Chapter 190: The One With a Name (1)

Chapter 190: The One With a Name (1)

Just as I am looking at the sky with a feeling of refreshment.

"Heavenly Rejection Phenomenon, huh. I've heard it's a very rare phenomenon. Living long enough, it seems I've got to see it myself."

Gyu-ryeon, who has approached me at some point, looks up at the sky with curiosity.

"The legend about the Heavenly Rejection Phenomenon says that those with qualities even the heavens envy receive Heavenly Tribulation earlier than others. It seems you truly are a genius worthy of the Heavenly Rejection Phenomenon."

"Haha."

Genius.

There can't be a word less fitting for me.

"That's too generous of a praise."

"Generous? I didn't even recognize your talents at first, and it was Seo Hweol who brought you to the Demon Race. Really, some people have an eye for talent."

Remembering Seo Hweol seems to put Gyu-ryeon in a good mood.

Her cheeks flush with a rosy hue.

I sigh quietly to myself as I watch her.

'Should I tell her.'

But no matter how much I think about it, revealing Seo Hweol's truth right away seems too cruel.

I decide to slowly reveal it over time.

"By the way, now that you've fully refined the Black Dragon's True Blood, are you planning to return to the Sea Dragon Palace?"

"Yes, of course. When I return, I will definitely arrange for Senior Gyu and Sir Seo Hweol to meet."

"Hem hem, it's not like I must meet him Well, um."

Her face turns even redder as she shakes her head.

"Enough about Seo Hweol. Now that you've reached the Core Formation stage, can you return on your own?"

"Yes, of course. I remember the location of the Sea Dragon Palace well."

"Hmm, I see. Then, could you deliver a letter on your way?"

Gyu-ryeon hands me a letter folded in silk.

'This is.'

"It should be delivered to Elder Ho Yeol of the Azure Peng Race."

"Yes, I understand."

"Do you know where Ho Yeol is?"

"I can enter the 7th floor, the Life Floor of Serving Command Ark and inquire there, can't I?"

"Well, alright. As long as the letter arrives within 3 months. I'm counting on you."

"Yes, I understand."

I bow to Gyu-ryeon to express my gratitude and then take to the sky.

Woosh!

'The Flying Escape Technique of the Demon Race feels different.'

But, should I call this a Flying Escape Technique?

The Flying Escape Technique of the Heaven Tribe involves borrowing the energy of stars engraved in the Golden Core to hide in the speed of light and move quickly.

However, the Gliding Technique of the Earth Tribe amplifies life force by rotating the yin and yang energies around the body, then strengthens the flesh to run through the sky recklessly.

Unlike void stepping, it's not about stepping on the air's resistance but creating a platform of spiritual energy by manipulating the flow of yin and yang in the air and jumping on it. That's how the Demon Race flies in the sky.

'It's an efficient form of void stepping.'

Woosh, woosh, woosh!

I fly using both void stepping and the Earth Tribe's movement technique.

Void stepping reduces the consumption of power, and the Earth Tribe's Gliding Technique increases the amplification of power.

I can fly even faster with less energy.

Wo-woong, wo-woong!

Furthermore, as I draw upon the power of the Black Dragon, yin energy gathers around me, creating dark clouds.

Wo-woong!

"Ha, this is quite comfortable."

I ride on the dark clouds, moving at the same speed I was shooting through just before.

Riding the cloud technique taught by the bloodline of the Black Dragon, I continue to move forward steadily.

After inquiring about the location of the Azure Peng Race and Elder Ho Yeol's residence in the Life Floor of Serving Command Ark, I use the teleportation array there to quickly move to the residence of the Azure Peng Race.

The Azure Peng Race lives outside the territory of the Dragon Race, in a valley called Heavenly Heart Valley, and interestingly, despite being birds, they swim and live in the water below the valley.

After briefly exploring Heavenly Heart Valley,

I deliver Gyu-ryeon's letter to Elder Ho Yeol.

Elder Ho Yeol, who is at the same Four-Axis stage as Gyu-ryeon, sighs deeply after receiving my letter.

"This Earth Tribe Naming Project... Who in the world proposed such a plan?"

""

I remember what Seo Hweol had told me about this plan.

'A plan to identify all names within the Earth Tribe, and for those without names, to create and manage them with names'

Since names contain fate, the plan is to read the overall fate of the Earth Tribe based on the movements of those with names.

