Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 546

Tales of Nangsungan – Part 2, Episode 255

“Persistent, aren’t you?”

Sitting on the swaying ferry, Cheonbeom, who was toying with the bisected sword, clicked his tongue. “Still carrying that around? Just toss it.”

“None of your business,” Ran snapped, clearly annoyed. Still, how could he simply discard it?

Even in its ruined state, Nachal was, at its core, Guhwando [a high-grade weapon]. He’d wielded it effectively since the Lower World; it wasn’t something he could just throw away because it was broken.

‘Besides, it’s repairing itself.’

Nachal was actively mending itself from within. Left alone, the pieces would eventually rejoin. She was a tenacious weapon, indeed.

“But it’s… lacking.”

Clutching Nachal in his right hand and the Seondeung Eumseok [a Dharma artifact] in his left, Cheonbeom’s expression turned troubled.

He was about to face the Wonseon Grand Masters. His concern stemmed from the fact that the Dharma artifacts he possessed felt inadequate for the task.

Nachal and Seondeung Eumseok were both excellent, but neither seemed quite sufficient for battling the Wonseons.

‘They’re both good, but lack a finishing move. A decisive blow…’

They lacked a definitive, powerful strike to end a fight. Seondeung Eumseok emphasized the Water God’s Power, while Nachal leaned towards the Death God’s Power, making it difficult for Cheonbeom to fully unleash their potential.

‘Wait… is that really true?’

The Five Elements ultimately stemmed from a single source. Viewed differently, they shared a common origin.

Didn’t all the world’s laws branch out from the root of creation?

So, ultimately….

“Sangun, we’re almost there.”

“…Ah, is that so.” He rose from his seat, his mind still grappling with these thoughts.

After a journey that felt both long and short, he had crossed the Geonwon Sea and arrived.

Shwaa.

With a sweep of Ran’s sword, the dense fog dissipated, revealing the colossal Geonwon Sea Tree in the distance. The swirling vortex at its center stood majestically.

And there, the potent energy of the Wonseon Grand Masters, who had been patiently waiting, was palpable.

“No need to bring out Seondeung Eumseok.”

Starting with Nokmyeon Wirang, whose presence he’d sensed in Chunggye.

Mangak Byeonwang of Sagye.

Jeolma Daegun of Bunggye.

Jiranwi, Cheonoe Yanggun, and Ubaekja of Sugye.

Finally, Geomno Iltaek of Seon Gye.

“Somehow, there are too many Wonseons from Sugye.”

But numbers meant little. Some were driven by revenge, others by their own beliefs.

In the end, only one would survive.

Tok.

Stepping off the ferry onto the water’s surface, ripples spread, and the surrounding fog vanished instantly. Golden waves enveloped him, and the Wonseon Grand Masters, seated within the Geonwon Sea Tree with closed eyes, slowly opened them.

“Have you come, Geumcheon?”

Calmly, or sharply.

The gazes fixed on Geumcheon as he walked on water were varied.

“You don’t have a face that’s good-looking enough to attract the attention of men,” Cheonbeom quipped, glancing around.

To his left sat Jeolma, Mangak, Jiranwi, Geomno, Ubaekja, and Cheonoe Yanggun.

He glanced behind him; Ran had already disappeared. He could now face forward without reservation.

“I wondered why you called me here with a personal escort. Are you all gathered to play Ganggangsullae [a Korean circle dance] together?”

“It seems like it will be more fun than that. We’ve been waiting for you all this time.”

The one who responded was Geomno Iltaek.

Aside from the glimpses he’d seen in the mountain’s memories, this was their first real encounter. The old man’s appearance, with a long beard and eyebrows reaching his waist, was striking.

Yet, his physique was robust, larger than the average man, radiating an extraordinary energy.

‘He’s older than I remember.’

He looked older than before. His wrinkled eyelids obscured most of his eyes, but his pupils burned with desire, demanding vigilance.

He realized he knew fewer of them than he thought. This was also his first proper look at Jiranwi.

‘I saw the original body last time.’

