In the Shaolin Temple located in Henan Province, a heavy atmosphere filled with sudden unrest loomed as a strong figure appeared inside, controlling the visitors.
“Ha, really! Where the heck have you been?”
“Kahaha! Just handling a pressing matter! Sorry about that! Did you wait long?”
“…Not really. I wasn’t particularly waiting. Now that you’re here, I had nothing else to do but waste time anyway, especially right after the clash with the Demon Cult.”
“Right, right. But I brought a bunch of gifts, so cheer up, my friend!”
Amidst the dissatisfaction, Gu Gwang-ma Mok Ing-gwang’s reply was filled with joy that he couldn’t hide, causing Harley to burst into his usual refreshing laughter.
Even though the martial monks of the Shaolin Temple were turning away all visitors at the foot of the mountain, he was an exception.
No matter what others said, he was practically a benefactor to them.
Gulp gulp—
“…Just asking, but what are you doing right now?”
“Huh? Eating meat. Want a bite? …It’s precious, so I can’t just give it to anyone…”
Even seeing such antics, it was clear Mok Ing-gwang couldn’t express his discomfort too strongly, just giving hints.
Still, in this holy land, it couldn’t be allowed for him to continuously devour meat like that.
“Uhm.”
Caught between the chunk of meat in his hand and Mok Ing-gwang’s odd expression, Harley seemed to be in a dilemma.
He soon nodded somberly as if having made a resolution.
“Hmm— Yeah, a man shouldn’t be stingy with food. Here, I’ll generously share this precious meat. Be thankful, alright? It’s really a rare treat!”
“No, that’s not what I meant….”
And the moment he slowly offered the meat in hand—
“Ahem, sir? This is the sacred realm that honors the Buddha. At the very least, could you refrain from meat in the temple premises?”
A monk, who approached reluctantly, managed to keep a straight face as he gently spoke.
He looked awkward, clearly not expecting to have to speak so directly.
“…Ah, right! I forgot!”
Gulp—
Harley quickly pulled back his outstretched hand and swiftly shoved the large piece of meat down his throat, nodding his head.
Then, smacking his lips and wiping the grease on his pants, he grinned widely.
“Whoa! Sorry about that! I’m just not used to this culture! I’ll be more careful from now on!”
His quick acknowledgment and apology for his mistake.
Whether that was truly a reflective attitude is debatable, but anyway, having achieved his objective, the monk folded his hands in prayer and stepped back with a hesitant expression.
“Guess there’s no helping it! I’ll save the meat for another opportunity!”
Although his reaction seemed like he had been waiting for interference, it was merely a sign that he still held a shred of decency— he definitely wasn’t holding back on sharing the meat out of reluctance.
‘Should I eat a bit more? I mean, when fighting, losses do happen, right? If I consider this as one of those… Yeah, a portion about the size of a head should be fine, right?’
Harley thought as he glanced down at his arm, clenching his fist lightly.
As always, he felt the unprecedented power in his grip.
Yet, within that usual strength, something faintly different lingered that hadn’t been there before.
‘The “God of Consumption” indeed… The name truly holds weight, huh? It’s still nothing but a seed for now, though.’
To be honest, he hadn’t liked the naming of the skill from the start.
It felt all too much like a comedic phrase heard in various media, including TV.
But that was all just prejudice stemming from initial impressions.
God of Consumption.
No matter what, having the term “God” in the skill’s name couldn’t mean it was something ordinary.
To encapsulate that ability in one line, one could say this:
‘An apex of consumption that could devour even the divine.’
The skill’s origin likely wasn’t limited to just having Power of Consumption and consuming the flesh of Tam.
Having devoured a part of the Buncheon Society leader’s wing previously must have had a substantial effect as well.
At that time, even though he had only gained resistance to the holy, no significant change had occurred, but the karma left within him reacted all at once due to this event, leading to an evolution.
In such circumstances, it was only natural for him to crave Tam’s flesh.
Despite being partially lost along the way, Tam was, after all, a monster that had brushed against divinity.
It was only right that some of the divinity was contained within its flesh.
However, Harley suppressed his desire and shook his head.
