His eyes felt as if they were controlled by some evil being, he was unable to open them at all.
Gathering all his strength, he managed to open them halfway but could not open them anymore no matter how much strength he applied.
âAhâŚâ
His mouth was as dry as desert sand. He tried to speak but what came out was only a sound that seemed more like a moan than words.
âElderâŚ.if you goâŚ.like thisâŚâ
He couldnât see anything in front of him, it was as if his vision was covered by fog.
It seemed like someone was calling out to him but he couldnât clearly hear what they were saying, as if their words fell upon deaf ears.
âIâŚâ
Ju Seo-Cheon mumbled his name to himself and started reminiscing back on his life. The first memory that surfaced was of himself wandering around as an orphan and being lucky enough to enter his masterâs sight, which allowed him to join the Volcano sect.
It was indeed a great fortune that befell upon him.
The Volcano sect was a prestigious ancient faction, famous for its sword styles.
From his perspective as an orphan who had lost both his parents, entering the sect was an almost impossible task , a task akin to reaching and grabbing the stars.
And so, since then, he lived, grateful to his master and as a disciple of the Volcano sect. As it was a place where nothing was normal, he was able to rise to the top of the sect as a Volcano Elder.
âI was lucky.â
The name âVolcanoâs Elderâ was never a light one. It was a position of great authority.
As the name carried sufficient weight, it was not a position one could easily climb to and he received a lot of respect from other disciples because of that.
Needless to say, to reach that position it required achievements in Martial arts, intellect, as well as having a reputation in society was important.
It meant one had to have a great reputation and ability. One could never climb up the ranks by just experiencing what everyone else experiences⌠but there were always exceptions to the rules.
âI didnât expect a man like me to become an elder.â
He was luckily inducted into the Volcano sect but that luck wasnât because he had remarkable talent or achievements.
He wasnât incompetent nor could anyone say he was losing a few screws. He lived inconspicuously, being like everyone else.
Of course he had never made a desperate effort to become more or have more.
He didnât have such a desire in the first place. But in order not to let down his master that allowed an orphan like him into the sect, he did not loaf around.
It was really just a life of âwinging itâ, a very ordinary one.
So, how did someone like him become an elder?
The answer lay in the era that knew no peace. For decades, there had been numerous deadly wars. There were so many that the future generation named the era, the Warring Age.
It was impossible to count how many outbreaks of war and truces there had been in the past decade.
The Volcano sect was also caught in the whirlpool of war and many disciples lost their lives.
The disciples of the junior elders, the senior elders, and of course his seniors in the sect, the third generation disciples also suffered damage from it.
As the Volcano sect was embroiled in this conflict, their members had to be replaced many times and when the conflict was over, they realized they didnât have any more talents to serve as elders.
Although he wasnât dull-witted, he was average at best but he was able to climb up and become an elder.
The seat of a Volcano elder was not one that could be attained just by having connections in the sect, but that didnât mean one did not need to be connected to the sect.
Even if one had great achievements in martial arts but barely had any relationships with people in the sect, it would be problematic as they would face opposition.
Therefore, the ones at the top decided to look for a trustworthy person and as such he was forced to serve as an elder but the lucky one here was still him. However, even after he became an elder, nothing really changed.
This was around the time when the Warring Age was coming to an end and so there werenât many threats to their lives.
From time to time, he helped with sect matters or helped other elders but otherwise he just stayed inside of Volcano.
The other elders decided to train the younger generation but he didnât. He didnât receive any disciples.
He didnât think he knew enough to teach someone else.
âAnd I only advanced just recentlyâŚâ
He began to find pleasure in Martial arts during the latter parts of his life. After he became an elder, he was able to access and read numerous Martial arts books in the sect.
And that was why he was somehow able to advance in his position but it was too late.
Perhaps it was because he instinctively felt his death and so he was able to gain enlightenment.
âIt has not been a meaningful lifeâŚâ
When he looked back on it, it was a really dull life. He never fell in love like others, prominence in martial arts was beyond his ability and he had never held a womanâs hand.
He had also wanted to make a reputation for himself in the Murim world but he wasnât capable of it. It was one of the most chaotic times in Murim history. There were many stories around heroes and villains.
But he was neither of them.
âAhhâŚâ
He was slowly getting weaker. He didnât want to die like this. The people watching him were people he didnât know, people that didnât even know his name.
They were watching an elder of the sect enter his eternal sleep. Nothing more than that.
He wished he had a family. Heâd lived alone for a long time. He began to remember his thoughtful master that had departed early from the world.
He could once again see the trustworthy back of the Age of Warâs hero. He saw those beautiful people he could never reach.
ââŚYesâŚIâŚâ
His consciousness was sinking into a bottomless abyss.
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âI may have longed for that kind of lifeâŚâ
TL NOTE:
Just saw this gen unpicked, it is a bit hard, but this shall be tlâed here from now on! gwaahahaha!