Kim Shinrok walked straight along the road between the Black Dragon Palace and the White Dragon Palace.

Hwangryong restructured the palace so he wouldn’t get lost.

Shortly along his walk, he noticed that the original color of the palaces was restored, the White Dragon Palace shining in pure white.

‘Is that dragon really there still?’

Kim Shinrok told Yong Jegun to watch him, but he never thought he would wait in the same spot after everything.

After all, the shamans’ powers were cut off and the Water Mirror disappeared midway.

Considering Yong Jegun’s usual personality, he would fly away right away, saying that it would be more fun to watch him in person.

Kim Shinrok doubted that Yong Jegun was really waiting at the White Dragon Palace, but he decided that the Dragon King nor Hwangryong would lie to him.

Even so, it wasn’t easy for him to walk.

‘All the threats on the Dragon Palace have disappeared. Won’t that guy ascend now since he has no regrets?’

When he talked to Hwangryong, he thought that maybe he was the reason why Yong Jegun wanted to ascend.

But is it entirely because of him?

Perhaps the mischievous dragon decided to ascend to help his close friends and return to the Dragon King’s side because he was sick of the present world.

Yong Jegun was favored enough to be called the Dragon King’s darling, and the Dragon King is a dignified and beautiful superior being that could make anyone want to ascend next to his side.

‘It’s understandable why Jeokryong, Baekryong, and Heukryong chose the Dragon King instead of this world. Maybe that dragon too will…’

The Dragon King has descended, but Yong Jegun isn’t eager to see his face.

Is it because he can ascend to the divine world and see him anyway?

The reason why Yong Jegun was waiting there may be to say goodbye to his close friend for the last time.

It was the first day of the Lunar New Year, just a little past midnight.

The remaining time until Yong Jegun’s ascension is zero.

Kim Shinrok came to a standstill as his thoughts spoke to him.

— Professor Kim Shinrok, please remember what Sung Gukeon sunbaenim said.

Ahn Dain’s words before he went to the Dragon Palace suddenly came to mind.

— He regrets not having been able to express his gratitude before you left, Professor. And that he couldn’t help you make any other choices.

— I heard that Professor Yong Jegun is about to ascend. I hope you don’t make the same regrets as he did.

Even though he ignored his own feelings, Kim Shinrok couldn’t ignore his student’s words.

The words “regret” and “express” felt so stinging that a corner of his heart felt heavy.

Kim Shinrok walked forward again as he felt the weight of those words.

Swiik.

He stood in front of the White Dragon Palace’s main gate and it opened as if it was waiting for him.

As the door opened, Kim Shinrok saw the spacious lobby of the White Dragon Palace.

And there he was.

Yong Jegun stood in a space so white that it hurt his eyes.

‘Was he right in front of the door?’

Kim Shinrok felt choked up.

He thought it was unlikely, but maybe Yong Jegun might’ve been lost in the labyrinth that Hwangryong initially formed.

But Hwangryong adjusted his position to put him in front of the main door so they could see each other immediately if Yong Jegun wanted to.

Yong Jegun was there of his own will.

His blindfold was on, and Yong Jegun’s mouth formed a curve.

“I’ve been watching from here, Shinrok-ah. I did good, right?”

Kim Shinrok didn’t know why Yong Jegun was smiling and asking things like that.

There were a lot of things he wanted to ask, but seeing his friend, something else came out of his mouth.

“You knew what was going on outside, but you just stayed here and watched?”

“Yeah. Everyone seems to be doing well.”

“Even though the Dragon King descended?”

“If I don’t meet him this time, I can just meet him in my dreams.”

Yong Jegun’s words made it easy for those who fought hard outside to be angry and for the Dragon King to be upset.

He acted as if he knew that things would work out well even without him, but it left a bad taste.

But it was Kim Shinrok who told him to sit and watch, so he couldn’t really say anything.

There was a moment of silence.

“Shinrok-ah, do you want to live?”

Yong Jegun broke the silence.

Just those words made Kim Shinrok think that he really had no regrets left.

He tried to say, “What are you talking about?” but stopped when he looked at Yong Jegun again.

Yong Jegun was smiling like usual, but he sounded anxious.

“I don’t really wanna die.”

He didn’t know why, but the question seemed to be very important to Yong Jegun, so Kim Shinrok answered truthfully.

“I finally got the power to fight against the Bear Clan. As long as I can use this power to fight, I won’t give up my life.”

“Looks like I have to be alive until all the bears die then.”

Yong Jegun didn’t seem satisfied, but he looked delighted.

Kim Shinrok decided to be brave with the power to fight against the bears.

He couldn’t really speak well, so he had to squeeze out his next words.

“Rather than giving me your power as a superior being, I think I’ll fight better if you’re next to me and help me use the energy wave link.”

He didn’t say Yong Jegun’s name, but he still felt extremely embarrassed saying those things.

He openly admitted that he assumed that Yong Jegun’s ascension was because of him, and it’s like he was telling him not to leave.

“Jeho-yah.”

The sudden mention of his name made Kim Shinrok raise his head.

