Chapter 113
“It seems that Yi-Gyeol has been searching for you all this time. He said he really wants to meet you.”
Eda was stunned, never expecting Yi-Gyeol himself would ask to meet her.
She composed herself and asked the man cautiously.
“He’s been looking for me? What does he say is the reason for wanting to meet?”
“He said it’s because of the body.”
“A body?”
Eda raised an eyebrow at the man’s report about Yi-Gyeol’s condition.
“I hear that he’s been struggling with not receiving proper life energy. He fled the castle because of that as well.”
Eda furrowed her brow as she thought about Sethian and Yi-Gyeol. The last time she saw them together was before Zair had caused trouble, and back then, she remembered that Sethian had been quite fond of Yi-Gyeol. Even now, Sethian was chasing after him, leaving everything behind, whether for the enthronement ceremony or for his duties. She figured that Sethian’s feelings had not changed. Whether it was for night attendance or something beyond that.
It was strange that Sethian had not provided life energy to Yi-Gyeol. If he was lacking life energy, it would certainly cause physical problems, something Sethian, who knew this well, would be aware of.
While thinking this through, Eda looked at the man with suspicion.
“Isn’t it possible that he’s lying about not receiving life energy?”
“I don’t think so.”
The man replied firmly.
“Even though he was running away, he looked so weak, as if he was about to faint at any moment. He was trembling as if freezing even though there was no frost, and his voice sounded like it would stop at any moment.”
“Hmm...”
When the body trembles uncontrollably and the breathing weakens, it’s a clear sign of lacking life energy. Given that the man in front of her had spent a long time studying soul magic and physical training with Eda, he surely wouldn't have misunderstood these symptoms.
At this point, Eda couldn’t understand Sethian. She thought it was strange that he would abandon Yi-Gyeol without providing him life energy, only to immediately chase after him the moment he fled. As Zair had said many times, Sethian was a person who couldn’t be understood.
‘Well, I’ll get the details out of Yi-Gyeol during interrogation.’
What was important now was that Yi-Gyeol had sought her out before Sethian. The fact that Yi-Gyeol had noticed that she was releasing souls to track him down was impressive, but the boldness in seeking her out as a fugitive was even more striking.
Thinking about it, Yi-Gyeol had no place to turn to. Since Sethian had become emperor, the magic tower that could create bodies was essentially his domain. If Sethian didn’t permit it, he wouldn’t allow a single component of a body to be made.
‘So that’s why he’s looking for me.’
Maybe he thought he could at least survive by using her, no matter how he was used.
“Yi-Gyeol wants to live... he wants to live so badly that he stays by Sethian’s side.”
She now recalled the words of her teacher, Roa, whom she had long severed ties with, and smiled bitterly.
Yi-Gyeol, whose yearning to live was so strong that he became a living spirit.
She could understand why he sought her out. Perhaps feeling death approaching, he couldn’t bear it and fled desperately, thinking that by finding her, he might preserve his body or even receive a new one.
‘After all, my life is the most important.’
Nothing is more valuable than one’s own life. Especially when it’s something that almost slipped away once, only to be regained — one would do anything to protect it.
‘He’s perfect for being used.’
A transparent person with desires is easy to manipulate. A person who craves life is even easier to control, to the point where it’s almost amusing.
‘It was a very good decision for him to find me before his body dies, Yi-Gyeol.’
Eda found herself laughing out loud.
She wasn’t sure how long it had been since Yi-Gyeol had gone without life energy, but his state was clearly fragile. Had he died, her carefully laid plans would have been severely disrupted. It was fortunate that he was still alive, clinging to his body, even though it was a close call.
What Eda needed was ‘a living spirit linked to a body created by the emperor.’ If the body dies and the living spirit wanders alone, the mana etched in the soul would weaken, making it impossible to extract the emperor’s life energy from it.
‘That can’t happen.’
The magic she intended to perform required enough power to pour in all of the new emperor’s abundant life energy. The only medium that could extract it was Yi-Gyeol. He was the only one.
Eda pulled her smile back down as she approached a high, wide display cabinet. Inside, there were numerous glass jars, just like the ones Zair had used, each containing a single butterfly. The peculiar thing was that all the butterflies were red as if filled with blood, and their wings hung limp, unable to even flutter.
Eda picked up one of the empty jars and handed it to the man.
“What I need is only the soul. I don’t need the body.”
“Yes, understood.”
The man bowed deeply, taking the jar in both hands before leaving the chamber.
As the man exited, Eda looked toward the door, laughing softly in satisfaction. She had thought everything was tangled up, but it was unraveling too perfectly.
Her gaze shifted to the large magic circle carved into the wall of the chamber. The geometric patterns and circular outlines made it seem almost like a giant door, with a long vertical line running through the center.
Eda let out a twisted laugh as she looked at the massive magic circle.
* * *
After deliberately approaching and speaking to one of the soul butterflies Eda had released, Yi-Gyeol dragged his exhausted body into a cave. The interior was so dark that not even moonlight could properly reach it, but he didn’t feel scared or uneasy.
