Chapter 528 - 528 (2/2)
Even he could tell that it had been a while. He poured all of his being into finishing just one task while never letting his focus go astray. Even then, he felt that too much time had passed by already. It was near impossible to figure out how many hours, no, how many days it had been.
”And that thing...”
That voice sounded familiar.
Right, Su-hyeun remembered hearing that voice from the prediction of the future he saw through his Foresight.
But if he tried to recall the pitch of the voice or just what it sounded like, he couldn't quite do it. He couldn't even tell whether it was actually a voice or words being transmitted to him.
Even so, Su-hyeun was certain that the presence was the same being as the one from this Foresight-induced dream.
”You're finally awake?” Sun Wukong asked, then yawned.
Sun Wukong, dozing off next to Su-hyeun, woke up and then stretched his limbs.
Seeing how he couldn't stay awake and had to sleep, he must've been guarding Su-hyeun's side for a long time. As for the one who helped Su-hyeun repair the system, Buddha was nowhere to be seen.
”Did you do it?”
”Yes, I think—”
”Judging by your answer, I guess you really did it, then.”
As expected of Sun Wukong, he knew Su-hyeun rather well.
Su-hyeun nodded, feeling inwardly confident of his success, then asked, ”How long has it been, Third Brother?”
”I'd say about half a year, maybe?”
”Half a year?!”
He was shocked by the fact that he didn't have to eat or sleep for such a prolonged duration and that the task had taken him that long to finish.
To think that he would d be gone for half a year...
”They must be worried sick back home.”
While people on this side knew what was going on with him, the people back on Earth should've gone mad with worry by now. Sure, Su-hyeun would often be absent from his homeworld, but it was very unusual for him to go missing for half a year without letting anyone know of his whereabouts.
Not to forget, he declared something, or rather, about the war not being over before his disappearance.
”Still, you finished it really quickly, little bro.”
”Wait, Third Brother. Half a year is 'quick' in your book?” Su-hyeun asked back since it felt like Sun Wukong was making fun of him.
However, the Monkey King made a puzzled face instead, ”But, uh, according to what Buddha said, you were supposed to take several years, at least? That's the shortest estimate he gave us, you know?”
”I'm sorry?”
”The Five Godly Sages apparently needed hundreds of millions of years to get the system going. Sure, you already know what the system is, and you only had to restore it, but still… You indeed did it waaaay faster than Buddha's estimate,” Sun Wukong continued to explain before turning around to head over to the Bull Demon King's residence. ”Not sure what you're thinking about right now, but since it's finished, come inside already. You must be starving to death after half a year of no food.”
He headed to the residence first.
Su-hyeun now left alone, remained there in a daze. He lay back down and stared at the sky above. An indistinct figure ever so faintly wavered before his eyes.
”Who are you?”
The owner of that voice sounded like 'it' was waiting for Su-hyeun's arrival—as if waiting inside a trial prepared by Master Subhuti in a place even higher than the Tower itself.
”Just who are you?”
Su-hyeun heard the familiar voice once more—a voice that he recognized from a very long time ago.
* * *
Su-hyeun took his time thinking about everything before heading to the residence. That was where he found Sun Wukong waiting for him, having already laid out a table full of food.
The meat was burnt and the rice undercooked, but regardless of what, this was Sun Wukong's first time preparing supper, so Su-hyeun wasn't going to say anything.
He scanned the interior of the residence before settling down on a chair next to the table, ”Did First Brother and sister-in-law go somewhere?”
”Mm, did it start around four months ago? Sister-in-law had to go out frequently to do her thing, you see.”
”Sister-in-law, you say?”
”Yeah. Obviously, our First Brother wasn't going to sit still and do nothing, so he follows her around all the time.”
”Did something happen?”
”Well, uh, her guts and drive were something else, alright,” Sun Wukong replied while shoving the burnt meat and undercooked rice in his mouth. ”But she's still bad at cooking and all.”
”Hm?”
It seemed that Lang Mei had prepared the meal they were about to have. Now that made sense since Sun Wukong would never burn his favorite food, meat, to this extent.
After finishing the meal, Su-hyeun immediately got up to leave.
Sun Wukong got up as well with a face that said, ”I knew you'd do that,” then asked him, ”You want to go to where sister-in-law is, don't you?”
”Yes.”
”But do you even know where she is?”
”I figured you'd guide me there.”
Sun Wukong chuckled in dismay at Su-hyeun's shameless reply.
However, the Monkey King hated being bored, so there was simply no way he would remain at home all by himself. Su-hyeun knew this and believed that his Third Brother would obviously accompany him.
Su-hyeun summoned the Somersault cloud next. Since he didn't know the destination, he couldn't rely on his Earth Shrink Technique. This method was slightly slower, but he didn't have a choice in the matter.
”If you keep going thaaaat way, we'll eventually see an altar.”
”An altar, you say?”
”Yeah. First Brother constructed it. Sister-in-law was so adamant about it, crying her eyes out and all,” Sun Wukong replied while lying on his tummy by the end of the Somersault cloud. He narrowed his eyes and continued, ”Aha, there it is!”
The altar in question was surprisingly large. It was about as big as a small athletics field, so indeed, it was pretty large for an altar.
However, there didn't seem to be any offerings placed on it. Only Lang Mei could be seen standing on top.
”What is she doing?” Su-hyeun quietly observed.
He stopped the Somersault cloud in the air and watched her for a little bit.
The Bull Demon King watched her from a spot not too far but not too close either. He must have sensed the presence of both Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong by now, yet his attention never shifted away from Lang Mei.
”Watch carefully, okay?” Sun Wukong whispered quietly. ”Something interesting will happen from now on.”
”Something interesting—?”
Su-hyeun fixed his attention on Lang Mei.
She had been kneeling demurely for who knows how long. She then slowly got back up to her feet. She held a small needle in her grip. Su-hyeun wondered what she would do with that, only to see her prick her fingertip with it.
A trickle of blood flowed out from the wound.
It was really that, a trickle. She brought the bleeding wound closer to the center of the altar.
Drops of blood slowly fell.
Drip...
And right at that moment...!
Wuuuuuoooooong—!
The calm skies suddenly began reverberating, and then...
Ruuuuumble—
The entire world began resonating.