‘No, don’t be greedy. Moderation is key in everything. Now that the seed has surely taken root, there’s no need to be overly ambitious.’
‘Dying’ is solely enough to bring about a massive drop in level.
Even a complete deity would have to pay an enormous price to resurrect once dead, so how much worse would it be for Tam, who was already in a flawed state?
Eating up its massive body would only net him a minuscule amount of divinity.
Instead, utilizing it for the restoration of the Ganghwan Realm as originally planned would be far more efficient.
‘There will surely be other opportunities in the future.’
He was confident.
He believed that before long, he could seize what he desired.
‘Doing what needs to be done will naturally bring timing along. Just like it always has.’
Of course, before that…
There was one very important thing he had to take care of first!
“By the way, my friend?”
“…What?”
“I heard that while I was coming here, people were calling us Gu Gwang-ma and Sin Gwang-ma.”
“…………..”
“Hmm— that doesn’t sit well with me, does it? The ones who were there at the scene are likely the culprits behind those rumors. If someone had properly corrected it back then, we wouldn’t have gotten such strange names. What do you think, my friend?”
As Harley continued with narrowed eyes, Mok Ing-gwang pursed his lips, subtly avoiding his gaze.
Just as he said.
At the time when the nickname hadn’t properly settled, if the person involved had directly stepped forward to correct it, the title could have very much changed.
No matter how much a nickname is given by the public, if someone with an established title acts outstandingly in a crisis, it would be hard to dismiss their words outright.
Yet he had chosen silence instead of stepping forward.
In truth, that choice was quite natural for him.
It would be better by a million times to become “Gu Gwang-ma” than to shamefully reveal that he had lost his nickname of “Gwangmad.”
“That was beyond my control. Even after you suddenly disappeared, the chaos persisted for quite a while, and when it started to calm down, everyone was in a hurry to return to their bases… Beyond that, a nickname is something the person can decide freely…”
“Oh, why is this friend so suddenly chatty? I’m not mad about that! Are we really going to argue over something so trivial? That’s disappointing!”
“…Ahem, is that so?”
With Harley’s bold query, Mok Ing-gwang’s mood brightened.
He thought he would have to have a fierce argument with his rather touchy large friend, but it seemed that was just his own delusion.
‘Thank goodness. Well, he doesn’t seem like the type to hold grudges over something so trivial…’
But Harley’s words weren’t finished yet.
“Kahahaha! Let’s just converse in our way! After all, that’s how we became friends in the first place!”
“…Our way? Become friends?”
“Right, right! Just like when we first met!”
Thud thud!
With their rock-like fists colliding, Harley beamed a bright smile.
The impact caused his wild muscles to twitch fiercely.
Alongside that, a vague yet familiar memory flickered through Mok Ing-gwang’s mind, almost hauntingly.
Gulp—
His expression tensed up again from that nearly traumatic memory resurrecting, but of course, Harley was oblivious to such minor reactions.
The conversation of bodies colliding.
This was the best way to have a genuine and straightforward exchange!
‘What a perfect opportunity. I can see how much I’ve changed.’
To understand the change in his body, there was no better way than to put it to the test.
And Mok Ing-gwang, who was known for his strength, was the optimal opponent for that.
“Come on, buddy! Let’s go! Kahahaha!”
“….”
While Harley boldly led the way towards the training area, Mok Ing-gwang couldn’t refuse and moved his feet like livestock being dragged to the slaughterhouse.
After a while.
Only one person could walk out of the training area, which had turned into a mess.
‘Hah, that was refreshing. It’s just what I needed to suppress that friend’s madness one more time.’
Despite becoming a perfectly sane person since meeting Harley, he had once been known as one of the greatest madmen of the Ganghwan Realm, called “Gwangma.”
Now that things had been quiet for a while, nobody knew when a reaction might occur, so regular management was essential.
That meant— this wasn’t just aimless venting but a part of a treatment entirely for him, and rather, it was a pure goodwill for which he’d be grateful a thousand times over.
‘No strange monster on Gonmudo knows about the Tyrant of Madness, but since I have Tyrant of Madness (Modified), I should be okay.’
If he consistently guided Mok Ing-gwang, it wouldn’t be long before he ascended to the Current Realm.
