Chapter: 266
Drip… drip…
Water flowing down from the ceiling falls in drops.
The space is filled with emptiness and is also damp and humid.
They say that’s just what an underground area is like.
But this place felt particularly heavy.
Perhaps.
It’s the workplace of the iceberg at the center of the underground.
It seems to stretch endlessly.
Deep within the underground, and even deeper, there was a giant iceberg.
It truly feels out of place.
It’s not like it’s an ice palace where all four seasons are frozen.
The existence of such an iceberg in the Murim Alliance does raise eyebrows.
Step-
Putting those thoughts aside.
A woman walks through a wide, dark area, holding a small torch.
This was a path she had traversed thousands of times, so she could do it with her eyes closed.
In fact, she didn’t even bother to open her eyes.
Her calm and graceful steps gradually slow down.
Probably because she has reached her destination.
Wooom—
As the woman halts,
A chill, mixed with wind, sweeps toward her.
The fabric of her veil flutters in the breeze, but her stiff posture suggests she has no intention of moving.
Soon after,
“Dancer.”
The deep voice that reaches her ears makes the woman kneel immediately.
“It seems that the connection with Namgung’s son has been severed.”
“… Yes. It appears there is a problem.”
“How peculiar.”
“I will send someone right away to find out what is happening.”
The dancer quickly contacted the Alliance to send someone.
After all, this was no trivial matter.
Namgung’s Brain Dragon, who was the late-index of the Six Dragons and Three Peaks, was in many ways the first test subject.
What happens to someone who contains divine power in their physical form?
Or—
How long can they hold on?
This was meant to clarify that.
The Brain Dragon was chosen as the most suitable candidate.
The circumstances and levels aligned perfectly.
Of course, from the dancer’s viewpoint, it felt a bit like an impulsive venture.
But her master had a different take on it.
That was enough for the dancer.
After all, her master’s opinion was her own.
Kkkk—
Laughter erupted at the dancer’s comment.
When the dancer, who was bowing her head, lifted it again,
“There’s no need for that.”
“…What?”
That statement was rather surprising.
Surely her master would call it a serious matter.
Why such a reaction, then?
The dancer’s confusion was palpable.
“Namgung, was it? They mentioned that child is also there.”
Her master continued.
“If you mean… that child… ah.”
A strange glimmer appeared in the dancer’s eyes.
She had grasped who it referred to.
The figure her master mentioned.
An unexpected ambush that both the Alliance and her master had not foreseen.
A young warrior that has been catching her master’s interest lately.
“True Dragon.”
A newcomer who had quietly emerged, commanding attention.
He exhibited a degree of power that couldn’t be classified at the later index, crushing the non-combat matches.
Because of that, the plans had slightly derailed.
However, her master didn’t seem particularly bothered.
As if—
He welcomed the element of surprise and these unexpected developments.
Heck, by coincidence—
Word had just reached him that the True Dragon was in Namgung.
“So, what you’re saying might possibly be…”
Could the issues with Brain Dragon be the doing of True Dragon?
“What exactly is the situation with that later index?”
Such a one didn’t even possess a “piece” of the master.
Nor was he someone who had caught the master’s eyes in Cheonan.
Originally—
He was merely someone who would have faded away without leaving even a name behind, swept away by time.
The dancer couldn’t comprehend it.
How could such a presence materialize so suddenly?
Yet, whatever it is—
It still stands that this is not something easily possible.
Especially when, at the very end, the connection with Brain Dragon was lost.
The reason for the severance was still unclear.
“Just at one moment…”
The connection had been cut the moment Brain Dragon had asked her something, as if something else had intervened.
The dancer found this unnerving.
“If that was orchestrated by True Dragon….”
“Interesting.”
Did her master somehow sense her thoughts?
He chuckled quietly, a clicking sound escaping his lips.
“…Are you okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“I was just wondering if the plan might hit a snag…”
The air around her changed abruptly, stilling at her concern.
Feeling the shift, the dancer lowered her head.
“A snag is a pleasing term, isn’t it.”
“…What?”
“There’s nothing more captivating than when planned tasks encounter gaps and unexpected changes.”
To her surprise, amusement colored his voice.
She had thought such a scenario was what her master desired.
But why was he reacting this way?
“It’s a fate.”
Her master’s words made the dancer bow her head lower.
“Don’t delve too deeply into the matter concerning Brain Dragon.”
“…Understood.”
Her affirmation was resolute.
Though curiosity and disbelief warred within her, she refrained from voicing it.
She would follow, as required.
One should not question the words of a great being.
This tenet had been drilled into her mind since her birth.
“Dancer.”
“Yes… Master.”
“Contact the chamber envoy. Tell him I wish to meet.”
“Understood.”
With a respectful bow, the dancer retreated.
