Chapter: 852
Drip.
Something flows from the corner of the mouth.
Ilcheonggeom wiped his mouth with trembling hands. It was blood. Blood was flowing from the corner of his mouth.
How does it feel, the pain? It feels like my cheek is going to tear off. It felt as if I were burning with fever; the heat was intense.
What is the situation? Ilcheonggeom couldn’t make sense of what was happening.
He was lying down. Why was he on the ground?
And what is that gaze?
Ilcheonggeom looked up at the gaze that was staring down at him. Blue eyes were peering intently at him.
No expression was visible on the shadowed face.
Goo-goo-goo… The goosebumps creeping up his body tightened around his neck. As his body lost strength, the murderous energy surrounding him started to take effect.
‘Ugh…’
His body stiffened against the tidings of danger. It was a nauseating sensation.
Somehow, he clenched his teeth and summoned strength. Energy flowed back into his body, and he was able to breathe again. But the pain remained unchanged.
‘…just now.’
What on earth had happened? Repeatedly recalling the moment failed to yield any understanding. How…?
With a bewildered look, Ilcheonggeom questioned Guyangcheon.
“…You! You were hiding your power!”
Boom—!
“Cough!”
The impact sent his head spinning.
Like before, he still couldn’t comprehend what had struck him.
“That’s not the answer to my question.”
Guyangcheon grasped Ilcheonggeom’s disheveled hair to stabilize him.
“Don’t you get it?”
“…What…what do you mean…?”
What could it possibly mean? Ilcheonggeom couldn’t grasp it. The only instinctual notion he had was.
Something feels off.
Something about Guyangcheon seemed distinctly bizarre. There was none of the usual sneering demeanor; instead, he stared with a blank expression.
But—
What… is this?
Why was it so terrifying? Recognizing that the emotion swelling within him was fear wasn’t difficult at all.
Hoo… hoo…
His gaze kept shifting away. He could hardly bear to look into those eyes for long. He felt that if he did, he might get devoured in an instant.
In the end, Ilcheonggeom averted his eyes from Guyangcheon.
“Hmm.”
Guyangcheon nodded upon witnessing that. And then…
Boom—!
“Ugh!”
He swung his fist and struck Ilcheonggeom’s head again. It was stronger this time. The impact seemed to blast energy into the air.
Thud. Ilcheonggeom’s body crumpled to the ground. Blood streamed from his nose, soaking the floor beneath.
The surrounding crowd fell silent at the sight.
No way…
Did he just kill him…?
Did he just kill Ilcheonggeom…?
Our great lord just killed Ilcheonggeom…?
Everyone shared the same thought. Blood was pooling, and Ilcheonggeom was completely motionless, making it seem like he was undoubtedly dead.
Yet Guyangcheon nudged Ilcheonggeom’s body with his foot, saying:
“He’s not dead, so take him.”
“Wha—?”
He’s not dead? In that condition…?
“Take him and keep him alive. He can’t die now.”
“…What is that supposed to mean?”
“Are you not going to do it?”
“…Okay…”
Not dying now invaded everyone’s minds.
It was serene yet chilling.
How could such emotionless words sound so frigid?
Normally, he’d have you feeling boxed in, but the Guyangcheon before them was drastically different from how he used to be.
An entirely different person.
He was nothing like the one they knew.
The murderous aura exuding from him and the way he gazed at those around him were otherworldly.
While he used to treat people with some semblance of humanity, now it felt like…
He was looking at livestock.
Something so devoid of humanity. His eyes seemed to regard them like mere stones on the ground.
That was downright creepy.
Ilcheonggeom was being talked about by the others. Observing his trembling hands, it became evident that he had truly fainted.
Guyangcheon, who had been silently observing, turned his head.
He felt not a grain of emotion.
Guyangcheon scanned the surroundings.
Those who made eye contact trembled or even weakened in their legs.
While the murderous aura had lessened a bit, it was still potent.
“Commence the search.”
The calmly spoken voice reverberated ominously.
The agents found it hard to respond.
And yet, conveying that no answer was needed, Guyangcheon focused somewhere else and slightly bent his knees.
“Confucius…! Sleep…!”
Hearing this, Dang So-yeol called out urgently to Guyangcheon.
Boom—!!!
With a tremendous cloud of dust, Guyangcheon leapt into the air.
As he distanced himself, the murderous energy in the area faded away.
Only then did those around him begin to breathe heavily.
“…Confucius…?”
Dang So-yeol bit his lip as he sensed Guyangcheon’s distant presence.
Why did that happen? He pondered deeply.
He should never have done that. He chastised himself in return.
I shouldn’t have called him over.
He understood that Ilcheonggeom had been watching. Thus, he should have resisted summoning him.
