Chapter 4: Chapter: Childhood (3)

༺ First Chapter – Childhood (3) ༻

The floor of the straw-thatched house.

Beggar King Ma Ilseok, who had come face to face with his sworn brother for the first time in a long time, stared at Mok Riwon, who kept trying to look at them secretly from the other side of the wall.

“That’s the kid?”

“Would I have brought another child in such a short time?”

“...He’s grown damn big, huh?”

It was their first reunion after seven long years apart.

Ma Il-seok watched the boy with subdued eyes before shifting his gaze towards Mok Seon-oh.

“That child’s body was made for demonic arts. I recall asking if you could investigate whether more cases like this existed.”

“Right.”

Mok Seon-oh’s expression was grim.

“I wished to impart my martial arts unto him. However, with his meridians being the way it is, I wondered if my teachings may become a poison to him.”

“Anyhow, you really are quite cautious, Brother.”RêAd lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only

Ma Il-seok snorted.

“I’ve been looking into it for a while now. I searched the Alliance’s Library and found something quite unexpected about that phenomenon.”

“Unexpected?”

“That bloody day from seven years ago.”

Mok Seon-oh’s eyes widened.

Ma Il-seok nodded his head while saying.

“It’s what you’re thinking right now. The day we set the Blood Cult aflame, some texts regarding a forbidden ritual were recovered from the ashes.”

“This ritual you speak of...”

“Do you remember where we found the child?”

He could never forget.

The altar behind the side door in the palace had reeked with the scent of blood.

It was a place certainly intended for a sinister sorcery upon the child.

The memories remained vividly etched in Mok Seon-oh’s mind, his expression darkening.

“...You mean, the ritual had already been performed on his body. Is that what you want to say?”

“Right. The books referred to this forbidden ritual by this name.”

Ma Il-seok steeled himself and took a deep breath before uttering the chilling words.

“The Supreme Demonic Body.”

Mok Seon-oh drew a sharp breath, his face contorting terribly.

How could he not know what it was?

Anyone who had ever stepped foot in the martial arts world would know about the Supreme Demonic Body.

“...The body of the Heavenly Demon.”

“Right. Lee Mubaek, the Third Heavenly Demon. Even now, when naming the greatest of all time, he is among the top three, having been born with the Supreme Demonic Body.”

Ma Il-seok sighed.

“And he was born under the Heaven-Slaying Star as well.”

“...Did the Blood Demon desire the second coming of Lee Mubaek?”

“Who knows now? Didn’t you cut off that bastard’s head yourself, Brother?”

Mok Seon-oh laughed bitterly.

It was truly a vexing situation.

With no clear path forward, he was filled with a sense of emptiness and helplessness.

Ma Il-seok understood Mok Seon-oh’s feelings.

How could he not?

The child he had taken in, whom he had vowed would overcome the fate bestowed upon him, even forsaking his own name for, was now revealed to have a body created for mastering demonic arts.

If this situation didn’t frustrate him, wouldn’t that be even more strange?

However, Ma Il-seok thought that perhaps this was actually a fortunate turn of events.

“Brother.”

“Speak.”

“...It is not yet too late.”

Mok Seon-oh’s eyes widened.

Undeterred by his reaction, Ma Il-seok pressed onward.

“I refrained from acting that day out of respect for your wishes, Brother. I also did my best to come here, knowing of your righteousness. But look at this. In the end, the fate bestowed upon the child is one that cannot be changed through effort alone. So it is time to give up...”

“Enough–!”

Mok Seon-oh’s roar thundered forth.

Ma Il-seok’s mouth shut firmly while Mok Riwon, who had been eavesdropping, was startled badly by the shout.

Two gazes sharply fixed on the boy who awkwardly scratched his neck and left.

Mok Seon-oh watched the retreating back of the child with mournful eyes.

“...No more of this.”

“Brother.”

“My beggar friend.”

Ma Il-seok’s fists clenched tightly.

He knew all too well what words would follow when his brother addressed him by that old nickname.

“I...”

As Mok Seon-oh began to speak, Ma Il-seok abruptly rose to his feet.

“...Ah! But what was especially exciting was the story of your life-or-death duel with the Crimson Lady of the Azure Night!”

“Er, what?!”

The Beggar King shuddered in surprise, shivering at the mere mention of that name.

Crimson Lady of the Azure Night.

