The enchanting flight lasted about an hour. When the reed-boat landed near their temporary shelter, Yohan looked at Seo Yakrin with awed eyes.
It was true that abilities grew the more they were used, but to keep such a mass floating and moving for a full hour... it was astounding. But truthfully, it wasn’t only Seo Yakrin who amazed him.
Yoon Seungryong could still store objects without apparent limit in his spatial ability, Joo Hoyoung’s speed was unmatched, and Hyunmook’s deep, dark shadow...
They seemed like people who had spent over a hundred years using their powers without pause. But how could that be possible?
‘They must have gone through tremendous ordeals in those three years. And contamination must play a part too.’
Still, there was something that left Yohan vaguely uneasy. His thoughts were cut short when a bird fluttered down with a chirp and perched on his shoulder. It was one of those that had followed the reed-boat, drawn by his light. Yohan smiled softly, extending his hand as the bird tilted its head adorably. Seo Yakrin whistled, and the flock settled on her head and shoulders.
“Good. So cute.”
Watching her command the birds as though conversing with them, Yohan felt some thought flicker faintly in his mind. He tilted his head too, when Yoon Seungryong called out.
“Yohan, can you purify here?”
“Ah, yes!”
The shelter, left unattended for nearly a month, was in disarray. Yohan purified the area while Seungryong cut down the overgrowth, restoring it to its former shape. As they planted new seeds—wilted fruit and vegetables—Joo Hoyoung lingered near Seo Yakrin.
“Noona, when will you fix my weapon?”
“First mine, then the leader’s, then yours. Last will be that guy’s.”
Hearing that his weapon would be tended last, Seungryong snorted, not even surprised. Seo Yakrin pulled several daggers from her chest. Unlike the others, she did not use a spear, relying instead on her telekinesis to drive daggers into foes, slicing and piercing. Hyunmook asked as she carefully worked on them:
“How long will it take you?”
“At most a week.”
“Good. Then in a week, we’ll leave this place. It isn’t good for staying long.”
Everyone agreed. Though they had been apart and come together again, no one doubted Hyunmook’s leadership. To Yohan, it seemed natural.
Joo Hoyoung left to patrol, Seungryong tended the garden, and Yakrin focused on her weapons. With nothing to do, Yohan quietly moved to Hyunmook’s side. He sat down close, glancing at him shyly. Hyunmook, poking the fire, turned to look at him, studying his face. Then he asked:
“Yohan, aren’t you afraid of me?”
“Uh...”
Immediately, what came to mind was when the Bumram ambushed them. That face of his, where nothing existed but the abyss of dark pupils. Hyunmook had retained a human form, but it was more terrifying than Seo Yakrin’s body swollen with endless feathers or Seungryong’s flesh dissolving into some massive worm. It had been unbearable to look at, and Yohan had finally understood why the others feared him so deeply.
It felt like letting his guard down even slightly would mean being swallowed whole by that dreadful darkness.
“To be honest, I can’t say I wasn’t scared....”
His words trailed off awkwardly. Hyunmook gave a bitter smile. Yohan, gazing at that handsome smile, reached out.
“But more than that...”
More than that, he was dear to him. With that feeling, Yohan laced his fingers with Hyunmook’s and kissed the back of his hand. Just that much left his face burning red. Hyunmook’s lips curved faintly.
“My Yangyang is audaciously cute.”
At the nickname, Yohan’s eyes flared and he purified Hyunmook on the spot. This time, Hyunmook laughed out loud.
“Isn’t it time you admitted it’s just a pet name?”
“A pet name....”
As he muttered in protest, he felt a piercing gaze. Looking up, he found Seo Yakrin glaring at Hyunmook, her eyes narrowing to sharp triangles. Though the look wasn’t aimed at him, Yohan squirmed uneasily. Finally, Hyunmook spoke calmly:
“Yakrin, tend to your weapons. Is there some problem?”