The master remained alone in darkness.
In the void, the Blood Demon murmurs quietly.
“Ah, young child, I wonder if you can accomplish everything that King could not.”
Ah, the child.
The Blood Demon recalls a fierce boy he once encountered.
From a distant past.
He resembled a fool who postponed his tasks by locking himself away.
Old thoughts of a furious past linger.
A boy who had housed the king of the other world within him.
“How alike.”
It also felt as though he was containing a monster within.
Was this coincidence?
Unlikely.
There are no coincidences in this world.
If that is the case, then this too is bound to happen.
Simultaneously, the Blood Demon recalled the individual who had locked him away.
It might have been his best choice.
But ultimately, it was merely an act of passing the impending calamity down to future generations.
“Going in circles brings us back to the beginning; thus, reincarnation.”
To shatter, to be ruined, and to burn away.
That is the destined fate of this world.
No matter how much one struggles, it’s merely the movements of a minute creature.
Just a futile rebellion.
“But, is that you? I do wonder about that.”
Unable to fathom.
The course of all events is determined.
Yet, like before, many worlds continue to strive for survival.
It’s both amusing and lamentable.
That too is destiny.
“Could you become the dagger?”
A dagger that can pierce the tiniest of openings.
The Blood Demon was curious.
Whether that feeble dagger could cut through everything.
*
I recall that day.
It was just before the Heavenly Demon made his move.
Around the time two of the Three Saints had perished.
A time when the divine sword was still known as the small sword.
The moment when the once-dispersed righteous factions began, albeit slowly, to unify.
Countless had been swayed by the Heavenly Demon’s power, succumbing to darkness.
The opposing force was overwhelmingly strong, rendering the demon cult’s defeat highly unlikely.
Just like the righteous faction, the powerful of the demon cult remained buried.
Everyone understood.
As long as the Heavenly Demon was present, the demon cult would not perish.
In the distance, I could see the army of the Alliance.
They were all elite warriors, assembled together.
The Heavenly Demon observed all of this with calm.
“Master.”
At the sound of the Heavenly Demon’s voice, I lifted my bowed head.
“…Yes.”
“Do you seek an answer?”
The Heavenly Demon inquired.
Were you expecting a response to your question?
I nodded.
I was uncertain if I could dare ask anything of the heavens of our sect.
At this moment, it felt like I could finally pose the question.
That’s why I asked.
“I wanted to know why you sought the Central Plains.”
Where did the Heavenly Demon originate?
What kind of entity is he?
What is it that he desires from me?
I couldn’t care less about such inquiries.
By now, it might be too late to be curious about these matters.
Still….
Nonetheless, there was one thing I wanted to know.
“What do you think the reason might be?”
“…I do not know.”
Why does the entity known as the Heavenly Demon wish to sweep through the Central Plains and ascend to heaven?
At the cost of countless lives.
What goal is he pursuing?
I wanted to know.
In response, the Heavenly Demon chuckled softly.
“Master, how intriguing. You seem to have mixed intentions.”
“….”
I fell silent at the Heavenly Demon’s words.
“Are you frightened?”
The Heavenly Demon’s gaze shifted toward me.
“Are you afraid that I might lift the head of the woman you cherish at my fingertips?”
Imagery flooded my mind.
The image of her, bleeding from the Heavenly Demon’s touch.
The one who would look at me with a gaze full of resentment.
Is that what scares me?
“….”
Could I honestly claim otherwise?
I couldn’t wholeheartedly affirm this.
I knew only too well that the emotions I felt were growing ever stronger.
The purple eyes of the Heavenly Demon remained fixed on me.
I wanted to bow my head at that moment.
But I couldn’t muster the strength to lower it.
“I thought you would be more frozen.”
His fingertips approached.
They lifted my chin and forced me to meet his gaze.
“Master, you remain unchanged. Nothing has dulled.”
“I’m sorry….”
“As you have not committed a crime, I shan’t accept your apologies.”
Having finished his statement, the Heavenly Demon pivoted without hesitation.
The fabric of his garb fluttered, enveloped in swirling magical energy.
Still, it was an aura that defied explanation.
One might question whether this level could truly be attained by a human.
“As for the reason.”
I tuned into the Heavenly Demon’s words.
He observed the approaching army of the Alliance.
“Well.”
The Heavenly Demon raised a hand slightly.
Energy began to gather within his palm from all directions.
Gradually, it congregated at his fingertips.
That was undoubtedly a disaster.
A calamity capable of sweeping the nearby area within moment’s notice.
A black sphere that seemed to encapsulate all the world’s malicious intent.
Paradoxically, it appeared purer than anything else.
Was it my status as a demon that made me perceive it this way?
Or was it that the Heavenly Demon’s power felt that alien?
