Chapter 865: Break the Devil.
It is a power that can push away and erase magical energy and can also inflict fatal damage on those who possess magic.
This was also the reason why the Sword Corps was formed with the Divine Sword at the forefront, and why she could become the hope of the era and lead the war against the Demonic Cult.
The only hope.
The light of the Central Plains.
A miracle that could bring victory against the absolute being, the Heavenly Demon.
That was Perm.
Demonstrating absolute power specifically against magic.
The power that only the Divine Sword, Wi Seol-ah possessed, was Perm.
‘How did it turn out like this?’
How did this power come about?
He looked at the white flames swirling around his hand and expressed his doubts.
“Ah… no….”
Gyecheonmunju was still trembling in despair.
That sight seemed truly insignificant.
Even the massive frame, over eight feet tall, and the skin that didn’t appear human had all returned to their original state.
No, it wasn’t even the original state.
He had lost even his former appearance. Although he had the build of a warrior, he was no longer just gaunt.
Bare branches were nothing but bones, appearing so fragile that they could snap under the slightest touch.
Should we say he had lost his vitality? The state of the Gyecheon Gate Master was absolutely not normal. His appearance was like…
‘I feel like he’s lost his innate vitality.’
The essence of life possessed by all humans. It resembled the state where most of his innate vitality had escaped.
Why did it turn out like that? Perhaps it was due to my flames.
‘I tried to burn him to death.’
I aimed to incinerate him completely, leaving no bones behind. Instead, I ended up burning something different.
Perhaps an unknown energy that transformed his body.
My flames only burned that and passed through him, causing his appearance to seem so pathetic.
And that’s why I refer to the energy contained within the flames as Perm.
‘It looks similar to what Perm used to demonstrate.’
In the past, when my previous life’s Divine Sword faced off against demons.
She wielded countless blades using the Moonlight Sword, and the energy contained within it easily dispatched the demons.
When magical energy encounters Perm, its power is destroyed. Since demons have magical energy coursing through their entire bodies, having their energy destroyed is no different from losing their lives.
Thus, when the Divine Sword appeared, the Demon Sword usually emerged to confront it.
While the Demon Sword Master is called a demon, he has never received a blessing from the Heavenly Demon, making him excellent at dealing with the Divine Sword.
A force that exists to counter magic.
That was, in essence, Perm.
‘…Can this also be called Perm?’
I see my strength as Perm, yet I can’t be completely certain.
The reason being…
‘This isn’t destruction.’
The ability I just displayed was different from the concept of breaking magic.
This was more akin to erasing than destroying.
If it were truly destruction, then Gyecheonmunju should have been dead.
Nonetheless, Gyecheonmunju was not dead. He had merely returned to being human, with only the foreign energy vanished from his body.
Should we call this Perm?
Even…
‘His energy wasn’t even magic.’
Gyecheonmunju’s transformation was not caused by magic. Yet, my flames erased it.
Should I classify this as Perm?
I couldn’t understand it. However…
‘One thing I’m sure of is.’
There was something unusual about my flames.
‘…It’s remarkably similar to what my father showed me.’
In the past, my father’s actions towards the Heavenly Lord eerily resonated.
At that time, my father reached out to Cheonjeon and erased something. After that, Cheonjeon’s personality appeared to radically shift.
‘This is power that the Nine Flames Wheel Technique originally possessed.’
It’s appropriate to see it as a change observable because I have reached Daesung.
‘If I master the Nine Flames Wheel Technique, does that mean I’m able to burn away other foreign energies?’
Then what of the power my father showcased in the North Sea?
The power that could instantly wipe out a beast of a hundred levels.
What is the strength that my father defined as the future I must reach?
Plus…
Whoosh whoosh–!!
‘Why did the color of my flames change once again?’
Suddenly acquiring a new ability and a change in flame color.
There was much to uncover.
“…Please… I…”
“Hey.”
I stepped towards the trembling old man and bent down to align my gaze with his; he flinched in response.
Then, anger flickered in his eyes.
“This—!”
Crack—!!
“Ugh!”
Before the old man could utter a word, I slapped him across the face.
His trembling body, barely holding itself up, fell over as if rocked by the impact.
“Now, we have something to discuss, right?”
“…You… you…”
I hit him without holding back. If he died too easily, it would be troublesome.
I grabbed him by the hair.
“Ugh….”
There were plenty of things to inquire about, but fortunately, a few pieces of information could be gleaned right away.
As I raised my hand, slowly reaching towards Gyecheonmunju…
Swish—!!!
“Hmm.”
I cast a quick glance towards the sound I perceived from the door.
It seemed like someone had arrived. I addressed the direction while keeping my eyes there.
“Welcome.”
“Sorry for being late. It took quite some time to find my way.”
