Chapter: 374
It was a red eye.
When I express my anger or something…
It was different from the red eye my father possessed.
If my eye was glowing red with rage,
Jang Seon-yeon’s eyes felt like they were shining blood red.
Even the pupils were completely torn, creating an eerie feeling.
‘What the…’
It’s surprising that Jang Seon-yeon is alive.
I was sweating from the inexplicable sense of alienation I was feeling from him.
The pain I felt in my right arm was excruciating.
But the discomfort rising from within was starting to take over my body.
What is this? Why do I feel so cold?
Cheeeeeee…
In the meantime, the pain felt from the scaled side was gradually intensifying.
‘This…’
During the past few months,
I thought I had grown accustomed to the pain I endured while training in the Tuapacheon Gong, learned from Venerable Pae.
But this was a different kind of pain.
‘It’s like…’
It felt as if the sensation was slowly spreading—like the area covered in scales was expanding.
The real question was: why did this phenomenon suddenly occur?
Moreover,
‘That thing looks like that, but no one is paying attention.’
Jang Seon-yeon’s appearance aside,
the fact that nobody seemed to notice the change in his eyes was odd.
‘Is it only visible to me?’
Does this mean Jang Seon-yeon’s eyes are visible solely to me?
Why…?
As such complex thoughts crossed my mind,
a familiar voice called out to me.
“You don’t look so good.”
My eyes widened as I turned to face the owner of the voice.
The one talking to me was Jang Seon-yeon.
“…You little rascal…”
“I didn’t mean to startle you, but judging by your reaction, it appears you’re delighted.”
The way Jang Seon-yeon chuckled while grinning was a far cry from what I remembered.
Why is that?
Clearly, both the face and voice belonged to Jang Seon-yeon.
Yet, there was a sticky sensation to his voice.
I couldn’t smell anything, but it felt as if my nostrils were suffocated by a sickly scent.
This was definitely the scent of blood.
‘Blood scent…? The smell of blood?’
Once that thought crossed my mind, I started to feel like I understood what I was sensing from Jang Seon-yeon now.
“Blood Demon…?”
At my words, Jang Seon-yeon’s smile deepened.
That moment confirmed for me why I felt such a sense of alienation.
Even though he was Jang Seon-yeon, he felt anything but.
“You…”
“You’re quite perceptive.”
This creature was not Jang Seon-yeon, but the Blood Demon instead.
“How… How did you get there?”
“Are you surprised that I am here?”
“That’s what I’m saying…!”
“I just felt a bit stuffy inside and wanted to get some fresh air. How do you feel about that?”
“… What did the owner of your body do?”
Perhaps, just like Shin Noya, he had descended by borrowing a body.
If Shin Noya could pull it off,
then a Blood Demon could, too.
The Blood Demon questioned me with an almost teasing tone.
“Oh my, you burned that child to death so brutally. I wonder how you can seek anything from me.”
“Stop talking nonsense. You didn’t say this to joke around, did you?”
“Teehee.”
My growl only elicited gleeful laughter from the Blood Demon.
Meanwhile, the pain in my arm was worsening.
Not good.
‘Why the sudden outburst?’
I was fine just a moment ago.
Out of the blue, I was hit with this pain…
‘Could it be due to the Blood Demon?’
The only unusual thing I had encountered was coming across the Blood Demon. No matter how much I thought, that was all it boiled down to.
“Looks like you’re in quite a bit of pain.”
I tried to mask it, but the Blood Demon caught on immediately.
This made it apparent that the pain was indeed tied to him.
“… Did you do something to me?”
“Kekeke… I know you might want to think that way, but regrettably, Ah-ya, I have no intention of doing anything to you.”
“Nonsense! Did you forget that you forcefully injected your energy into me?”
“Ah, right. And did something bad come from that?”
“What…?”
What kind of ridiculous nonsense was this because they inserted something at will?
“You must have used my power at least once, right?”
“…!”
“That was a miracle I bestowed upon you. Do you truly think you wouldn’t notice?”
Those words indicated that the Blood Demon knew about my use of blood energy.
And even if the scales appearing on my arms weren’t his doing,
I could tell he was aware of those scales.
“… What on earth is this?”
When I inquired about the scales, the Blood Demon gave me a peculiar look.
There was something about that expression—
It felt as if it contained some unknown delight.
“As expected. Ah, it seems you are the anomaly I hoped for.”
“Stop talking nonsense. What in the world is this?”
“You’re clearly not a part of me yet somehow you’ve started to bloom?”
“…bloom?”
And bloom it means?
“I can’t say for sure, but if that happens, it would be a first for humanity. It’s a cause for celebration.”
“Why do you keep spouting nonsense?”
“It’s something to be happy about. Isn’t it great? It signifies breaking free from the incompetent and filthy lower classes.”
The voice of the Blood Demon was laced with joy.
“I do hope you break out of that shell soon.”
His voice sounded heated—as if intoxicated.
His words spilled out in a dizzying manner, clouding my mind.
The more I listened, the more the excruciating pain in my arm escalated.
