### Chapter 355 – Room 205, The Cursed Room – ‘□□□□’ (4)
—
– Kim Sanghyun
Time passed endlessly.
The murderous intent surrounding the area was so palpable it felt like it could poke through my skin, making it impossible to relax.
I had clearly seen someone leave to call Ija Seong earlier, so why hadn’t he arrived yet?
Just then, a voice pierced my ears like nails on a chalkboard.
“I hear that the Iron Soul Spear Master has significantly improved his skills while residing in the royal palace.”
“I haven’t been lazing around.”
“Would it be possible to ask for a lesson?”
At first, I was taken aback by this sudden request. I certainly wasn’t on friendly terms with the deadly master Cha Gunak, enough to engage in sparring matches.
Are they really planning to use a friendly duel as a pretext to kill each other?
But nope, this wasn’t the sort of place where you could off someone in broad daylight with so many eyes watching.
Well, I could see why they might think of it as a way to clear the air—after all, martial artists often settle long-standing grudges with a good fight.
Though I wondered why they’d wait this long to issue a challenge if that’s the case.
A moment’s thought led me to a natural realization.
Ija Seong must have arrived somewhere out of my sight.
Thus, the unexpected duel challenge simply meant one thing.
“Has the master said he wants to see my skills?”
“…Draw your spear.”
*
It took just three exchanges to determine the outcome of the battle.
Did my exceptional skill mean I could knock out the legendary martial artist Cha Gunak in three seconds?
Half true, half not so much.
“Y-you! What kind of sorcery are you using?!”
“…”
“Kim Sanghyun! I knew you were corrupted by the royal gold, but I never suspected you had rotted your martial arts from the roots!”
To put it precisely, my spear technique was so unorthodox that it baffled the martial artists of this world.
Blessing, ‘Diligence,’ rewards those who put in the effort, and the results are downright supernatural.
After mastering the healing arts, my hands could effortlessly traverse the human body.
After toiling away to spark fire in the wasteland, I now only needed to flick my fingers to conjure flames.
If healing arts can produce such results, what would the outcome of learning to handle cold weapons in a primitive era look like?
Even as my spear brushed against his shoulder, my opponent couldn’t comprehend how the spear’s ‘tip’ managed to hover through the air.
Naturally, I didn’t understand it either.
“Damn you! If you have a mouth—”
At that very moment, a booming voice filled the entire space, cutting him off.
“Gunak. Enough of this nonsense.”
“Master…”
“If it weren’t a friendly match, your head would have rolled in three seconds. And now you want to complain about sorcery even with your head still on your shoulders?”
“…I shall train harder.”
With that, Cha Gunak seemed to leave, perhaps to practice or meditate.
Finally revealing himself, Ija Seong looked like any elderly man you might find on the street, though slightly more muscular.
“Master, it’s been a while.”
“Cut to the chase. We aren’t on easy terms.”
“Of course. Master, the main forces of Baehwa Sect will arrive in the capital in three days at the earliest, or next week at the latest.”
“…”
“At that time, could you lend us your assistance?”
“Assistance? I never thought I would receive such a request from someone in the royal family.”
There was a significant emotion behind the elder’s voice.
Ija Seong, a father who lost his daughter and a master who lost his disciple.
I didn’t expect him to help us with just some empty words, so I had come prepared with a few offers.
“Master, as you know, the late emperor caused this trouble—”
“He’s dead.”
“…That’s right. The current emperor has said he would abdicate if you desire it. If that isn’t enough, he is willing to apologize in front of the Cheonui Alliance for a week.”
This was all true. We had no interest in positions within the Cursed Room and what they entailed.
I worried about the backlash if he stepped down from the throne, but it was still better than dying in three days, no matter how I calculated it.
And yet, the mention of ‘the emperor abdicating’ seemed to startle everyone around us, as whispers ensued.
At this rate—
“I don’t see what meaning it carries.”
“Master…”
“If so, does that mean my daughter and disciple would arise from the grave?”
With that, the master turned halfway, surveying the surroundings.
…
What was this?
I felt an inexplicable sensation that I could hardly put into words.
This wasn’t the abnormal perception of a martial artist, nor the intuition of Kim Sanghyun, who is a doctor, soldier, and astronaut.
It was the sort of intuition that belonged to a ruler who had presided over countless individuals for centuries, a priest from the City of Light.
In that moment, I recognized that Ija Seong was ‘acting.’
