Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 222

Having successfully undone the sixth seal of Black Night, I immediately returned to the family estate.

And I went to my eldest brother with a document in hand.

“Hmm, what’s this?”

Lee Myung-jung raised his eyebrows in surprise as he examined the document.

‘A secluded training application? At this crucial time?’

The document was none other than an application for secluded training.

“Yes, it seems like now is the only time I can do it,” I replied, looking at my eldest brother.

Arrangements for the family were mostly settled, and the Cheolryeong Unit was also stabilizing with Lee Young-sung taking on the role of head.

Calculating coldly, now was the right time for training.

Once the competition for the Family Head position intensifies, I don’t know when I’ll find time to train in peace.

‘Besides…….’

I recalled what I had felt during the series of events.

Now was not the time to start something new, but to consolidate what I had.

And that consolidation would also be connected to the seventh seal of Black Night.

“Seclusion, seclusion…….”

My eldest brother muttered, staring at my application for a long time.

I seemed to know what he was worried about.

“I’m not planning to completely cut off external contact during my seclusion. I’ll contact you from time to time. Don’t worry about that part.”

“……I see. I’m sure you’ll take care of it. So? How long do you plan to be gone?”

“I’ll return as soon as I achieve my goal. I don’t plan to exceed three years at most.”

“Hmm…… three years.”

Lee Myung-jung tapped the edge of the document with a pen.

He roughly understood.

‘He’s trying to break through a wall. Certainly, the youngest’s condition is somewhat unusual right now.’

Lee Myung-jung thought to himself, glancing at Lee Cheol for a moment.

Lee Myung-jung already knew that Lee Cheol had shed one layer.

Anyone could notice the profound aura that only those who had set foot in the depths of martial arts possessed.

It could be seen as having opened the ‘door,’ as those who have reached this level commonly say.

In his early to mid-twenties, reaching that level of mastery.

It was truly astonishing.

……However.

‘It’s not perfect yet.’

It was just a feeling, so Lee Myung-jung couldn’t explain it clearly.

This realm called Mind Sword.

Lee Cheol had entered this realm, but he didn’t seem to be able to draw anything out yet.

It was a strange phenomenon.

Usually, those who have reached the realm of transcendence immediately awaken the Mind Sword without any intermediate process.

‘I’ve never seen such a phenomenon before. Is it because of a special magic? Or is it because of rapid growth?’

Or perhaps the moment of enlightenment came too suddenly, and he didn’t have time to sort it out on his own.

Lee Cheol was so special in many ways that it was difficult to judge him easily.

It would be difficult for anyone, including himself, to give Lee Cheol an answer.

In other words, Lee Cheol’s phenomenon had to be solved by Lee Cheol alone.

Now is an important time both internally and externally.

However, for Lee Cheol, the warrior, if he can’t break through this wall now…… he may never be able to break through it for the rest of his life.

“It’s an important time for the Family Head competition, but I believe you have enough thought in it,” Lee Myung-jung said, signing the document and placing it on the desk.

“Go and come back. In the first place, if you wanted to, you could have left without my permission.”

The fact that he had submitted the document to him was probably a sign of respect for him.

“Thank you.”

“More than that, where are you planning to seclude yourself?”

I smiled and said,

“The place I went to last time.”

“That place?”

* * *

“Burp!”

A hearty burp echoed at the entrance of a secluded mountain.

The one who burped was a man with chiseled features and a handsome appearance like a sculpture.

If he wasn’t wearing an incongruous fluorescent hiking suit and holding a soju [Korean distilled rice liquor] bottle in his mouth, he would have looked like a celebrity or a model.

In fact, he was not a human.

He was a goblin who had his name taken away by Lee Hyul-hyun, the founder of the Sungmoo Lee family, the caretaker of Cheonwisan Mountain.

“Why does this keep getting more bland? It was cheap to begin with, but now it’s even cheaper, tsk.”

The man, who had emptied a bottle of soju as if it were water, threw the bottle away.

Clang!

The green bottle that flew through the air landed precisely among the pile of liquor bottles.

“Ugh, drinking without any snacks doesn’t taste good. Tsk.”

