Chapter: 834
The first sensation I felt was coldness.
A coldness that penetrated my whole body.
If a body that has mastered Flame Arts feels this cold, just how cold could it possibly be?
Hiss.
As I exhaled, warm breath escaped my lips. Seeing this, I immediately slapped my own cheek.
Whack-!
I hit it hard enough to feel numb.
“Ouch.”
It hurt. That definitely meant I was feeling something.
I took a moment to scan my surroundings, piecing things together one by one.
“Hmm.”
I heightened my senses and focused, but there was nothing particularly visible. Only pitch-black darkness enveloped me.
What is this…?
I’ve definitely seen this before.
It was a familiar sight. If I had seen it, where was it? As I pondered for a moment, an idea flashed in my mind.
It’s similar to that place I saw before.
Back when I was fighting Youngpung during the Martial Arts Tournament.
The space where I encountered another god, Noya, within him. It bore a striking resemblance to that place.
The difference being…
The floor.
Taptap.
I tapped the ground with my toes. The floor felt solid. That was the biggest difference.
Back then, it was water.
The murky water that had filled the space. It was still a dark world, but what I experienced then was different from what it was now.
It’s hard.
The floor was solid. It felt like genuine ground. I sighed, noticing the sensation.
“What is this place?”
What kind of madness is this? My face contorted in confusion.
Why on earth was I here all of a sudden?
All I did was eat one piece of Dokcheondan.
A freshly made Dokcheondan. And now here I am, like this.
“Hm.”
I shook my head to refocus.
What’s happening?
Why did it turn out this way?
This was an instant manifestation. The moment I swallowed the energy pill, it activated.
My senses are working fine, but it’s hard to see this as reality.
Given everything that has happened, it’s difficult to view it as a simple occurrence.
… Generally, in such cases, there’s a reason behind it.
There’s a reason for this situation to happen.
What’s important is that there was a device that could trigger this scenario.
Is it because of the Dokcheondan?
The Dokcheondan infused with my energy. Did this problem arise from consuming it… or could it be…
Something else.
Is there another reason?
I tried to think it over, but nothing came to mind. There was so little information to work with.
If there’s any silver lining…
At least it’s not completely empty here.
A black sky and a black ground. There was not even a hint of presence in this environment.
I wondered what could possibly be in a place like this.
What on earth?
I strangely detected something.
And that too…
Unpleasant.
It felt extremely unpleasant and damn right terrible.
It was an indescribably disgusting sensation.
It was as though bugs were crawling all over my body, and I felt nauseous almost to the point of vomiting.
What in the world is this feeling?
I grimaced and stared at one location. Beyond the dark, indistinct scenery.
Is that where it’s coming from?
I sensed the source of this inexplicable discomfort over there.
I started walking straight toward it.
I really didn’t want to go, even if it meant my life. But I had to. The experiences I had gone through were enough to teach me that.
Something would happen if I got to that place.
What’s happening this time?
Having seen and dealt with all sorts of things, nothing could possibly surprise me now. At this point, curiosity trumped my anxiety.
I stepped on the ground, continuing to walk.
As I started moving in the right direction, that feeling only intensified.
What on earth is at the end of this? What could possibly evoke such dread?
While my questions were trailing on and on,
“Huh?”
Something began to take shape ahead.
I squinted my eyes, trying to see better. But it was still unclear.
Still, I was certain I was getting closer to my destination.
I suppressed the growing fatigue of walking and kept pushing forward. After a bit more distance, the source of my discomfort became clearer.
The question is…
“…What’s that?”
What on earth is it? No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
What lay ahead was a door.
And what a massive door it was.
It was a door made of some unknown black iron. I approached it for a closer examination.
But no matter how much I scrutinized it, I couldn’t figure out what it was.
All I discerned was that it was just a thick, black iron door. And for some odd reason, it was tightly bound by a thick chain.
At first glance, that was all I could make out.
This feels creepy.
Just looking at it was irritating. I was starting to feel angry.
I wondered if there was something behind the door. I cautiously reached out my hand.
The only tactile sensation was the chilling cold characteristic of iron.
In that moment, I felt there was no other distinguishing feature.
Rumble-Rumble-Rumble—!!!
“…!?”
Suddenly, a loud vibration and noise erupted from the door. The shaking was so intense that the ground felt like it was trembling.
I quickly distanced myself, observing the situation.
“Shit.”
What the hell is about to burst out now? My tension escalated as I stared at the door.
It looked suspicious just sitting there. Should I make a run for it?
If I run, where would I go?
There’s no escape route.
How could I run away when I didn’t even understand how I got here?
Whoosh— Instinctively, I gathered my energy. I steadied myself and regulated my breathing.