Crawling deeper into the cave, he finally leaned back against the end of it and let out a deep breath. As he inhaled again, the damp air mixed with the cold and filled his lungs, scratching at them.
“Cough, cough.”
The muffled sound of coughing echoed throughout the cave. With each cough, the cold air that had seeped through the stone walls chilled his bones.
After a few more coughs, Yi-Gyeol checked his condition.
Walking was difficult, and his legs wobbled after the strenuous escape. His muscles throbbed on their own like a beating heart, causing constant spasms and numbness. His arms, which had struggled to push through the dense brush blocking his way through the forest, ached so badly that even lifting them was difficult, and his shoulders felt like they were suffering from severe muscle pain.
His head was spinning, and his vision blurred. It felt as if he were drunk, with heat rising in his body, making his breath quicken. His heart, which had started racing when he pushed his body to its limits, had not settled even now, causing his heartbeat to echo painfully in his head.
‘I’m exhausted...’
He didn’t have the strength to move even a finger. If he could just sleep deeply right now, he would have no other wish.
Shivering, Yi-Gyeol wrapped his arms around his body and curled into himself. His trembling shoulders seemed particularly small.
“It’s okay... it’s okay...”
Muttering like a chant, his shoulders trembled even more.
The fear of death being so close was unbearable. Because of that, thoughts he shouldn’t have been having began to surface in his mind.
‘Maybe I could go back to Seth and ask for life energy even now...’
But just as Sethian had done, Yi-Gyeol bit down on his lower lip hard enough to make it bleed, snapping back to his senses.
It had already been more than 24 hours since he took the last pill that blocked life energy absorption. Right now, even kissing Sethian would give him life energy, but he wouldn’t allow himself to do that.
‘Focus. Why did I run away?’
He clenched his arms tighter, holding them against his body. His trembling arms calmed down a little as he gripped them tightly.
The fear brought by the shadow of death was not as overwhelming as before. It was different from that day when, exhausted from fighting illness, he gave up everything and made his choice without a trace of hope.
‘It’s okay. If it’s for Seth... it’s okay.’
Yi-Gyeol’s lips slowly curled into a smile. He wasn’t simply running away and dying to avoid taking Sethian’s lifespan. He could at least protect him once before disappearing. It was the only thing that someone like him, who could no longer be of any help, could do.
He touched the area around his neck with his hand. The moment his fingertips brushed the place where Sethian had bitten him, a sensation sharper than the cold spread through him.
Yi-Gyeol’s eyes turned hard in an instant, as sharp as the stinging pain at his neck.
If it’s something that stands in Sethian’s way, I’ll clear away, even myself.
Eda was stunned, never expecting Yi-Gyeol himself would ask to meet her.
She composed herself and asked the man cautiously.
“He’s been looking for me? What does he say is the reason for wanting to meet?”
“He said it’s because of the body.”
“A body?”
Eda raised an eyebrow at the man’s report about Yi-Gyeol’s condition.
“I hear that he’s been struggling with not receiving proper life energy. He fled the castle because of that as well.”
Eda furrowed her brow as she thought about Sethian and Yi-Gyeol. The last time she saw them together was before Zair had caused trouble, and back then, she remembered that Sethian had been quite fond of Yi-Gyeol. Even now, Sethian was chasing after him, leaving everything behind, whether for the enthronement ceremony or for his duties. She figured that Sethian’s feelings had not changed. Whether it was for night attendance or something beyond that.
It was strange that Sethian had not provided life energy to Yi-Gyeol. If he was lacking life energy, it would certainly cause physical problems, something Sethian, who knew this well, would be aware of.
While thinking this through, Eda looked at the man with suspicion.
“Isn’t it possible that he’s lying about not receiving life energy?”
“I don’t think so.”
The man replied firmly.
“Even though he was running away, he looked so weak, as if he was about to faint at any moment. He was trembling as if freezing even though there was no frost, and his voice sounded like it would stop at any moment.”
“Hmm...”
When the body trembles uncontrollably and the breathing weakens, it’s a clear sign of lacking life energy. Given that the man in front of her had spent a long time studying soul magic and physical training with Eda, he surely wouldn't have misunderstood these symptoms.
At this point, Eda couldn’t understand Sethian. She thought it was strange that he would abandon Yi-Gyeol without providing him life energy, only to immediately chase after him the moment he fled. As Zair had said many times, Sethian was a person who couldn’t be understood.
‘Well, I’ll get the details out of Yi-Gyeol during interrogation.’
What was important now was that Yi-Gyeol had sought her out before Sethian. The fact that Yi-Gyeol had noticed that she was releasing souls to track him down was impressive, but the boldness in seeking her out as a fugitive was even more striking.
Thinking about it, Yi-Gyeol had no place to turn to. Since Sethian had become emperor, the magic tower that could create bodies was essentially his domain. If Sethian didn’t permit it, he wouldn’t allow a single component of a body to be made.
‘So that’s why he’s looking for me.’
Maybe he thought he could at least survive by using her, no matter how he was used.
“Yi-Gyeol wants to live... he wants to live so badly that he stays by Sethian’s side.”
