"Divine Fruit?"

I tilted my head in confusion at the turtle’s words.

I had heard of the Divine Tree, but never of the Divine Fruit.

'Just from the name, it sounds like a fruit that grows on a Divine Tree.'

If that was the case—

'Then that tree was also a Divine Tree?'

Did that mean the tree I had seen back then was a Divine Tree?

'What the hell?'

Something about this felt off.

'That tree was too small.'

It was far too small to be called a Divine Tree.

Even if size wasn’t the issue—

'...Which Divine Tree was it?'

Noya had mentioned five Divine Trees.

Which one was it supposed to be?

'It wasn’t that far away.'

The location wasn’t too far from Yahwol.

Of course, there was a possibility that Yarang had carried me a great distance while I was unconscious.

But I doubted that.

The reason was—

'The timing doesn’t add up.'

From the time she carried me to when I woke up back in my original location—

Judging by how much time had passed, I couldn’t have been taken that far.

Which meant—

'If that tree was a Divine Tree, it wasn't far from Yahwol.'

And if it wasn’t—

'Then Yarang had another way of moving long distances.'

She had some method of covering large distances quickly without walking or running.

'...But that’s not important right now.'

Yarang’s abilities weren’t the issue here.

The real concern was the situation at hand.

"Are you saying the tree I saw was a Divine Tree?"

"You said you saw it yourself. Didn’t you notice anything?"

"...Was I supposed to?"

What was I supposed to feel?

I had felt some strangeness back then, but that was it.

'I didn’t sense anything particularly special.'

I had simply thought, Oh, that’s an unusual tree.

The atmosphere around it had felt unique.

But that was all.

'Was I supposed to feel something more?'

I picked up on something strange from the turtle’s reaction.

Turning my head, I gazed off into the distance.

Toward the Divine Tree within Mount Hua.

Would I sense anything now?

I stared at it with that question in mind—

Thump—!

"...!"

My eyes widened.

'What the hell?'

It felt different.

Something was distinctly different from before.

The moment I looked at the Divine Tree, I felt the change.

"Why? Do you sense it now?"

The turtle asked, watching my reaction.

"...Yeah. I can feel it."

Why hadn’t I noticed this before?

Inhale.

Exhale.

As I breathed in and out, the difference became even clearer.

The moment I laid eyes on the Divine Tree, everything had changed.

'It feels... sacred.'

Sacred and noble.

Just looking at the tree filled me with indescribable emotions.

As if I was witnessing something truly divine.

It was a strange sensation.

'Is that why...?'

I had often seen people bowing to the Divine Tree from a distance.

Not just the martial artists of Mount Hua—most of the people living here did it as well.

'Does that mean everyone except me could feel this?'

If they had felt something like this, it made sense.

I understood it now.

But—

'Why not me?'

Why was I only feeling this now?

I had never been able to sense this before.

And if that was the case, the reason was obvious.

'It’s that damn fruit again.'

It had to be the Divine Fruit I had eaten.

The changes in my body, the shift in my perception—

Everything pointed to that.

"What exactly is the Divine Fruit?"

"Hmm..."

At my question, the turtle stroked his chin in thought.

Since he barely had any fingers, the gesture looked somewhat awkward.

"So you couldn’t sense it until now... That’s another change brought about by the Divine Fruit?"

"Yeah. So tell me—what exactly is this Divine Fruit?"

What was it that had caused all this?

"Why did it change my body and my perception like this?"

First, I had suddenly turned into a member of the Moonlit Night Tribe.

Now, I was experiencing some strange resonance with the Divine Tree.

None of it made sense.

So I asked the turtle, but—

"You’re mistaken."

He denied it outright.

"The Sect Leader must have told you this as well—this is not a change."

"...Then what—"

"To be precise, it would be more accurate to call it a restoration."

I fell silent for a moment at the turtle’s words.

Restoration?

I thought carefully about what he meant before speaking again.

"...What exactly was restored?"

If it wasn’t a change, but a return—

Then what had come back?

The turtle’s gaze briefly hardened as he looked at Shin Noya.

At that, Noya gave him a small nod.

Was that some kind of silent permission?

Seeing that, the turtle spoke to me again.

"Kid."

"...Yes?"

"How much do you know about the soul?"

"The soul?"

Did he mean that soul, as in one’s spirit?

"Uh... not much?"

There wasn’t really much I could say in response to that question.

I didn’t know enough to claim understanding, but I also couldn’t say I was completely ignorant.

It was something that naturally became more apparent as martial skill increased, as «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» one’s realm of consciousness expanded.

‘Whether in martial arts or anything else, the soul is inevitably involved.’