Hiss…
I exhaled quietly and activated my body. I braced myself for whatever incident could occur.
Rumble-Rumble-Rumble-Rumble—!!!!
The iron door continued to shake and resonate for a long time.
Rumble-Rumble-Rumble…
As time passed, the vibration gradually stopped. It felt like it could explode with the force to demolish everything in the vicinity. Thankfully, it seemed that wasn’t the case.
But, don’t let your guard down just because it has ceased.
Nobody could know what might happen at any moment.
Therefore, I continued to watch the door, fully alert.
Clink.
The chain binding the door shifted slightly.
Clatter-Clatter—!! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, it unraveled and fell to the floor. Given its size, it made a tremendous noise as it landed.
This, too, was an abrupt event. With a bewildered gaze, I focused on the fallen chain.
Screech.
This time, a sound emanated from the door.
The door that seemed as though it would sit there forever, unmoving like an iron fortress, was now responding.
It’s opening.
Slowly, with tremendous effort, a crease began to form.
Seeing this, I squinted my eyes and felt my arm. Goosebumps had already begun to cover my skin.
Cold sweat trickled down my spine and even down my forehead.
It was like this from the moment the door started to open.
Crazy.
I wiped the sweat forming on my chin. My heart was pounding beyond control.
I’m going insane.
Through that slightly ajar door, something utterly absurd began to waft in. It was deeply profound and distant…
The will to kill.
A fundamental urge to kill something. It was a phenomenon materialized by energy.
Killing intent varies in strength based on the depth of emotion.
As if the years of an unmanned life were packed within my energy center, the amount of murderous intent expressed in those years became clear.
The energy I felt at this moment was dreadfully violent and unhinged.
So powerful it made me vigilant.
What sort of fierce intent dwells within that thing? What sort of monster would be so twisted as to emanate this kind of murderous pressure?
First of all, it’s definitely not a normal being.
Whatever resided inside it, I could tell it wasn’t fine. I felt so compelled to escape I could barely stand it.
Phew.
I took a deep breath and advanced.
My desire to avoid this was evident, but there was only one choice.
Why on earth did that door suddenly open?
Is it telling me to come and take a look?
I knew the answer, yet I couldn’t simply ignore it.
I moved even closer, peering through the open gap. I realized one thing.
It’s not going to budge with a gentle push.
I hadn’t attempted to force it, but I could tell it would demand a significant effort to open.
The crucial part here is…
It can be opened.
I realized I might be able to force it open.
Knowing I could potentially open it made it even more unsettling. It felt as if the door was urging me to push it open.
Feeling this way, I glanced through the crack in the door. It was narrow enough that I could squeeze through, but just the right size to examine the inside.
What could it be?
What was behind this excruciatingly hostile energy?
A combination of tension and curiosity churned within me.
What kind of crazy monster would target me again?
I steadied my breath and peeked through the crack in the door.
Huh?
Peering inside was just as dark as before.
It didn’t seem like there was anything there. That was certainly my first impression.
There is something.
That thought flickered away almost instantly. I sensed something beyond the darkness. Something stood at the center of the black fog-covered background.
A chair?
It was a very large chair. Why on earth would such a chair be just sitting there?
…Who is that?
There sat someone on that very chair. The moment I saw him, realization hit me.
It’s him.
The very individual who had sent all my nerves on high alert. The source of that ridiculous murderous intent. That was undoubtedly him.
I narrowed my eyes to see him more clearly.
As time went on, he gradually became more defined.
The outline that had initially been hidden was starting to take shape.
One thing I could ascertain right away was that the figure on the chair was human.
I couldn’t fully gauge his height, but he didn’t appear particularly tall. He seemed to be wearing a black military uniform.
His pose was relaxed, with his chin resting on his hand… and that face…
“…”
As soon as I registered that, I froze up completely.
The goosebumps on my body felt like they were penetrating deep into my soul.
Only once I saw his face did I understand the disorienting feeling I had sensed up until now.
The horrifying sense of death and total discomfort.
That discomfort made me want to run away instantly, but there was an inexplicable familiarity within that feeling.
If it weren’t for that, I would never have made it this far.
What on earth did I find so familiar in this dreadful atmosphere?
The unknown question had finally reached a resolution.
Hah.
I couldn’t help but exhale weakly.
A dauntingly large chair. The figure seated on it was staring right at me.
His purple eyes and darkened whites locked onto me.
Creak.
He shifted, releasing a sound as he opened his mouth.
“I will ask.”
With each word he spoke, the atmosphere of murderous intent thickened even further.
I wondered just how twisted this guy must be to radiate such lethal energy… but then, oh hell.
“Why.”
The lunatic observing me was none other than…
“Are you still alive?”
It was me, in a past life.
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