to hell for such reasons, even if heaven was out of reach.
Though my words were merely my own thoughts, they seemed to have a different effect on Gilnang.
Warm energy began to ripple around him.
“Master…”
There was deep emotion and pure joy in that voice.
“I never imagined that my master would care for a mere tool like me this much.”
It was embarrassing, but not untrue.
I had never considered Gilnang as a disposable tool, after all.
He had been incredibly convenient and useful.
“Then don’t think about leaving. Just stay by my side, like now.”
That was genuine.
But my words seemed to have inspired him further.
After a moment, Gilnang spoke with earnest determination:
“I understand your feelings, master. Still, please give me a chance. I want to become more useful, to be a strength at your side.”
It wasn’t merely a request.
It was a sincere desire and a strong will to help his master.
That sincerity moved me.
After a brief pause, I nodded.
“Very well. If that is your wish, I’ll do it.”
All that mattered was not failing.
The success with the Life-and-Death Needle Case had given me confidence.
I closed my eyes.
After a moment, the divine energy I had used to record messages in my mind began to recover quickly.
Once I felt it had recovered enough, I opened my eyes and spoke to Gilnang.
“This may hurt. Endure it.”
“Yes, master!”
I placed Gilnang on my palm and gathered divine energy at the tip of my other hand.
After one final mental check, I stopped hesitating.
I began infusing divine energy into Gilnang.
Woooosh!
The divine energy flowed from me into Gilnang.
But unlike with the Life-and-Death Needle Case, this was completely different.
The goal was to expand the space itself, which was Gilnang’s essence.
Soon, Gilnang emitted a dazzling light along with intense vibrations.
Woooooosh—!
It was not a scream of destruction, but a cry of joy, as if facing a new world.
“This is unexpected.”
That was my first thought as I infused him.
Contrary to my fears, our divine energies didn’t clash—they harmonized perfectly.
Shhhshhh—!
Unlike before, there was no violent rejection. My energy flowed naturally into Gilnang, like water being absorbed into a dry sponge.
“Maybe this won’t be as difficult as I thought.”
We were only at the beginning, but that thought arose.
“Still too early to celebrate.”
I brushed away distracting thoughts and focused again.
I didn’t force anything, just let the harmonious flow take over.
Soon, my divine energy began to intertwine gently with Gilnang’s spatial power.
Woooooosh—!
Instead of screaming, Gilnang emitted a pleasant resonance and radiant light.
The light grew stronger, eventually bright enough to push away the surrounding darkness, then gradually faded.
It felt like roughly half a “shijin” in duration.
The process was complete.
I gazed slowly at Gilnang, now changed by my divine energy.
Just as a plum tree had appeared on the Life-and-Death Needle Case, a new pattern now adorned Gilnang’s surface.
Delicate, as if embroidered with violet thread, distinct from the sword pattern I had carved on Sahun’s clothing.
The pattern was a mountain.
And a mountain I recognized.
“This time… the volcano of the Volcanic Sect.”
The Huoshan mountain, one of the Five Great Mountains in Central Plains, was called the volcano.
Of course, the entire mountain couldn’t fit in the pouch. Only a portion was engraved as a pattern, but that was enough.
Just that was enough to transform Gilnang.
“Are you alright?”
Even with just one additional pattern, Gilnang’s aura had changed.
It may sound funny talking to a pouch, but he seemed firmer, radiating a mysterious dignity.
I tried to comment, but Gilnang didn’t respond.
“Gilnang?”
Had any issues arisen? Thankfully, no.
“Ah, I apologize, master. I was still savoring the afterglow, so my response was delayed.”
He sounded genuinely apologetic, yet his voice betrayed joy.
I understood completely.
For divine tools, growth is like the dreams of humans.
And one more thing:
“Thanks to you, master, a new divine ability has awakened.”
For a divine tool, gaining a new ability was like a warrior mastering unmatched martial arts.
He would want to brag to anyone.
“Instead of explaining, I’ll show you directly.”
I smiled and nodded for him to go ahead.
Excited, Gilnang immediately drew divine energy, and the opening in my palm seemed to stretch impossibly wide.
An unbelievable sight unfolded before me.
Gulp!
It sounded almost like an auditory illusion.
But in reality, no sound existed.
The massive gravestone and the surrounding garden filled with qihua herbs were being sucked into Gilnang as if a mirage.
In the blink of an eye, a space easily five “jang” tall vanished completely.
I realized then that witnessing something so immense brings not awe, but a wry laugh.
It was an incredible power.
But that wasn’t all.
Flash!
Gilnang shone again, and everything that had disappeared returned to its original place perfectly.
Not a single petal or grain of soil was out of place.
Through this, Gilnang had gained the extraordinary ability not just to store items, but to contain space itself and restore it perfectly.
“Master, what do you think of this ability?”
Though his abilities and form had changed, one thing remained: his dog-like desire for praise.
I smiled and nodded.
“You’ve gained more power than I imagined. You’ll be a huge help from now on.”
“Really?”
“Why would I lie to you?”
“Even with new abilities, I still have to stay behind you as before.”
He was pleased with his new powers, but that point seemed to bother him.
I shook my head at him gently.
“Gilnang, there are many who can fight for me. But only you can preserve what belongs to me in its entirety. Do you understand the significance?”
“I… don’t really know.”
“You are that special to me.”
“Ah!”
There was no more regret in Gilnang’s demeanor.
It seemed my sincerity had reached him.
“Then shall we start heading back?”
In that sense, it would be a shame to only take the gravestone.
“Gilnang.”
“Yes, master!”
“Not just the gravestone this time. Take the gardens as well, as much as you can fit.”
Until now, we had focused on the gravestone, but the qihua herbs we had never seen might also be useful.
We decided to take everything we could carry.