Though the plan itself is good, I find it a bit absurd.

'All the wild beasts and birds born on the field are part of the Earth Tribe To manage them all by giving them names?'

It's like saying we should give names to every bug by the roadside.

'Even at the very least, it's a project that will take more than 500 to 600 years.'

As I think so, Elder Ho Yeol of the Azure Peng Race sighs and speaks to me.

"By the way, what do the Dragon Race think about this foolish plan?"

"Ah"

Is he asking me?

After a moment of thought, I only mention Seo Hweol's stance.

"I am just a low-ranking member, so I do not know much. But Sir Seo Hweol of the Sea Dragon Race, whom I serve, is actively in favor of this plan. He said it is absolutely necessary for the future of the Earth Tribe."

For some reason.

Seo Hweol had indeed shown a very positive response to this 'Entire Earth Tribe Naming Project.'

Hearing my words, Ho Yeol sighs deeply again.

"Managing the names of the entire race by one group, what could be more foolish than that? It seems they think if the Human Race can do it with their Names Registry in the Cloud Island Archipelago, the Earth Tribe can do it too, but the registry established by the Human Race in the Cloud Island Archipelago is possible because they are a single race. The Earth Tribe is not a single race but a collection of numerous demon races, and managing all their names is preposterous Not to mention, the Earth Tribe already lacks administrative power, how much more will this plan waste?"

""

Since his words are spot on, I nod along in agreement.

After listening to Ho Yeol's complaints, I stay in the Azure Peng Race Territory for a few days, getting acquainted with several of them.

Then, I slowly tour various areas of the Earth Tribe Territory and return to the Sea Dragon Palace over two months.

Swoosh

Riding on clouds, passing mountains and rivers, I open my eyes wide towards Cloud Heart Lake, where the Sea Dragon Palace is located.

"Wow, it's changed tremendously in the meantime."

Around Cloud Heart Lake, large coral reefs have grown.

Literally, coral reefs growing on land.

In the coral reefs, much like what I had seen in Gyu-ryeon's cotton farm, numerous slave races are working. Due to their presence, the area outside Cloud Heart Lake is quite noisy.

'Seo Hweol is starting another strange business, huh.'

I glance at the slaves briefly before trying to enter Cloud Heart Lake.

Then, my gaze inadvertently fall on the overseer managing the slaves.

The overseer, managing the slaves with stern eyes, is a bipedal goat.

"...!?"

I look again, thinking I have seen wrong, but it is still the same.

There, as the overseer managing the slaves in the coral reefs near Cloud Heart Lake, stands a bipedal goat.

'Baek Nyeong? No'

They are goats.

Members of Baek Nyeong's race are managing the slaves in the coral reefs with whips in their hands and stern eyes.

Beautiful coral decorations are wrapped around their necks.

'How did this happen?'

I will find out the details once I meet Seo Hweol.

I descend and as soon as I reach the barrier of the familiar Sea Dragon Palace, the expressions of the Sea Dragon Race guarding the barrier dramatically change.

"Ah, no"

"You are!?"

I reveal my appearance, having refined the Black Dragon's True Blood, showing off black antlers and black scales.

At that sight, the early Core Formation gatekeepers of the Sea Dragon Palace look at me with disbelief and surprise.

"The human Sir Seo Hweol brought! Ugh, why would someone like you refine the Black Dragon's true blood"

"If we had received the true blood, we could have become stronger!"

I look at them and grin.

"Stop the nonsense and open the gate. A human like me needed a recommendation to participate in the Immortal Beast Blood Fusion, but Earth Tribe demons like you can freely apply as you meet all the conditions, right?"

Provoked by my taunt, they grit their teeth but open the barrier of the Sea Dragon Palace.

As soon as I enter the barrier, the space ripples around me.

Wo-woong!

Space opens, and through it, I can see Seo Hweol's office.

He is sitting comfortably and gestures for me to come in.

It wasn't telepathy.

Nor did it seem like a spell or supernatural ability as it didn't register on any of my senses.

'Seo Hweol always had some connection with the Black Dragon Race.'

It seems to be a method only Seo Hweol and the Black Dragon Race can use.

Seo Hweol stands up, smiling gently, and looks around the assembly before speaking.

"Good day, I am Seo Hweol, the head of the Sea Dragon Race, a branch family of the Black Dragon Race. Since the atmosphere seems overheated, allow me to briefly summarize the opinions of both sides."

