#88. Memories of the Beginning (1)
The top of a sheer cliff.
Damdeok was the first to come up! I exhaled and looked back.
“Hey, it’s killing me.”
Panoramic scenery.
The deep blue sky, the clouds floating like sculptures, and the vast flower fields of Samsin Halmi spread out below were a wonderful scenery, like something out of a fairy tale.
“Anyway, the scenery here is killer.”
It was a place I came and went to several times while fetching water, but when I actually encountered this scenery, I burst out in exclamation.
“The scenery at the bottom of the cliff is great, but especially those willow trees and spring water… .”
Damdeok turned around.
A willow tree located in the center of a cliff.
If the name had not been given, it was a tree so enormous that it could have been mistaken for the World Tree.
“I can’t see the end.”
The tip of the tree was so high in the sky that it could not be seen,
“I said that this entire cliff was formed by the hardened roots of that tree, so I told you everything.”
The height of this cliff is 200m.
So, the root length alone is 200m.
‘If it’s that far down, how high up is it? .’
That wasn’t all.
“A tree is a tree, but the spring water is more amazing.”
Clear spring water calmly pooling around the base of the willow tree.
It had a strange and mysterious atmosphere, like an oasis in a desert without a drop of water.
‘It’s just like the Ongdalsa spring from the legend.’
Damdeok took a step forward as if possessed.
The sound of the group coming up from behind was heard one after another, but Damdeok paid no heed and walked closer to the spring water.
I quietly bent down and looked into the spring water.
Fondant!
One of the fish that jumped was startled by the popularity and ran away.
As ripples appeared in the clear water, the shape of the face was disturbed.
“… … .”
It was strange.
The disheveled facial shape didn’t seem to be his own.
No, more accurately, it’s his face, but it doesn’t seem to be his current face… .
“… what.”
Something stirs beyond my memories.
“It definitely fits my face… .”
It was when Damdeok put his hand to calm the rolling waves.
[What are you looking at?]
I suddenly came to my senses when I heard Grandma Samsin’s voice.
Before I knew it, my companions had come right behind me.
“Hehehehehe! It’s finally here!! Jeaaanjaang!!”
A white cloud stretched out on the floor with a red face.
“Ah-oh! If they knew I was really living like this, the citizens of Atlaum would cry… !”
Adele Sharon also lay down next to him.
Seeing that Soo-yul standing next to him was slightly out of breath, he must have dragged the two here.
“brother! Why are you going up alone? “You just left without even looking back?!”
“Yes, you evil business owner! “Who am I to go through all this trouble? I have to have a conscience!”
Baekgureum and Adele Sharon began pouring out complaints in rapid fire.
Damdeok stood up with a grin.
The spring water had calmed down, and the image reflected in the water was unmistakably my own face.
‘I guess I was so tired that I saw everything.’
Damdeok brushed off the water droplets on his hands and approached Baekgureum and Adele Sharon.
“Those idiots are going to kill you. “That’s why you should have trained hard on a regular basis.”
“what?! “How hard I train!”
“Wow, I’m pissed. “Wizards don’t normally do physical work?!”
Baekgureum and Adele Sharon were upset, and Damdeok was giggling, teasing them.
Grandmother Samsin was looking at Damdeok closely with her back to her.
[Hmm… .]
Grandmother Samsin, who was looking at the calm spring water and Damdeok several times, muttered softly.
[I thought he was just a kid, but he was carrying a burden he couldn’t handle… .]
It was a quiet murmur that no one could hear, but Ju Soo-yul’s hands stopped shaking.
[Heul, that’s fun. This old man’s senses haven’t died yet. … Did you say Damdeok? What on earth are you doing there? Please come here and see.]
Damdeok, who was playing with Samsin Halmi’s gentle gestures, slowly approached.
Baekgureum and Adele Sharon, who were laughing and talking, also adjusted their posture and sat down.
