Chapter: 662
Splash.
He moved through the corridor, trampling the water.
Seong Yul had left the outside to air out.
It seemed unnecessary to go in together.
Splash—! Splash—!
Beyond the footsteps soaked with moisture, the still unlit space and the musty air brushed past my nose.
None of that mattered to me.
The dark passage appeared bright beyond my pupils.
The stuffy air only made me feel bad, but it didn’t harm my body.
After walking at an angle for about half of it…
Woof—!
I felt a subtle energy brushing past my body.
The current was delicate. Is this also part of the spell?
‘Certainly, it’s different from the formation.’
Looking at the formation, I couldn’t understand at all what kind of trickery was involved.
But this, at least, was visible.
I didn’t know what principle it was created on or what it was set up for, but I could see the flowing energy.
What was invisible had become visible.
It was a refreshing experience.
Swipe.
As my fingertips grazed the energy, it moved like a wave.
Thump.
My heart responded, reacting with a sudden thump.
Oh.
Upon touching the energy, the chain tied to my heart began to tremble.
It rotates.
The ring is spinning.
It felt reminiscent of the Nine Flame Wheel’s rotation.
Thump—! Thump—!
Whee—!
As my heart thumped, the ring spun faster, and I felt an indescribable thrill rising up within.
What a truly fascinating sensation.
The ring, split into two, continued to gain speed.
Feeling this, I waved my fingertips.
Woof.
The curtain of sorcery quivered with my touch, and as I watched its flow, my mind’s eye opened unexpectedly.
It wasn’t my intention. Or perhaps it opened instinctively.
I couldn’t really say. Amidst those thoughts, my eyes quickly read the flow.
‘This is amazing.’
I thought I could only discern the spells, but surprisingly, my mind’s eye could also see the flow generated by the spell.
A dense pile of tangled threads.
It was so complicated that just looking at it hurt my eyes. Normally, I would have cursed and tossed it away at a glance.
Hmm.
The ring rotates faster.
My fingers moved gradually as I gazed at the countless threads.
I could see it. And I could understand it.
I already knew how to do it.
Whee—!!!
It’s hot. The speed of the spinning causes my heart to heat up.
So much so that it made my face scrunch up.
Contrary to appearances, it seemed that if it continued like this, it could get slightly dangerous.
What a bother, should I just end it here?
Hmm.
Reason clearly told me so.
Whee—!!!
Unfortunately, since I’m not a rational person, my body had no intention of stopping, contrary to my thoughts.
So what should I do now?
‘It seems two rings are too much.’
It seems it couldn’t absorb all the heat with just two rings.
So, what should I do?
‘If two won’t do, I should use three.’
I grabbed the threads tightly and channeled my heart’s energy.
Crackle!
I felt friction from within.
The pressure burst out from under the spinning wheel.
It was painful.
The ring seemed to be protesting.
It was saying that it wasn’t the right time yet.
So what should I do now?
I ignored it.
I decide the time.
It felt as though it could work.
I was telling myself in my mind that this was how it should be done.
Following that method, my body began to reassemble itself.
Mysterious fragments flew from the ring and scraped the interior.
Just as I felt it was the remnants of energy from the recoil…
Fzzzzzz—!!!
The friction intensified, and at the same time, I felt a sensation underneath the ring.
The pieces that broke off from the ring gathered and formed another ring.
The shape was imperfect, but it was clearly a third ring.
Whee—!!!
From the moment it was created, the newly formed ring seemed to know its role.
It spun faster according to my will, and my anxieties about not withstanding the heat faded away.
A sense of stability emerged.
Feeling this…
Snap!
I seized the thread of sorcery in front of me and pulled strongly.
Crack-!! Crack—!!!!
Unlike the tightly bound threads, the threads broke away with just the pull.
Phew—!
A strong gust of wind brushed past my shoulders and scattered away.
At that moment…
Woof!
“Uh?”