Seo Hweol skillfully summarizes the meeting's opposing views.

He then begins to transform the argumentative meeting into something resembling a debate-like forum.

'Rules are being established in the meeting.'

A meeting of Four-Axis demon cultivators might seem to be a dignified affair, but the reality is different.

Every participant, relying on their brute strength and brutal instinct from a lifetime of cultivation, believe that the loudest voice and the strongest race's power are the only truths, leading to no productive discussions thus far.

However, Seo Hweol listens to both sides' claims, seemingly organizing their arguments, finding a balance between them, and uses that balance to create rules for the discussion.

"How about we require permission from the moderator to speak from now on?"

Before long, Seo Hweol takes over the role of 'moderator' from Hyeon Chal, who was initially leading the meeting.

'Wow.'

I quietly marvel at how Seo Hweol adeptly mediated the demon beasts' disputes and took control.

"Ah, so the opposition to the Entire Earth Tribe Naming Project feels that the plan is not worth discussing."

"That's right."

"Then, may I ask Hyeon Chal, who is aware of the Heaven Tribe's example, to speak?"

Even after taking control, Seo Hweol doesn't use his position to express his opinions.

Instead, he gives more speaking opportunities to Hyeon Chal or those in favor of the naming project, subtly steering the discussion's atmosphere towards its favor.

Half a day passes.

"Now, the Entire Earth Tribe Naming Project has been decided to proceed under the agreement of the 13 Major Earth Tribe Races. I trust there are no objections?"

"None."

"No, I'm satisfied."

"Noble Seo's suggestion was excellent indeed. Haha, turning those who don't participate in the Naming Project into elixirs and distributing them among the races is brilliant."

Thus, the bizarre plan of the Entire Earth Tribe Naming Project was set to motion as Seo Hweol wishes.

The nauseating proposal to distribute the opposing minor demon races into elixirs or resources among the major races was also disgustingly realized by Seo Hweol.

"I have a question, if I may."

I ask Seo Hweol as we return to the Sea Dragon Palace.

In places unseen by Seo Hweol, I had been meeting and forming agreements with demon races opposed to Seo Hweol's words, so there should no longer be any risk of being silently eliminated by Seo Hweol.

"May I boldly ask why you pushed so hard for the Entire Earth Tribe Naming Project?"

'I doubt he'll give a straight answer.'

Yet, I am curious.

What exactly is Seo Hweol aiming for with his obsession over uncovering [names]?

Seo Hweol speaks up.

"The Bright Cold Realm is predominantly made up of nameless demon beasts."

"That's right, many among the demon tribes are not born as such from the start."

"Do you know about that?"

"What are you referring to?"

Swoosh!

Seo Hweol arrives above the Sea Dragon Palace, at the sky over Cloud Heart Lake, and points to the heavens.

"There's a legend in the Bright Cold Realm."

"A legend?"

"Do you know that the name of the Bright Cold Realm wasn't originally Bright Cold (/) but Vast Cold (/)?"

"Vast Cold"

I recall the Vast Cold Jade (), polluting and eroding the Devil Realm with spiritual energy, and the Vast Cold Formula (), the basis of demon beast methods.

Both contained the name Vast Cold ().

'I didn't know the meaning of Vast Cold, but was it the old name of the Bright Cold Realm?'

"I apologize for my lack of knowledge. This is the first time I'm hearing about it."

"That's understandable. This is a legend known only to a few. Long ago, before the Blood Yin Realm and the True Devil Realm were separated... True Devil, Nether Ghost, Ancient Force, Purple Gold, and the Vast Cold Realm were all considered equal Middle Realms. However, after the Ancestor of the Dragon Race ended the war with the True Devil Realm, the Vast Cold Realm lost its ancestor and became a world coveted by the other Middle Realms."

Seo Hweol splits the space, stepping directly into his office within the Sea Dragon Palace, continuing his story.

"One day, the leaders of the Vast Cold Realm convened to discuss their dire situation. They realized that if things continue as they did, the Vast Cold Realm would be completely plundered by the other Middle Realms. So, they decided to rename the realm."

Once inside the office of the Sea Dragon Palace, Seo Hweol uses a communication artifact to call several Sea Dragons to his office.

The summoned individuals are all Nascent Soul stage elders of the Sea Dragon Race.