Even if it wasn’t deeply connected, it wasn’t completely separate either.

That was why my answer was vague.

The turtle gave a small nod at my response and continued.

"The Divine Fruit corrects distortions."

"Distortions?"

"The Divine Trees are directly connected to this world’s will. The fruits they bear serve only one purpose—to correct the anomalies in a soul that should not exist. Do you understand?"

"...No. Not at all."

How could I?

That made no sense.

"..."

Hearing my response, the turtle frowned slightly.

How was I supposed to understand when his explanation was so damn cryptic?

Then—

"So, in other words,"

Noya spoke up, sounding as if he had grown frustrated.

"The Divine Fruit is essentially a spiritual elixir that washes away all the filth a soul accumulates over time and restores it to its original, pristine form. Is that about right?"

"Hmm..."

The turtle pondered for a moment before sighing.

"...Yeah, that’s close enough."

He looked as if he wanted to explain further but had given up.

"Oh."

I clapped my hands together.

A spiritual elixir.

That phrasing made sense.

Just as I was digesting the revelation, the turtle added—

"However, consuming it doesn’t strengthen the soul or increase one’s power. It only restores it to its original state."

"Come on, how can you say that when I’ve changed so much?"

Just look at my body.

Turning into a member of the Moonlit Night Tribe out of nowhere?

Suddenly feeling a strange connection to the Divine Trees?

How was this not a transformation?

At my words, the turtle’s gaze turned serious.

"I will say it again—the Divine Fruit does not create change. It can only restore."

"Then... if that’s the case..."

"If you have changed in any way, then it was not a transformation."

His voice carried weight as he continued.

"It means that this—your current state—is what your soul was always meant to be."

"...!"

My eyes widened at his words.

Meant to be?

Was he saying—

"...That I was always supposed to be a member of the Moonlit Night Tribe?"

That’s what it sounded like.

And I had already heard something similar before.

Shin Noya had told me the same thing.

When I mentioned it, the turtle spoke in his usual flat tone.

"It’s not strange, is it?"

"Why? Because of my mother?"

"Yes. That’s part of it."

The turtle glanced at Noya again.

Why did he keep looking at him?

I was about to ask when—

"In your case, it’s more accurate to say that you have reclaimed a lost soul."

The turtle stated plainly.

A lost soul?

"Losing a soul?"

What the hell did that mean?

Had my soul been somewhere else before?

"Why my soul?"

Before the turtle could answer—

"Yangcheon."

"...Yes?"

Noya called my name, and I instinctively narrowed my eyes.

It was the way he said it.

Whenever he addressed me as Yangcheon, it was always about something serious.

It made me tense up.

"Do you remember when I said I had something to tell you?"

"...Yeah, I remember."

He had mentioned it on the way here.

That he had business here anyway, so he might as well come along.

That was why we had come together.

‘Is he finally about to say it?’

It seemed like he was.

I focused my attention.

Then—

"This is about your mother and your existence."

Noya’s gaze turned grave.

"Did you know that your mother was the Calamity of Zhongyuan?"

"..."

I stiffened but nodded.

I knew.

The Blood Demon had been the first calamity.

And my mother had been the second.

But—

"What does that have to do with what’s happening now?"

Why was Noya bringing this up now?

Of all times, why now?

Just as that thought crossed my mind—

"Yangcheon."

"Yes?"

"This world, as much as it is damned, never repeats the same mistakes."

"I know that."

The world had sought to destroy Zhongyuan once.

When the Blood Demon failed, they had sent my mother.

I understood that much.

But—

"Yes, your mother was sent after the Blood Demon failed. But there was a problem."

"A problem?"

"This world does not repeat its mistakes. That includes calamities as well. The world would not have wanted to make the same mistake with your mother."

"...But she didn’t succeed, did she?"

Even if the world had tried to avoid repeating its mistakes—

Nothing had actually happened.

My mother never became the Calamity of Zhongyuan.

She met my father and had me and Gu Ryunghwa.

Zhongyuan was still standing.

So what was he trying to say?

I voiced my confusion, and—

"Yes. Your mother had children. More specifically—she had you."

Noya emphasized that as if it was a problem.

"Wait. What does that have to do with anything—"

I stopped mid-sentence.

Something hit me like a hammer to the chest.

My body tensed as I slowly turned to stare at Shin Noya.

"...No way."

No.

That couldn’t be it.

Say it’s not true.

Say it’s not what I’m thinking.

I willed him to deny it.

But—

"I’m afraid so."

Noya ignored my silent plea.

"It seems that you were always meant to be Zhongyuan’s Calamity."

He had spoken the very words I never wanted to hear.