Chapter 552

Jinseong approached Lucas.

Silently.

Normally, shoes should make a sound upon touching the ground.

However, his feet shattered as soon as they touched the earth, crumbling into grains of sand and insects, then reassembling into the shape of shoes. The sounds of shattering and merging were eerily silent, leaving Lucas to hear only the fierce crackling of the flames and the roaring pillar of fire.

Like a footless ghost, Jinseong reached Lucas and met his gaze.

“….”

Lucas looked into Jinseong’s eyes.

There, he saw a fear that arose from the indescribable, an unfamiliar emotion sparked by the incomprehensible, followed by relief that began to swell upon realizing he had escaped from the unnamed assailant, gratitude for Jinseong who had saved him, and a wariness towards this bizarre shaman standing before him.

Countless emotions swirled on his face.

“Lucas Metathronius Goldsmith.”

From Jinseong’s mouth came Lucas’s full name.

With a face grinning as if wearing a mask, he uttered Lucas’s name.

“Do you know? There’s something that belongs to a person yet is used even more by others. Do you perhaps know the answer?”

Then came the outlandish question.

A riddle fit for the Sphinx from ancient Egypt.

“A name. Though a name belongs to oneself, it is often used more by others. Truly peculiar, isn’t it?”

As Lucas struggled to respond to the unexpected question, Jinseong, not waiting for Lucas’s reply, immediately answered with a smile, lowering himself down.

He squatted to match the eye level of Lucas, seated on the ground.

“Thus, the ancients thought. They believed names hold power, you see.”

As Jinseong lowered his body, it wasn’t through bending his legs or stooping his waist.

Instead, his feet disintegrated and faded away, causing him to lower his form naturally.

“Do you know about the birth of a hero? The birth of a king? A hero is born through being celebrated and revered by many, while a king is born through being elevated by others. In other words, yes. It comes to being when many others speak positively about them…”

His legs gradually disintegrated.

What used to look like suit pants transformed into black insects staining the ground, and the shoes began to move with six legs, finding their place. Like salt pillars dissolving upon touching water, Jinseong’s legs melted away.

“That is why people believed names also possess power. They ascend in other people’s words, they are used by others… They considered it to have a special power. This view of magical thinking has existed in all civilizations, both Eastern and Western.”

Only after his legs completely disassembled could Jinseong comfortably make eye contact with Lucas.

However, the bizarre nature of it was beyond verbal expression.

Thus, Lucas could not muster a smile like Jinseong’s…

“In certain areas, if you bestowed a good name, it was thought that evil beings might become envious and thus, they would assign a base name. In some places, it was believed that carelessly revealing a name could lead to a curse, leading them to act under titles, with the true name guarded closely. In some locations, names connected to gods were given to obtain their favor, while in others, revealing the sacred name was taboo to avoid provoking divine wrath…”

Yet, no matter Lucas’s expression, Jinseong kept smiling.

“But one thing is certain: names are not simply made. Regardless of the name, it has its own meaning, symbol, significance, and power. In that sense, your name is rather impressive.”

He laughed.

He smiled.

His softly opened mouth curved gently, and the words that came out were exceedingly warm.

Yet, from within that gap, insects crawled out, and the disassembled legs of insects wandered over his body. Those insects crawled into his mouth and began filling the empty void of his head.

What a truly bizarre sight it was.

Ah, it must look just like maggots scurrying on a corpse.

It was a sight that elicited a visceral revulsion.

“Lucas. The one who realized, the bringer of light, brightness, illumination… A name with good connotations.”

Lucas wanted to close his eyes at the unbearable sight.

But he couldn’t close his eyes.

Why?

Why couldn’t he close his eyes?

“Metathronius. The one who connects humans to God. The one who sits in the throne and governs contracts and promises. He who guides the way with a pillar of fire, signifying the might and dignity of a great being, a brilliant flame. This is also a name of great significance, truly befitting the name Lucas.”

His eyelids refuse to close.

“Goldsmith. This is not bad either. Gold shines brightly and eternally glimmers. This signifies brightness, don’t you think? Moreover, with the meaning of blacksmith attached, it implies one who shapes gold, making this a good name as well. It means everything shines brightly. Truly, it is a bright and beautiful name. A wonderful, truly wonderful name.”

His eyelids…

His eyes…

Lucas, horrified by the figure of Jinseong, who resembled something less than human, struggled. However, his eyes wouldn’t close, and his body wouldn’t move, feeling his breath becoming quickened.

His breathing.

His breathing quickened.

Is this hyperventilation?

Is this hyperventilation caused by a nervous disorder?

Having experienced such events several times before, Lucas was well acquainted with the sensation of hyperventilation.

He understood, but…

His breath was tight, and his fingertips tingled.

Is this truly hyperventilation?

“You must understand, though. The dazzling shine can ensnare people and draw in the undesirable. Just as countless insects swarm to a brightly lit streetlamp at midnight, or dive headfirst into a campfire, drawn in by the brilliant light of gold, unable to resist their desires. To dazzle and allure the eyes of man carries such risks.”

Jinseong’s hand reached out.

Delicate and white fingers.

Fingers that seemed as though they had never done a harsh thing.

Yet, those fingers… changed.

As the slowly moving hand approached Lucas, it began to transform.

Like a flower bud, it began to open fully, blossoming in full bloom.

As the fingertips spread apart, sharp needles began to sprout from the gaps.

And clear liquid began to ooze and drip from the end of those needles.

What that liquid was, he did not know.

But it certainly didn’t look pleasant.

In this atmosphere, the feeling it evoked was ominously foreboding.

Lucas widened his eyes and fought against it.

But his body would not move.

Instead, the tingling in his fingertips grew to engorge his entire body, making his breath seem to quicken further.

“Of course, I do not mean to say your name is wrong. Though dazzling light can breed danger, it is also sufficient to garner the admiration of others. That is why you were able to accumulate wealth and live surrounded by envy and admiration, right? Moreover, that brilliant light connected even us, bringing us to this very moment. Ah, names are indeed so special, so very special….”

Jinseong’s split fingers wriggled.

The now several slender tips moved as if alive, stretching into tentacles. They made their way toward Lucas’s mouth, widening him just like a frog.

And so, the needle began to move its way inside the yawned mouth.

The needle aimed for the gums…

“But, yes. An excessive brilliance does more harm than good; isn’t this the very essence of moderation? If the sun sat above, shining brightly all year round, what crop could thrive? What creature could survive and continue its lineage? The sea would boil, and the earth would melt. Thus, day and night exist; this is the wondrous truth of nature, neither more nor less.”

The needle quietly dug into Lucas’s gums. After moving inward, it released the clear liquid deep inside.

“In that sense, you may need to rest.”

Lucas gazed at Jinseong with trembling eyes.

Why are you doing this to me?

And the answer to that unspoken question was…

“Sleep well.”

…There was none.

—

With a thud.

Lucas easily collapsed.

The warrior witnessing it speculated what had happened to Lucas and grinned whimsically.

Then he asked Jinseong, who approached him.

“…I get it. Getting rid of the witness, right?”

Jinseong smiled brightly in response to the warrior’s question.

Although no sound escaped him, the intention was unmistakably communicated.

Thus, the warrior closed his eyes.

With a sigh.

Those closed eyes would never open again.

Not when the needle was stuck in his gums.

Not when he was engulfed by an irresistible drowsiness.

Not until the world faded to black.

Forever.