I Became the Descendant of My Favorite Character

Chapter 9: Trampling the Sprout (5)

The participants of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony reveled in the festive atmosphere.

There was no food or welcoming greetings, but everyone felt a sense of satisfaction from surviving the first sprout trampling.

And at the center of it all was me.

“Thank you, Polarin!”

“I’m so glad you were here. Really.”

“Tayon will be proud of you too.”

I tried my best to act calm to avoid worrying the others, but my face kept contorting.

As the tension of battle faded, the pain from my wounds began to surge.

My shoulder had been pierced, and my collarbone was shattered—it was a struggle just to stay standing.

It was while I was barely holding myself together that they approached.

People clad in black, like Pinnon, members of the Black Veil, came toward us.

Tension rippled through the ceremony participants again.

As if their earlier cheers had never happened, they drew their weapons and glared at the uninvited guests.

“Everyone, calm down. These people aren’t enemies—they’re here as promised.”

I restrained my companions.

The newcomers bowed respectfully to me, despite being much older.

“Greetings, Polarin-nim. We are from the Black Veil…”

“No need for formalities. Do you have anything like a potion?”

I pointed to my wound as I spoke. It could have been seen as rude, but they didn’t take issue with it.

Instead, they quickly pulled a potion from their belongings and handed it to me.

‘An elixir?’

It wasn’t an ordinary potion.

Though it couldn’t perform miracles like regenerating lost limbs, it was a top-grade potion capable of healing most external injuries.

Aside from a priest of the Holy Church directly casting a heal, there was no better item for treating the wounded.

Even if sent by the leader of District 3, an elixir wasn’t something given out of mere goodwill.

I uncorked the crystal bottle and gulped down the elixir.

The lukewarm liquid slid down my throat, and soon it seeped into my wounds.

Not only did it heal my injuries, but it also had the effect of enhancing overall physical abilities as a potent elixir.

As I savored the effects of the elixir, the woman standing at the front spoke to me politely.

“Would it be alright if we tended to Pinnon-nim’s wounds here?”

I nodded, and she bowed deeply before heading straight to the collapsed Pinnon.

She took out another bottle of elixir and administered it to him.

‘The leader of District 3 must really value Pinnon.’

* * *

District 9, the office of the Panata leader.

A practical discussion about guiding the Coming-of-Age Ceremony was taking place.

“Tayon, instead of providing inns for the ceremony participants, how about letting them stay overnight in the homes of Panata’s residents?”

“What benefit would that bring to the participants?”

“We could provide well-maintained bedrooms and heartfelt home-cooked meals.”

“There must be no ulterior motives.”

“Of course. I’ll ensure it’s strictly enforced.”

While similar procedures had been followed in previous districts, starting from District 9—the so-called single-number districts—the guidance of participants required discussions with the overseer.

Unlike the village-like lower districts, Districts 9 through 1 were unmistakably urban in form.

As such, there were many administrative procedures to consider when large groups entered the city.

As the conversation continued, discussing accommodations for the participants’ overnight stay and lists of Panata-born ceremony participants, something happened.

Crackle.

Tayon frowned.

It was a simple change in expression, but the air in the mansion froze in an instant.

This wasn’t just a figure of speech—the mana density inside the office surged abruptly.

Some people in the room even struggled to breathe.

“Is there more to say?”

Tayon, seated in the office chair, looked at the woman across from him and asked.

The woman, holding a fan, shook her head.

“No, sir. The general explanation is complete. We will prepare to receive the procession without any shortcomings.”

Despite others struggling, the woman didn’t shed a single drop of sweat.

There were no visible signs of physical training on Ims.

The only notable thing was her attire.

‘As expected of the wealthiest Panata line in the Adjak family. Those aren’t just expensive clothes.’

Tayon noticed that Ims was adorned with artifacts.

Artifacts that balanced both function and aesthetics were rare.

They weren’t something mere wealth could procure.

Tayon considered the workshops on the continent capable of crafting such artifacts before standing up.

Tayon was aware of the vile custom called sprout trampling.

As someone from a lower district, he had experienced it himself.

Though he considered it a tradition barely worth tolerating once, the energy he just felt exceeded his limits.

A warrior of that caliber could easily annihilate Polarin and the other lower-district participants.

As Tayon moved to leave, Ims opened the door for him and said,

“Just to clarify, Panata hasn’t sent any Bigfoot this time. We didn’t want to go against your wishes, Tayon.”

- The districts that sent Bigfoot were defying Tayon’s will.

Tayon showed no particular reaction to Ims’s blatant display of intent.

He was solely concerned with the safety of the ceremony participants.

As he stepped out to head toward the gathering place of the participants, Tayon’s eyes widened.

