Chapter: 804
As night fell, the surroundings grew dark.
It was the time when darkness settled in, waiting for the dawn to slowly approach.
The lanterns weren’t lit, and since nothing had been tidied up, the overgrown bushes were peeking through.
I hadn’t paid much attention to it before, but it seemed like I should sort it out sometime.
Of course, I wasn’t going to do it myself…
Woohyuk is sick right now, so it seems I should just order him to handle it.
Anyway.
Clang-! Clang-!
It was a time when the only sound to be heard in the quiet atmosphere was the chirping of insects.
I lightly stepped through the grass and stood still in one spot.
Right beside the area bathed in moonlight.
I carefully halted my steps next to it.
Since when did this start?
It’s strange how I’ve been reluctant to either simply watch the moonlight or stand under it.
I already knew the cause.
It’s such a ridiculous reason that it made me chuckle when I thought about it.
“What the hell is going on?”
I burst out laughing at my own ridiculousness. No dignity in being this ridiculous.
It’s probably okay by now, yet here I am, still acting like this.
Even as I grow older, I feel like I’m stuck in this place.
“…”
I suppose that’s enough.
And so, just as I was about to step into the moonlight, I felt my feet hesitate.
There has never been such absurdity as this.
Tsk.
Finally, I retracted my toes and came to another halt.
It was odd that I was even trying to do something like that.
I hadn’t come here to engage in this nonsense anyway; it was time to get straight to the point.
“Phew…”
After letting out a slight sigh, I closed my eyes.
Then, I released all the energy I had been holding back.
Hooooooo-!!!
The senses that had been locked away surged to life in an instant. The range rapidly expanded, flooding in all sorts of information.
Sounds felt more vivid, and even the sensation of the wind brushing against my skin amplified, making me more sensitive.
It feels a million times better than before, but it still remains uncomfortable.
I want to stop right now, but there’s something I need to check, so I let myself go as much as possible.
Saaaaaaaah—!!!
Clang-! Clang–!!
Countless sounds worm their way into my ears.
It’s not that the sounds just got louder because my sense got sharper. It’s more accurate to say that I could hear more sounds now.
I needed to figure out what range and distances those sounds were coming from.
That was still quite the challenge.
‘Hmm.’
After a little while, a headache began to creep in.
Despite my senses and firepower reaching their peak, it felt like I wasn’t quite ready to accept it.
Huff.
Repeatedly taking deep breaths, I tried to calibrate myself internally.
The reason I chose to liberate everything like this when I could’ve been slow and steady wasn’t anything other than this.
‘Alright… then.’
I thought that maybe, just maybe, I would be able to figure things out by this point.
‘Where could it be?’
The freed energy spread out densely, like a spider web around the area.
It expanded thickly as if it intended to leave no gaps.
The sounds, the movements, and the information contained within them.
Though it was painfully overwhelming to absorb, I endured and pieced it all together.
That seemed like the only way to truly know.
And so, quite a bit of time passed.
Wait, that moment felt like an eternity.
‘Ah.’
Amidst the countless streams, I barely managed to catch what I was looking for.
To put it bluntly, it felt like spotting a tiny pearl in a rocky field.
It was so minuscule I wondered how I even found it.
To phrase it differently:
‘Is it supposed to be like this?’
This level of sense formation must be what it takes to grasp it.
‘This is absurd.’
Honestly, it was at a level that only left me chuckling emptily.
Zing.
“…”
I furrowed my brow at the pain I was feeling.
The headache was now nearing its limit.
I promptly used my energy to close off the flow once again.
Phew-!!
As soon as I sealed it, the influx of information stopped, allowing me to finally exhale the breath I had been holding.
Wow, that was tough. If I had kept going a bit longer, I feel like I would have broken out in a cold sweat in this weather.
Shaking my head repeatedly, I brushed off any remaining sensations.
Carefully, I opened my eyes and gazed at a particular spot.
At a first glance, it looked as though nothing was there other than overgrown weeds and grass.
