CHAPTER 08

“Oh, yes, that’s right, Poison King.”

The old man bowed deeply with a touched expression.

“You really are the Poison King. I can’t believe you figured it out just by looking.”

“I was connected to the heavens for a short time too. Were you planning to hide it?”

“No, I was going to tell you right away. I was only able to bring you back to life because of that connection.”

“Really? But even with that, you didn’t know I would be revived twice? If your heavenly vein was open, you should’ve seen the future.”

“I’m sorry. The vision I saw of the future…”

The old man let out a long sigh.

“It started with the destruction of one of the eight main Sword King families—the Granble family.”

“Tell me everything.”

“We were told to gather all the children under 18 from the destroyed village and bring in other children we had prepared. Then, we performed the ritual of Poison Insect inside a cave filled with Earth Poison. That’s when I saw a vision that you would return.”

“Poison Insect ritual, huh.”

Kaynans looked around at the corpses on the ground and nodded.

“So this is what all that was for.”

“Yes, my lord. We followed the ritual you left behind.”

“I only created the theory. I didn’t expect it to actually work.”

“Ah…”

The vice leader wiped his forehead and sighed again.

“It wasn’t easy. I used your writings as a guide, but…”

“You basically had to create it all over again, didn’t you?”

“Yes, exactly. Anyway, all I saw was the result—that you would come back. But I couldn’t tell who you would possess or how it would happen.”

“Really?”

“Yes. My connection to the heavens is weak. So even when I see the future, it’s rare and unclear. I wouldn’t dare lie to you.”

“…I see.”

Kaynans slowly nodded.

Anyway, he was alive again, so maybe that was enough. But deep inside, he still felt disappointed.

That’s how special Ray’s body was.

Maybe it was because his heavenly vein was open. Even the spirit of poison that had wandered the land for hundreds of years had fallen into Ray’s body and couldn’t escape.

It had been unforgettable.

That’s why when a new body was prepared, his soul immediately flew to it—hoping it might be like Ray’s again.

“…Maybe this is fate.”

Kaynans looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

Once, he had been human. Then for a long time, he had become a poison spirit. Now, he was human again.

“If it weren’t for that boy, I’d still be scattered across the Earth Veins, wandering forever. Even now, though I’m alive, I feel regret.”

“I’m sorry. Was his body really that amazing?”

“Yes. His name was Ray.”

“I’ll remember it.”

The old man nodded and gave a report.

“But the first cave—Cave One—is in a bad state. It seems to have been completely destroyed by enemies. We don’t know exactly what happened.”

“I see. That’s unfortunate.”

Kaynans turned his head with a blank expression.

“There’s no rush. I’ve accepted this new body. If I want to take another one, I can. Even if ghosts try to push me out, it won’t work anymore.”

“Ghosts? What do you mean?”

“They were like family. One day, I’ll create my own, too… No, forget it. It’s not important now.”

“Understood.”

The old man bowed obediently. Kaynans bit his lip as he looked around the dark cave.

“Ray Granble…”

He would take that body back someday.

If he had never experienced it, maybe he could forget. But now that he knew what it was like to see the world through that heavenly body, to feel that sweet pain of a tragic fate—he could never forget.