Another change was that the oppressive aura he had exuded, freezing the air, dissipated in an instant.

* * *

The elixir worked on Pinnon too.

He let out a faint groan and rose to his feet.

The men in black supported his arms, helping him stand.

Still not fully recovered, Pinnon staggered toward me.

“You showed me mercy.”

“It wasn’t free, so it’s fine.”

“Dmong won’t forget you.”

“I hope it’s not just words.”

“Haha, it won’t be.”

But Pinnon still seemed uncomfortable, clutching his chest.

It shouldn’t have been a wound the elixir couldn’t heal.

“Your mana is strange.”

“My mana is strange?”

When I absorb the ambient mana through breathing, it’s stored in my Dragon Heart, where it’s transformed and reborn.

For now, the most distinct difference between my mana and others’ is likely its ‘purity.’

With high-purity mana coursing through my veins to support my body, I can perform movements far superior to those of others at the same rank.

But I thought my mana’s uniqueness was something only I could perceive.

That’s why I was startled when Pinnon mentioned it.

Pointing to his chest, Pinnon continued awkwardly.

“It feels like your mana flowed into my body through your attack… but strangely, I can’t expel it.”

Normally, the mana an individual cultivates has its own distinct nature.

Absorbing mana with a different nature is harmful.

The danger of demonic energy stems from the same principle.

However, it’s not entirely uncommon for another’s mana to mix with one’s own.

For those below Third-Rank, it could be fatal, but by channeling their own mana through their veins, they can push out and expel the foreign mana, thus avoiding danger.

But for Pinnon, who is of a higher rank than me, to be unable to expel my mana was unusual.

‘Is this because of the Dragon Heart too…?’

I closely examined Pinnon’s wound.

I could sense my mana lingering around it.

‘Can I move it?’

I didn’t know how, but I felt like I could.

Having been battered by the Dragon Heart my entire life, I’d developed an intuitive ability to manipulate mana compared to others.

“There’s something I’d like to try.”

“Oh? Go ahead.”

I nodded and reached out, placing my hand on Pinnon’s chest.

Humm!

The mana clinging to Pinnon’s wound stirred.

I felt the pulse of his heart.

I imagined a virtual line connecting my heart, my fingertips, and Pinnon’s wound.

Then, I pulled my mana from his heart back toward me.

Shhh.

The mana attached to his wound gradually detached, flowing back to me through my hand.

“What did you do?”

Pinnon was visibly shocked.

A white light flickered from my hand.

Some of the mana returned to me, while some dissipated into the air.

“I’m extracting the mana.”

“No, is that even possible?”

But Pinnon couldn’t say more, seemingly feeling the changes in his body.

“It worked… I don’t know how this is possible. Reabsorbing expelled mana?”

Pinnon muttered, unable to hide his astonishment.

Was this a difficult feat? Even I couldn’t logically explain how it worked, so I had no words for Pinnon.

“Good to know.”

I replied curtly.

Pinnon gave a small smile.

“First, I’ll relay Milias-nim’s message. There will be no more sprout trampling in this Coming-of-Age Ceremony. You don’t need to fear.”

Pinnon’s words carried weight and authority.

Thanks to that, a sense of relief spread across the faces of the ceremony participants.

The assurance of District 3’s leader.

A bold declaration, as if the opinions of other upper districts didn’t matter.

Their confidence was evident in that attitude.

‘Well, they did say the single-number districts—1, 2, and 3—don’t engage in petty acts like sprout crushing.’

“You’ll visit District 3 someday, I presume. Milias-nim said he’ll personally greet you then. He’s preparing a top-grade Tune, so you can look forward to it.”

“Is that so?”

A top-grade Tune, no less?

This was exceeding my expectations.

“That’s Milias-nim’s gift. Is there anything you’d like from me? I’d like to help if I can.”

“Could I have a beast’s heart? The higher-grade the beast, the better.”

Pinnon looked at me and my heart alternately, seemingly surprised.

Someone of his caliber would likely know about Heart Predation.

“…I’ll prepare the heart of the strongest beast I can manage.”

“Thank you.”

“Then I’ll look forward to our next meeting. I’m excited to see how much greater you’ll become.”

I bowed slightly.

Pinnon signaled the Black Veil members supporting him to step back, then bowed even deeper than I had.

“To the one walking the path of a hero.”

A cheesy line.

But it felt good to hear. I responded with a grin.

“Waaa!”

“Hero Polarin!”

The ceremony participants chanted my name.

The pain was gone.

I raised the Branch of World Tree even higher, celebrating my victory.

Step, step.

Amid the cheers of the participants, clear footsteps rang out.

Tayon was returning.