If someone were to ask how I knew, I couldn’t explain it, but I was certain.
Moments later, Ija Seong’s expression turned enigmatic.
I observed Ija Seong.
He perceived me in return.
In that instant, we understood each other.
I recognized the performance put on by Ija Seong, and he knew that I had recognized his act, and I also understood that he understood.
A peculiar exchange unfolded solely between us amidst a crowd of people.
“Realization doesn’t require words, which is why it’s referred to as non-verbal realization….”
“…”
“Iron Soul Spear, my response is enough. Out of old affection, stay for a night.”
With that, a completely different sentence reached my ears.
– Come to the training grounds at dawn.
*
At dawn, when I arrived at the training ground, Ija Seong had already been there.
“Looks like I’m late.”
The elder gazed at me without replying.
“Fascinating.”
“…”
“I thought I would always be the one to ‘observe’ you, but now you are ‘seeing’ through me.”
There was something different about this elderly man… he felt off in some way.
“I was lucky.”
“That can’t be. Your ‘sight’ has certainly deepened.”
“I feel like you’re referencing a type of martial art when you talk about ‘sight,’ but that’s not the case. It’s just that I’ve met a lot of people—”
“What’s the difference?”
“Huh?”
“What’s the difference between the ‘sight’ spoken of in no-study and the ability to perceive people in the mundane world?”
When the elder’s eyes landed on me, an indescribable pressure pressed down on my very soul.
As if to rebel, I blurted out my earlier impression.
“What is your true intention?”
“True intention, you say?”
The head of the Cheonui Alliance took slow strides, circling the training ground before pulling out a sword with deliberate slowness.
The moment I caught sight of it, I flinched, though he didn’t seem intent on using it against me.
“What is the pinnacle of nothingness? How do you perceive it?”
“…”
Suddenly, what kind of flow is this?
I had asked about Ija Seong’s true intention, yet we were suddenly discussing martial arts.
“Before I turned twenty, I thought of it as lightning. A fast and strong sword could cut anything. I believed so strongly that no one could withstand more than three of my blows in battles against the regional warlords.”
Then in the next moment, his hand moved, and a streak of lightning tore through the air.
“Before I turned thirty, I realized the subtleties of precision. To put it differently, one could say the equitable distribution of strength. If my sword reached the right place with the right speed, I learned even the might of Mount Tai could be brushed aside lightly. Upon realizing this, few enemies remained under heaven as I walked my path.”
This time, it was different from before.
The sword held in the elder’s hand moved not like lightning, but rather slowly, drawing complex geometric shapes in the air.
“However… I realized this isn’t the end. I sensed there was something beyond this.”
“What is that?”
Suddenly, I found myself immensely intrigued by the conversation with the master.
For this moment, the intent behind Room 205 or support from the Cheonui Alliance faded to the background.
I truly wanted to understand.
What potential had the supreme being learned beneath heaven, second only to himself?
Could I perhaps gain even a fragment of his realization?
Whether it was training martial arts or gaining some profound knowledge that transcends mere expertise, I was eager to receive it.
“In the realm of no defilement, the uninhibited flow toward unobstructed progress is indeed called non-obstruction.”
“Uninhibited flow toward unobstructed progress? Master, or should I say, teacher. My abilities are insufficient to grasp what you’re saying. Could you explain more simply?”
“In order to move freely without obstruction, you must unshackle the chains that bind yourself. But what are those chains?”
“…”
“I severed and severed again. I scattered each of the twenty-four techniques laid in my lifelong training of the Iron Sword Art, and eventually I even forgot that formula. Yet still, the chains remained.”
“What were they?”
“I spent years without realizing—a sense of confinement limited my progress was apparent, yet I had no means of identifying what my chains were. And thirty years ago, I stumbled upon the answer I’d sought for so long.”
Thirty years ago?
“He was truly without impediment. He comprehended the principles of all things and could act upon his desires without hesitation.”
“Is that ‘the free one’ by any chance referring to the Illusion Demon?”
“He mocked the truths of heaven and considered the principles of humanity merely as toys for his amusement.”
“No way, what—”
What’s so profound about that realization? He just sounds like a crazy weirdo!
“Thus he was the free one, and also the most liberated being under heaven—”
“Are you saying he’s just a madman?”
I couldn’t hold back.
Maybe it was because I’d been so deeply engrossed in what the Head of the Cheonui Alliance had said earlier.
