Chapter: 433
Vroom.
A vibration resonates from Nahi’s body. It was proof that the golden ring was properly entwined. Only then did I release the hand I was holding and get up.
Cough….
Nahi lets out a ragged breath. Not only had she cracked her ribs, but trying to force the shackle made the bet rougher.
I hadn’t placed such a significant bet. There was no need, nor was there really any bet worth pushing that far.
Huh… Huh….
Nahi, who had been sobbing as if struggling, looked at me with tear-filled eyes.
“You… who on earth are you…?”
That question made me chuckle. I was so tired of hearing it.
“Do whatever you want.”
My usual answer to this question had become tiresome to the point of being infuriating.
“…What did you do to your brother that he follows you?”
“Curious?”
Sabak.
As I stepped closer, Nahi flinched and trembled. I hadn’t intended to strike, but it seemed the previous attack was still haunting her body.
I bent my knees to meet her gaze.
“Just hold on; you’ll have to go through the same thing anyway.”
“…I’m different from my brother.”
Sure, you might be different.
“That’s for you to figure out.”
Nahi likely approached Dangdeok multiple times to talk to him after he suddenly appeared. Perhaps she even sent a message or two, but still, Dangdeok probably didn’t respond—more like he ‘couldn’t’.
I shook my hands. Even if we called it a shackle, it just meant we were willing to overlook each other’s dealings.
If everything went smoothly, I had intended to lift this shackle anyway.
It’d be easier if I just killed him…
But as a person connected to Dangdeok, he definitely wouldn’t be a decent human being. The very fact that he was an assassin for the Tang family meant he’d had a lot of blood on his hands, so I felt no hesitation.
One thing was clear.
It’d be convenient to have some eyes and ears too.
In a situation where I suspected something was off at the Tang family, having a suitable spy was a good thing for me.
As long as I could create a scenario where I’d be unharmed if I got caught.
That wasn’t particularly hard. It was something I was quite confident in.
Besides, there was a good chance that Nahi held information that Dangdeok didn’t know.
Killing her off right now would truly be a waste of a potential asset.
Even if I did end up killing her.
I need to make her spill everything she knows before that happens.
With that in mind, I got back on my feet.
“Keep your guard up. Don’t even think about going anywhere.”
“…”
“Oh, feel free to run if you’d like.”
Though she’d get caught right away anyway, provided she wasn’t afraid of what would happen next.
I kept that last bit to myself, aware she probably understood what I meant even without saying it aloud.
Turning away, I approached the lake. As I drew closer, a sense of poison became increasingly palpable.
Hmm.
The energy that didn’t really bother me when it felt far away hit me like a brick wall now that I was nearer.
…Why do you want to go into the lake?
“I never said you could ask questions.”
Is there anything in there?
She kept blabbering, which was getting on my nerves. I threw her a glance filled with annoyance.
“If you say one more word, I’ll rip out your tongue.”
…
I was dead serious.
As I let a hint of malice slip into my gaze, I noticed Nahi’s shoulders shaking slightly. I stopped and waited, as if giving her space to say something, but Nahi stayed silent.
Seeing this, I resumed stepping.
Splash.
Chiiiieeeek!
As my feet touched the lake, a sound echoed like something ripening. The poison began convulsing, trying to engulf my body.
Hmm.
I couldn’t help but think. Had I prepared fresh clothes for when I got back out?
…
Oh right, I hadn’t.
For a brief moment, I considered telling Nahi to ready some clothes as well, but thought better of it.
I’m sure something will work out.
Chiiieeeek…
I made my way towards the center of the lake, pushing through the toxic smoke. The closer I got, the more intense the poison felt.
If it’s this bad outside, it must be even worse inside.
I recalibrated my expectations.
What I had deemed half an angle now seemed half that again.
Compared to the distant observations I had made earlier, being at the center made everything so much clearer: the lake…
The poison isn’t leaking out,
Given the level of this poison, it should’ve been enough to seep out to a radius of about a mile.
If it was completely undetectable from the outside, something must be containing it.
If I went inside the lake like this, it wouldn’t be long before I’d lose my breath.
If that happened, everything would melt away, leaving nothing but a puddle of ashes.