He hadn’t seen the Talhyeong [transformed] form.

Jiranwi possessed a surprisingly refined appearance. The blue horns sprouting from his head and his cool blue eyes hinted at his Sea Dragon origins, even in Talhyeong.

Ubaekja, nearby and seemingly of a similar age, had black hair, unlike his original white cow form. He looked as burly as a bandit, with a large scar over one eye, as if from an old wound.

“Then why don’t you explain it to me?”

“I will. I also have some personal acquaintance with Geumcheon.”

It was Jeolma Daegun.

He still appeared as a beautiful young man with a snow-white face.

His original body was not one but two, hidden deep within Bunggye….

‘I see.’

As soon as Cheonbeom saw Jeolma Daegun approach, he understood. His current form was his original body, concealing another god within.

“Geumcheon, it’s been a while.”

“It’s been a while. Everyone’s bottoms are wiggling, so it seems I’m quite late. Can you explain it quickly?”

“Of course.”

He had a rough idea of their purpose.

“You know what the Geonwon Sea Tree is, right?”

“I know. It started with the death of Mangol, and the Heavenly Origin Energy that was formed in the Upper World fell into the Geonwon Sea and caused it, didn’t it?”

“Yes, then I think I can ask you one question here.”

“A question?”

“Then why are we trying to enter the Geonwon Sea Tree?”

“It must be for the Great Liberation.”

“Oh!”

There was no point in hiding it. It would be revealed eventually.

“That’s right. There is a door in the Geonwon Sea Tree called the Great Liberation. It is a firmly locked door that does not open, but your Three Lifetimes and Three Bodies should be able to open it.”

-If only the door opens, maybe no one has to die.

“Aren’t we all birds flying towards the sky? Once the door opens, the rest is up to each individual’s judgment.”

-Walking, running.

-Or killing.

The corners of Jeolma Daegun’s mouth deepened into a smile.

‘This guy and that guy…’

What on earth were they plotting?

‘Well.’

I’m not that different either.

“Then shall we go without wasting time?”

Soon, starting with Geomno, most of the Wonseons jumped into the Geonwon Sea Tree.

A moment later.

In the Geonwon Sea Tree where they had disappeared, a man holding a talisman precariously appeared.

It was Cheongmyeong.

“Hyung-nim [term for older brother or respected male], you always entrust me with difficult things, now and then.”

Muttering, his figure vanished like smoke, and the Geonwon Sea Tree, where everyone had disappeared, made strange noises and was covered by swaying waves before disappearing completely.

* * *

Pitch-black darkness.

A place where the five senses are blocked and nothing can be felt, not even the will of the Geonwon Sea.

Inside the Geonwon Sea Tree.

In this void, where one couldn’t even sense whether they were falling or rising, Cheonbeom had to sit cross-legged and quell the thoughts tormenting his mind.

‘Is this it.’

Mangak Byeonwang had once described the Geonwon Sea Tree.

Spending a year, ten years, a hundred years, or a thousand years in this space would instill fear in the heart of even a Wonseon Grand Master with tens of thousands of years of cultivation.

Even the slightest attachment would fester into fear, clouding the mind and senses.

-Even things that didn’t exist will come back to life and create your Simma [inner demons]. Please, don’t be deceived by trivial things.

His eyes snapped open at the voice that seemed to come from nowhere.

Splash!

He plunged into water, bubbles swirling around him like grains of sand, suffocating him and constricting his body.

He thrashed, desperately pushing against the water’s pressure, and broke the surface.

“Heok!”

He was met with warm sunlight and…

“Hehehe! Beom-ah! What are you doing there! I told you to hit the ball!?”

Young children were calling to him.

“Hey, Kim Beom! What’s wrong! Are you okay?”

A boy who looked about ten years old approached him, concerned.

He realized he wasn’t the Mountain Lord of Sanhaebalsan High School or Cheonbeom. He was…

“Kim Beom. Why does your face look like that? Shall we go eat ramen?”

He was the modern Kim Beom.

* * *

A time he barely remembered.

His childhood.

Old memories, blurring the line between truth and fiction.