I could feel the sorcery that had been floating around the space dissipating.
Everything was disappearing. Huh? Shouldn’t it not all disappear?
While I was slightly flustered by the unexpected situation…
Tadak—!
Urgent footsteps could be heard heavily approaching from the front space.
“Hey, there’s energy coming from this direction—!”
“The barrier has been lifted! Bring more sorcerers!”
“We need to quickly find the intruder and stop him….”
Then, many of Pilduma’s subordinates appeared, and upon seeing me, they froze in surprise.
“…”
I too had to stiffen my body upon seeing them.
It looked like I had caused a stir here.
‘… I just wanted to touch it a little. I made a mistake.’
I thought I’d just observe casually for a while, but I got so focused that I unintentionally ripped it apart.
Because of that, it seems something went wrong.
I first shook off the energy I had on my hands.
If I hadn’t been wearing a mask, my expression would have been quite amusing.
“… You…! Uh, how…?”
I hesitated for a moment upon hearing their awkward question full of confusion.
Hmm.
I thought it would be better to just respond honestly.
So, I decided to speak plainly without any excuses.
[It was a mistake. I apologize.]
“…”
“….”
The expressions on the men changed strangely after my sincere apology.
It seemed like my apology didn’t land well.
A massive room that appeared to be the center of the cave.
The old man carefully poured some wine into a glass in front of him at the table.
Glug glug.
It filled a glass too large to be called a wine glass.
After placing the bottle next to him, the old man offered the drink he had prepared to his companion.
“I apologize for not being able to greet you properly due to the urgent summon.”
The old man’s counterpart remained silent, just gazing at him quietly.
A slightly cracked mask, long black hair peeking from beneath it, and a sturdily built figure.
Even while seated, he emitted the aura of a powerful person.
It was a sufficient pressure that changed the very air around them.
Ugh…
The pressure was so intense that the old man’s subordinates had to crouch low, unable to breathe properly.
Gulp.
The old man glanced at the man, suppressing the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
‘This is a bit problematic.’
It was truly troublesome.
The old man was convinced that the man was in a foul mood.
The reason was likely due to the improper greeting.
Even after mentioning his arrival, they hadn’t bothered with a proper welcome, leading to clear dissatisfaction.
‘How regrettable.’
He had engaged in a subtle contest of wills to gauge the man’s character, but his opponent turned out to be much coarser and more brutal than the old man had anticipated.
This man was so rugged and powerful that he had dared to challenge him with just his presence…
‘I tore down all the surrounding barriers.’
The tightly woven barriers created by mages stretched for miles.
This design aimed to trigger a massive backlash if disturbed with the wrong method.
It would have taken months for the sorcerers to understand, and even longer to dismantle them.
It was a barrier that would take them at least fifteen days to dispel.
To think he had erased something like that in less than half an hour? That thought brought a cold sweat to the old man’s forehead.
‘… So, does that mean he survived the backlash from it all?’
He hadn’t even entertained the thought that it was done normally.
At this rate, smashing through it would have been the only option available.
‘But how is he still perfectly fine?’
The man showed no signs of trouble, as if nothing had happened.
This was a level of power that would instantly kill even a master fighter if they were caught in the backlash.
And this man stood there unharmed after withstanding it?
‘Just what kind of monster is this?’
It was something he couldn’t even fathom.
That was the old man’s assessment.
“… I acknowledge that my hospitality was lacking, so I hope you will show mercy.”
[Fury?]
At the old man’s words, the man slightly nodded.
[What are you talking about? I’m not angry.]
The old man’s brow furrowed at this response.
[Honestly, I should be the one apologizing. I didn’t realize it would disappear so easily. My apologies.]
“…”
The old man secretly clenched his fist.
The man was undoubtedly playing with the old man.
After so casually tearing down that formidable barrier, he apologized with a nonchalant “oops.”
What pressure.
Proof that the barriers they created could crumble so effortlessly.
A warning not to defy him.