It was a chilling thought, even just imagining it.
Yet my head felt oddly clear.
With indifferent eyes, I scanned the surroundings.
Where was it?
Funny enough, even considering all that, the thought of turning back never crossed my mind.
To prevent a bloody disaster within ten years, I should value my life.
It was absurd how reckless I felt.
Standing on the lake, something told me.
I can find it.
I can do this.
That feeling consumed my heart.
What the hell is this?
Feeling that sensation, I smiled slightly.
Ah, it’s calling me.
It’s definitely calling me.
That sensation was too strong to be anything but.
Truth be told, I had experienced something like this countless times before.
In the past, I hadn’t been certain; it had just felt like a subtle texture.
Now, I was beginning to grasp it.
Something is calling me.
Most of the lucky breaks I had came about in similar fashion.
I used to think it was just coincidence because I instinctively followed it.
But somehow, this time, it clicked.
Where did this difference come from?
Is it because I reached a higher realm?
Or maybe it was because the energy within me had increased?
If not…
Did I become a mine?
Whatever the case, nothing felt certain.
This sensation might just be a deception.
Yet, I had to move forward.
If I only sought safety, I would never achieve what I needed to accomplish.
Hesitation was a luxury I couldn’t afford.
Hisssssss…!
I gathered my spirit, cloaking my entire body.
And then…
Plop!
I plunged into the poisonous lake.
Brrrrr.
Submerged, I cautiously opened my eyes.
At first glance, it looked no different from normal water.
Chiiiiiiiek!
The pressure I felt told me it was anything but just water.
Earlier, I’d claimed I could only last half the time,
Turns out that was nonsense.
That was complete absurdity.
Even if I halved that time again, it would still be perilously close.
I expanded my senses.
Using the bet, I dove to the bottom of the lake.
It’s deep.
The lake was far deeper than it appeared.
The surrounding area looked like a nondescript muddy floor, but somewhere in this abyss, there must be an entrance.
Time’s running out.
At most, I had a minute left.
It was just enough time to catch my breath.
If the liquid invaded my physique directly, I could die on the spot.
Where am I?
Where am I being drawn to?
I know something is definitely pulling me towards it.
If you’re going to call, then call me clearly.
Time kept flowing.
If I didn’t change course, I would land in a truly dangerous situation.
Just as I thought I should pull myself out of the lake for some emergency maintenance, something sprang from within my arms.
…!
Shhhhaaaaaaaaa!
As I glanced up with surprise, I was met by none other than the enemy investigator.
That guy…?
I’d almost forgotten he was even there.
Just as shocking as the sudden emergence from my arms, this fellow was now…
Swimming?
He was calmly paddling through this poisonous water.
Is he still considered a low-level enemy monster?
If that wasn’t the case, the enemy investigator might simply be a creature accustomed to carrying toxins within itself.
Whatever the truth may be, my top priority remained clear: get out of the lake.
Shhhhaaa!
The investigator entwined his tail around my arm and began tugging me somewhere.
Given my weakened state, it was more like a feeble attempt at pulling rather than actual force.
What the heck?
The significant part was how suddenly this creature was pulling me along.
I could see the enemy investigator straining to drag me along.
It seemed there was some intent behind it.
We have to get out of the lake now.
Otherwise, I could genuinely end up in a perilous situation.
The funny thing was that even while my brain was working this out, my body was already following the investigator’s lead.
As if entranced by something.
I think I’m in some serious trouble.
I grimaced as I realized this.
The distance wasn’t far at all.
The floor looked the same all around, so there wasn’t any distinguishing feature.
At most, it was just a matter of whether there were pebbles or not.
Time was slipping away as I had about twenty seconds left until the stakes would fall and take everything with them.
It was truly a fraying line between life and death.
Shhhhaaaaa!
The creature pointed urgently to somewhere.
That brief action made ten seconds vanish.
The spot it indicated was just an ordinary block of earth.
I felt nothing special in my gut.
But I still reached out toward it.
Thud thud.
The stakes were gradually decreasing. As that happened, the energy surrounding my body was on the verge of collapsing as well.
Bam.
The tips of my fingers brushed the ground.
Kwaaaa!