The Witch of the Blood Cult, who had attempted to steal information from the Martial Arts Alliance.

For Ma Il-seok, it was one of the few names he would never forget for the rest of his life, as much as he might wish to.

It was the incident when Mok Seon-oh had saved him from completely falling victim to her, which led them to becoming sworn brothers. How could he not react in such a way when that traumatic story came out of this child’s mouth?

“The Crimson Lady! Master said that the Beggar King had tied down that seductress’s feet for three days and nights! He said that without you that day, the Crimson Lady of the Azure Night would never have been captured!”

Tied down, yes.

Or rather, ‘was tied down’ described it more accurately.

That day was one of the most shameful moments in Ma Il-seok’s life. When he was squeezed dry for three days and nights, after being seduced by her beauty and lured to have sex.

“Ah-Ahem...!”

Ma Il-seok’s face flushed crimson, but innocent Mok Riwon simply looked up in awe, unaware of the reason.

While feeling ashamed, Ma Il-seok had a sudden realization.

‘Wait...’

Had he sensed any evil from the child just now?

Had he detected any demonic qi from this child?

As those questions surfaced, Ma Il-seok’s expression grew solemn. His gaze, reflecting his serious demeanor, remained fixed on Mok Riwon.

Mok Riwon tilted his head, confused.

His eyes shined purely.

As Ma Il-seok examined closely, his eyes were dark brown with a hint of red.

...Within them was none of the evil Ma Il-seok had feared.

“...”

Ma Il-seok’s eyebrows narrowed.

Indeed, it seemed unlikely that Mok Seon-oh would ever teach the child anything bad.

Even if the child’s fate was beyond anyone’s control, Mok Seon-oh was the kind of person who would continue to love him.

As the gentle stream flowed by, Ma Il-seok met Mok Riwon’s gaze directly and asked.

“You.”

“Me?”

“You, tell me...”

Ma Il-seok paused, his lips hesitating as he carefully selected his next words.

Had he been enchanted by those eyes?

It was a question without an answer, but the faint hope he had harbored seven years ago, that ‘what if’ this boy could resist his fate, was rekindled.

And he soon found himself asking.

“...What is it you wish to become?”

Mok Riwon looked at Ma Il-seok, wondering.

Why was he asking this question?

A doubt crossed his mind, but that didn’t matter, because Mok Riwon had already known what he wanted to become for a long time now.

“I want to be a hero! A great hero like Master!”

Ma Il-seok’s eyes widened slightly, his fists clenching as if his hands were being crushed.

“And why is that?”

“What do you mean?”

“There has to be a reason, right? Do you wish to become a hero for fame, for power and authority, or for riches?”

Ma Il-seok purposefully gave specific examples in hopes that the boy would latch onto one, and put his own heart at ease. That way, he would feel a little less ashamed of himself for harboring such strong resentment toward this child.

However, Mok Riwon was not some shining light in the dark world who would grant Ma Il-seok’s wishes. The boy simply smiled and said.

“I saw stars coming from Master’s sword. It was so dazzling and beautiful. When I close my eyes, I can still see them.”

He shut his eyes as he spoke, his smile deepening.

“I like Master’s stars. When I look at them, the whole world seems to light up. Even on the darkest nights, thinking of them drives away all my fears.”

It was a voice as if he were lost in a dream.

Within Mok Riwon’s words was a distinct longing, entwined with a deep, innocent love.

“I want to have those stars like that too. To become someone who protects others. To shine as a beautiful bright star and illuminate everyone around me.”

Mok Riwon opened his eyes.

His appearance, once described by Ma Il-seok as girlish, now bloomed even more beautifully as his eyes curved into crescent moons.

“The stars I want to have are Master’s stars. And Master’s stars are the stars of a hero. So I want to become a hero.”

When he finally finished, Ma Il-seok laughed weakly.

“Hah...”

There was something he did not want to admit.

Something he wanted to hold onto as a grudge.

And that very thing was the child standing before him.

Yet, Ma Il-seok couldn’t help but see someone else in the child’s appearance.

“You’re quite the cheeky brat.”

Mok Riwon’s beaming smile was the very picture of a dashing hero, as though he were Mok Seon-oh himself.

You can rate/review this serieshere.

Illustrаtiоns on our discord – discord.gg/genesistls

/genesisforsaken