I gazed at the scenes before me.
The elderly man conversing with someone was clearly the second head of the family, our ancestor Lee Hyangseon.
"—Someone must also know how to prepare for the future. Seal me along with it."
To witness events from the distant past, spanning countless years—
And to feel it so vividly, as if I were listening right next to them… it was an indescribably strange sensation.
Though I didn't know the ancient Korean language they were speaking, I understood them. And their old-fashioned attire felt unfamiliar, yet oddly familiar.
Even though I was hearing voices from over a thousand years ago—
They felt as familiar as if they were my own voice.
"You don't need to take that role, Father."
"Father, there is still much you must do."
Several voices followed one after another.
It was the same sensation I felt when I read memories from a weapon through Black Aura.
No, more precisely, it was the same sensation I always felt when reading new memories from Mujin, which wasn't just any ordinary weapon.
Though I was a third party, I was watching all of it as if I were truly there.
'But how? How is this happening?'
Until now, I had only been able to read memories through Black Aura when in contact with a weapon.
Yet this time, I hadn't touched the ancestor's weapon.
Then, where were these memories coming from?
'Could it be… that energy from just a moment ago?'
Something similar to Black Aura, but different.
I had a feeling that energy was showing me these memories.
"I've lived long enough. I even got to see my grandson's son. Isn't it time I let go of my worldly attachments?"
Crack!
Like the sound of dry wood splitting, the scene before me began to distort.
I focused my mind.
I wasn't certain what was happening, but I had the strong feeling I was hearing a secret history unknown for over a thousand years.
"Father… this is…"
"The grave… this… do for me…"
"I can't do that…"
"It's not… the capital…"
The heated conversation continued.
"Father was a bystander."
Then, a single line struck me clearly.
It was the voice of Ancestor Lee Hyangseon.
He was speaking of his father—the founder of the Sungmu family, Lee Hyulhyeon.
"Someday, that thing will reveal itself. Until then, I will bear it within me."
"Someone must prepare for the future."
His voice continued.
The voice was clear, yet the crucial parts kept cutting off intermittently.
And then—
"Among my distant descendants, a child chosen by the Black Night shall be born."
"Father tried to hide it, but I believed it would become hope."
"I shall seal it with myself, so none of you must attempt to awaken me. This place is dangerous. Groups of outlaws, craving this thing, will arise endlessly like weeds…"
As if leaving behind a final testament, the ancestor handed a stone tablet to his eldest son.
"Create others like this and spread them across the world. One day, a child will follow these tablets and come to me."
As he said this, Lee Hyangseon's gaze suddenly turned to the distant void.
And within that void—was me.
Gasp!
Was it just coincidence that our eyes met? Or did he truly see me?
His deep, heavy amber eyes stared intently at me.
Craaack!
The illusion collapsed even faster now.
The perspective shifted.
We were at the entrance of a tomb.
The ancestor stood before flickering lights and spoke.
"I will carry even the illness that came from that. So let us make a promise. Protect this place for the one who will come to my grave."
Surrounding the ancestor were fairies.
It was the story of the pact between the ancestor and the fairies.
The fairies began to glow.
It was the light of a completed contract.
Again, the perspective changed.
How much time had passed since then, I couldn't tell.
"So much time has passed…"
The ancestor sat alone, holding his sword.
In this place, filled with countless sealing spells, he stared silently into the void, as if waiting for something.
'Could it be… he entered this place alive?'
How many years had passed between the previous scenes and this moment, I couldn't guess.
But I could only assume it was not a short span of time.
And yet, the ancestor had not aged.
No—more than just not aging, it was as if time had reversed. He looked decades younger.
-Please.
Though his body had regained its youth and vitality, our ancestor's face was filled with exhaustion.
Then, softly, he lifted his head.
Our eyes met.
-Free me from this heavy… free me… I hope you will…
Zzzzt! Crackle!
The distorted world finally shattered.
The visible world began to scatter into black particles.
And then…
***
When the illusion ended, the scene that spread before my eyes was the burial chamber, once shrouded in black mist.
"Ugh!"
A terrible headache slammed into me.
At the same time, it felt like someone was stirring my brain — my senses were becoming completely jumbled.
Suddenly, I saw my room at the family estate through both eyes, tasted sweet sugar on my tongue, and a fragrant tea scent pierced my nose.
"Guh! Cough! Cough!"
I collapsed to the ground, coughing violently.
In that moment, black mist poured from my mouth, nose, eyes, and ears like water.
It was the same black mist that had engulfed my body before the illusion.
'The black energy definitely swallowed me whole, but…'
Wriggle—.
Whether it had taken damage or not, the black mist now twisted weakly, no longer moving as violently as before.
Whoosh!
As if it hadn't given up yet, it rushed at me again.
But this time, I was ready.
Shreeeeek!
Heukya (my sword) emitted a chilling cry.
Stab!
As Heukya pierced the black mist, it trembled and writhed.
Then, as if blown away by the wind, it scattered and vanished.
"Haa…"
The tension left my body and I collapsed onto the ground.