Did the murderous aura emanating from him attract that attention? Or was there another reason for his watchful gaze?
That should have been identified first.
Even if he had called him by chance, it would still be the same. He should never have displayed his power.
He shouldn’t have demanded answers, and he must not have carelessly scorned him for his tone.
He indeed had plans for today. He was supposed to use Ilcheonggeom as part of his strategy, and yet—
Why did that happen?
He had ruined everything he prepared thus far.
Why exactly? He couldn’t fathom.
Simply put, he was just…
Annoyed.
Everything felt like a hassle.
Thinking about anything. Crafting plans and executing them one by one.
In an instant, he had relinquished the reason he was desperately trying to hold onto.
What had those around him thought of him then? Perhaps they were scared.
Yes, it was reminiscent of his previous life. Those who looked at him back then had similar eyes.
Even Dang So-yeol was the same.
He recalled how she couldn’t bear to meet his gaze properly.
He secretly resented that and longed to live differently, only to discard that longing now.
Why did that happen?
He had vowed never to repeat such actions, and yet he easily gave up.
The justification had burned away. Everything revolved around his reasons.
Even as he acted, he needed to avoid any repercussions. That was the sole reason behind all that he had done until now.
I don’t know.
At that moment, he didn’t even wish to contemplate it further.
In this situation, there was only one thing he could manage.
Keeping Ilcheonggeom alive without killing him.
That was barely feasible.
No, he didn’t even want to do it. Why should he preserve such a crude individual’s life?
The same applied to those around him.
There was no reason to spare them. Furthermore, there was no obligation for him to keep them with him.
Wouldn’t it be simpler to just kill them all and be on his way?
That was the idea that lingered in his mind at that moment.
Strangely, I still wonder if that’s the right path.
Something was off. He realized he was thinking differently than usual, but he began to question whether that was truly wrong.
This is the real me.
Since when did he become altruistic and rational? If something displeased him, he would wreck it then not think about it afterwards.
Without holding onto anything.
Without containing anything.
No, even if he did contain something, it must be hidden without anyone knowing.
It must have been that way…
-Do you think you’ve changed? No. You haven’t changed.
His gaze sank deeper as he recalled those words.
That was true. Looking at the current state, it was clear he hadn’t changed.
He was merely living as if he had transformed.
Thud!
The impact reverberated as he hit the ground. The forest was in chaos.
The location was not the western forest; it was rather on the opposite side. He had come here looking for the kids.
“Is this the right place?”
Yes.
He squinted at the sound. It was the Dark King.
I can’t be certain, but the last known location was around here.
“…Understood.”
The location formerly occupied by Namgungbia and Wi Seol-ah. This was the place.
The Dark King and the others weren’t monitoring the two of them continuously, so while they weren’t sure of the exact position, at least they knew they were in the vicinity.
If there was any involvement with Namgungbia, his movements wouldn’t have been normal. Even if Wi Seol-ah was involved, she must have followed Namgungbia’s suggestions.
Even if they didn’t seem to be the same person, they shared some similarities.
Crack.
Energizing throughout his body initiated from the heart. The swelling blood vessels brought forth pain, but he paid it no mind.
His senses reached their apex. Countless bits of information overflowed through his ears and nose.
He cleared everything out. That wasn’t what he was searching for.
Where could it be?
Just the faintest trace. Something minute that Wi Seol-ah and Namgungbia might have left behind.
Or perhaps their presence.
It would be ideal if nothing was amiss, but he already knew that wasn’t the case.
The two were intertwined with fate. They had even engaged in a slight bond; these were not the type of individuals who could be defeated easily.
Something is afoot.
The Gyecheonmun master was up to something, and he could perceive that it was something out of the ordinary.
Thus, he initially wanted to approach cautiously. But now that things had spiraled into chaos… that line of thought vanished.
Hooooooooo—!!
He expanded his energy to the limit. It was really to the limit. After consuming the last White Horse Stone, his energy had risen significantly, and he exhaustively spread it to the utmost.
His head pounded, and his heart accelerated with every beat.
“…Don’t you feel anything?”
He inquired of the Dark King as he tried to catch his breath.
[Not yet.]
Even the Dark King struggled to comprehend the situation.
Should he assume that meant nothing was there?
No.
Something existed. His conviction strengthened.
The reasoning was solely based on intuition, yet he chose to trust it.
“I’ll search here, so would you mind looking in another direction?”
[Understood.]
He prepared the Dark King for unforeseen occurrences by sending him toward the west while maintaining his sensory focus.
Pain coursed through him more intensely; the aftereffects on his body were beginning to register.
Drip. A line of blood trickled from his nose.
He had forced it, even though he was still not accustomed to the swelling blood vessels.