“...N-no. No problem.”
Snapping back curtly, Seo Yakrin turned away and resumed her work. Yohan, embarrassed, bowed his head and focused on purification. Just then, Joo Hoyoung returned from patrol, scratching his cheek as he approached Hyunmook.
“Uh, leader...”
“What is it? Something wrong?”
Hyunmook’s sharp gaze snapped toward him. Hoyoung’s face showed he had seen something troublesome, though not urgently dangerous. Still, after everything they had faced, Yohan couldn’t help feeling nervous.
“It’s... something I’ve never seen before....”
“Was it Bumram?”
Seo Yakrin asked sharply, but Hoyoung shook his head. With an awkward tone, he said:
“No, not Bumram. The Black Mountain... isn’t black anymore.”
* * *
Seo Yakrin stayed at the great tree shelter for a week, tending to their weapons. Even those that had seemed fine before now gleamed sharper and straighter under her care. Their shapes had been subtly warped, though not broken.
When all were reforged, they set out. Nearing the Black Mountain beyond the reed-sea, they stopped in astonishment. Seungryong crossed his arms, surveying it, and said:
“Shouldn’t we rename it now? Maybe Spotted Mountain?”
He was right. The mountain that had always loomed in gloom and darkness was now blotched with color. Here and there, shimmering patches glowed faintly in many hues.
“What the hell is that? What new madness is about to happen now?”
Yakrin scowled, half fear and half anger. But unlike her, the others seemed to have their suspicions. Yohan explained to her what had happened when he was swallowed by the mountain.
“You purified the Black Mountain? So that’s all Eternal Stone?”
Hearing that, Seo Yakrin looked horrified.
“Well, it looks better than black at least. Doesn’t feel ominous either. If Yohan purified it, I guess it’s not a bad thing.”
“Old hag, for once you’re making sense.”
“I told you to stop calling me old hag.”
“What else do you call an old hag?”
As always, Seungryong and Yakrin bickered. Frowning as he stared at the blotched mountain, Yohan finally caught hold of a thought that had been brushing his mind.
“Yakrin noona.”
“Yes, Yohan! What is it? Do you need something?”
Breaking off her snarling at Seungryong, she answered in the gentlest, most doting voice imaginable—like saying “what does my baby need?”
“Do you think you could talk with the Black Mountain?”
“Huh? With the mountain?”
“I mean, like when you reforge Eternal Stone. Could you sense if it has a will? Maybe we could gain some useful information... couldn’t we?”
Yohan remembered how the mountain had seemed alive, watching and moving, when it swallowed and imprisoned him. Surely that had been its will. Now, with Yakrin here, maybe they could communicate.
‘If we could negotiate well, maybe it could even serve as a refuge when Bumram comes again. Or... maybe trusting it would be too dangerous.’
The others looked at him as if the idea had never once occurred to them. Of course, ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) until Yohan’s imprisonment, they hadn’t even known the mountain was Eternal Stone. Hyunmook murmured, staring at it:
“Talking with the Black Mountain...?”
“That might not be bad. Even if it fails, what’s the loss? At worst the old hag gets buried. Peaceful silence for a while.”
At Seungryong’s remark, Yakrin shot him a glare, but she too seemed to consider Yohan’s proposal positively.
“While we’re there, we should collect some Eternal Stones. They’ll be useful later.”
Unanimously, they agreed to Yohan’s idea. But because of the previous incident where Yohan had been separated, Hyunmook ordered only Seo Yakrin and Joo Hoyoung to approach the mountain.
“Yakrin has telekinesis, so she can get herself out alone. And Hoyoung can always retreat instantly if needed.”
“Okay, we’ll be quick~!”
The other three stayed at a distance, far enough that the two looked like specks. Even so, Hyunmook still wasn’t satisfied, his thick arm tightening around Yohan’s waist. Yohan, without complaint, pressed himself close to him.
