Was C really female?
That was another question Kim Gyeong found himself circling back to.
Looking at her, she appeared as nothing more than a shadowy figure. In the beginning, he had even wondered whether she was some incomprehensible higher power that merely wore the shape of thought.
In reality, she was human.
…Or rather, she 'had' been human, according to her own words.
Now, she was a manifestation of darkness.
He wondered if she had always looked this way. Considering she was a witch and all, the idea was tempting. But it didn't quite add up. More likely, she had once possessed a normal human body, one that had been stripped away or twisted when she was sealed in this place, leaving behind only her current form.
Of course, it was only speculation.
But it was the most reasonable conclusion.
Which brought him back to the original question.
Was she truly female?
[Is it like this or like this? Ahh! Damn grimmocks!]
The outburst echoed across the white expanse.
Gyeong stared at the shadowy figure in silence.
…That pretty much confirmed his suspicions.
More importantly,
"Grimmocks?"
The shadow stiffened.
[…You weren't supposed to hear that.]
"I very clearly did. Grimmocks? Is that some kind of mythical creature I don't know about, or is it just one of your rather strange vocabulary choices?"
[Are you making fun of me]
"I'm simply curious."
[Tsk. If only I could use ether. This fu■■ing seal... This d■■n filtering...!]
What was she going on about?
C was crouched again, making small adjustments to the magic circle. While practicing his Ki Control, Gyeong had noticed that she seemed troubled by something.
From time to time, she would curse, yet her words were always cut off, as though something actively prevented them from being spoken.
It was something he had learned not long ago.
For some reason, she could not swear.
It was probably some form of restriction imposed by a higher authority, one that also prevented her from using ether. He could not imagine, much less understand, how such a thing worked.
The witch had once explained that the Ether Core served as the anchor of identity that existed beyond the body, soul, and psyche. Perhaps one could say it was all of them combined. It was not merely a source of ether, but also a vessel for memories and emotions.
In essence, it fully embodied the concepts of "I" and "Me."
The sole reason Gyeong had been forced to learn ether control in the first place was so that he could understand the shape and existence of his own Ether Core. As long as he grasped this, he would be able to enter the Mercury Sea without losing his memories, and thus retain his identity as Kim Gyeong.
After reaching that level of understanding, C's predicament unsettled him even more.
What kind of individual would go out of their way to seal someone's Ether Core? And not only that, they had even ensured she could not swear.
Whoever it was, they clearly held a personal grudge against her.
'This won't work.'
Losing his concentration, Gyeong frowned slightly before letting out a helpless sigh. He stepped closer to the grumpy shadow and asked:
"What is it this time?
C answered without looking at him, her tone a bit annoyed. [What is the point of asking such when you don't know anything about it?]
"So I need to know something before I ask?"
[Answering a question with a question... I wonder who you picked that naughty habit from.]
"That's a good question."
Kim Gyeong glanced at her with a knowing look.
[...]
The witch did not answer. She probably understood what he was trying to convey. Or was she more focused on the circle than him?
It was different to understand the thoughts of someone who didn't have a face.
A few seconds later, upon gathering her thoughts, she finally opened her mouth and uttered:
[Script.]
"Huh? Script? You mean like alphabets or letters?"
[Yes and no. You can think of them as forgotten languages or something along those lines.]
"I don't get it."
[Of course, you won't get it. Didn't I tell you before?"
"..."
[....]
"..."
[What?]
"Won't you tell me about it?"
C looked at him. The intensity of her stare was striking. A moment later, she let out a sigh that sounded oddly distorted.
[Ugh. Fine. You do not have to look at me like some kind of lost puppy.]
Gyeong smiled wryly. "I would appreciate it."
[Whatever.]
The witch rubbed her head before explaining in simple terms.
[Scripts are both simple and complex. If I have to explain it in a way you can understand, then think of it like this. Some extremely powerful entities that exist above both "you" and "I" created the World (全域) through their words. Greedy humans, enticed by that power, tried to replicate the process and failed in a rather pathetic manner. The result was a cheap imitation, one that humans could actually comprehend.]
"Humans really are greedy."
[Tell me about it. That is simply their nature. But it was not a complete failure, I suppose. Have you ever heard of a concept called Idol Theory?]
He raised an eyebrow.
"Idol Theory?"
It was the first time he had heard the term.
[Do not think too hard about it. Idol Theory is a principle wherein an imitation of an object of target, whether whole or partial, inherits properties and attributes inherent to the source. In other words, as long as the essence of the target is obtained, it becomes possible to draw upon the target's power.]
Gyeong paused.
"Wait, hold on. Does that not mean that what you are using now is not actually inferior to the power of those entities you mentioned?"
[That is correct.]
The answer came without hesitation.
[What humans created through Scripts is not inferior in principle, meaning an effect can still be produced. As a result, the underlying laws of the world can be twisted and manipulated. However, arrangement is crucial. For example, by combining the scripts for "Distance" and "Teleport," one can move objects, or even oneself, from point A to point B.]
She continued calmly.
[That said, the process requires passing through the eleventh dimension. Without proper calculation of spatial coordinates, the outcome becomes unpleasant for the object being moved.]
"By unpleasant, you do not mean…"
[Yes. It will be absolutely crushed or displaced.]
"…."
Gyeong swallowed his non-existent saliva.
For the first time, the idea of spending an eternity in this place did not seem quite so bad after all.
The witch glanced at his stiff expression and found it amusing, letting out a soft chuckle.
[My, my… what's this? Don't tell me you're suddenly afraid?]
"I'm not afraid. Are you looking down on this old man?"
[Aren't you a tough fellow? But the face you're making betrays your true thoughts. You're scared, aren't you?]
"…"
Gyeong said nothing, though his eyebrow twitched involuntarily.
C laughed again, which only fueled his irritation further.
[Hehehe. Relax, will ya? I'm just messing with you. I'm not careless enough to send you spiraling through your demise. After all, I'm the—]
"I know, I know, the Great Supreme Witch of Immortality, right?" Gyeong interrupted, rolling his eyes.
Now it was C's turn to bristle.
[Tsk. This damn brat. Who does he think he is anyway?]
"You do know I can hear you, right?"
[I want you to hear it.]
"…"
There was no response beyond that. She was simply being unreasonable, a behavior she always displayed when cornered or challenged.
What was she, a frustrated housewife?
"Ugh."
Gyeong sighed and scratched the back of his head. He glanced back at the black circle that resembled C's shadow-like body, frowned then said:
"So… I know you said this and that, but what's the exact problem with the magic circle?"
[The problem is coordinates. Your predicament is quite unique.]
"Oh, that."
His eyes narrowed as understanding settled in.
In the end, the problem originated from him being a lost soul spat out by the Mercury Sea.
He was truly dead.
***
Note: The River of Destiny is also called the Mercury Sea. Or one could say it's the proper term for it.