The guesthouse in Dowon has recently become a hub for discussions about the newly appeared disciple of Cheonma, debating whether he is right or wrong.
"He is a Blood Demon."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"When I saw him there, that was the first thought that came to my mind. Do you know why?"
His aggression knew no bounds, and he continued to fight regardless of how much blood he lost.
The appearance of the new disciple at the last public martial arts contest was a shockingly impactful moment for many warriors.
"After all, the human body can only lose so much blood, but the person I saw was different. He wouldn't die, even when he should have. Even after drenching the entire arena with blood, he kept bleeding."
"To call him a Blood Demon, a creature of fiction. Isn't that a bit much?"
"It's not an exaggeration. The opponent, the leader of the Demon Sect, screamed in horror."
"Impossible! That Hongyeon of the autumn leaves?"
A warrior listening at the table was so startled that he stood up.
Rumors often become exaggerated, but this story wasn't entirely off the mark.
"I think he has done something to his own blood. I heard that a few days ago, he attacked the entrance of Dowon, and according to the warriors present, he used sorcery from the outside."
"Oh, so that's why he's called a Blood Demon!"
The raised voices piqued the interest of other warriors in the guesthouse.
"What are you all discussing so animatedly?"
"About the Blood Demon!"
"Ah, the hot topic right now. I witnessed it myself, a ruthless man devoid of blood or tears."
"I'm curious! Tell me the story."
"Well, he turned Hongyeon's face, who was trying to surrender, into a bloody mess. And he did it with such flair."
Hongyeon, serving under Cheonma, possessed skills so formidable that merely speaking of her prowess could cause discomfort.
Excelling in both literary and martial skills, from administration to martial arts, and blessed with exceptional beauty, her fame was widespread in Dowon to the extent that there was no warrior who did not know her name.
That such a Hongyeon was unable to counter an unknown man?
For the warriors, there was no gossip more delicious than this.
"We can't have this conversation without alcohol. Hey, Jeomsowi! Bring us a glass of Jukyeopcheong!"
The guesthouse became noisy.
Cheondo was quietly listening to the conversations flowing around her.
"Yes, I'm going."
Cheondo, an employee at the guesthouse located in the upper part of Dowon, was hiding her identity as Cheonma's disciple. This was a personal wish of Cheondo, who wanted to observe those below her from a closer distance, not as a means of livelihood.
"Please shake it before drinking."
Cheondo moved efficiently, serving food and alcohol.
The wide white clothes worn by Cheondo fluttered with her movements.
Her cute appearance, resembling a gentle lamb wagging its tail, made many warriors smile warmly at her.
Two hours a day, sacrificing her own rest for this work.
Yet, thanks to her innate eloquence and singing ability, Cheondo was virtually the star attraction here.
"But what are you all talking about?"
"Ha, you're curious, aren't you? It's about what happened at the recent public martial arts contest…"
While listening to the guest's lengthy story, Cheondo smiled bitterly.
Suddenly appearing before her, the man who had now become Cheonma's disciple.
Cheondo was not unaware that the stories circulating throughout Dowon were about the person she knew.
Blood Demon. Some called him that.
His desperate fight, scattering blood, must have appeared that way to others.
'Why was he so desperate?'
The man who used to play a lot of pranks and had a lot of affection. Recently, the distance between them had reduced to an almost burdensome extent, but to Cheondo, he was still a good person.
Cheondo had confidence in her ability to judge people.
Of course, she was still young and inexperienced in many ways.
But she could accurately judge what type of person someone was after just a few meetings.
'…It changed overnight.'
To Cheondo's eyes, Lee Shiheon was incredibly vague.
It had not been many days since she thought of him as a trustworthy person, but everything about him had changed.
Above all, the match he showed that day.
The sight of him almost killing an opponent who had no intention of fighting was distressing even for Cheondo.
What had made him like this?
Or had he always been like that?
The madness even flowed on his face, covered in blood as he reattached a severed arm and continued fighting.
Whether this would become his driving force or hold him back was something that would have to be seen in the future.
'Ah, what am I thinking about? Worrying about someone whose name I don't even know.'
Hmph, Cheondo snorted.
He hadn't even told her his name to the very end. It seemed she might just start calling him whatever she wanted.
…Maybe she should think of a good name.
Cheondo thought that wasn't a bad idea.
The day after the martial arts contest.
As soon as morning came, I hurriedly changed my clothes and left my room. The pain in my reattached arm was bothersome, but it wasn't the first time I had been in pain. Being able to heal myself, along with the power of the World Tree, which was considered divine, has been of great help to me.
-Creak.
As I left the building, many eyes were fixed on me.
Spreading rumors and attracting attention was the same in academies, politics, or the martial world. Especially in the narrow confines of Dowon, rumors spread quickly.
'If only there weren't such annoying matters.'
I briskly moved towards the mountaintop.
The place where Cheonma and Cheondo trained. Sure enough, there was an old man sitting cross-legged, surveying the mountains.
"Has the Blood Demon arrived?"
"Blood Demon? What kind of title is that?"
"How much blood you must have shed for those below to regard you as the Blood Demon. Stupid fools."
Utilizing the power of the World Tree accelerates blood regeneration.