I couldn’t discern which.
As the winds blew and magic intertwined, the atmosphere began to warp subtly.
The Heavenly Demon spoke to me.
“That is my role.”
Saying this, he stepped lightly toward the rushing army.
The expression on the Heavenly Demon’s face at that instant—
I believe he was smiling for some reason.
With that scene cemented in my mind, I opened my eyes.
“…Ah.”
With a sigh, I scanned the surroundings.
What greeted my eyes was a ceiling that felt foreign, yet it was at least a more welcomed sight than the dream I had then.
“What a nonsensical dream.”
True to form, every time I wished to dream, it turned into a nightmare.
Once again, it was the same.
This is precisely why I despise falling asleep.
“Hah.”
I clasped my throbbing head and pushed myself to rise.
It wasn’t just my head suffering; my entire body throbbed.
Particularly, my lower abdomen was a mess.
I felt completely drained, as if there was nothing inside.
The resulting searing pain was the problem.
“I’ve messed up.”
For the time being, I was in a state where I couldn’t practice using my energy.
I let out a hollow laugh, sharing my thoughts aloud.
“…Who can I blame for this? I am the sinner.”
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue lightly and dragged my fatigued body out the door.
I could only wonder how long it had been, yet I couldn’t just linger there in a stupor.
Even if I wasn’t a sect member, this wasn’t how one should behave.
By the time I stepped outside, a light breeze carrying the gentle scent of morning washed over me.
Along with the breeze,
I spotted someone standing in front of my door.
At first, I thought it was Hongwa.
But that clearly wasn’t the case.
As I quickly recognized the figure, I furrowed my brow and spoke.
“You seem to be okay?”
At the sound of my voice, he turned around.
“….”
The identity belonged to Namgung Cheonjun, whom I had encountered the previous night.
Most of his wounds from the previous day appeared to have healed.
His chest bone had rejoined.
His twisted arm had returned to position.
The only remaining injury was to the finger from which the nail had been pulled and burned.
Moreover,
The way he regarded me was entirely different from yesterday.
The madness filled with malice and murderous intent had vanished.
Now, only confusion and doubt resided in his eyes.
Perhaps mingled there was a hint of fear.
“I guess so.”
I understood why he could feel that way.
Originally, all the blood flowing inside Namgung Cheonjun’s body—
Had been absorbed into my own.
Given the considerable volume amassed, it appeared rather substantial.
The motivation behind sending such energy to Namgung Cheonjun remained unclear.
“That’s something to worry about later.”
At least, I could glean as much as he was aware of.
Even in those moments, I diligently regarded Namgung Cheonjun’s physical frame.
To be precise—
It was not merely his body; it would be more accurate to say I was observing the magical energy germinating within my danjeon.
“… Vivid. Perhaps excessively so.”
The magic that had sprouted within Namgung Cheonjun’s body.
It was particularly distinct.
As if possessing its own will, I could visually witness it gradually seeping into his body.
Given that it had originally been a place where blood flowed, it was like filling a void.
The dilemma was that Namgung Cheonjun’s body recognized it.
Its gradual seepage meant—
That Namgung Cheonjun was slowly transforming into a demon.
And what had caused this transformation?
That would be me from the previous night.
In the magic that evolved and morphed to match my level.
I recalled having said that if this continued, I might really turn others into demons.
Only an offer from the Heavenly Demon.
A power thought to be exclusive to him.
Even while considering this, I merely laughed and dismissed it.
At the time, I was internally frightened.
I had known all along.
If I truly wished to, I could accomplish it.
There was no need to verify it.
It was a fact instinctively understood, as if revealed by another.
Even so, I wished fervently that it wouldn’t be the case.
“Now it’s been confirmed.”
Staring at the results lying plainly before me, I had no choice but to accept it.
Namgung Cheonjun was indeed becoming a demon due to my magic.
Soon, he would completely turn.
“What the hell is happening…!”
“Kneel.”
Thud…!
“…!”
With those words alone, Namgung Cheonjun dropped to his knees without resisting.
“Shit.”
Seeing this, I instinctively let out a rough laugh with a curse.
Upon my command, the magic within Namgung Cheonjun’s body moved of its own accord.
As though obeying its will.
Each verbal command acted as a binding decree.
What a truly fearsome power.
“This… this… What is this…?”
Namgung Cheonjun gazes up at me, a face filled with terror.
He seemed utterly lost about the changes happening within his body.
“Who… what on earth are you?”
He posed this question to me.
What, indeed, was my identity?
I replied to his inquiry with a wry smile.
“Well, that’s what I want to know too. What exactly am I?”
Now I was at a loss.
No, I simply wanted to look away.
At least, this time.
If my predictions were accurate, this shouldn’t have occurred.
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