A situation where everyone is looking at Samsin Halmi.
“What a system… “Can you fix Narinchang?”
In response to Damdeok’s question, Grandmother Samsin smiled gently as if the sunlight was reminding her.
[Well, it’s not exactly the concept of fixing it. It is a concept of being reborn.]
“yes? What is that… .”
[No need to talk much. Go in quickly.]
The place that Grandma Samsin pointed to was the spring water that had pooled under the willow tree.
[The spring water from the beginning has the power to return all living things to their original nature. If you soak it for half a day, even the broken narinchang will definitely return to its original state.]
After hearing Grandma Samsin’s explanation, Damdeok put down Baekseol and nodded.
“It is the spring water of the beginning… If you just go in, you can fix the system… ?”
Honestly, I was impressed.
What a convenient process it is, as all you have to do is soak for half a day.
I was already feeling uncomfortable from all the sweat, so I wanted to jump in and swim right away.
but,
“Ugh, it’s too deep… .”
When I stood in front of the spring, I didn’t dare to go in.
The upper water was so transparent and clear that the waves sparkling in the sunlight created a spectacular sight, but when I looked closer, the bottom was so deep that there was only endless darkness.
It’s as if the entire abyss is submerged in spring water… Such unknown fear was beneath my feet.
Damdeok felt his body stiffen without realizing it.
‘I think Styx felt this way when I was working part-time at Cerberus.’
Damdeok swallowed his saliva and glanced back.
Samsin Halmi and all of her companions were looking at Damdeok.
Everyone was like, ‘What are you doing? The look on his face said, ‘Go in now.’
“… I’m just saying this just in case, but there’s no other way… ?”
Damdeok hesitated and asked Halmi Samsin, but there was no way.
[doesn’t exist. What are you doing? Don’t go in quickly.]
At the same time as he said that, Baekgureum and Adele Sharon rushed towards him.
“How long are you going to make us suffer!”
“Go in quickly and finish it!”
“Huh? Don’t push! Don’t push!! Ahh!”
with a plop!
Grumble!
White clouds and Adele Sharon wave brightly above the water.
Even Baek Seol’s restless and anxious face was clearly visible.
‘This #$%@#… Boom… !’
I wanted to spit out a swear word, but all I could do was spit out a series of bubbles.
As my body slowly began to sink, I had an ominous feeling.
‘what… ! Why can’t my body come to mind? !’
It wasn’t that I couldn’t swim, but the more I struggled, the more my body sank.
The faces of Snow White and her companions become increasingly distant and blurry.
‘shit! It felt uncomfortable somehow… ! Save me… ! ‘Wow!’
Boom!
My last breath is expelled and I am losing consciousness.
‘If you go out… I won’t leave you alone… .’
As he stretched out his hand toward the surface of the water, Damdeok’s vision went dark.
* * *
Warm sunshine.
A cozy feeling.
Damdeok slowly opened his eyes.
“… “What, it’s on a cliff here?”
It was a familiar scene.
A place with large willow trees and clear spring water.
Damdeok was back where he was standing just moments ago.
“I was definitely in the water… ?”
I looked around, but Grandma Samsin and her colleagues were nowhere to be seen.
There are only willow trees, spring water, and flower fields at the bottom of the cliff, quietly filling their space.
When I saw the gentle pastel colors in my eyes, I felt somewhat at ease.
“… “This feels like another dream.”
It somehow felt similar to that time.
A wild dream I had when I lost consciousness after encountering Asmodeus.
“Why on earth do I have dreams like this regularly? “I used to not really have dreams.”
Is it like a side effect of obtaining the gods’ system?
It was something I really didn’t know.
“ha.”
As soon as Damdeok sighed, a pleasant wind blew.
Flower petals fluttered from somewhere, slightly blocking my view.
“… uh?”
Damdeok’s pupils dilated for a moment as his vision became wide open again.
Before I knew it, a child was standing under the willow tree.
