Mabul stepped out of the great hall.

It was mealtime, so Geom Mugeuk was likely waiting at the entrance.

It had been five days since they last ate together.

They hadn’t exchanged much conversation—just a few light jokes, then ate and parted, like exchanging tentative moves in a martial arts sparring match.

Geom Mugeuk might have thought this would bring them closer, but that was a grave mistake. The Golden Great Operation? Why would someone else conduct an operation using his gold?

‘Sorry, but that plan is mine.’

Yes, they would grow closer—but Mabul’s plan was to use that closeness to persuade Geom Mugeuk to give up the Cheonma position.

If he could do that, there’d be no need to win over the other Majon. It was the fastest and most certain way.

Of course, Mugeuk wouldn’t give up easily, but Mabul saw a chance because of Mugeuk’s personality.

‘The Crown Prince is emotional.’

More emotional than anyone Mabul had ever seen. That was why other Majon had sided with him. And one more thing.

‘He is a man who keeps every promise he makes.’

Most importantly, he wanted to end the succession war peacefully.

‘There is definitely an opportunity.’

Mabul wasn’t a man who only chanted sutras in the temple. Being accused of power-hunger meant he had diligently met many people. He would use that experience to deal with Geom Mugeuk.

‘I am different from the other Majon!’

With this resolve, Mabul left the Golden Immortal Temple.

Whooshing sound.

The entrance was empty. Geom Mugeuk, who normally waited for him every day, was nowhere to be seen.

‘Why didn’t he come today?’

Mugeuk was not the type to give up so easily.

Mabul waited there for a while.

Had he ever waited outside for someone like this before?

Until his patience ran out, Mugeuk did not come.

Mugeuk didn’t come the next day, nor the day after. On the third day, unable to endure it, Mabul went to Mugeuk’s residence.

‘What happened?’

There, Mabul witnessed an unexpected scene.

Geom Mugeuk was sprawled like a corpse on a flat stone in the yard.

Surprised, Mabul rushed over and looked down at him. Mugeuk finally opened his eyes. Their gazes met in the empty air.

“You’ve come.”

“I thought you were dead.”

“At least I had a moment of peace.”

Mabul sat on the rock.

“This is comfortable. My back feels refreshed. Lie down.”

“I’m fine.”

Mugeuk was definitely different from usual.

“I came because you hadn’t come for a while, so I was worried.”

Mugeuk quietly looked up at the sky.

“Three days ago, I was about to visit you but happened to look at the sky.”

Mabul’s gaze naturally followed upward.

“There was a bird flying in the cloudless sky. Watching it, I suddenly felt envious.”

Mabul looked at Mugeuk.

“Why envious? I have lightness skill—I can fly like that. Even higher and faster. Then I realized, ah, I’m struggling.”

This was a plan, but a plan with genuine feeling.

“I’ve been running forward without looking around.”

Not only before the regression, but even after, he had been running without rest. These words were his sincere confession.

Mabul didn’t know what intention lay behind Mugeuk’s words.

But one thing was clear: Mabul himself had lived just looking forward.

Born small, he didn’t want to die mocked. He hated pity and help even more. He endured a hard life to get here.

‘Crown Prince, you don’t know what it means to run straight ahead.’

Now this rock bore two men who had run only forward.

“Since that day, I’ve been rolling around for three days. Sorry for ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) not notifying you.”

To Mabul, Mugeuk didn’t seem to be scheming. There’s no gain in acting this way, lying around like a broken man.

‘Well, he’s achieved a lot at his young age, so he must be tired.’

Mabul thought he might use this fatigue to more easily persuade the successor to give up.

He gently suggested,

“How about resting a while? Put down the burden of becoming successor.”

Mabul hoped for this kind of reply.

—Yes, I’m just going to quit everything, successor or not.

But instead of answering, Mugeuk suddenly asked,

“Mabul, aren’t you tired?”

Mabul showed no sign of revealing his feelings at the sudden question.

“I’m tired because of you. If you quit the succession fight, I’d be full of energy.”