I felt like I would scream at any moment, unable to hold back.
The Blood Demon, observing me, spoke with a grin.
“You look as though you’re in a lot of pain, Ah-ya. I’ll show you mercy this time too.”
“What…?”
“Don’t forget, this bears a congratulatory meaning as well.”
The moment the Blood Demon uttered that ambiguous phrase,
I felt as if the blood energy I had stashed away in my danjeon was yanked up suddenly.
Even violent.
It surged violently, as if responding to someone’s command.
Although I didn’t feel any pain, the issue was that my energy was moving autonomously.
I attempted to suppress it somehow, but the rampaging blood surged out from my danjeon and quickly consumed my body.
“Insane!”
It barely took seconds for the blood to infiltrate my entire body.
The issue was…
‘What…?’
The pain I had felt right after faded in an instant.
Could it be the aftereffect of the blood?
Then does that imply the blood quelled the pain?
I checked my throbbing arm.
I didn’t dare roll up my sleeves here, but the pain had certainly vanished.
By any measure, it was becoming increasingly difficult to deny that my current predicament was linked to the Blood Demon.
“Kekeke…”
Even in this circumstance, the Blood Demon was busy chuckling at me.
“That child seems to hold quite the grudge against me.”
“… Dislike?”
“Ah-ya, the pain you felt originates from your hostility toward me.”
I had to furrow my brow at the Blood Demon’s words.
By those words, it implied that the scales on my arm were something quite unusual.
“Feeling animosity toward the Blood Demon?”
What on earth does this mean?
“It’s instinct. It’s simply how it is. You’re an arrogant creature who doesn’t wish to see other equals exist in the same world.”
What could possibly be so entertaining that he sounded so satisfied?
His expression gleamed with joy.
Even the sensation of anticipation.
I understood nothing.
Above all,
“Why are you telling me this?”
I had to ascertain why the Blood Demon was treating me this way.
I knew he was acting favorably toward me.
I couldn’t tell whether it was benevolence or a calculated and intentional action.
At least right now, it indicated that there was no reason for the Blood Demon to be acting in this manner toward me.
“What do you actually want from me?”
“Nothing. I desire nothing from you.”
“Is that what you want to say when you appear before me like this?”
How absurd. You don’t want anything?
With such an obvious need that it was nearly palpable?
“If I were to find something I desired, it would be for you to be able to do more than you currently can.”
“You’re still speaking in riddles. It’s downright annoying.”
“Ah-ya, the day will soon come when you understand these words. Once you grasp them, you will seek me out by your own will. I will simply wait for that day.”
“Do you expect that someday I will come to seek out the calamity that is you? Should I hope for that?”
As soon as I uttered the word ‘calamity,’ the Blood Demon’s laughter became deeper.
“It appears you’ve figured out quite a lot faster than expected. Not bad at all.”
“… Be clear. What is your goal? Why are you treating me this way?”
“The goal?”
The Blood Demon paused for a moment, as if lost in thought.
He soon returned to converse with me again.
“To escape what is predetermined. That would be the goal, I suppose.”
“What does that mean…?”
“Originally, I intended to find the pieces and make my move a bit earlier, but seeing you starting to bloom, I feel like I can reconsider.”
Blooming.
I could only frown at words I couldn’t quite comprehend.
The fact that he reconsidered implies he had an initial intention of doing something.
I didn’t know how he managed it, but it was evident that the Blood Demon had taken the guise of Jang Seon-yeon.
Did that mean he had some objective to achieve while masquerading as Jang Seon-yeon?
‘…Then, even after returning from the Demon World, the absence of Jang Seon-yeon’s traces was because…’
Could it have been the Blood Demon’s doing as well?
How on earth?
I still couldn’t easily comprehend the Blood Demon’s intentions or what kind of being he was.
I could only assume based on his words.
At the very least, it was clear that the Blood Demon wasn’t human.
No, I already knew that. Now I was just more certain of it.
“I’ll go a little slower. So you can gradually realize.”
“Who do you think you are, waltzing about as you please…!”
Vwoooossh!
Just as I was about to speak to the Blood Demon,
I suddenly felt my mind go blank for a moment.
I was dizzy.
“Worry not. It’s merely the backlash from suppressing your hostility.”
“… What are you doing to me again…?”
“As mentioned before, I’ve done nothing to wrong you. Look, even the creature within you seems silent now.”
Just as the Blood Demon said, the beast that would typically snarl and show its teeth at any provocation seemed unreactive this time.
Thinking back, since taking the divine sword into my body, both Shin Noya and the beast had hardly shown themselves—it was likely related.
But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
“I’m genuinely just here to offer my greetings today.”
“And, aside from that, I’ve received a great windfall. I see a clear path ahead of me.”
“I look forward to the day you come seeking me.”
As the Blood Demon’s presence echoed, my consciousness started to fade.
I tried desperately to keep my wits about me,
but in the end, I couldn’t hold on, and the thread of consciousness broke.
And then.
When I finally came to my senses,
the political assembly had already concluded.
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