Chapter 35
“Yes, Chief monk.”
The boy near the door quietly replied.
“Please escort the guests to the dormitory. Come, follow this child. It’s where the monks originally resided, so you should be comfortable.”
No, wait, wait.
Startled, I rushed towards the boy and asked hurriedly.
“Yudam?! Is your name Yudam?”
“Huh? …Yes, it is.”
My face brightened.
‘Found him!’
I was worried about how to find Choi Yudam in Busan, which was said to be controlled by a strange guild…
To think he was in such a remote temple!
Now that I look at him, the boy matches exactly the description of Choi Yudam from the novel.
A handsome boy with a very serious character who doesn’t speak much.
‘He’s still a bit young to be called a man, but he must have grown up a lot in 4 years.’
Boys at this age can have growth spurts.
I happily grabbed the boy’s hand.
It felt exactly like that.
Like spending all day trying to catch falling flower petals, only to find one landed on my shoulder when I got home.
“So, Yudam-nim, you’re also an awakened one, right?”
The boy tilted his head at my excited question.
“Awakened… one?”
“You know, suddenly hearing the voice of a god one day, and then being able to use mysterious powers after that?”
“No. My training is still insufficient, so I’ve never heard Buddha’s voice.”
The boy shook his head, blushing.
…So he hasn’t awakened yet?
‘Choi Yudam. View character contract information.’
[(Messenger) Unable to retrieve information for this individual.]
People who had contracted with heavenly gods could view their contracts through the Messenger.
So it was correct that the boy was still in an uncontracted state.
‘Hmm. Then when does he awaken?’
Surely we don’t have to wait until the 9.24 incident?
“…Are you alright? Then, I’ll guide you to the hall.”
While I was lost in thought, we arrived at a modest hall.
“You must have had a tiring day. Please rest well.”
Yudam bowed his head to us.
At the temple, men and women had to use separate rooms, so Baek Yi-heon and Sehun shared a room, while I got a single room.
The cat-like woman went straight into the room next to mine without so much as a greeting.
The green ribbon tied to her long hair fluttered as she went in.
“Really. I don’t like you either…”
I muttered like a cicada as I entered my room.
Then I flopped down on the soft bedding spread on the floor.
This isn’t the time to get upset over one woman.
I came all the way to Busan to find Choi Yudam, but he hasn’t even awakened yet?
“No, it’s okay. We don’t necessarily have to wait 4 years for him to awaken…”
With the world in such chaos, he should awaken soon if there’s a trigger.
The chief monk said we could stay as long as we want, so let’s stay until Choi Yudam contracts with the Gandharva as in the novel.
‘Surely a chief monk wouldn’t go back on his word.’
Gandharva is a musical, creative god of healing.
Thanks to this, avatars who contract with him can not only use healing powers but also become adept at crafting various tools, including musical instruments.
So once he awakens, making monster-repelling stones should be a piece of cake.
“I’ll wait for Choi Yudam to awaken, get the repelling stone, then leave for the shelter and live alone for 10 years.”
‘Yes. For 10 years, all alone with no one else…’
Sting.
Huh?
I rubbed my chest area with a puzzled expression.
It was strange.
Imagining myself eating alone and falling asleep alone wasn’t as pleasing as before.
“Only you… are real.”
Moreover, why do I suddenly remember Baek Yi-heon’s expression from the delusion dungeon?
[(Messenger) Indra….]
“Be quiet, please.”
You cause such trouble during the day and now you’re trying to add more?
Sehun was crying and apologizing, so Baek Yi-heon and I had to comfort him all the way to the temple.
[(Messenger) Indra sulks and retreats again.]
“Seriously…”
I muttered softly, then turned over.
It seems I had unknowingly accumulated fatigue from the past 3 days of travel.
On top of that, there was an unexpected chase in the afternoon, so my body felt heavy.
‘To make Choi Yudam awaken quickly…’
I tried to concentrate on my thoughts, but my eyelids started to droop.
As I breathed in the unique scent of the temple, I drifted off to sleep.
💎
“Noah.”
“…Mmm.”
“Noah, you need to wake up.”
“Ah! I said be quiet. You’re really talk a lot…”
Drunk on sweet sleep, I waved my hand in annoyance.
That heavenly spam mail again.
Even yesterday it was nagging about peace and love until right before I fell asleep, and now it’s making a fuss from the morning…
‘Huh?’
Sensing something odd, I opened my eyes groggily.
Through my half-open eyelids, I saw Baek Yi-heon with a somewhat shocked expression.
“Hm…? Baek Yi-heon?”
As I muttered in a half-asleep state, he quickly turned his head and whispered softly.
“…Noah. Breakfast is ready, so please get up now. You shouldn’t skip meals.”
Then, unlike usual, he didn’t urge me further and quickly left the room.
“Oh, no.”
It seems he misunderstood something.
He’s already not talkative, and now he might become even less so.
“That spam mail is never helpful…”
[(Messenger) Indra, struck by a bolt from the blue, is shocked and pleads his innocence.]
[He whimpers that it’s unfair to blame an innocent god for your own misunderstanding.]
“Haaaaawn.”
I deliberately yawned loudly, then slowly got up from the bedding.
💎
“…That woman from yesterday, I don’t see her today.”
I spoke up suddenly while eating breakfast from a wooden bowl of temple food.
We were having breakfast with other monks gathered in a small dining hall.
“Yesterday’s—”
“Shhhh—”
Just as Baek Yi-heon opened his mouth to answer, Choi Yudam, sitting across from us, politely put his hand to his mouth.
Looking around, I noticed no one was talking during the meal.
Yudam quietly pointed to a paper stuck to one side of the wall.
[Temple Dining Etiquette]
I’m not sure what it means, but I guess it means to be quiet.
I looked around cautiously, then put some vegetables on top of the rice made with various grains and popped it into my mouth.
💎
“Minimizing noise during meals is one of Buddhism’s disciplines.”
After the meal.
After finishing every grain of rice and even rinsing his bowl with water, Choi Yudam approached us and explained.
“Ah, I see. I’ve never been to a temple before, so I didn’t know.”
Choi Yudam nodded calmly, as if understanding.
“Young people these days don’t know much about temples.”
…Why does it feel so awkward hearing the word “young people” from a teenager’s mouth?
Then Choi Yudam added with a worried expression.
“If you’re looking for Ji-eun-nim, she hasn’t been seen since last night.”
So that wary woman’s name is Ji-eun.
‘Last night… that’s after she went to her room with me.’
“Surely she wouldn’t have gone at night, where monsters are swarming…”
Choi Yudam’s usually gentle face clouded with concern.
“I was planning to look around the area after the morning meal anyway. She has come to the temple before, so I’m worried.”
“I’ll help.”
Baek Yi-heon said promptly.
Choi Yudam’s face brightened a little.
“Ah, that would be very helpful, thank you.”
“It’s nothing. I’m just doing what needs to be done.”
…Why does my chest feel so tight listening to these two talk?
It’s like reading a dialogue from a moral education textbook.
“Well then, Baek Yi-heon-ssi, you go ahead. I’ll rest in my room.”
I said in a nonchalant tone.
“Won’t you come with us?”
“No thanks. I don’t want to hear any more comments about my way of speaking.”
“Noah, unexpectedly…”
“What?”
When I widened my eyes, Baek Yi-heon quickly shut his mouth.
“Nothing.”
Then Yudam, who had been listening to the conversation, innocently blurted out with a gentle face.
“Despite your outgoing appearance, you’re unexpectedly sensitive, aren’t you?”
“…..”
That was… without malice, right?
💎
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