Chapter: 414
If it’s a nightmare, you have to wake up first.
Wi Seol-ah’s words were echoing in my mind.
‘…You have to wake up.’
It wasn’t a sudden realization like a lightning bolt striking my head.
Instinctively, I knew I must derive something from this.
Perhaps noticing my unusual expression, Wi Seol-ah tilted her head in curiosity.
In the midst of repeatedly pondering Wi Seol-ah’s words, something suddenly flitted through my mind.
‘Huh?’
It wasn’t exactly a groundbreaking idea.
There was just a method I hadn’t bothered to try all month.
For some reason, it popped up alongside Wi Seol-ah’s words.
“…Right, why didn’t I try that?”
“Eh?”
Although Wi Seol-ah reacted as if asking what I was talking about, I didn’t respond and immediately began to stroke her hair.
“Confucius…?”
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I’ve become a bit smarter.”
“That’s a compliment, right?”
“Of course, it’s a compliment.”
In this world, you need to be cunning to survive.
In that regard, Wi Seol-ah’s words were indeed quite helpful.
However.
‘Will it work?’
The only question lingering in my mind was whether the method I came up with would even work against the Dark King.
In such cases, the solution is simple.
‘If it doesn’t work, then don’t force it.’
If it doesn’t work, I’d just look for another method.
That was it.
Night has arrived.
Under the slender, curved crescent moon, in the heart of a dimly lit forest.
A man stood with his arms crossed behind his back.
He was a peculiar figure whose presence seemed to cause everything around him to go silent—almost as if he were enveloped in an eerie atmosphere.
The man had striking white hair that would draw admiration from anyone who saw it.
Yet paradoxically, it felt strangely at home with the darkness.
As he stood there, almost like a statue, changes began to unfold within him.
Starting from the tips of his toes, the shadow began to expand gradually.
Pssss…
An ominous energy was emerging.
The energy that started to spread covered the fields and wrapped around trees, darkening everything in sight.
And before long.
Even the faint light cast by the crescent moon was devoured, giving way to impenetrable darkness.
In the darkness that formed, the man, the Dark King, gazed straight ahead, his notorious white eyes gleaming.
Thud— The sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the front.
They were the footsteps of someone the Dark King had been anticipating.
Moreover, that person happened to be the one the Dark King had seen most frequently over the past month.
The Dark King slightly raised his eyebrows upon noticing the young man approaching from a distance.
‘He’s come today as well.’
Time seemingly flew by in an instant.
This period held significant meaning for the Dark King.
To start, he had to adjust his previous thoughts about the young man, whom he initially predicted would last at most seven days and nights.
‘I suppose I need to acknowledge this.’
He nodded.
That young man had been facing death every night at the hands of the Dark King.
On average, he faced death more than twenty times—a toll so steep that a normal person would have lost their sanity within three days.
Yet the young man’s expression as he faced the Dark King appeared merely a tad weary.
He did not look much different from when they first met.
This much had to be admitted.
No matter how painless those deaths were, devoid of torture,
The level at which the young man was enduring had already exceeded limits.
Thus, the Dark King continued to question.
If a human could not maintain peace after so many deaths, how on earth could this child uphold such a mindset?
The Dark King saw two possible interpretations for such a case.
One was:
‘Already mentally broken and crumbled.’
If one’s mind is twisted enough so that it’s no longer normal.
It was a possibility, but in the Dark King’s eyes, the young man was not at that level.
Then what remained?
If it was said that he had surpassed the boundaries of a normal human’s endurance.
‘If he’s not human to begin with.’
Contemplating this, the Dark King nodded.
That scenario appeared to be the most plausible.
From the very first meeting,
Whenever the Dark King looked at the young man, his heart would race uncontrollably.
Thud-thud…
It was the torment of the curse intertwined with the Dark King’s blood and heart that resonated wildly.
That young man was akin to himself.
Thus.
He thought, Just go kill him already.
Murderous intent radiated continuously from him.
As his fury started to simmer, the Dark King subdued his instincts, pushing them aside.
The Dark King had no intention of killing the young man.
Perhaps, the young man held the clue to unraveling the ‘curse’ binding him.
He was, essentially, a being similar to the Dark King himself, so killing him was not an option.
The concealed Dark King observed the young man.
Whether the young man appeared inhuman in the Dark King’s view or possessed something entirely different; it didn’t matter at present.
What was crucial was.
‘It’s futile.’
This moment wasn’t particularly worthwhile.
‘Does he not realize this?’
Mulling over the master who asked for this kind of training, the Dark King frowned.
The young man faced repeated deaths within the Dark King’s “domain,”
And to the Dark King, it felt like nothing but a pointless demise.
Since he had barely even touched the edges of the Dark King’s cloak.
That was inevitable.
This very darkness was the realm governed by the Dark King, and those who stepped into it would find their senses dulled, making it hard to harness their innate powers.
One thing would increase, though.
The pain experienced would amplify, contrary to the dulled senses.
Originally, this power was employed by the Dark King for torture.