I even wondered if there was anything at all since there wasn’t even a gap to breathe.
“You’re a little late.”
The energy was clearly indicating its presence there, so I pretended to be oblivious and responded casually.
At that moment.
Swish.
‘Crazy.’
Suddenly, a human figure materialized in a space that had appeared barren.
Clad in a black robe, with skin as white as snow.
Dark eyes that seemed to clash with the shining, almost-white hair.
A young man, bearing a physique that seemed to hover around early twenties, appeared before me.
His expression was unreadable.
It was a face that gave no clue as to what thoughts lay behind it.
The identity of this young man was that of the being known as the Lord of the Night in the current Central Plains.
The king of all assassins, the master of the First Assassination Squad in Zhongyue.
A figure who could eliminate anyone he wished, even the Three Lords.
He was the Dark King.
‘…Alright.’
Seeing him like this, I swallowed hard, realizing it too.
Just as Nahi said, the Dark King had arrived, and I had heard that he was coming toward my place.
So, I tried it out just in case.
‘Did it work?’
I had unearthed the Dark King in what seemed like an utterly random location.
The presence of the Dark King, which was initially undetectable.
This meant I had managed to catch even a glimpse of him now.
It seemed he had also recognized the outcome, as he quietly observed me before speaking.
“It seems like you’ve stumbled upon a twist of fate.”
As expected, he noticed it right away.
“I feasted on something good recently.”
“Congratulations.”
“…You don’t look like you’re the celebrating type, though. Thank you.”
No shift in his expression whatsoever. It’s a bit jarring to congratulate someone looking like that.
What’s more.
“Where did you leave your other eye?”
“…”
For some reason, the Dark King was bandaging one of his eyes.
It seemed there was an issue.
“It’s also rather late compared to the time suggested. You seem to have had a busy day.”
“Correct.”
As he spoke, the Dark King gently rubbed his bandaged eye.
“It was a business transaction.”
“A transaction?”
What could warrant the sale of his eye?
And what could this deal be?
‘That means he wasn’t ambushed somewhere.’
Well, he’s not the kind to be on the receiving end of an ambush anyway.
If he were to kill, he would rather do so.
However, there seems to be a problem in this.
“Looks like there’s no regeneration coming back to you?”
It seems the Dark King’s eye won’t return to him anytime soon.
He had told me outright that he couldn’t die even if he wished to.
With such miraculous regenerative powers, I figured he’d just regrow it even if I mentioned it earlier.
“Yes.”
The Dark King expressed plainly that regeneration was off the table.
“It seems to be functioning independently of the curse.”
“…Is that so? Then, are you saying it was possible you could die this time?”
A situation where you part with an eye, yet it refuses to regenerate.
That must imply the Dark King’s aim had also been fulfilled.
The Dark King craves death.
It must have been a rare opportunity for someone seeking his eternal peace, yet I found myself questioning how it came about.
To my inquiry, the Dark King responded.
“That isn’t rest.”
“Not rest?”
“The eye wasn’t lost, but rather given to him. The respite you speak of is impossible for him to attain.”
“It’s hard to explain. Could you clarify a bit more?”
“If I surrender my life like the eye I gave away, I will cease with him and live many more years than before.”
“…”
Upon hearing that, I furrowed my brow.
To give your life doesn’t necessarily indicate death.
Rather, does it imply that you would be enveloped by the other person and lead a life of nothingness?
‘What on earth are you talking about?’
It sounds almost comprehensible, yet I couldn’t quite grasp it.
Also.
‘The curse put upon Yeonilcheon was by the Blood Demon. There’s a being who can bypass that curse and seize his eye.’
Continuing to ponder, I pressed the Dark King with more questions.
“You mentioned you went somewhere. What on earth did you see?”
The Dark King had departed on a whim, hinting at a need to visit the Demon Realm.
What on earth did he experience there to end up in this state?
When I inquired about it, he answered directly.
“I traveled to Taecheon’s Magic Realm and met its owner.”
