He leaned back again, arms resting along the stone edge, and let the magic do its thing.
His body was now fully clean. But more than that, those small cuts and scrapes? Gone. Even the bruises and soreness had vanished.
Jinhwan looked down at himself, eyes narrowing slightly. His skin looked untouched, like he had never been in a fight. It was like his body had never been hurt to begin with, except that mark burn mark on his chest, it was the same as always.
Jinhwan rested in the bath, his head leaning back against the stone edge, eyes shut as the warmth sank into his skin.
The gates appearing on Earth... and the one who turned this world into a dead shell....
There's something that matches.
Is he the one behind it all?
A black wooden mask..
What's your motive?
You had the power to destroy a planet, so why spare it? Why let the people live? Did you find pleasure in seeing them suffer?
I mean, I get it. I feel good when I see someone I have a problem with fall on their knees. That's natural. That's personal.
But watching random people suffer...? What's the point? If that was the peak of pleasure, I'd own a farm of slaves, torturing them for fun, like it's entertainment. But it's not that fun.
Even making a country's president or the strongest man on Earth kneel before you, sounds glorious, but it fades fast. That kind of dominance is loud for a second, but it doesn't echo inside.
But these monkeys...
I don't know why. They make me feel good. Maybe because they never expected me to stand this high. Maybe because they kneeled so naturally. It felt... honest. No pride. No resistance.
Whatever.
Everyone has their own way of feeling pleasure.
Some people feel it in being superior to others. Some feel it in strength. Some feel it in kindness. Some feel it when they make others happy. Some feel it is humiliating someone. Some just feel it by existing quietly, not bothering a soul.
There are so many kinds of pleasure, different tastes, like food.
And people love to say, "Oh, that person turned out bad because of how they grew up," or 'It's their environment, it shaped them."
That's Bullshit.
It all depends on the person.
On what catches their interest first. Whether it's good or bad, that's not the point.
What hits you first, what stays with you, what feeds your hunger, that's what matters.
Same story with everyone. The difference is what they end up chasing.
Jinhwan raised his right arm, eyes opening as he looked down at the black watch on his wrist.
It can translate languages now.. and I understand them without any problem. Like I'm speaking Korean.... or English.. or Chinese.
First, it gave me mana, awakened me. Then it started levelling me up, increasing my mana level with each stage. Then came the abilities. And now... It's translating a language that's never even existed in human history, and it's making my mind fluent in it, like I was born speaking it.
I had a feeling… It's connected to my arm somehow. It's never moved. Never come off.
I forgot it could even be removed in the first place.
It's been on my wrist as long as I can remember, even in my childhood photos. Even when I was a baby.
Never itched. Never gave me a problem. It just… grew with me. Adjusted its size like it was alive.
What did you make, Mom? Dad?
This isn't normal tech. Not even close. Not even with the people I have in Sync, and they're the best in the world. Not even they could pull off something like this.
I know you two were the ones who started Sync.. but still....
Now I'm overthinking again.
Jinhwan shook his head, splashed some water on his face, once, then again, and exhaled.
Then he stood up. Water trailed down his body in smooth rivulets, droplets falling quietly to the stone floor.
Jinhwan stepped out of the bath, water dripping from his skin. That's when he noticed something lying neatly on the stone floor.
His clothes, clean and dry, were folded with surprising care.
When did he even put these here..?
And they're already dry?
I must've really been lost in thought...
He reached for the towel beside them, thick and a little coarse, and began drying himself off. He moved slowly, letting the warmth of the cave air soak in as the last of the steam faded from his skin.
Once dry, he slipped on his dark blue jeans, stiff and snug, now free of dust and blood. He wrapped his belt through the loops, buckling it with a quiet click.
Then he grabbed his white shirt, slightly faded but now spotless, and slipped his arms through the sleeves. As he buttoned it up, one by one, he began walking toward the narrow path that led out of the cave.
The cool air brushed against his damp hair as he stepped outside.
Standing there, just beyond the mouth of the cave, was Koko. She stood with quiet grace, her eyes calm, waiting for him.
[Episode 34 End]