Memories he himself had forgotten.

“Ah, it’s so hot. Isn’t it?”

“It is.”

He didn’t remember his parents’ faces.

He’d been raised in a facility since he was a child.

The only family he knew were the other children in similar circumstances.

“But… what was your name again?”

“What? You drank water and your memories floated away? It’s Yong, Kim Yong.”

“Ah.”

That’s right. Yong.

Kim Yong.

They, without names or surnames, had taken the surname of the facility’s director, Kim.

And for some reason, they mostly had single-character names.

He was Beom.

This kid was Yong.

He finally saw Yong’s face, previously obscured by the shade.

That’s right.

It was this face.

“You’re ugly.”

“What!?”

“No, it’s a slip of the tongue.”

“A slip of the tongue? What’s a slip of the tongue?”

Yong looked at him strangely, licking the ice cream that had melted in the heat.

Ice cream.

A frozen treat on a stick.

He wanted some too.

“Give me some.”

“…Just one bite.”

He was supposed to buy his own, but Yong offered him what he was eating.

It was covered in saliva and a little dirty, but his mouth watered nonetheless.

He took a large bite, more than half of it, and Yong immediately flared up.

“You little punk!”

As expected, he was still a child.

He couldn’t contain his anger, and his fist flew towards Beom’s face.

It was a truly insignificant, small, and pathetic fist that looked like it had rolled up ferns.

He chewed on the ice cream expressionlessly and dodged Yong’s fist.

Thud!

“Ack!”

He hadn’t dodged it.

“H, how dare you hit me?”

“How dare you? Die, you bastard!”

He was helplessly pummeled by Kim Yong’s flurry of punches, who charged like a wild boar.

But he didn’t just stand there and take it.

One of Yong’s hands was occupied with the ice cream, leaving both of Beom’s hands free.

He grabbed Yong’s hair and slammed him into the sand.

“Kwehk!”

He kicked Yong’s butt and back, eliciting a bizarre groan.

As he beat him as if playing percussion instruments, an adult appeared and pulled them apart, forcing them to stand in the middle of the sandy beach with their hands up as punishment.

It was a humiliating end.

“Teacher! Beom ate all my ice cream!!”

“I only ate it because you said I could take one bite. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“He’s acting weird all of a sudden, teacher! He’s using 말투 [speaking style] from the historical drama era!”

The woman, called the teacher, looked at Yong, who had a nosebleed, and Beom, whose cheek was swollen, and declared them both at fault, making them pick up trash on the beach.

“It’s unfair.”

“What are you saying again? Pick it up quickly.”

“Why are you holding the trash bag while I’m picking up the trash? Isn’t my labor worth more?”

“I’ll switch with you later.”

Just as he was about to nod and pick up the trash.

The setting sun was transforming into a fiery spectacle, painting the world red.

The shadows of them standing on the beach stretched out long, and they began playing shadow puppets, guided by their whims.

They cupped their hands to make the shape of a dog, wiggling their little fingers to bark, or formed a rabbit. Soon, darkness fell.

“Hey, Kim Beom.”

“What.”

“What are you going to be when you grow up?”

“I don’t know. What about you?”

“I’m a dad.”

“Dad? What are you going to do as a dad?”

“Dads are strong, powerful, make a lot of money, and have a mom. And they have a wife and children, and a job, right?”

“So you want to be a dad?”

“Yeah. Then my kids won’t be raised in a facility like us.”

“Do you hate the facility? You said you wanted to marry the teacher.”

“The teacher got a boyfriend.”

“It’s understandable that you hate it.”

It was the age when he was full of resentment towards the world.

It was understandable.

“What are you going to do?”

“Me? I’ll be a gigolo.”

“Gigolo? What’s that?”

“Um… I don’t know. What is it?”

“Are you going to be something you don’t even know what it is?”

“I don’t remember what it is, but I know it’s something really good.”

“Idiot.”

“Yeah, reverse.”

“Yeah, rainbow reverse.”

They bickered like that and picked up trash, and as they wished, time passed quickly and they became adults.