The Dark King replied.
“And then…”
But.
“…”
“The Dark King?”
He fell silent mid-sentence, appearing lost in some sort of thought.
I curiously observed his expression change. It was fascinating to witness him frown like that for the first time.
Moments later, he finally spoke up.
“I see. It seems I can go no further.”
“Yes?”
Suddenly, the Dark King uttered something peculiar.
WHACK!
“…!?”
Out of the blue, he grabbed my left pinky and ring fingers with his right hand and tore them off.
It all happened so fast I couldn’t process it.
“… Dark King. What’s gotten into you?”
What kind of nonsense was this? I examined the finger the Dark King had just severed.
Creeeep-!!
“Huh?”
Suddenly, black smoke engulfed the finger, causing it to vanish entirely.
Upon witnessing that, I turned back to look at the Dark King.
“Is that a taboo?”
“…”
He said nothing in response, but I knew the answer.
Was that the price for uttering something I ought not to have said mere moments ago?
Two fingers in exchange for a few spoken words.
Now that’s what I call poor cost-performance. I could tell that this was no martial art either.
‘Witchcraft, then.’
Now that I was able to differentiate between the two, it became even more apparent.
That’s witchcraft, not a martial technique.
Swish-!
The Dark King’s fingers healing almost instantaneously didn’t mean regeneration.
I had heard he could regenerate, didn’t I?
“…Wow, I’m sorry.”
I began to feel a tinge of guilt for causing him to sacrifice two fingers just to answer me.
“The Blood Demon’s aim is to tear down the rules of the world.”
“Yes?”
The Dark King suddenly resumed speaking, just as he had before.
“He isn’t yet qualified to directly head to the other side. However, that time isn’t far off, and the rulers of the other world are wary.”
“Dark King, what’s the point of all this?”
“To acquire this qualification, you first need to become an apostle…”
Stop.
Again, he halted mid-sentence. Then came the sound of something crisping.
Snap!
Even without touching him, his left arm vanished entirely from the shoulder down.
I was taken aback and exclaimed, “Are you insane…?”
He just tossed aside his fingers, and now he’s getting rid of his whole arm?
I was so dumbfounded that I found it hard to even gather my thoughts to respond.
“It was the exact price of my left arm.”
The Dark King remained unfazed.
How could he respond so coolly after I witnessed him lose his left arm right in front of my eyes?
“I apologize for not being able to relay all the details. However, it shouldn’t take long for you to figure out the rest.”
“It’s not a task assignment! What are you doing…? Because you’re going to die anyway, you’re careless about losing limbs now?”
“Yes.”
“Is that right?”
It was a too simple of a response.
“It was the least valuable thing I could offer.”
“…This is what I’m getting at.”
The Blood Demon’s goal.
To come back after such a long time and drop some bombshell like that felt a tad too intense.
‘The Blood Demon’s purpose…’
A monster from the past who created calamities and spilled blood.
A being still scheming to this very day.
Was the Dark King claiming he understood this being’s purpose was to crush the rules?
‘…rules.’
What rules was he even talking about?
And why does the Blood Demon want to obliterate them?
Questions began to bubble up.
A few years back, I also received some insight into the Blood Demon’s intention.
That was directly from him.
No, precisely speaking, I’d have to say it was from me. It was in another realm, separate from here.
However, it wouldn’t change the fact that it was indeed the Blood Demon.
He distinctly stated to me:
-Paradise.
He said he aspired to achieve paradise.
He told me that was his sole desire.
But if the information that the Dark King unearthed is genuinely accurate,
‘What’s the connection between rules and paradise?’
What might these two hold in relation to one another?
What does the paradise referred to by the Blood Demon truly signify?
Furthermore, the most critical question was.
‘Whose paradise is it for?’
The paradise described by the Blood Demon.
The inquiry was, for whom does the paradise exist?
“…”
Quietly cogitating, I eventually raised my head to look at the Dark King.
“Dark King.”
“Yes?”