Standing at the entrance was none other than the Dark King.
“As you instructed, I took care of everything.”
I nodded in acknowledgment of his matter-of-fact statement.
The Dark King entered the space, briefly surveying the surroundings, then looked back and forth between me and the Gyecheonmunju I held.
“Do you need assistance?”
What kind of assistance might he offer? I had no idea, but whatever it was, it would surely be something to frighten even me.
I shook my head.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Understood. Then…”
The Dark King paused to choose his next words before continuing.
“There’s something I need to verify momentarily.”
I tilted my head at his statement.
*
I followed the Dark King, who led the way to an upper level.
“It appears there is a special formation in space. That’s why it took me so long to locate it.”
“Really?”
When I had asked the Dark King to speak to me, I instructed him to come find me once he was done, but it felt as though he was taking his time.
‘Something doesn’t seem right.’
It felt like there was something peculiar permeating this space.
From my perspective, there was a minor sense of discomfort, yet reaching the destination wasn’t particularly challenging.
“Yes. If I hadn’t sensed energy from downstairs, it might have taken even longer.”
That energy likely referred to the flames I had released.
‘The Dark King didn’t sense it.’
What on earth had he set up to mask it so thoroughly even the Dark King couldn’t detect it?
“What about now? Is it the same still?”
“No. It seems the formation has been lifted now.”
The Dark King’s statement narrowed my eyes.
The fact that it had been cleared implies that there was initially some starting point.
‘If it’s the starting point…’
One thought came to mind: that tree.
The sapling filled with white leaves.
Could that be it? If so…
‘The change might have stemmed from my absorbing those leaves.’
Perhaps the lifting of the formation was due to that as well.
Of course, that’s just speculation.
After following the Dark King a little further, I noticed a room at the end of the wall.
It was smaller than the iron gate I had seen from below, but it wasn’t insignificant either. There…
The scent of blood.
The moment I spotted the door, the stench of blood became apparent, and I quickly advanced towards the room.
The door was already ajar.
I entered and surveyed the interior.
Upon stepping inside, I immediately realized the source of the blood odor.
The room was filled with scattered, mutilated corpses.
Blood pooled on the floor, soaking it thoroughly. Additionally…
“…these.”
The state of the bodies was peculiar. Dozens of corpses scattered about all bore resemblance to the monstrous form that Gyecheonmunju had transformed into.
I turned my gaze to the Dark King. He responded to my look as if anticipating it.
“They consumed an unknown substance and underwent mutation. A few were taken care of before they could transform, but the rest were… just a moment too late.”
Now that I think about it, some of them still appeared to be in human form.
In any case, this meant they were all dead.
‘They consumed the inner substance.’
At that moment, I queried the individuals behind me.
“Did he experience that too?”
By “he,” I meant the Gyecheonmunju who had been marked with blood and brought in.
“Yes. After eating something… he changed uncommonly.”
I nodded at the response.
Alright then.
‘The mutation was due to ingestion. It wasn’t just a natural molting.’
If they had ingested it, I assumed they were referring to whatever I had swallowed.
I turned to the Dark King.
“Do you know what it is?”
“I’m unsure. One thing’s for certain.”
He looked over the corpses he had dispatched.
– I understand that they received a similar curse as mine.
A voice, filled with an unknown malice and disdain, echoed.
I agreed with the Dark King’s assessment.
Albeit strange and different, their forms were unmistakably aligned.
‘Dragons.’
The forms resembling mine, or perhaps those of the Dark King. It isn’t easy to assert, but it was sure when pieced together.
These beings were dragons.
The forms the Gyecheonmunju adopted were just so, and so were the lives now extinguished.
‘They consumed something and transformed into dragons.’
Artificial molting. How was such a thing even feasible?
“Are there more of them?”
“I’ve eliminated all that were identifiable.”
“Is there a chance there could be others?”
“I can’t detect any with my senses.”
Well then, that suggests either they’re very far away, or this is all there is. It seems to be one of the two.
If the Dark King’s senses can’t catch any, then trust becomes a certainty.
‘But maybe they pulled some bizarre stunts in this space.’
It’s a place where uncertainty reigns.
Squelch. I stepped further into the room, the floor slick with blood.
‘What is this place?’
What on earth could this place be? Just from its state, it didn’t appear significantly different from what I’d witnessed underground.
It seemed somewhat smaller… Based on the furniture and whatnot inside, could it possibly be just an ordinary resting place?
As I pondered that question, I began scanning the area more thoroughly.
There was something at the center.
A pond?
It was a small pond.
Why would there be a pond in a place like this? At first glance, it looked odd.
So I slowly approached to examine the pond more closely.
“…!”
I widened my eyes the moment I caught sight of it.
There was something immense beneath the pond.
Something that far surpassed any imagination.
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