The smoke clears.
The space that seemed vast has shrunk to about the size of a gym.
And in the middle of it is…
“Who are you?”
[H-huh, heehee! Taesu has temporarily stepped out! I am his direct subordinate! If you do anything foolish, Taesu will return and devour you without a trace, so you better run away quickly!]
“No. Your voice is the same. Who’s gonna fall for this?”
Claiming to be Taesu’s subordinate, a tiny fox with its head buried in the ground, eyes covered, shivering.
Well, is it really tiny?
It’s about the size of a large dog, but compared to the giant furball I just saw, it looks small.
[Achievement Unlocked]
[Encounter with Taesu and Gui Ho!]
Only then does the system window pop up.
The gigantic fox I was just looking at must have been an illusion.
This is what Taesu really looks like.
[As an achievement unlock reward, the trait ‘Curse Technique Formation’ is granted.]
[Trait: Curse Technique Formation]
[You can now draw formations.]
I gained the trait ‘Curse Technique Formation’ as an achievement unlock reward.
At the same time, basic information about curses etches itself into my mind.
I begin to feel demonic energy swirling at my fingertips.
Until now, I only vaguely felt demonic energy, but now I can manipulate it like mana.
‘I can use curses now.’
It seems I was forcibly enlightened about curses after obtaining the trait.
Of course, I have no idea how to use cursed dolls, charms, or totems.
But the fact that I can now clearly feel demonic energy means I can learn curses in the future.
Since it only says I can draw formations, it doesn’t seem to be a particularly unique trait.
I could probably ask the centipede lady to teach me about curses.
Though calling it a favor is little more than half-forced, really.
[Accumulation: 49,980/62,500]
Amid this, Kali’s dead soul accumulation skyrocketed.
I had struggled to gather around 3,000, and suddenly it jumps to 50,000.
The amount of demonic energy in Taesu’s formations must be tremendous.
‘So what happens when I gather 60,000?’
But on the flip side, it means that I must absorb this entire massive space distortion formation.
There’s still 10,000 left.
So what would Kali’s dead soul turn into when the accumulation is complete?
The thought is almost unsettling.
[Y-yeah! Baekhwayoran is about to explode! So you better run quickly!]
“Your effort is commendable. So you really didn’t want to show your true self.”
[H-heek!]
I grab Taesu by the nape as he blabbers nonsense.
He soon gives up resisting, loosens his body, and reveals the long-snouted face of a silver fox.
Looks like he accepted it now.
“What the heck is this? Why does Taesu use such an illusion?”
[Since you’ve seen my true form, you must understand… I am no longer Taesu. So just call me Gui Ho. I received a major injury a long time ago and lost a significant part of my power. I now have no strength to observe this land as Taesu, but only the power of an ordinary youkai. I’ve been secretly gathering strength here to return to my prime again someday.]
Finally, the question is answered.
The reason Taesu stayed quiet while the Four Heavenly Kings rampaged.
The reason he couldn’t exert any strength and died in one blow when the final boss appeared.
Gui Ho had already lost his strength as Taesu long ago.
This place must be the formation he created before losing his power.
Within this space, Gui Ho can express his dignity and power as Taesu.
So until he regains all his strength, he probably hasn’t gone outside.
He likely couldn’t stay still until the final boss appeared, surrounded by illusions, and got utterly defeated.
The puzzle pieces fit perfectly.
“Well, at this point, wouldn’t it be better to just hand over Taesu’s position? There are plenty of youkai stronger than you, anyway.”
[N-no! That can’t be!]
“Is there any reason?”
[It’s embarrassing… I thought it was just a scratch, but if it becomes known that I was weakened by that injury…]
“…”
Gui Ho mutters with a crawling voice, avoiding my gaze.
Looks like he still has a bloated pride despite being neither Taesu nor youkai now.
What am I supposed to do?
[Please don’t blab about me! Then I’ll give you my precious secret manuals and everything!]
“I don’t need that. More than that, I want to learn how to create space distortion formations.”
[Oh! Oh! Good! Good! I can teach you as much as you need! Stay here and-]
“Outside.”
[Huh?]
With a quick motion, I lift Gui Ho’s nape again, and his face turns dumbfounded.
This guy has accumulated massive knowledge from living for thousands of years.
Leaving such a guy behind would be foolish.
Now that I can learn curses, it would be best to learn from Gui Ho.
Learning swordsmanship from Kali, who has lived for centuries, and curses from Gui Ho, who’s been around for thousands.
Perfect.
Whyyaaaaaa!
At that moment, the room’s lighting turns red, and a loud siren blares.
Gui Ho’s expression shifts to one of exuberance.
[You’re in big trouble now! Baekhwayoran has surely detected an intruder! On the surface, Baekhwayoran seems like an ordinary casino, but in reality, it’s a militant organization hidden to protect and keep me safe! There are masters who could easily annihilate you in an instant! If you put me down and swear not to disclose my identity outside, I might let you leave safely…]
“Hey…”
Is this guy still not getting it?
Ignoring Gui Ho’s warning, I head up the stairs while carrying him.
It’s a full-blown charge.
*
“…Fold.”
Rustle rustle.
Mi Jeong rolls cards in her hand, and every action draws the attention of the gamblers.
But Mi Jeong’s face is as emotionless as a corpse, her tone unchanging.
Even her hand movements show no habits or quirks, leaving no trace of any emotion.
A perfect poker face.
The gamblers facing Mi Jeong feel a strange sensation as if they were in front of a machine.