I stand listening to Seo Hweol's story.

"They sought a divine mandate (fate) from the heavens to bestow the Vast Cold Realm with the most auspicious name and thus, the Vast Cold Realm was given the name Bright Cold, symbolizing [light]."

'Light?'

"Since the Bright Cold Realm was bestowed with the name [light], it has always been followed by heavenly fortune. After renaming the realm, the Bright Cold Realm became one of the strongest Middle Realms alongside the Blood Yin Realm. This is an ancient tale explaining the importance of names passed down in the Bright Cold Realm."

"Is this the history of the Bright Cold Realm?"

"Not history, just an ancient tale passed down. Whether it's true or not isn't important. What's important is that names can interfere with fate, and having many with auspicious names is a blessing for the Earth Tribe. In short, giving good names to the countless nameless demon beasts is a duty we must fulfill as members of the Earth Tribe."

"I see."

Lately, it's been hard to tell whether Seo Hweol's words are true or false.

After incorporating Baek Nyeong, his intent has become even more opaque.

Nor is it easy to judge by looking directly at his heart essence. Doing so feels as if my eyes would rot from the exposure.

"How about it, did that answer some of your curiosity?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Haha, I'm glad to hear that. Do come in. Oh, and since you've refined the Black Dragon's True Blood, you are rightfully a member of the Dragon Race, aren't you?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Then as a rightful member of the Dragon Race, I'll ensure your name is added to the Dragon Register."

"Thank you."

'The Dragon Register'

The thought of my name being engraved on the skull of the Dragon Race's ancestors feels strange.

Especially after hearing about the importance of [names], it leaves me feeling uneasy.

"Once your name is on the Dragon Register, you'll be able to officially hold office within the Sea Dragon Palace and live with dignity."

"I am deeply grateful."

After exchanging pleasantries with Seo Hweol, I leave his office.

Exiting, I glance at the Nascent Soul elders entering Seo Hweol's office.

'Seo Hweol rarely holds meetings like this'

He always speaks to the elders or the council in public spaces.

It's unusual for him to call the elders to his private office.

'Should I listen in to what they're discussing?'

I return to my room and begin eavesdropping on Seo Hweol's conversation through a circuit.

Soon, the words exchanged in Seo Hweol's office are transmitted to me via the circuit.

"thus, the Entire Earth Tribe Naming Project will now be undertaken across all Earth Tribe territories. Additionally, since administrative personnel will be needed for the Earth Tribe Naming Project, I will select a few administrators from the Sea Dragon Race to recommend as key figures for the project."

'There must be a hidden agenda.'

Honestly, the fairy tale-like story Seo Hweol casually shared didn't seem very believable.

It's unlikely that Seo Hweol would undertake such a public-spirited task as giving good names to the Earth Tribe to lead them to prosperity.

"Your tasks will be in places where you'll verify the [names] pouring in from across the Earth Tribe territories. There's only one thing you'll need to do."

'Now, Seo Hweol, what exactly are you scheming?'

Seo Hweol's words continue.

"Find those with the characters for cause (In/) and connection (Yeon/) in their names."

'Cause and connection?'

What exactly does he want?

"Let me specify the conditions one by one. The names will contain both In (cause/) and Yeon (connection/), one character each. Those bearing these names will live close to each other and if the races have genders, the owners of the names will be divided into male and female."

''

Why does this feel familiar?

Hearing Seo Hweol's criteria somehow evokes a sense of dj vu.

"These individuals are 'fated' to be born near each other, 'fated' to stay close to one another, 'fated' to fall in love, and also 'fated' to die on the same day."

'Wait.'

As I listen to Seo Hweol's explanation, a certain couple crosses my mind.

"These beings are... uniquely fated individuals, highly likely to be couples or lovers. If you find such individuals, bring their records to me. Even records from thousands of years ago stating the existence of such individuals will suffice. They are 'fated' to reincarnate continuously, repeating their fate eternally. If you find any records, make sure to bring them to me."

''

Why is it?

Though it seems improbable, I can't help but think that the ones Seo Hweol is searching for are the ones I know.

"Everything is for the prosperity of our Sea Dragon Race If you follow me this time, as you did in the Head Realm, prosperity will follow us."

Translator Notes: Donated chapter by Mortor, SJATGRT, and Fatty Daoist. Thanks for the support!

***

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Link to donations in the discord!