“You mentioned something earlier, didn’t you?”
“What about it?”
“You said that if I strengthened myself, you would ensure my death. Is that still valid?”
“Yes.”
“Can you hold off a bit longer on that?”
“…“
“It won’t take that long.”
There was no answer from him.
Nor did I want an answer at this juncture.
For now, I merely needed to recollect.
I had been postponing obligations with the excuse of having overwhelming tasks ahead.
The most pivotal matters I had to confront.
I needed to remind myself of that, and now was the time to refocus and ascertain what needed to be done.
“I have a favor to ask.”
Time passed.
To be exact, since the Twin Sword incident, two days had elapsed, and it was another day since all the members of the Seongryongdae were chosen.
I had to rush over right after that incident to recruit more people.
As I mentioned last time, I had asked them to pick ten individuals, but the issue arose from a lack of options.
Regardless, I managed to select three additional ones and open the group.
Next, I utilized the individuals provided by the blind.
After assembling twenty.
The remaining five had to be brought along due to other prior commitments.
Thus, the Seongryongdae was formed.
“Meet the Great Lord of Seongryong Daeju.”
“…I present my respects to the Great Lord.”
“Yes. Yes.”
Today marked my inaugural day of work as the general manager.
Going into work. The very word felt a bit off-putting.
I strolled through the halls of the mansion, receiving various gazes.
The word about the Twin Swords had spread like wildfire, and they said that the culprit is still bedridden, unable to regain his senses.
In such a situation, everyone found it rather strange that the perpetrator was wandering around freely.
This was equally strange to me. Naturally, I had thought there would be restrictions on my entrance, or that I would only be able to enter and exit the interrogation room temporarily. It appears Mukyeon did something for me, just as he mentioned.
Thanks to that, I could still move in and out of the blind, and consequently.
“…I see the Great Lord.”
“Yes. It’s a pleasure.”
“This was prepared by the association…”
Before he could finish his sentence, I snatched the robe he was offering and donned it.
Flutter-!
The somewhat large robe draped across my shoulders.
This was the robe that only individuals of the highest rank in the Murim Alliance would receive.
It was a piece crafted using threads from special demonic creatures.
It is not easily influenced by fire or water, and supposedly, when absorbed by the adeptness of martial arts, it could even be utilized as a shield.
It was a luxury item one could expect never to wear in their lifetime.
‘I’ve seen Mo Yong-hee wearing something like this, you know.’
Well, with the family background of Mo Yong-hee, it was only natural for her to have such attire.
‘This is a fancy robe fit for a great lord.’
The sensation on my shoulders felt incomprehensibly unfamiliar.
I never imagined I’d get the chance to wear something of this caliber in my lifetime.
In my past life, I wielded great power in the Demonic Cult.
And this time, I found myself assuming a major role in the righteous faction. I’d say I’ve truly become a dragon now?
‘I’m not sure about the comparison, but it seems I truly have transformed into a dragon.’
I let out a quiet chuckle to myself before moving forward.
Once dressed in the robe, I was guided to a location that I heard was likely the quarters originally utilized by the Ilryongdae.
Creek.
As I opened the door and stepped inside, I saw a group of people already assembled within.
They were spread across a large yard, evenly dividing themselves in half. It appeared one side comprised outside volunteers while the other was made up of individuals forwarded from the association.
The atmosphere was tense, as though they were confronting one another.
Step, step.
Observing this, I slowly began to walk further in.
Upon my arrival, every gaze shifted toward me, and I received their scrutiny with a calm demeanor.
Reaching the center, I regarded the two packs of individuals facing one another.
First impressions hold significant weight.
‘Since it’s been a while since I’ve done this, should I be a bit friendlier?’
With this thought, sporting a smile, I greeted them.
“Hi?”
I delivered it with the maximum warmth I could muster.
And yet.
Gulp!
The moment they saw my smile, they inexplicably heightened their defenses.
…Well, damn.
It had been a while since I felt this slightly wounded.
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