The man spoke through the demonstration of his immense power.
“… I shall require your utmost vigilance from this point onward.”
No further words followed from the old man.
The man simply watched him in silence from behind his mask.
A brief silence lingered.
Then the man adjusted his mask and spoke to the old man.
[Hmm… Well, you can handle that however you like.]
Was he hinting at another chance?
Just as the old man was finally able to relax his tension.
[It seems you have done well in the task I entrusted to you.]
The young man nodded in agreement.
“… Within the limits of what I could do, I tried my best to protect it.”
[Indeed. You did not do poorly.]
A request the man had made to the old man.
The first one.
“Right after I began my tasks, I left information regarding the new cult.”
If they wished to undertake something, they were to refer to themselves as followers of the new faith.
They had to mention that they were carrying out the tasks on behalf of the Heavenly Demon’s cult.
That was the man’s instruction.
“I left traces intentionally, so some information might already be circulating underground.”
[That is of no concern.]
Such trivial matters held no weight.
The old man smoothed his beard at the man’s unruffled demeanor.
[If that is the case, what is the second request?]
“… I have also prepared that. If you want, I can present it right away.”
Upon the old man’s words, the man gestured, and a woman appeared from within the shadows.
A woman who was one of the man’s subordinates.
She had been helping Old Man with his tasks over the past time.
The old man took a letter from his chest and handed it to her as she came forth.
[I trust it was handled well.]
“… I did my utmost.”
[Yes, that must be the standard.]
Otherwise, it would be like the barrier that had just been shattered.
While the man did not say it, the old man somehow understood the implication.
Tension came creeping back. The glass was still unemptied.
This also meant the man had no intention of removing his mask.
With that in mind, the old man posed a question to him.
“… Might I ask what to address you as?”
[Speak.]
“What should I call you?”
[Hmm?]
The man tilted his head at the question, then quickly reacted as though he remembered something.
[Cult Leader. Please refer to me as that from now on.]
“… Understood.”
One of the three lords, the Supreme Lord. Or the most formidable warrior.
That was the true identity of this man.
He himself acknowledged it, and more importantly,
‘The evidence would be that they left traces intentionally when they attacked the shaman.’
They had ambushed a sect elder from his own faction, slaying him in the process.
The martial art he used during that encounter was a divine technique said to have been created by him. The word on the streets was that it was the form of the Tuapacheonmu.
There was only one known martial art that could cause catastrophes with a fist, shattering flesh in the process.
Only Pae Jon himself or a disciple could have wielded it.
‘There haven’t been rumors of Pae Jon having any disciples.’
Rumors surfaced that a warrior from Shanxi, once called Jinryong and now referred to as Soyeonra, was a disciple of Pae Jon.
‘That too is just a baseless rumor.’
As no one had ever witnessed him utilize the fire techniques attributed to Pae Jon, it remained nothing but hearsay.
Besides, even if Pae Jon had a disciple, that disciple wouldn’t have been able to replicate such formidable prowess.
Consequently, whispers began spreading that the figure who had vanished from sight for over a decade now bore a different form.
If that were true, then how had the righteous sect’s heaven been corrupted?
No one could comprehend the reason, leaving the rumors to circulate exponentially.
But the essential point is…
‘That rumor must have already reached the Alliance.’
The man before me appeared utterly unconcerned by such matters.
‘… Even if the Alliance knows about it, it matters little, I presume…’
What could the Murim Alliance really accomplish?
Knowing wouldn’t change a thing.
The attitude of the man, the Cult Leader, was that of indifference.
It appeared he felt no trepidation towards the very core of the righteous sect.
-Don’t you seek to dismantle the Alliance?
-Do you wish to shatter those pesky individuals tearing you apart?
I recall the Cult Leader’s confident words as he came forth to speak.
He sought the Alliance’s downfall. If our purposes aligned, he proposed doing it together.
‘… Then did he demonstrate his intentions to me?’