She now recalled the words of her teacher, Roa, whom she had long severed ties with, and smiled bitterly.
Yi-Gyeol, whose yearning to live was so strong that he became a living spirit.
She could understand why he sought her out. Perhaps feeling death approaching, he couldn’t bear it and fled desperately, thinking that by finding her, he might preserve his body or even receive a new one.
‘After all, my life is the most important.’
Nothing is more valuable than one’s own life. Especially when it’s something that almost slipped away once, only to be regained — one would do anything to protect it.
‘He’s perfect for being used.’
A transparent person with desires is easy to manipulate. A person who craves life is even easier to control, to the point where it’s almost amusing.
‘It was a very good decision for him to find me before his body dies, Yi-Gyeol.’
Eda found herself laughing out loud.
She wasn’t sure how long it had been since Yi-Gyeol had gone without life energy, but his state was clearly fragile. Had he died, her carefully laid plans would have been severely disrupted. It was fortunate that he was still alive, clinging to his body, even though it was a close call.
What Eda needed was ‘a living spirit linked to a body created by the emperor.’ If the body dies and the living spirit wanders alone, the mana etched in the soul would weaken, making it impossible to extract the emperor’s life energy from it.
‘That can’t happen.’
The magic she intended to perform required enough power to pour in all of the new emperor’s abundant life energy. The only medium that could extract it was Yi-Gyeol. He was the only one.
Eda pulled her smile back down as she approached a high, wide display cabinet. Inside, there were numerous glass jars, just like the ones Zair had used, each containing a single butterfly. The peculiar thing was that all the butterflies were red as if filled with blood, and their wings hung limp, unable to even flutter.
Eda picked up one of the empty jars and handed it to the man.
“What I need is only the soul. I don’t need the body.”
“Yes, understood.”
The man bowed deeply, taking the jar in both hands before leaving the chamber.
As the man exited, Eda looked toward the door, laughing softly in satisfaction. She had thought everything was tangled up, but it was unraveling too perfectly.
Her gaze shifted to the large magic circle carved into the wall of the chamber. The geometric patterns and circular outlines made it seem almost like a giant door, with a long vertical line running through the center.
Eda let out a twisted laugh as she looked at the massive magic circle.
* * *
After deliberately approaching and speaking to one of the soul butterflies Eda had released, Yi-Gyeol dragged his exhausted body into a cave. The interior was so dark that not even moonlight could properly reach it, but he didn’t feel scared or uneasy.
Crawling deeper into the cave, he finally leaned back against the end of it and let out a deep breath. As he inhaled again, the damp air mixed with the cold and filled his lungs, scratching at them.
“Cough, cough.”
The muffled sound of coughing echoed throughout the cave. With each cough, the cold air that had seeped through the stone walls chilled his bones.
After a few more coughs, Yi-Gyeol checked his condition.
Walking was difficult, and his legs wobbled after the strenuous escape. His muscles throbbed on their own like a beating heart, causing constant spasms and numbness. His arms, which had struggled to push through the dense brush blocking his way through the forest, ached so badly that even lifting them was difficult, and his shoulders felt like they were suffering from severe muscle pain.
His head was spinning, and his vision blurred. It felt as if he were drunk, with heat rising in his body, making his breath quicken. His heart, which had started racing when he pushed his body to its limits, had not settled even now, causing his heartbeat to echo painfully in his head.
‘I’m exhausted...’
He didn’t have the strength to move even a finger. If he could just sleep deeply right now, he would have no other wish.
Shivering, Yi-Gyeol wrapped his arms around his body and curled into himself. His trembling shoulders seemed particularly small.
“It’s okay... it’s okay...”
Muttering like a chant, his shoulders trembled even more.
The fear of death being so close was unbearable. Because of that, thoughts he shouldn’t have been having began to surface in his mind.
‘Maybe I could go back to Seth and ask for life energy even now...’
But just as Sethian had done, Yi-Gyeol bit down on his lower lip hard enough to make it bleed, snapping back to his senses.
It had already been more than 24 hours since he took the last pill that blocked life energy absorption. Right now, even kissing Sethian would give him life energy, but he wouldn’t allow himself to do that.
‘Focus. Why did I run away?’
He clenched his arms tighter, holding them against his body. His trembling arms calmed down a little as he gripped them tightly.
The fear brought by the shadow of death was not as overwhelming as before. It was different from that day when, exhausted from fighting illness, he gave up everything and made his choice without a trace of hope.
‘It’s okay. If it’s for Seth... it’s okay.’
Yi-Gyeol’s lips slowly curled into a smile. He wasn’t simply running away and dying to avoid taking Sethian’s lifespan. He could at least protect him once before disappearing. It was the only thing that someone like him, who could no longer be of any help, could do.
He touched the area around his neck with his hand. The moment his fingertips brushed the place where Sethian had bitten him, a sensation sharper than the cold spread through him.
Yi-Gyeol’s eyes turned hard in an instant, as sharp as the stinging pain at his neck.
If it’s something that stands in Sethian’s way, I’ll clear away, even myself.
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