Jinseong swiftly slipped into the narrow, damp well. The slick walls, covered in moss, seemed greased, pushing him downwards, and the water, maintaining the same level, acted as a cushion that gently cradled him.
But that was short-lived.
As the weight of the golden armor pulled him straight to the bottom, the well itself transformed into an adversary aiming for his life.
A frigid wave surged through the golden armor, a direct threat from the cold properties of the willow constituting the well’s structure. Plus, as if struck by lightning, the cold transformed into heat, forcing Jinseong to endure a needle-like chill piercing to his bones and a burning heat that seemed intent on thoroughly cooking his flesh.
It was clear that not only living beings but even inanimate objects would lose their properties in such a horrific baptism, yet Jinseong easily absorbed the opposing forces with the golden armor encasing him as well as the fire and cold energies residing within.
Even if the chill penetrated to the very bones, the cold energy acquired from Lake Baikal had already established its grounds.
Even if it yearned to invade his flesh, the flames of Samadhi and the parasites nestled in his intestines would leave no room for such intrusion.
However, as he withstood the baptism, another force began to surge forth.
This was the primordial energy housed within the well, the source injecting both cold and heat.
‘So intense is the Wood Energy.’
Jinseong closed his eyes and focused on the Wood Energy flowing around him.
Since ancient times, wood has been seen as something that grows large and is created. This stems from the nature of wood that surges upwards, conveying the notion of a nation being founded and rising greatly.
Moreover, this rising echoes the nature of fire, as firewood enters the flames and creates a significant blaze, thus can be termed as good energy. It parallels the arrival of spring, when life bursts forth and flourishes in summer.
Yet, Jinseong did not seek to draw in this overwhelming Wood Energy.
While it may’ve been beneficial to receive Wood Energy and balance the five elements, utilizing the forces of the five elements in magic is a vast domain.
In the East, numerous forms of magic based on Yin-Yang and the Five Elements were employed, while the West possessed an immense arsenal based on the four elements. Additionally, magic related to forests or farming often leveraged Wood’s energy, making it immensely versatile as it pertains to growth and recovery.
But to Jinseong, accepting Wood Energy now would yield little advantage.
This was because his body harbored both Yang and Yin coexisting simultaneously.
Yin and Yang.
In the heat lies the cold.
And within the cold lies the heat.
They intertwine, forming a balance, a completion in themselves—this is called Yin and Yang.
Yet, the moment this transforms into the five elements, three additional components become necessary to achieve balance.
Wood becomes requisite.
Metal becomes requisite.
Earth becomes requisite.
Certainly, the inclusion of numerous factors would allow more refined use of power, and stability would surely skyrocket….
‘But there’s no need for that.’
He wasn’t solely familiar with Eastern magic, and he could substitute the gaps of the five elements with other forms of magic if need be. No need to get distracted by five elements or balance and precipitate an immediate crisis.
Water cultivates wood.
Wood fuels fire.
As wood enters the realm of the five elements between Yin and Yang, it would thirst for water, growing stronger and intensifying flames.
His body, barely managing to attain a balancing act while transforming forms, would fill with fire energy, akin to that of a Fire Sorcerer.
Jinseong reshaped the gold into something resembling slime, repelling the Wood Energy trying to infiltrate his body.
It wasn’t a hard task at all.
Metal opposed wood.
Even with minimal added force, it could certainly contest wood, and just as cold metal gathers droplets of water, metal inherently amplifies Water Energy, making it possible to suppress the flaring fire energy.
Jinseong repelled the Wood Energy while seeking its source.
As he closed his eyes, he sensed the flow of Wood Energy, capturing the faint aroma of wood wafting from between the stones where the water surged forth.
Even in a breath-choking moment, he could feel the vitality carried within that space, where not a single bug or fish could be found, yet the scales of aquatic life thrived, lending energy to help propagate insects.
‘Found you.’
Upon locating the origin of the Wood Energy, Jinseong moved toward it.
He altered the shape of his golden armor to mimic the leg of an insect, inserting that leg into a crevice in the well and climbing upward.
How far he climbed, he felt an intense force emanating from the cracks of the moss-covered wall.
Clearing the moss hastily revealed a weathered shard of wood embedded in stone. The fragment closely resembled a shattered staff, where on the broken part, the form of a Buddhist statue was intricately carved.
The statue, draped in moss like a blanket, wore a kindly smile that seemed to exude a calmness, as if just gazing at it would instill a serene peace and fortitude for the days ahead.
‘Let’s see. Hmm. Using this staff as the seed, it roots through the entire well, and I could utilize the clear Water Energy flowing from the stone crevice as nutrients? Coupling the striking willow as an antenna to read the skies and continually yielding Wood Energy, due to an excessive expansion of Wood Energy I could naturally use it to intuit the skies and thereby restrain it… Huh. Amazing.’
Jinseong examined it time and time again, much like appraising a well-crafted piece of art.
He then nodded and gently replaced the moss he’d earlier removed.
In an instant, with no signs of disturbance, the moss clung tightly to the wall and grew back to its prior form.
This was the effect brought by the overflow of vitality from the shard of the staff.
‘An exceptional magic. Neither more nor less. No need for my intervention. Such a thing ought to be preserved, thus I mustn’t touch anything here. Hah, what a good sight it is.’
Jinseong distanced himself from the wall.
Then he reshaped his armor, occasionally taking on the form of tentacles, at times resembling insect legs, effortlessly ascending the slick walls of the well.
And finally, when he emerged from the well, what did he see?
Clack.
Clack.
Clack.
Clack.
A multitude of soldiers aiming their barrels at him.
The soldiers appeared youthful, evidently made up of recruits from a nearby army base.
In other words, they were not elite forces.
Then where were the elite?
Jinseong diverted his gaze from the trembling soldier aiming at him and surveyed his surroundings.
‘Ah, there they are.’
Quickly, he identified another barrel targeting him.
A harpoon gun from a house near the well was aimed squarely at him.
A bluish energy swirled at the tip of the harpoon, and energy spiraled along the drawn circuits. The movement was spiraling, designed to enhance penetrating power to pierce through defenses.
Above, a drone was buzzing.
The drone bore a bulb-like sphere, emanating peculiar waves.
‘A magic bomb for incapacitating capable individuals.’
A bomb that, upon detonation, would create shockwaves shaking a person’s insides.
A regular person struck at close range could be turned to pulp, while a less-experienced capable individual could risk internal organ ruptures or brain hemorrhages—a perilous device indeed.
‘Let’s see. And over there, there’s an electric net. A sniper rifle can be seen over yonder. And there comes a vehicle.’
Jinseong smiled while observing the host of weapons aimed at him.
Then, as if unfazed, he extended a spider-like appendage from his armor over the well and stood still, gazing at them.
And finally, when Retona stepped roughly before him, and someone disembarked from inside—
Jinseong’s expression hardened.
‘Huh. Why has that person come?’
In his recollection, this area should’ve been managed by the National Defense Council by now.
‘Sword Demon Kim Jong-soo.’
However, stepping out of the vehicle now was a capable person belonging to the Hongik Patriotic Group.