I couldn’t accept that the grand realization of a being with no equals beneath heaven was just the deranged thoughts of someone who disregarded all laws of the world.
The elder chuckled wistfully.
“My disciple, let’s return to the beginning of our story.”
“The beginning?”
“Didn’t you just say earlier today that the emperor would apologize for the deaths of my daughter and disciple?”
“Y-yeah, that’s right.”
“What exactly is he apologizing for?”
At that moment, I finally grasped the concept of ‘no obstruction’ that the elder had been talking about.
He was speaking to me directly.
You’re saying that you’ve become liberated from your chains because we killed your daughter and disciple, so why should I resent you at all?
“But there are still so many chains binding you.”
“Those aren’t chains but rather proof of the life you’ve lived!”
“You might think so. More importantly, an uninvited guest has entered the capital.”
“Huh?”
“Sanghyun, I’ll give you a chance to show me your technique.”
“…”
“You ought to leave no regrets before you die, right?”
*
– Kim Ahri
“Ugh~ It was so hard to eat the food—”
“Hold on.”
“Huh?”
I silenced Miro and focused my mind.
I could have sworn I just heard something strange a moment ago…
Was I imagining things?
At that moment, Eunsol, who had been listening to Miro’s complaints, stood up and looked around.
“I saw a flash of light in the distance.”
“Flash of light?”
“Uh-huh. I can’t quite say. It felt like thunder striking the ground, but it went away too quickly.”
With a somewhat perplexed expression, Eunsol returned to her seat.
At that moment, Jinchul replied with a worried look on his face.
“It sounded like the whole building was collapsing, like the light of thunder. Was that Hyung who used the final flash?”
“…”
The surroundings fell silent for a moment. Soon, Eunsol stiffened her expression and spoke up.
“Let’s get out there to see what’s happening and finish our conversation quickly.”
Stepping out of Room 205, Miro and I absurdly found ourselves starting off as the absurdly labeled ‘followers of the Illusion Demon.’
It felt somewhat irritating, much like being labeled as Gaine’s followers, and besides, our appearance was quite eye-catching, limiting our options.
The only good news was that with the world in chaos, the law enforcement had broken down.
While a crumbled law was a disaster for ordinary citizens, for martial sect heroes, it was a blessing.
After some struggles, when we reached the capital, it wasn’t long before Eunsol sent someone to gather us all for a reunion.
As soon as we gathered, Eunsol shared a fascinating idea.
“Why don’t we summon Gaine from the time-lending world?”
“That’s the one!”
Eunsol’s idea was crystal-clear.
The person sealed within Room 205 is Gaine.
‘The Illusion Demon’ is someone so terrifying that even absolute masters fear him.
Combining these two bits of information led to the conclusion that the powers of the ‘Grimoire’ would be exceedingly useful in Room 205.
“In three to five days, the leader of Baehwa Sect will enter the capital.”
“Is the fortress really going to break down that quickly?”
“It could hold out longer, but it seems like they’re choosing to conserve their strength instead of fortifying the wall.”
How would Baehwa Sect respond after swiftly entering the capital?
Having achieved their lifelong wishes, it seemed likely they would at least conduct some sort of preemptive improvement event.
Which means the possibility was high that Jo Wonhong would reveal himself on the front lines.
“At that time, we throw all our power in at once, including Gaine!”
That didn’t seem too bad. I particularly trusted Gaine’s power to be summoned from the time-lending world.
“But I have another idea.”
“Another idea?”
“I’ve found the location of the Illusion Demon’s seal.”
In an instant, my mouth hung open. Miro had just articulated what I was about to say.
“Huh? That’s something we spent twenty years trying to find but couldn’t even get a trace of?”
“… According to the setup, it makes no sense for me, the de facto ruler of the empire, to be talking to you all about this, but what good would it do to delve into that?”
That was a valid point.
No matter how desperate the nation had become, for the ruler’s guardian to gather for a secret meeting with the followers of the Illusion Demon was beyond comprehension.
If this were a martial arts novel, it would be equivalent to the leader of Shaolin discussing strategies with the head of a dark cult.
“I wrote it down on this piece of paper. The exact location is—”
“Kiddo, that’s enough.”
The world—shatters.
A beam of light falling from the sky splits the space in two.
Eunsol didn’t even realize something had happened until her head dropped.
An elderly man suddenly appeared.
He was the Greatest Sword of All!
—
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