'I didn't expect it to be this exhausting…'
In truth, my body wasn't in bad shape.
After the fight with the fairy, I had restored my mana and gotten some rest, so I still had stamina left.
But I felt utterly, ridiculously drained.
This was a completely new kind of fatigue.
'What on earth just happened…?'
With a deep sigh, I began to sort through my thoughts.
The seal, the tomb, the black mist, countless illusions, and the black energy…
'…What is this?'
Then I sensed something strange about the black energy that had settled around my heart.
Before, unless I consciously drew it out, it would just remain pooled at my heart. But now, it felt like it had spread evenly throughout my entire body.
Its size had also grown significantly.
It was incomparable even to when I had absorbed several masterwork-grade weapons.
I tried drawing on the black energy experimentally.
The black particles that emerged from my fingertips were darker than even the deepest shadow.
The black energy flickered like a flame in the palm of my hand.
"What on earth is this…"
I stared at the rippling black energy for a moment, then clenched my fist tightly.
Immediately, it dispersed and reabsorbed back into my body.
I had no idea why the black energy had devoured the mist and grown so much in size.
No amount of thinking yielded any answers.
I shook my head and slowly got to my feet.
'I may not understand everything yet…'
But now, I thought I understood why my eldest brother hadn't revealed all the information.
'If not for the black energy, I might've been swallowed too.'
Our ancestor must've known he couldn't recklessly unseal this place, which he had sealed at the cost of his life.
I turned my gaze toward where our ancestor sat.
'In truth, this wasn't so much a tomb as it was… a place meant for sealing. Our ancestor waited here for someone from the future to find this place.'
From the context, it seemed that our ancestor had voluntarily entered this place to seal the black mist — which was now absorbed into me.
He had left behind stone tablets for his descendants to find and decipher.
For the descendant who would one day come to this place.
No — for me.
'Is that really possible…?'
Even if he had reached the peak of all martial and spiritual mastery, could a human really foresee history a thousand years into the future?
Even the legendary seer Yeji-an, a peerless prophet, could only barely glimpse a few years ahead.
I even regressed.
'There's definitely something. And… even the things that were said about the progenitor.'
I had a feeling there was still some hidden secret yet to be uncovered.
Unfortunately, that wasn't something I could know right now.
Shrrrng—!
I sheathed Heukya, the blade that had pierced the black mist, loosened the fastening strap, and respectfully laid it on the ground.
After tidying my clothes and fixing my hair, I steadied my breath.
Then, with a respectful yet dignified stride, I stood before the remains of the ancestor.
"Please forgive my rudeness for offering my greetings so late."
The eerie energy that had filled the burial chamber when I first entered was now nowhere to be felt.
"I, the final heir of the clan, greet you, Ancestor."
Once, twice, and then half a bow again.
After offering the traditional two and a half bows and a brief silent tribute, I continued.
"Though it's long overdue, I've come here in accordance with your arrangements."
I looked at the ancestor, still seated just as he had been.
And with all sincerity, I spoke again.
To the progenitor who could not close his eyes in peace, and who had waited like this even after death for a descendant to arrive—
"I will now carry that burden. So please, I hope you may finally find peace in your eternal rest."
And then, it happened.
Ssssss—
The ancestor's body, seated with the sword in his arms, began to dissolve like dust.
The ancestor himself, the sword he held, even the garments he wore.
I watched in silence as he finally laid down the long-carried burden and entered his eternal rest, and once more offered a deep moment of silence.
Fwoosh!
But not everything vanished.
The outer robe the ancestor wore fluttered through the air and gently landed in front of me.
As if to say, "Take this. A gift."
It was a robe with an elegant white pattern etched onto a black background.
I bowed my head once more and picked it up.
***
With the Heukyaro Chronicle, the ancestor's robe, and several other records and relics, I walked out of the tomb.
What greeted me was a swarm of brilliant lights.
—You did it. You made it.
—Amazing. Truly amazing!
—Thank you! Friend! Thank you!
The fairies flew around like fireflies.
Though I couldn't see their faces or expressions, I could feel their joy clearly.
—For such a long time…
—For far, far too long…
—The promise has finally ended.
—Can we go now?
The fairies chattered as they circled around me.
I nodded.
"Yes, you've done more than enough. You worked hard."
The ancestor had finally laid down his burden and gone to rest.
Now it was time for the fairies, bound here by their pact with him, to be released as well.
The fairies burst into joyous laughter.
—Thank you. We're all healed now.
—It's all thanks to you, friend!
Fwaaaah!
The fairies, already radiant, began to shine with a light so bright it was almost blinding.
I didn't need to activate my Mystic Eyes to know—their ancient covenant had been fulfilled.
—Thank you! Thank you!
The fairies flew toward me and embraced me.
They were only palm-sized, so "embrace" might not be the right word—more like they clung to me.
Each one of them gave me a hug before rising into the sky.
—Let's play again sometime!
—Thank you~!
And with that cheerful farewell, the fairies disappeared into the air like scattered sparkles.
Smiling, I gathered the belongings I had set down outside.
It was time for me to leave this place too.
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]