The man scratched his calf with his foot and lay down on his stomach.

The number of liquor bottles piled up was unusual for someone who said the alcohol didn’t taste good.

How much time had passed since then?

The mountain caretaker, who had been snoring while lying down, tilted his head and stood up, looking somewhere.

And soon, he discovered someone with a unique scent walking up from that direction.

“Oh, you!”

The mountain caretaker jumped up and waved his hand.

The man who had climbed the mountain smiled and bowed his head.

“Daytime drinking. How like you, Mountain Caretaker.”

“This guy, without even contacting me! Wow, it’s been a long time, man!”

The Mountain Caretaker burst into hearty laughter and patted my shoulder.

This place I had come to after almost 10 years.

The place where I would be doing my secluded training this time was none other than Cheonwisan Mountain.

* * *

The Mountain Caretaker was still the same.

That strangely fitting hiking suit, the face flushed red from being drunk from morning, and that nagging personality.

“Ahem! This guy, after saying he’d come, how many years has it been? Get lost, man.”

The Mountain Caretaker, who had been showing how glad he was just a moment ago, soon turned his head away as if he had no interest and muttered.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been busy in many ways. But I brought a gift, so please calm down.”

“What gift when you came empty-handed?”

“It’s a bit difficult to take it out here, so shall we go inside and talk? Are you planning to keep your guest standing?”

“Guest, my foot! But well…… it’s not good to keep you standing, is it? Follow me!”

The Mountain Caretaker nodded and began to climb the mountain, step by step.

The Mountain Caretaker went straight up the steep mountain path as if sliding on an ice rink.

When I first came, it was hard to keep up with that walking speed, but now I could follow without any difficulty.

I realized anew what the nearly 10 years had given me.

‘It’s been a while here too.’

Soon, as I entered the cave located in the middle of the mountain, I felt the space distorting.

It was goblin magic.

Soon, I was able to enter the Mountain Caretaker’s mansion after a very long time.

In the ornate room filled with various treasures and gold, the Mountain Caretaker sat down with a thud and sparkled his eyes.

“Now, take out that gift first.”

I smiled and put my hand on Eunhan’s jeogori [traditional Korean jacket].

One by one, small boxes came out into the room.

They were high-end liquors, each bottle boasting an enormous price.

Starting with traditional liquors and beopju [Korean traditional liquor] brewed by Korean artisans, to high-end foreign liquors.

There were nearly 100 bottles.

“Oh, ooh, ooh!”

The Mountain Caretaker opened his eyes wide and cheered.

I had deliberately asked Jung Jin-soo to gather only precious and expensive ones.

“I told you I didn’t come empty-handed.”

“Wow! Hahaha! What is all this! This guy knows what’s up! Heuhahat!”

The Mountain Caretaker’s face brightened as soon as he saw the liquor.

Then, he tore off one of the liquor bottle packages and gestured in front of him.

“How do you like the gift?”

“Of course. More than that, sit down quickly. Tell me the story of how you’ve been.”

The Mountain Caretaker waved his hand in the air, and soon two porcelain cups fell with a thud.

Then, he filled the cups with liquor and handed them to me.

“You’re telling me to unpack my story, but why are you giving me liquor?”

“Then you want me to chatter without liquor? No way! Back then, you were just a little kid, so I couldn’t give you liquor, but it’s not like that now, is it? My arm is falling off. Take the cup quickly.”

I ended up joining in on the daytime drinking and chuckled as I took the cup.

* * *

The story was long.

This was because I had to unpack almost all the events that had happened since I went down the mountain.

I wasn’t a very good storyteller, but the Mountain Caretaker was a good listener, so unpacking the story wasn’t that boring.

And…….

“What, what? You went to Mireinae Village? Come to think of it, that outfit is also that guy’s…….”

“Yes, that’s right. Elder Ryeo asked about you. She was very worried.”

“Hmph! What worry from that servant-like woman with only a big build! She must have said I was pathetic without knowing anything!”

The Mountain Caretaker snorted as soon as the story of Jeju Island came up.

‘Is there really something between the two of them?’