Mugeuk smiled faintly, then suddenly shouted.

“Ah! That bird! The bird that ruined Mabul and my meal!”

A small bird flew here and there.

“How do you know it’s that bird?”

“I am just like that bird. See? I’m free. Envious, right? That’s what it’s like.”

“To me... it just looks like you’re flying straight ahead with wings too tired and worn out.”

Mugeuk looked at Mabul.

Mabul was still watching the bird. Though joking, he was sincere. He was not envious at all.

The bird flapped its wings without rest, flying tirelessly. Just like himself—always busy. Moving with the Crown Prince, meeting people, managing the mad monks, practicing martial arts.

It was because he was weak that it was hard. He had long complained about those rotten in spirit. Yet time passed too quickly. So he was anxious. So busy.

‘So what remains for me...’

Lost in such thoughts, Mabul looked at Mugeuk.

By now, Mugeuk had fallen asleep beside him. Mabul was inwardly surprised to see him sleeping close.

‘He trusts me this much?’

Mabul thought it was an act. Such a cunning Crown Prince must be faking trust.

‘It won’t work on me, Crown Prince.’

Mabul rose silently from the rock.

‘It won’t work on me...’

As Mabul walked out the door of the house, Mugeuk closed his eyes and quietly said,

“Mabul, successor or not, let it all go. Let’s rest a bit.”

I’ll pull you gently, so come along gently.

Mugeuk did not come the next day either.

Naturally, Mabul walked to Mugeuk’s residence.

Mugeuk was not home, but a servant was coming out of the building.

“Where has the Crown Prince gone?”

“He received word from Cheondokrim and went there.”

“Cheondokrim?”

Mabul, planning to return, changed direction toward Cheondokrim.

Though thought to support the Crown Prince, Duke Dok had not officially declared support yet.

Now that Duke Dok called Mugeuk, Mabul wanted to see what was going on and how their relationship was.

His steps quickened toward Cheondokrim.

It had been a while since Mabul last visited Cheondokrim.

On the way, he met several poisoners. Their eyes toward Mabul, after he barked at the training grounds with Mugeuk, were varied—some saying “We fully support the Crown Prince,” others, “How could you make our Duke Dok a dog!”

When Mabul arrived, Duke Dok was making something new. Approaching, Mabul saw it wasn’t the poison he made before.

“That poison looks unusual.”

Duke Dok was absorbed in making poison and didn’t answer.

Seeing him so deeply absorbed was pleasant.

Mabul glanced around the space.

It was just as before. Furniture, jars, tools—everything was exactly in place.

Then something caught his eye.

“Whoa! What’s that?”

Surprised, Duke Dok looked up.

“That’s what I left over from my previous batch.”

It still sat there untouched.

Instead of nagging him to clean, Mabul packaged the laziness well.

“The more dangerous something is, the more everything should remain where it is familiar, right?”

Duke Dok looked back at his poison and replied,

“No. I couldn’t clean because I was busy making this after I came back. Next time if someone complains about the mess, I’ll answer like that.”

Even the merchants rarely came in without permission. Duke Dok cleaned himself. Thinking about it, it was the only space he allowed me.

While I roughly cleaned, Duke Dok finished his concoction.

“It’s done!”

The joy flickering on his face showed the poison wasn’t easy to make.

It was colorful like a flower, with brilliant hues.

“It looks poisonous. Who are you trying to kill? Martial Alliance leader? Satan Alliance leader?”

Duke Dok suddenly held it out to me.

“Eat.”

“You want to poison the Crown Prince of Cheonma Sin Gyo openly?”

“Why not?”

“Then your brother must be hiding behind that curtain.”

Though I said that, I took the poison.

“What exactly is this?”

“It’s the Cheongi Dan (Heavenly Energy Pill).”

I was startled by the name.

Cheongi Dan was one of the top three notorious poisons and also a miraculous medicine among poison users. It was a medicine, but it didn’t increase internal energy.

“I found the Gireong Grass deep inside Anga. No one noticed that precious herb.”