With the power of a god to repair tissue and nerves, wouldn't it be possible to produce even a drop of blood?
The power of healing constantly operates during combat, so if injured, a significant amount of blood is indeed shed.
"So, how was it?"
"You're not at an age to be arrogant. You're far from it, especially struggling against Hongyeon."
"I didn't particularly struggle."
"A guy who lost an arm sure talks big."
The old man frowned at my joking remark.
"You've made more work for me. You turned that woman into something resembling a corpse that's been violated."
"…Well, yes."
From the moment my arm was severed, it was no ordinary martial arts contest.
Perhaps she really intended to kill me.
I might have acted that way because I was confident I could heal through elixirs, but at least to me, the leader's actions felt that way.
"So, you're saying you want to start training from today."
"If not, I wouldn't have come here."
"Your shamelessness seems to suck the life right out of your own mother's spine."
With a laugh of disbelief, the old man turned to look at me. His three eyes, sharply slit, briefly scanned my body.
"Whoever trained you did well; your body is well balanced. The stability and capacity of your Qi will be resolved over time."
"Is there no way to shorten that time?"
"I'm speaking right now, aren't I? Just listen."
At his cold remark, I quickly shut my mouth.
"Your strength lies in your broad talent, and your weakness is also your broad talent. You have talent in sorcery and in martial arts. The problem is whether you focus on a specific area or fully utilize your broad range of talents."
This was about potential.
Cheondo had trained me to evenly develop talents in all areas, including magic.
In the long run, this indeed turned out to be better for me. If I possessed the talent to master it, spreading out would be far more beneficial.
However, there was far too little time allotted to me to cultivate a wide range of fields. It's uncertain when the disaster would strike.
"It's unnecessary to state such obvious things to you. If you desire remarkable growth, it's best to cease practicing sorcery here."
"Yes."
"And… you possess some shortcuts, don't you? How long do you plan to conceal the king's power?"
He was aware of that too.
"Do you know about this power?"
"Among those who have reached a certain level, there's no one in this world who is unaware of that power. Should it become known externally, many will target you."
The old man emphasized firmly.
"Utilizing that power to improve by leaps and bounds is not a big deal. That abnormal regenerative ability also originates from it."
"That's correct. But I barely know how to wield this power."
When my flesh made contact with a tree, I partially acquired the power of that tree.
If the opponent was a World Tree, one inherited its power.
The extent of the Tree King's power I was aware of didn't go beyond this, and it had never been particularly conspicuous before. While the World Tree of Time and others may envy and value my power, I have never truly sensed it.
'Of course, the power of the guidebook and the fruits is significant.'
The magical power I increased by forcibly gathering mana through meditation was less than what I obtained by consuming peaches and elixirs.
Eating fruits from the same tree consecutively reduces their effect, but even with that in mind, the impact was considerable.
"The method to wield that power… involves defeating or overpowering the World Tree. Well, that's something I cannot teach you."
The old man stretched his legs and stood up.
"You possess enough talent, and your technical skills are not lacking either. What do you think you need to focus on developing?"
I pondered deeply upon the old man's question.
Talent. My potential was guaranteed from the moment I arrived in this world.
Over 20, not just 10.
The common sense I applied in choosing my unique abilities and qualities was arbitrarily implanted by the World Tree, so there must be talents exceeding 10 somewhere.
Looking at the current Cheondo, she didn't seem like someone with a potential of 10. After all, Cheondo was also among the younger ones.
Yet, my potential was never on the low side.
I have also cultivated a lot in technical aspects.
What I lacked was…
After much thought, I slowly parted my lips.
"Real combat experience?"
"It seems to have been too easy a question."
Time and actual combat experience.
The old man nodded indifferently, without any change in expression.
"Extreme situations are indeed the best platforms for growth for humans and trees alike."
In the worst scenarios, the body hardened further, and the mana drawn for survival forcibly expanded the cauldron.
The old man, saying so, glanced at my complexion and approached me.
"Do you find it absurd? But it's true. Thousands of years ago, from the moment known magic emerged, all principles were twisted."
He was right.
No matter how much we talk about interpretive mechanics or mana science, we still don't understand the fundamental aspects.
Human muscles, seemingly insignificant when looked at their components, become incomparably tough when mixed with mana.
It was common knowledge in this era that the innate mana in the body strengthened it, and the accumulated mana in the cauldron was used for casting spells.
I had read it in some book.
Mana fundamentalists claimed that this world was made of mana.
In any case, it's true that more mana was absorbed in the worst situations.
"The problem is the worst situation. In Dowon, those who have death beside them are the strongest."
The old man opened his palm and then clenched it into a fist.
"In that sense, you might find it hard to endure. How could someone accustomed to pain feel death?"
As he said this, the thought of dying and the desperate struggle that followed were rare memories for me.
"You might need to die a few times before you can truly stand out."
The old man was smiling bizarrely.
"Let's see how many times your heart stops by today. If you keep up until the end, I'll ensure your skills double from now."
I matched the old man's stance.
Being the same martial art, our postures were similar.
The slight difference was probably because I had personally modified it to suit my body.
"To die?"
"Yes."
Spreading dense black mana, I held my breath.
To die.
"It's okay."
It wouldn't be a bad experience.