‘…It’s about time. She’s cheating.’
The table had started to change since earlier.
The insignificant patrons who filled the seats were replaced by professional gamblers.
The new dealer, who replaced the one who left saying it hurt, was certainly using tricks.
The entire table seemed to be dead set on wiping out the chips stacked high in front of Mi Jeong.
Mi Jeong, aware of everything, says,
“…This is boring. I’m leaving.”
“W-wait?! Just as we were about to start having some fun!”
“…I’m sleepy. Time to sleep.”
“This can’t be happening!!!”
Pushing past the staff and spectators who try to stop her, Mi Jeong piles her mountain of chips onto a cart and heads for the exchange counter.
The staff can only watch her as she walks away with a hefty sum of cash.
If she just waits a little longer to exchange her chips, they would offer her a discount on the fees.
If she stays just one more day, they would provide free hotel accommodation and room service.
Despite all sorts of temptations, Mi Jeong remains unfazed.
“…Well, I’m off now.”
As Mi Jeong leaves Baekhwayoran, a moment later…
Whaaaaaaa!
A siren blares throughout Baekhwayoran.
This sends the place into a frenzy.
Customers, not knowing what’s going on, flee outside, while the few staff members left inside start gearing up.
Though they were dressed like ordinary casino employees,
the moment they picked up swords, axes, and whatnot, their spirits transformed dramatically.
This siren means something’s gone wrong with Taesu.
The staff, tense, stop in front of a hidden room’s door.
“This is it! Be careful. The intruder has breached the concealment technique, so they are not a weak opponent-”
BANG!
With a loud noise, a hole bursts in the wall.
A man wearing a black mask quickly escapes and starts fleeing.
In his hand is a silver fox.
The staff, who had been waiting for the door to open, are left dumbfounded.
“Capture him! Seize the intruder!”
“Captain! The inside is empty!”
“What?”
“Taesu has… disappeared!”*
The captain gasps and opens the door to look inside, his jaw dropping.
This room, which should have been large and distorted in space, only reveals a much smaller space.
Taesu is nowhere to be found.
Clenching his teeth, the captain yells out.
“Chase them! That guy must have done something to Taesu!”
“Bug! Activate the curse formation!”
“Bug? What does that mean?”
As the staff members murmur in confusion, a gigantic centipede hidden in the sewers starts moving quickly.
‘Damn it! How much demonic energy do I need to use?!’
Grumbling internally, the gigantic centipede activates a wide area sleep curse.
It wasn’t hard.
Having already laid the formations across Baekhwayoran while sketching the layout, it was just a matter of overlaying the sleep curse.
But the important thing was the amount of demonic energy.
Since Baekhwayoran is such a large building, the amount of demonic energy getting drained is enormous.
Thus, its power would undoubtedly weaken significantly.
However, the centipede somehow managed to complete the sleep curse formation.
“Block him with human wave tactics!”
A rush of staff members crowds in front of the man.
It seemed that now the man had nowhere to go.
“Bug! Now!”
But the man’s voice echoed boisterously.
The curse formations laid across Baekhwayoran activated, and monstrous demonic energy engulfed the place.
Staff members blocking the man began to collapse, succumbing to sleep.
“Damn it! What trickery was that?!”
Yet not everyone fell asleep.
For those who had trained tirelessly, day and night, this level of demonic energy merely made their eyelids grow heavy.
They slapped themselves awake and chased after the man.
‘A fox? What the heck is that?’
The man held a big silver fox, but to them, the fox’s identity remained a mystery.
There’s no way that small, weak energy could be Taesu.
They merely thought it was a fox with a fur color similar to Taesu’s.
‘What the hell is he doing?! I’ll chase him down to the ends of the continent and find out how he made Taesu disappear!’
The man gradually started to pull away.
These guys had trained their bodies to the limit for almost twenty years.
This man, however, was evading with what felt like almost a teasing grace, dodging the attacks and arrows that came his way while increasing the distance.
I will catch him for sure.
Even if I miss him here, I’ll chase him down to the end.
The captain swore to himself, pumping his speed further.
Taesu had taken him in, providing him food, shelter, and everything he had.
And all the grace bestowed upon the north was arranged by Taesu, its lord.
He cannot let this guy escape to repay that grace and loyalty to Taesu.
“Hahaha! Curious about my identity, are you?!”
“He pulled out his sword?”
“Rabbit! Now!”
At that moment, the man laughed heartily, unsheathing his sword and calling forth a rabbit.
In an instant, the sword cuts through the air, creating a sharp wind that crashes into the masters.
Startled, they block the wind with their swords and shields but remain confused.
A sword technique that generates sharp winds.
Only one person they knew could use such a technique.
“T-t-Tran Silbia?”
“Yes! It’s me! The self-absorbed, over-the-top narcissist who took centuries just to finally become the strongest! Tran Silbia! If you want Taesu back, seek me out! Hahaha!”
“…”
With that shout, the masked man leaps off the high cliff and disappears.
They can’t follow any further.
The masters stared down at the abyss for a long time, grinding their teeth.
This sword technique was an ancient swordsmanship long practiced only by Tran Silbia.
Though his voice was hard to place, it sounded vaguely familiar.
Aside from a hint of muscular lack, it was definitely Tran Silbia.
“Tran Silbia! That murderer dared to lay a finger on Taesu!”
“Is he crazy? Doesn’t he fear the lord of the north?”
“Revealing his identity was a grave mistake! I will find him! Just wait!”
They all swore, stewing in their sense of defeat.
