Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 517

Nangseon’s Romantic Tale – Part 2, Chapter 226

Usage.

Hongyeon spoke as if she were merely a tool, as if she had no choice.

Cheonbeom, already guessing what she meant, felt more troubled than inquisitive.

“Did you know this would happen?”

She hugged Hori tightly, nodding silently.

It seemed the divine presence occupying Hori’s body had hinted at something like this before.

That he had glimpsed his future through Hongyeon’s sacrifice.

‘Even her eyes turning like that…’

It was highly likely due to the influence of that divine power. She must have learned some forbidden technique, resulting in such side effects. Looking into the future couldn’t be easy; there was always a price.

‘With what heart did she anticipate this day?’

With what heart…

Did she steel herself to fulfill her purpose?

He couldn’t scold her, nor could he encourage her. Either action felt like a contradiction.

A contradiction.

Hongyeon was now sacrificing her life to revive Hori.

He couldn’t fault her for that.

Who was he to do so?

How she chose to use her life was her own decision.

Besides, she was a Jeoknoejurang [a loyal servant dedicated to their master].

A being who served and existed only for her master.

A woman whose entire reason for existence was her chosen master. How could he possibly scold her?

But to encourage her…

‘It’s just heartbreaking.’

He couldn’t bring himself to do either.

Cheonbeom, watching her spend her last moments, only felt a painful ache in his heart.

“I’m making you suffer until the end. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, though I won’t see the end… with San-gun here, it will be alright now.”

Hugging Hori with her eyes closed and looking gaunt, she seemed utterly out of place, a ghost of her former self.

However, seeing that, Cheonbeom felt intense emotions surge within him.

“Do you trust me?”

He asked, and she replied.

“You are the one my master chose.”

So, she would trust him. Completely.

From beginning to end.

There was nothing Cheonbeom could do for her, who only thought of her master.

Just watch over her last moments.

Be with her as she upheld her beliefs until the end.

That was all he could do. Just that much.

“Thank you.”

“…For what?”

He didn’t deserve to be thanked.

He couldn’t protect anything; that was who he was.

“What are you thanking me for? I couldn’t even protect your master, my close friend, and only barely brought back her body!”

What good was being revered by everyone in the world? What good was having the power to turn the world upside down in his hands!

“I couldn’t even protect my most precious friend, and I brought back your master, who is so cold! So why are you thanking this pathetic, incompetent man? Why? Why are you grateful for—?!”

To such a man.

What was she grateful for?

Why was she saying such things?

Why.

Why?

“…Don’t come closer.”

Even as he told her not to, she approached him and gently stroked his cheek.

“I am only grateful for everything about you. For being alive, for growing, for bringing back my master.”

She was only grateful.

“I regret not being able to see you crying because I am blind.”

She smiled faintly.

“I wasn’t crying.”

“Is that so? My master would be quite disappointed.”

Hongyeon reached out and tapped Cheonbeom’s chest.

“There’s no need to be in pain.”

He knew what those words meant.

But even so, Cheonbeom grieved.

He thought it was the right thing to do.

He was the only one in this world who could remember her life until now.

Only himself.

Filled with lament and worry, he held her memory in his heart and grieved.

Because that was all he could do.

“She will rise again.”

Cheonbeom bit his lip tightly at Hongyeon’s words, which were both a reprimand and encouragement.

And soon.

Hongyeon took her place beside Hori.

As she moved her lips, a strange song filled the eastern part of the cave.

It was a weak voice, but that made it even more melodious.

Her singing voice seemed to be both joyful and sorrowful.

Cheonbeom quietly listened to it, reliving her emotions.

Thud.

Hongyeon sang and then cut her wrist, shedding blood.

Her blood fell to the floor like red threads, forming letters and building a magic circle on the ground.

The magic circle then flowed into her body, and the surface of her skin became engraved with the pattern.

Hongyeon’s entire body was made up of red letters, flashing red, and her hair spread like a fan.

“Are you leaving?”

But she had no answer.

She only gave a lonely smile.

Soon, the faint red light filled her entire body, and a clear color sprouted like blood-red hair.

At the same time.

Her body was consumed by the red light and slowly disappeared.

Slowly, starting from her toes.

Slowly, her form began to disappear as if it were burning in blood-red fire.

“Don’t grieve.”

“How can I not grieve?”

Farewell is something one never gets used to.

I don’t want to get used to it, but it’s too sad not to, so what should I do?

“Even if I disappear from this world, I will always be by your side.”

“In another form?”

“Yes. Please tell the master… tell this child.”

That I will turn into a handful of ashes.

That I will turn into a single thread and be put on her ring, so we are always together.

Thump. Her form broke, and soon it gathered like the wind and turned into a single red thread.