Elder Ryeo and the Mountain Caretaker both had strange reactions.

“Are you two perhaps in some kind of relationship?”

“Relationship, my foot! It’s just a damn bad relationship.”

The Mountain Caretaker grumbled.

But I noticed a strange longing in those words.

I thought that if I dug any deeper, he would only get angry, so I decided to continue the story.

The Martial Arts Tournament, the family’s affairs, the Grand Melee, and the unexplored territories…….

It was the first time I had spoken so long about what I had experienced.

And as much as that, I realized anew how many things I had experienced.

“Starting with the black stones, and their origin was like that. But I didn’t hear the name properly. What was it?”

“The name I heard was Bulgarsaly.”

“Huh? What? Why are you mumbling like that?”

“I said Bulgarsaly.”

“What are you saying?”

“…….”

I narrowed my eyes and looked at the Mountain Caretaker.

‘Even someone like the Mountain Caretaker hasn’t heard of it?’

Of course, I wasn’t mumbling.

I was used to this phenomenon because I had experienced it several times.

Not only the Mountain Caretaker but also Anastasia and the people of the family didn’t remember the primordial monster well.

‘Aunt didn’t even remember the battle with the fragment of Bulgarsaly well.’

It was a record deletion phenomenon.

Seeing that it applied to the Mountain Caretaker as well, it seemed to apply to everyone regardless of the size of their power.

In the end, I had no choice but to make something up.

“Um, I don’t remember the name well.”

“Oh, geez. What a bland guy. So? What happened next?”

Defeated by Gu Ryong-chaeju, experiencing the events in the family, and then coming to this place.

“Lee Cheol-joong? Lee Cheol-joong…… Heoh, that’s him. He had good eyes and considerable talent. I thought something was strange, but he crossed the line.”

The Mountain Caretaker frowned, remembering the childhood of the Elder Council Leader.

The story, which had been going on for several hours, came to an end around midnight.

The Mountain Caretaker filled my cup with a dumbfounded expression.

“Are you really human?”

“Why do you ask?”

“What kind of things have you been doing for the past 10 years? Are you a monster?”

The Mountain Caretaker shook his head.

Even after I had spoken, I realized that I had experienced so many things.

“Well, that’s why you’ve become so strong. I expected your life wouldn’t be easy.”

The liquor went around again.

After that, a moment of silence fell.

The Mountain Caretaker cracked open a new bottle of liquor and looked at me.

“Anyway, I’ve heard the story well. So? There’s no way a guy who’s been so busy would come to visit for no reason, do you have something to ask for?”

Bringing up the main point out of the blue.

I nodded calmly.

“Please help me with my training.”

“Training? You don’t mean you came here to train?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I looked down at my palms, which were covered in calluses.

The secluded training at Cheonwisan Mountain this time.

I was determined to obtain the Mind Sword in this place.

‘Hmm…….’

The Mountain Caretaker leaned back, gazing at Lee Cheol intently.

Was he trying to get stronger from there?

He couldn’t help but think he was a monster.

“Okay, I understand. I’ll prepare my magic.”

“Yes, I ask for your help. I don’t plan to cause too much trouble.”

“I’d be grateful if you did. How about doing it there like last time?”

He was talking about the training ground that went inside the knot-hole of the old tree.

“Yes, that’s good.”

“Okay, let’s go then. I should stop by the treatment spring on the way to get rid of the alcohol.”

The Mountain Caretaker took Lee Cheol outside.

And naturally, he walked behind Lee Cheol, examining Lee Cheol’s back.

‘This guy is hiding something.’

It seemed that he hadn’t told all the stories.

Besides.

‘……What on earth is that heavenly energy?’

The Mountain Caretaker groaned, reading Lee Cheol’s heavenly energy.

Originally, he was a child whose four pillars of destiny could not be read properly because all sorts of heavenly energies were intertwined.

But now, he couldn’t read it at all.

It was as if it had been eaten away.

Was that even possible?

At least he had never seen anything like that.

Could the reason that was possible be because of the stench emanating from Lee Cheol, which was even stronger than in the past?

The Mountain Caretaker quietly looked at Lee Cheol.