My surroundings flipped upside down.
Boom…!
Ugh…
I fell somewhere and rolled across the floor.
After tumbling for what felt like ages, I finally stopped and gasped for air.
Huff… Hah…
Catching my breath, I surveyed my surroundings.
Where am I…?
This wasn’t the water.
Where did the blackened earth go that I had just seen? Now I stood on a finely polished stone floor.
Moreover, despite just being submerged, my body felt as if it had never been wet, completely devoid of moisture.
Had any poison remained, it could have been devastating for me.
That itself was fortunate, in a way.
I lifted my head.
Long, lined-up pillars emerged before me.
Objects embedded within the pillars shimmered softly.
My eyes widened at the sight.
“That… could it be Night Liquor?”
I recognized it the moment I laid eyes on it.
The glimmering objects were undoubtedly night lights.
Valuable items that shone brightly.
I saw those same night lights back when I was heading to the old Geumcheon Yeon-ga.
While I expressed my amazement,
Shhhhhaaaaa…
The enemy investigator climbed up my body.
He seemed to have made it in just fine.
Looking at the tired-looking guy who had bowed his head, I spoke in a soft tone.
…Thank you.
Shhha?
It was thanks to this guy that I had survived, so I made an effort to express my gratitude before asking.
How on earth did you know?
Shha?
At my question, the creature tilted its head as if to say it didn’t understand.
I clicked my tongue and scanned the surroundings. This seemingly absurd situation couldn’t just be left to fate. For now, searching for the item was my top priority.
Looking around, it seemed that somehow, they’d managed to break through and enter the vault.
The rapid change in the environment from being underwater was astonishing, yes, but after everything I had been through, it was hardly surprising.
I had way too many memories of being thrust into bizarre situations.
“Seems like I was right…”
This place felt a little different from the vault I had encountered in my past.
Even back then, they definitely had no night lights.
Which meant…
Does that imply that someone else visited here before me?
If that is the case…
Are you saying they left the White Horse Stone and just took the night liquor?
It didn’t make sense, yet it wasn’t a big issue.
Magic stones weren’t particularly useful to ordinary people.
It wasn’t strange for someone just to snatch the expensive night liquor and dash away.
Whatever works.
After all, my goal was the White Horse Stone.
The night liquor was just a bonus I could pick up on the side.
Not that I wouldn’t take it. It was maddeningly expensive, so I definitely wasn’t passing it up this time.
Nodding to myself, I shifted my gaze.
For now, I needed to secure the White Horse Stone first.
It’s certainly somewhere here…
Shhhhaaaaa…
As I tried to look around for the stone, the enemy on my shoulder suddenly fixed its gaze somewhere and bared its teeth as if on guard.
“Why are you reacting like that again…?”
When I turned to see what it was barking at…
…!
In the darkness beyond the reach of the night lights, I sensed something lurking.
Swish…
Silence spread through the vault like a shroud.
Someone else was definitely here besides me.
The moment I confirmed that, I tried to expand my energies.
Crack-!
…Ugh!
The emptiness of my core rebelled against me and brought nothing but pain.
Damn it.
The agony was so overwhelming I was on the verge of losing consciousness, even if just for a moment.
Huff…
Overcome from the pain, I knelt on one knee.
[Who are you?]
A voice reached me from the depths of that darkness.
[You’re not Shincheol. Who are you?]
…!
My eyes widened at the familiar name.
The tone of voice searching for Shin Noya.
A spatially shifting technique.
Frowning, I glanced at the figure hovering beyond the darkness, feeling a curious sense of familiarity.
No way…
A feeling dawned; I was starting to understand who that figure might be.
Excuse me, but could you possibly be…?
As if responding to my inquiry, a semi-transparent figure began to emerge.
Most people had encountered similar scenarios before.
Especially when mentioning Shin Noya, it was a 100% certainty.
What’s more, considering this was the heart of the Tang family…
The pieces all fit together, and I could immediately recall their identity.
“Are you… the senior of the party? Huh?”
[That’s correct.]
Unfortunately, the most shocking part that I hadn’t anticipated was…
[I am the party leader.]
…
The twist was that it wasn’t ‘he’ but ‘she’.
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