The thin thread she turned into was so red and clear that it was very beautiful.

Red thread.

Hongyeon soon flew into the iron ring on Hori’s hand, dug into it, and became one with it.

“Did you see this far?”

Cheonbeom trudged over, looked at the ring on Hori’s hand, observed her body, and frowned.

After a while.

Swish.

She opened her eyes.

And called him with a dazed look.

“San-gun?”

“…Yes. It’s me.”

It is San-gun.

* * *

In the dark eastern part of the cave, where one disappeared and one appeared.

Cheonbeom held Hori tightly and sat there quietly for a long time.

She scolded him, who was grieving, without knowing why.

“But why does your face look like that?”

“What’s wrong with my face?”

“I’m asking because you look like you’re about to die, you idiot. And let go of this. Why are you hugging me like this!”

Hori was Hori.

Her time was frozen.

It was Hori from those days. Back when she commanded the ghosts of the Lower World.

She couldn’t remember anything beyond that; it was, in a way, the most peaceful period she had known.

This situation, whether it was Hongyeon’s consideration or a mistake, felt quite sad to Cheonbeom.

“Geomdunga [a playful nickname].”

“Why?”

She tilted her head.

Seeing Hori, who was innocently foolish, it seemed like it was really her this time.

“There’s a lot to tell you.”

“Then just say it. This lady has a vessel that can hold the sea, so I can hold anything.”

It’s her unique confident expression.

But to Cheonbeom, it just looked foolish.

“I’m worried that your vessel that can hold the sea will break.”

“Does that include the changes in my body and the strange things in this space?”

“Yes.”

“And what about this ring?”

“…Yes.”

“Then try it. I don’t know what’s going on, but it won’t be anything ordinary….”

She looked up at Cheonbeom and smiled brightly.

“It’ll be okay because you’re here!”

“….”

“Did you save me this time too?”

She asked with a smiling face, but Cheonbeom couldn’t answer.

Hori asked back with a puzzled face at his serious expression.

“Then… did you protect me?”

“…No. I couldn’t protect you.”

“Then what did you do?”

Well.

What did he do?

“That’s what I’m saying. I didn’t do anything.”

Nothing.

He didn’t do anything.

He couldn’t protect Hori, nor could he protect Hongyeon.

“Really? That’s good.”

“…What’s good about that?”

“If you haven’t done anything, you can do it now.”

She said it as if it was a good thing.

“I also built a stone tower like the humans. As I built it higher and higher, higher than anyone else, I realized that I couldn’t build it anymore because I ran out of stones around me.”

“So?”

“I was worried about what to do because there were no stones around, but then I suddenly realized.”

She seemed to have gained enlightenment.

It had been a while since he had heard her story, so Cheonbeom asked.

So what did she do?

She answered.

“I destroyed the stone tower.”

“Why did you destroy the stone tower that you were building so well?”

“As I was building it, I realized that there was another big stone tower right next to it. I decided to make it mine.”

“What is it?”

“It was a big stone mountain!!”

It was a sophistry that making a stone mountain her own was the same as building a stone tower.

Thus, Hori said that she didn’t have to do anything because she had achieved a lot without doing anything.

But no matter how much Cheonbeom thought about it, it was nonsense, so he had no choice but to ask.

“What does that have to do with the story now?”

“Well? Does it have to be related?”

“…….”

He felt pathetic for seriously listening to her story.

Cheonbeom put his hand on her head, observed her mind, and tilted his head.

“There’s nothing wrong with it.”

Slap!

“This lady’s head is fine!”

“The problem is that this is what fine looks like.”

“Hmph! How can a titmouse know the deep meaning of a phoenix? Forget it, just explain it quickly.”

Why she is here.

And where this is.

What happened to her.

And.

“Where is Hongyeon?”

Cheonbeom looked at her with bitter eyes and sighed.

She would find out eventually anyway.

Sooner or later.

It was something she had to bear.

‘Not saying anything might be one way….’

The Lower World and this place are clearly different.

And so is her mind, which doesn’t match her body.

Her body is a Wonseon [a being who has transcended mortality] that touches the end of the Upper World, but her mind remains in the Lower World, so how severe is this disharmony?

It is better to let her know the truth as soon as possible and achieve harmony.

It would be difficult alone, but she has Cheonbeom, a Wonseon Grand Master, so it is enough to overcome the difficulties together.

“Haa….”

But even so, it is difficult to bring it up.

“Where should I start….”

Since he was going to say it anyway.

It would be better to tell her from the beginning.

“A long time ago. When I first set foot in this place, the Upper World….”

For quite a long time.

He sat down and began to tell the story as if he were spitting out long-held emotions.