When and where did it appear?
I didn’t even feel like I was popular… .
Damdeok’s eyes narrowed as he tilted his head and then slowly grew larger.
‘uh? Wait, that face… The reflection in the spring water just now… !’
Although he looked a little young, there was no doubt about it.
The child’s face was clearly the same face that had been reflected in the spring water just moments ago.
“… Who are you?”
A child who is somehow foreign to be called one’s own, and too like oneself to be called a stranger.
Damdeok approached the willow tree as if he were fascinated, but the child turned his back on Damdeok as if waiting for someone.
“Hey, wait a minute. Look at me kid… !”
Damdeok shouted and tried to approach the child, but he could no longer move forward as if he was blocked by a transparent wall.
yet,
A ray of sunlight shone from the direction the child was looking, and a mysterious woman appeared.
Damdeok was able to immediately recognize the identity of the elderly-looking woman with a smile that made those who saw her feel warm.
‘Anyone can see that she is a grandmother of three gods… .’
Although she was a little, or even a lot, young, she was definitely a grandmother of three.
A woman’s hand gently strokes the child’s head.
Her voice rang out like a whisper, as if coming from beyond the walls surrounding it.
– Ahaya of the beginning. Ahaya, born from the earth. Although I participated in the process of dominating you, my role was very minimal. In fact, it is all the things in this world that possess you, and they are all your parents. In this way, you will become someone who will embrace and love everyone… .
I couldn’t hear the woman’s next words clearly, but just by looking at her bright smiling face, I could roughly guess how good of a compliment she was giving me.
– Self, these are flowers that gather only the best qualities of all humans.
As the woman finished speaking, she gave the child a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
It was a very large and abundant bouquet that seemed to contain all the flowers in Samsin Halmi’s flower garden.
The child accepted a bouquet as tall as he had and looked up at the woman.
– Am I a special child?
– That’s right.
– why?
– Well, you… .
The faintly heard voice cuts off again.
As if they had been waiting, flower petals began to flutter again from all directions.
“wait for a sec! Who the hell are you… !”
Damdeok stretched out his hand towards the child who was smiling brightly, but he could not even open his eyes due to the strong rain of flower petals.
Kuoooooo!
The flower petals had suddenly turned into a huge tornado and were engulfing Damdeok.
“Tsk… ! Those damn flower petals are like a typhoon… ! I can’t move like this… !”
Damdeok closed his eyes tightly.
The vibrations intensified as hundreds and tens of millions of flower petals hit the body violently.
Just when I thought I was going to get hit by a real flower petal and die, the surroundings suddenly became quiet, as if it was a lie.
“… … ?”
When he slowly opens his eyes, he sees Halmi Samsin and her companions staring at him.
“… “What are you doing?”
Addressul asked.
Damdeok, who was covering his face with his arms, slowly lowered his arms and looked around.
Numerous flower petals disappeared everywhere, and I found myself floating on the calm water.
Very peacefully.
“… … .”
“What is it, hyung, when you first went in, you acted like you were falling into the water and struggling. Are you continuing the concept? “Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!”
“Are you good at acting? “Even this great actor was able to hide his body?”
“Kkeuk, I just closed my eyes for half a day as if I was brushing my teeth… .”
“What is the act of suddenly opening your eyes while struggling?”
Baekgureum and Adele Sharon burst into laughter.
Damdeok was dumbfounded.
For half a day?
Has it already been half a day?
In that moment?
Ju Soo-yul approached Damdeok, who was dazed, and asked.
“Why are you so dazed? After being in the spring water for half a day, the system must have been fixed. “Have you checked?”
[Kkkeul, what can I say? Of course, it will come back cleanly.]
Oh right.
system… !
As Damdeok hurriedly opened the system window, new notifications burst out.
[Tiring!]
[I faced the memories of the beginning.]
[From now on, you can open the memories of your past life.]
fantasy,