Was I mistaken?
Was it possible that his instinct about this place was incorrect? He couldn’t state for certain.
‘…Then focus a little harder.’
Even if this place was not right, he had to give it everything he had.
That way, he could venture somewhere else.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Rather than simply maintaining the limit of his senses, he strove to widen them.
The burden on his body? He did not care.
During this continuous effort…
Thump.
“….”
He detected something faintly from within. Immediately he gathered back his senses.
At the same time, he wiped the blood flowing from his nose and mouth, his eyes gleaming with realization.
“I found it.”
It was indeed here.
Somewhere damp and tranquil. A subtle moisture cloaked the air he inhaled.
Moreover, the space felt vast and shadowy.
What type of setting was this? It didn’t seem like a naturally formed cave.
That was reasonable since natural caves wouldn’t exhibit such sharply defined walls.
Thus, Wi Seol-ah, who had been surveying the place with her back to the dark wall, remarked.
“Sister. When we return, will we get into a lot of trouble?”
“…Yeah.”
Namgungbia affirmed Wi Seol-ah’s comment. She was confident it would be the case.
Maybe this time they would get in significantly more trouble?
“…This is serious.”
“Yeah…”
“Shouldn’t we head back now…?”
“Seol-ah…”
“Yeah?”
“…Do you know the way?”
“…”
Wi Seol-ah fell silent at Namgungbia’s inquiry. It struck home.
While she wasn’t as directionally challenged as Namgungbia, something felt extraordinarily off about this place.
At some point, we got lost.
She found herself unsure of where they were and how far below they had ventured.
“…There’s this sensation, like something has been laid over the space itself.”
“Yes…”
Namgungbia nodded in agreement. Taking in that expression, Wi Seol-ah let out a subdued sigh.
“…Really! It was you who wanted to turn back today because you were afraid of getting in trouble. Now what do we do?”
“…Sorry…”
Namgungbia chose to apologize rather than make excuses. It genuinely was her fault.
Hearing Guyangcheon mentioned caused her to rush out instinctively. That was it.
“No, it’s not you; I’m sorry… I shouldn’t be blaming you, Sister.”
That was the case for Wi Seol-ah as well. If Namgungbia hadn’t gone, she would have dashed after him.
“The problem is… I may not even know how much time has passed.”
They likely had already overshot the time to return.
Since the two hadn’t come back, they’d need to address that fact.
“I wish that the prince doesn’t move if possible… but that can’t be the case, right?”
“Yeah.”
Both were certain. That if it was indeed him, he would definitely be out searching.
That was the concern.
They were worried that his reckless searching could lead to problems. They feared it would be their fault.
“I’ve got to find a way out quickly.”
With determined golden eyes, Wi Seol-ah began scrutinizing the darkness.
If not this direction, then where on earth could it be?
They must have traversed a considerable distance already.
They had both ascended and descended.
How far had they gone down? How high had they climbed?
To think that such a grand space could even exist underground—I couldn’t wrap my head around that either.
Moreover, the ones I followed are lost to me now.
She had secretly trailed them owing to the sound of their voices, yet lost sight of the ones actually tailing her.
Despair loomed large over their inability to find an exit.
At that moment…
Clutch.
“Sister?”
Namgungbia grasped Wi Seol-ah’s collar. When Wi Seol-ah looked back, filled with curiosity over what was occurring.
“Let’s… investigate first.”
She pointed straight out ahead.
Before them stood a massive iron door. It seemed outrageously large compared to the walls and ceiling.
It was a door they had discovered while searching for a way out. Both women concealed their presence right in front of it.
Should they finally venture inside? Wi Seol-ah pondered for just a moment.
“…”
No ideas surfaced. In addition…
Something…
Something felt off. The thought occurred to Wi Seol-ah the moment her eyes landed on the door.
There was something unusual with that door. More specifically, it felt like something was hidden inside.
“…Shall we give it a try?”
“Yeah.”
With utmost vigilance, Wi Seol-ah and Namgungbia advanced cautiously.
Before long, they reached the iron door and began inspecting it from different angles.
At first glance, it merely appeared as a rusty, old iron door. There wasn’t anything remarkable about it to notice.
Especially…
“There’s no doorknob.”
There wasn’t even a doorknob to open the door. So, really, how are they supposed to open it?
Would they have to push it open? Wi Seol-ah placed her hand on the door, pondering the possibility.
At that precise moment…
Whoosh–!!
The door suddenly emitted a blinding light.
Wi Seol-ah and Namgungbia immediately drew their swords.
Click.
The door creaked as it slowly began to open.
A glimpse inside was revealed through the sliver of the opening.
“Uh?”
At that sight, Wi Seol-ah let out a gasp.
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