Hence, it was all the more ludicrous.
The master was acutely aware of this but still entrusted his disciple into the hands of the Dark King for this very situation.
The fact that the young man went through this without fail for over a month just because it was ordered wasn’t normal, either.
Despite being a Dark King without disciples, the odd relationship between master and disciple was readily apparent.
Only one thought lingered.
That was it.
The Dark King no longer pondered the relationship between the master and the young man.
He only needed to focus on the task at hand.
For this, all he needed to do was fulfill the request made by the master.
Furthermore,
The Dark King never believed, from the get-go, that the young man—rather, Gu Yangcheon—would overcome this trial.
The conclusion drawn after a month-long ordeal was no different from the first.
This fact was not known only by the Dark King; no one understood it better than he did.
‘That little brat must realize it too.’
Most likely, it was Gu Yangcheon himself undergoing this situation firsthand.
He didn’t seem to have fundamentally lost his sanity, but his slightly worn expression seemed to speak volumes.
The Dark King gripped the dagger tightly as he regarded Gu Yangcheon’s weary expression.
I could only wonder how much longer he could last.
Getting this far had already exceeded the Dark King’s anticipations.
As the Dark King maintained his increasingly firm belief, Gu Yangcheon clearly had little mental strength remaining.
At best, seven days.
Unless something unforeseen occurred, there would eventually be a turning point.
Should that happen, the master would realize and search for another alternative.
No matter how obsessed he was with martial arts, he wouldn’t watch a tool meant to fulfill his purpose fail.
While pondering this, the Dark King intended to move his body.
‘Hmm.’
Suddenly, the Dark King sensed a shift in Gu Yangcheon.
He appeared as if he always did, yet he was grasping something in his hand.
The Dark King’s eyes squinted as he realized what it was.
‘A dagger?’
What Gu Yangcheon held was indeed a dagger.
Judging by its appearance and craftsmanship, it looked to belong to the Tang Clan.
Probably borrowed from that monstrous daughter of the Poison King.
‘What in the world is he doing with a dagger?’
A question arose in the Dark King’s mind.
Previously, Gu Yangcheon had employed numerous tactics to reach the Dark King.
When physical combat wouldn’t cut it, he had attempted to illuminate the surroundings with martial arts that were barely executed properly.
He even tried to burn the Dark King alive by summoning flames around him.
Of all the attempts, the highlight was when he tried to grab the Dark King with a knife embedded in his own neck.
The Dark King recalled that moment as the most perilous.
The dagger that struck into his neck could have been fatal—but Gu Yangcheon, relying solely on willpower, delayed his death just to latch onto the Dark King.
It was then the Dark King realized it.
Biju, that peculiar fellow, truly had taken on a disciple who mirrored himself.
Both master and disciple were undeniably odd.
Twisted, to a point beyond comprehension.
As the Dark King looked at Gu Yangcheon, a peculiar gaze crossed his face.
‘After enduring that, are you really planning to try something again?’
He seemed to have a specific objective involving the dagger.
‘That spirit, I’ll give you credit for it.’
Even the Dark King felt a tinge of respect at the sight of him, who still dared to attempt something more.
Of course, results would differ despite the tenacity.
Unless the secrets of this realm were unearthed, Gu Yangcheon would ultimately remain trapped.
As the Dark King continued watching Gu Yangcheon’s actions,
Gu Yangcheon, gripping the dagger tightly, suddenly pointed the blade towards himself instead of outward.
The moment I questioned what on earth he was up to with that—
“…!”
Gu Yangcheon swiftly thrust the dagger toward his own neck.
Seeing this, the Dark King’s body reacted instinctively and shot forth.
There was no time for surprise or contemplation.
The Dark King lunged toward Gu Yangcheon in a flash.
Just before the dagger’s point brushed against Gu Yangcheon’s neck—
SQUASH—!
He caught Gu Yangcheon’s wrist, halting his movement.
At that very instant.
BAM—!
Gu Yangcheon’s other hand seized the Dark King’s wrist.
This transpired in a heartbeat.
The Dark King found himself wide-eyed, expressing utmost shock as he looked at Gu Yangcheon.
Gu Yangcheon, summoning all his strength, flashed a smile at the Dark King and declared:
“Gotcha!”
“…Hah.”
The tone of voice revealed an undeniable sense of enjoyment.
The Dark King let out a breath, filled with incredulity.
It seemed absurd.
“…How’d you know?”
This was the question the Dark King had for Gu Yangcheon.
Upon hearing this, Gu Yangcheon tilted his head, asking in return.
“What do you mean?”
“This method. How did you know?”
The Dark King was genuinely curious.
If, by any chance, one were to die in this domain through means other than the Dark King’s touch, resurrection would be impossible.
It would mean that they would truly die.
If Gu Yangcheon had reached that point, then he wouldn’t be able to awaken again.
The Dark King knew that Gu Yangcheon couldn’t afford to die, which is why he had shown up personally to prevent such a situation from happening again.