What if the very act of breaking the barrier wasn’t solely to apply pressure but also to showcase his abilities directly?
The strength capable of obliterating the Alliance. Wasn’t he revealing that he possessed that very power?
‘So, that’s what he was doing.’
The old man nodded, understanding the underlying message, and spoke carefully to the man.
“… I realized too late your true intentions, Cult Leader. I apologize once more for my shortcomings.”
[hmm…?]
Upon hearing the old man’s words, the man muttered something quietly. Then a silence stretched for several seconds.
Having a strange feeling, the old man tried to call to the man.
“Cult…”
[It’s fortunate that your intuition is sharp.]
It seemed he was pleased that I understood his true intentions.
Indeed, the old man’s reasoning appeared to be correct.
“Ah… Then, may I consider the trial passed?”
[Trial?]
“Completing the task you issued, Cult Leader. Did you not say it was a test?”
[Ah, did I really say that…?]
“Cult Leader…?”
[While not everything delights me, I shall let this pass.]
The man disregarded the old man’s question and pressed on.
[So now, I must ask you, Cheonra Daeju. What schemes do you have in Hanam?]
“…”
Now that I had been deemed to have passed, was he going straight for the jugular?
It was truly a proactive move.
‘… What is the plan?’
The old man’s eyes darted around, surveying the area.
This being possessed overwhelming strength and aligned with them; could he confide so easily?
As hesitation flickered through his mind…
[Cheonra Daeju.]
A gruff voice reverberated in the old man’s ears.
[Don’t think too hard. I lack the patience for that.]
The oppressive atmosphere tightened instantaneously, accompanied by a chilling warning.
Grreeeek—!!
Swish.
The vibrations reverberated through the cave, dislodging debris.
“Ugh…!! Ugh…!!”
Those within writhed in agony.
There was no time for contemplation.
[Should you persist in your shameless actions even after arriving at this point, then so be it.]
As the man slowly rose, he began to unleash his power.
“…We are—!”
The old man shouted, desperately trying to speak to him.
The power had yet to subside. This was likely due to his unfinished statement.
Realizing this, the old man struggled to add,
“Maeng shall… awaken the hidden secret…”
As he spoke…
Swish…
The energy being emitted waned slightly.
It seemed he invited me to continue speaking.
[Secret?]
A hint of intrigue crept into the man’s voice.
It had to be like that.
[You intend to topple the Alliance simply with a secret? Elaborate.]
As the pressure release unfurled, the previously constrained breaths relaxed.
The old man felt a hitch in his throat but suppressed the urge to cough.
“…Beneath the land of Hanam lies a secret buried by the Alliance.”
[Under the ground?]
“Yes… We aim to break the seal and topple the Alliance.”
[What exactly is sealed that warrants such actions?]
The man didn’t conceal his interest as he listened, prompting the old man to bite his lip at the reaction.
Revealing the fruit of a life’s labor so easily was truly disheartening.
It felt heavy, but no other choice remained.
Moreover,
‘Perhaps, he may be the one to aid us in fulfilling our desire.’
Driven by this hope, the old man finally added,
“…Dragons.”
[Hmm?]
The man’s expression shifted as the old man’s words registered.
It’s likely because it was a term completely unknown to him.
“A creature that once ravaged the Central Plains centuries ago. A dragon lies sealed beneath this land.”
[…]
“We intend to unseal it and bring down the Alliance.”
A being known as the dragon, or a hundred-level evil beast.
The scourge that had plagued the Central Plains had taken refuge beneath Hanam.
‘… He must have been shocked.’
The very existence of such a being and its ongoing seal—this was no trivial truth.
To claim doing so would be monumental.
Following that weighty revelation, the old man observed the man for his reaction.
He anticipated surprise.
[Ah… really…?]
“…?”
[Hmm… How fascinating. Truly intriguing.]
For some reason, the man’s interest appeared to fade as his tone shifted.
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