“Oh! Investigator Seo told me you dug up all of Anga.”

“I was looking for the Flower Spirit Snake nearby. Wherever Gireong Grass grows, the Flower Spirit Snake’s internal organs are always nearby. Cheongi Dan is made by combining the fruit of Gireong Grass with the internal organs of the Flower Spirit Snake.”

“Why give such a terrifying thing to me?”

“You should be asking why I give this precious thing.”

Duke Dok boasted of Cheongi Dan’s effects.

“Taking it makes one able to withstand any heat or cold. Even naked and thrown into a desert or snowy mountain, one will survive.”

But that wasn’t all. It also gave a huge advantage against extreme yin or yang martial arts.

“But isn’t it lethal because of its toxicity?”

“Right. Many melted trying to endure the pill’s power greedily.”

Duke Dok stared into my eyes and added,

“But you can survive, right?”

“!”

A moment of silence passed.

I could tell from his expression and gaze.

“You knew.”

“Yes. I already knew you had the Invincible One Against All Poisons body. We’ve been together so long. Did you think I didn’t know?”

He truly was the Duke Dok.

“Too bad. I was going to reveal this dramatically at some critical moment.”

“I was going to reveal that I knew first.”

“You succeeded. I was very surprised.”

Though Duke Dok knew I was Invincible, he wasn’t as upset as expected.

“I thought you’d be angry knowing this.”

“Why would I? You’re someone I’ve waited for a long time.”

“Invincible against all poisons?”

Duke Dok’s eyes sparkled.

“You can test all sorts of poisons on me. First, take this pill and tell me everything—how it tastes, how strong, and what could be added.”

I jokingly took a step back.

“I’m the Crown Prince. The future Cheonma. I’m a hellhound who roamed the training grounds with you. I’m not a test subject.”

My joke made Duke Dok laugh. As expected, a Duke Dok would dislike being invincible, though I only realized that prejudice now in my second life.

“Then I’ll take it.”

I sat cross-legged and swallowed the Cheongi Dan. It was truly a deadly poison. Without being invincible, I wouldn’t have been able to neutralize it fully.

The taste was the most bitter and toxic of any medicine I’d taken. A record-breaker for bitterness and toxicity.

“You purposely made it so bitter to punish me?”

I couldn’t help but complain.

I absorbed all the pill’s energy. Unlike other medicines, Cheongi Dan’s energy spread not just to the dantian but throughout my blood vessels.

Now, even if I fell into icy water, I wouldn’t die from the cold. I could comfortably warm myself by most flames as if by a campfire.

I bowed deeply to Duke Dok.

“I will never forget your grace in giving me this precious medicine.”

“No need for thanks. Can I ask one question?”

“Ask away, even a hundred.”

“Who are you up against?”

Duke Dok sensed I had a powerful goal pushing me endlessly forward.

“When I find Gireong Grass, I will report immediately.”

He couldn’t say who, but that was half an answer—not ‘There is no such person.’

Duke Dok’s gaze deepened toward me. Just as he was about to speak, a servant arrived with a report.

“Mabul has come.”

“Why is Mabul here?”

Duke Dok stared at me in surprise.

“To bring Mabul to Cheondokrim? What method did you use?”

Apparently, Mabul had never been to Cheondokrim before.

“If you used some method, he would never have come. He comes because you did nothing.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Duke Dok hurried toward the back door.

“Say I’m not here. Mabul feels uncomfortable.”

I quickly blocked him.

“I have a request.”

“Next time.”

“If you grant my request, I’ll come running whenever you need poison experiments.”

Duke Dok sighed and ordered the servant to bring Mabul.

“If you don’t agree, you’ll pretend to be busy and escape through the back door.”

“You know I won’t.”

“That’s why I’m agreeing. So, what’s your request? Persuade Mabul to abandon the Crown Prince and come to you? Or poison him secretly and bury him in Cheondokrim?”

“That might be even harder.”

My request was something Duke Dok did not expect at all.

“Just spend one day with us today.”