This indicated that Gu Yangcheon must have known of this, and chose this approach to draw in the Dark King.
Choosing death by one’s own hand meant genuine death.
In reverse, the Dark King would intervene to avert that demise.
Indicating that Gu Yangcheon had some knowledge of this.
But how had he come to know?
No matter how hard the Dark King thought about it, he couldn’t decipher it.
To this, Gu Yangcheon simply regarded the Dark King nonchalantly and replied.
“I didn’t know.”
“What?”
The Dark King frowned at that response. Didn’t know…?
“How would I possibly know? I haven’t learned mind-reading or anything.”
“Then why’d you do it?”
In answer to the Dark King’s inquiry, Gu Yangcheon looked as if he were questioning why such an obvious question was posed.
“I just thought I’d give it a shot. What’s it to you?”
“What…?”
…You just tried it?
The Dark King, still bewildered by the audacity of it all, watched as Gu Yangcheon continued.
“I was pondering on how to wake up from a nightmare.”
The abrupt mention of nightmares piqued the Dark King’s attention.
“First off, what you ought to do is try to wake yourself up, right?”
“What is that supposed to imply in this context?”
“Well, nothing particularly. I realized I’ve never really attempted to wake from a dream. So I did the simplest thing. Usually, if you do this in a dream, you wake up, don’t you?”
“…”
The Dark King was left utterly speechless by Gu Yangcheon’s casual explanation.
Are you seriously claiming you were aiming for self-destruction over a simply that reason?
Is this guy uncertain about the circumstances, oblivious to what might happen if he dies—
For just that reason?
By the time he got this far, the Dark King was convinced.
“…You’re insane.”
He truly was mad.
“If I hadn’t intervened, do you have any idea what could have happened?”
“If you hadn’t, I would’ve just come back. Then I’d figure something else out.”
Hearing this, the Dark King couldn’t help but address the issue.
“Kid, there are instances where I might have allowed you to die.”
“Then I thought you’d show up to stop me.”
“Why would I? On what grounds did you think I’d thwart your death?”
Anyone could potentially think ahead.
But the notion that the Dark King would actually step in to prevent his demise was an entirely different matter.
What made him so confident?
That question gnawed at the Dark King the most.
However, upon hearing Gu Yangcheon, he suddenly expressed admiration and said:
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.”
“What…?”
“Honestly, it just felt like it would turn out that way.”
“…”
“That’s a gut feeling, you know.”
After hearing Gu Yangcheon’s response, the Dark King helplessly gave up on reasoning.
‘I thought a guy like Biju wouldn’t show up again.’
That damned disciple was even worse than his master.
To think that he’d try to turn the tables like this.
“Hah…”
After nearly a decade, the Dark King found himself rubbing his face in disbelief.
Whatever the case, it was undeniable that Gu Yangcheon had reached him.
The faces of the elders and their anticipated expressions filled the Dark King’s mind upon confirming the outcome.
He felt a wave of annoyance sweep over him as he imagined their smugness in the mix.
In that moment.
Fwhoooosh—!
He felt a sudden wave of heat.
There was no need to ascertain the source of the heat.
Only two beings occupied this space: the man and Gu Yangcheon.
The Dark King cast a cool glance towards the keeper of the heat and inquired.
“What on earth is this?”
“I’ve had my own curiosities, and since we’re here, I thought I might as well give it a go,” Gu Yangcheon responded casually while gradually intensifying the heat.
The now crimson pupils and the softly emanating warmth felt unsettling.
What in the world are you even trying to do now that it’s all been said and done?
The Dark King observed quietly for a brief moment, knowing Gu Yangcheon didn’t strike him as foolish enough to engage him directly.
“Every time I wanted to do something, I ended up dying, so I’ve got things left unfinished.”
“In this situation?”
“Yeah.”
For a guy who had faced countless deaths just the day before, he looked oddly cheery.
Excited, even?
What’s going on with this guy?
Is it truly possible to recover so significantly from just that?
No matter how he looked at it, the Dark King couldn’t comprehend.
“Just wondering if this is really an unbreakable formation.”
“…”
“It’s just a little curiosity, really.”
To Gu Yangcheon’s words, the Dark King offered no retort.
After all, it couldn’t truly be deemed a ‘formation’ in the first place.
It wasn’t something a martial artist could wield nor a barrier crafted by formation cultivators.
Remarkably, it was a realm of ‘abilities’ birthed from a curse.
In a way…
In the Dark King’s opinion, if he and Gu Yangcheon shared a similar nature, it was plausible that one day Gu Yangcheon might also wield such power.
The Dark King felt no need to explain.
Realizing more knowledge wouldn’t bear any good fruit.
He merely aimed to maintain his silence.
There were no warnings or advisories against Gu Yangcheon’s audacious exploits.
It was outright consent—do as you please.
With that, as the Dark King observed, Gu Yangcheon only muttered softly.
“The enemy.”
At that instant.
A fierce heat erupted from Gu Yangcheon’s body, beginning to spread in all directions.
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