Of course, the process might be quite painful and difficult, but that’s the way it is in pursuit of enlightenment, isn’t it?
‘Well then, shall we get to the real business?’
With that, satisfied with settling the matters he had put on hold, Harley immediately requested an audience with the Shaolin Temple’s head monk.
To officially set the stage for the rehearsal of the domestic theater.
*
It was not strange that the communication initiated by Je Gal Hye-mi in Beijing connected to Hugo.
No matter how much of a genius she was, this was the first time using formal magical arts.
As such, a slight error in setting the target was fully understandable.
[…It seems that during the process of asking for help from Prince Ju Gang-in, my calculations got thrown off. I felt uneasy doing this alone, and since the others were all in rather poor shape, I had no choice but to ask the Prince for help…]
As a result, the two had formed a strong bond, and because he was nearby to save them, the thread of causality was connected.
‘Honestly, that alone is quite impressive.’
In any case, it allowed for reducing the time needed, which was a good thing on this end.
This matter was better done quickly.
Hugo, while encouraging her, who was tense about being detected, initiated communication once more to send word to the Zhuge family’s stronghold.
[Is it really alright? It’s been quite some time since the commotion outside stopped. No matter how discreetly I tried to activate it, if a master comes nearby, they might notice something odd.]
It was definitely alright.
He had intentionally left a few disturbances around her to distract her.
But since he couldn’t outright say that, he could only reassure her with trusty and confident words.
[…Phew, alright. I’ll give it another try. Honestly, having attempted once has given me a bit more confidence. I can’t believe I spent so long bedridden for things like this.]
Her voice, once shaky, now regained a resolute tone, as if she had gathered courage.
Just as it seemed the communication would be cut—
[…Frankly, this is all thanks to Lord Ha. If I were still in frail condition like the others, I wouldn’t have been able to attempt such a thing.]
Unlike before, her voice lingered as if hesitating, revealing a trace of unease that seemed to disappear.
[…Will we be able to meet again?]
Of course, Hugo’s answer to that had already been decided.
[Of course. Didn’t we promise? To tell each other what happened at the Murim Alliance gathering.]
[…You remember that?]
[Certainly. I’ve already prepared a souvenir. And how about you? Have you been keeping up with your exercises during this time?]
[Well, I haven’t missed a day up until yesterday. I just didn’t do today’s because I was attempting this.]
[Thankfully, there’s still a long time before midnight. You should call the Zhuge family right away, then work out and get some rest. It will fit perfectly.]
[…Tch, got it.]
As they exchanged seemingly trivial banter, Hugo could sense Je Gal Hye-mi’s tension ease significantly.
It seemed not all of their conversation was without substance.
[I’ve now arrived near Beijing. I’ll find a way somehow, so please don’t give up. No matter what, I’ll definitely rescue you.]
[…………..]
A firm statement based on unwavering truth.
Her response stuttered for a moment.
[…Yes, then I will wait.]
With that faint reply, the communication was completely cut off.
Now she would probably rest for a bit and then reach out to the Zhuge family to relay her current location and surrounding circumstances as detailed as possible.
Of course, that might render his trip here pointless, but he didn’t care about such trivial issues.
After all, he didn’t come to Beijing just to gather information.
“Well then, what’s next…”
Completing his thoughts, Hugo nodded seriously.
The communication from Je Gal Hye-mi had momentarily interrupted him, but wasn’t he in the midst of an exceptionally significant task?
‘Let’s see, next on the agenda… Baeknyeon Hasuo? Let’s skip that. If I build a tolerance to this low-grade elixir, it’ll only lower its efficiency. Oh! The Thousand-Year Three Kings, yes. That should be good enough. Still feels lacking… Guess I should call Harris to properly extract some elixirs.’
Hugo swallowed an elixir without even refining or managing its effects, something that should generally never be done.
But for him, who possessed Power of Consumption, it was now a non-issue.
Woowoo—
With the flow of Qi spreading through the area, the internal energy within him boiled.
Hugo— Ha Seung-hoon, a master in his early twenties.
By mere measure of quantity, his internal energy could easily rival the best across the world.