He didn’t know when his head hung low like that.

After calling his close friend’s name, Yong Jegun spoke impatiently.

“I, I can’t see. Remove my blindfold.”

What kind of strange words are those?

Kim Shinrok’s guts broke when he squeezed out his courage and said nonsense.

“Do it with your own hands.”

“I can’t see. I can’t do it.”

Kim Shinrok felt like he wanted to hit Yong Jegun.

No matter if he can see or not, he can undo the blindfold on his own face.

It would take him less than a second to use a skill or spatial technique, so what nonsense was Yong Jegun on about?

And besides, can’t he see more clearly now that his divinity has risen?

Thinking that far, Kim Shinrok had a sudden realization.

‘Vision becomes wider when divinity rises. If he can’t see now, that means…’

Kim Shinrok reached for Yong Jegun’s blindfold.

It was so tight that he couldn’t easily untie it.

He thought about cutting it off with his knife, but he couldn’t do that to Hwangryong’s gift.

His hands trembled so it took him a long time to untangle the blindfold.

After much effort, the blindfold was released, but Yong Jegun closed his eyes.

Kim Shinrok had to suppress the urge to lift his eyelids with the back of his knife just like what he does to the people he tortures.

“Open your eyes.”

The word made Yong Jegun smile ecstatically as he slowly opened his eyes.

Then, his jade-colored eyes shone like jewels.

While staring into the eyes of a close friend he hadn’t seen for a long time, Kim Shinrok smiled without realizing it.

Even upon close observation, no divinity was left in Yong Jegun’s eyes.

***

After Kim Shinrok headed to the White Dragon Palace.

Many of the people here had to take a break from this big mess, but they couldn’t do it just yet.

The Dragon Clan had to decide on what to do with the shamans while the Dragon King was still here.

‘No matter if it’s light or heavy, they will punish them. It doesn’t look so good either way.’

Everyone attended the meeting on what to do with the shamans.

The Tiger Clan guests and I won’t be directly involved in their disposition, but we will be watching since we were involved in this case.

The problem now was with the shaman candidates.

At first, Hwangryong suggested that the youngest palace shaman and the candidates go someplace else.

‘Even though they betrayed the Dragon Clan, they’re still shamans. It’s not right to show this to the candidates or the youngest palace shaman.’

But they said they wanted to stay and watch.

Since the others insisted that they would stay, the youngest palace shaman had no choice but to stay too.

They stood behind the Dragon Clan and watched the clambered shamans.

“It would take torture to know what happened behind the scenes. I hope you leave that up to our descendant.”

“Can we ask the Tiger Clan guest for that favor?”

“Yes. So whatever you do with them, I want you to give him time to torture the shamans.”

Hwang Jiho and Hwangryong had a heartwarming conversation, but all the shamans wriggled when they heard it.

Some of them pretended to faint, while some hadn’t come back to their senses yet, but they were getting there.

It wasn’t because the shamans were resilient, it was thanks to the fact that the Dragon King was kind enough to heal them a little so they could be conscious.

‘He’s taken back his powers from them, but I don’t think the shamans have completely lost their connection to him.’

Seeing the Dragon King like that bothered me a little.

He’s not going to forgive the shamans, is he?

[Listen, my shamans.]

The Dragon King’s solemn voice rang through the Dragon Palace, and all the shamans opened their eyes.

It wasn’t in respect of the Dragon King, but it was an outside force that made them look.

Seeing that, I became sure.

The Dragon King hasn’t completely cut off his relationship with the shamans yet.

And he called them my shamans.

That means he still regards them as his own.

[Even though I know now your intentions, I still love you.]

The tiger guests squinted.

I too, when I heard it, wondered if the Dragon King was in his right mind.

It is said that the way superior beings love humans is immeasurable, but it was amazing that he still had affection left for these shamans.

I heard the merciful voice of the Dragon King.

[I want to grant your wish. I will give you the strength to live as long as possible, even though it is not the perfect eternal life you have hoped for. As long as my power reaches you, your life will continue.]

“Oh, Dragon King…!”

The shamans’ eyes opened wide and called the Dragon King in jubilation.

Cheongryong and the others looked away, unable to take the sight of it.

The people they once considered family are on the floor like this.

Unlike them, the Dragon King and Hwangryong didn’t turn their heads away from the traitors until the end.

“Do you know why a shaman’s term is limited?”

There was no anger or doubt in Hwangryong’s voice.

He only calmly told the truth.

“If you hold a dragon’s power for a long time, your body will be ruined. The talented shamans endure it for a long time, but there is a limit. That’s why we choose new shamans every fixed year, and if they want to retire, we accept it any time.”

I realized it from Hwangryong’s words.

I just realized how scary the mercy of the Dragon King was.

The shamans, who had not yet understood the meaning of Hwangryong’s words, were so happy that their faces had distorted.

“You will live in the love of the Dragon King even if it ruins you.”

As long as the Dragon King loves the shamans, they will survive even if their bodies and minds are broken.

Even until their bodies are sick, their hands and feet are rotten, and their minds are so broken that they won’t know how to feel joy.

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