Chapter: 929
Clang.
I felt something in my hand. It was a cool and heavy sensation.
What is this?
Ugh….
Gubong opened his eyes with a shallow sigh.
Did he lose consciousness? Since when? Gubong’s eyes, which were hurriedly turning in thought, grew as wide as lanterns.
I remembered.
I was dragged in by the family together with Guyangcheon from the entrance. And then… what happened again?
A hazy memory was turning my whole mind upside down.
Gubong lifted his dizzy head and forced himself to look around.
Where am I?
Clang.
…!
As I tried to move my body, a suppressed sensation brushed past me.
Only then did I realize my condition.
Gubong’s eyes widened at the sight.
“Wha…!”
What is going on? Gubong panicked, trying to move.
“You’re awake.”
Gubong’s body froze at the voice that came from in front.
It wasn’t a deliberate stop.
It would be more accurate to say he was frozen by external force.
Sssss.
An unknown chill wrapped around Gubong’s body.
The vision that had been clear until just now was becoming increasingly dark.
Soon enough, pitch-black darkness arrived.
It wasn’t truly dark. Gubong just perceived it that way.
This feeling was so unpleasant and nauseating.
Gubong never wanted to recall such sensations again.
It wasn’t just the feelings themselves he disliked.
There was only one being in Gubong’s memory that evoked this kind of sensation.
Gubong hated and feared that being to the core of his being.
And.
That being was right before his eyes.
“How have you been?”
“…”
Something so dark that even its facial features couldn’t be properly seen.
Gubong swallowed dryly at the sight of it barely able to support its chin.
Just by looking at it, one could already guess who it was.
How could I not know? Even now, that presence still came to me in nightmares.
Gubong looked at him and cautiously spoke the words he had been holding back.
“…Black Chief.”
Hearing those words, the darkness shifted slightly. Though his expression was hidden, Gubong anticipated that he was smiling from the slight trembling of his shoulders.
“Black Night.”
“…”
“How have you been?”
Gubong’s face darkened at the words.
“…I want to first ask what you’re doing right now.”
“What do you mean? Isn’t it normal for a father to see his son?”
“…Father… father….”
Gubong chuckled at the unfamiliar and awkward wording.
“It’s not even funny.”
“Black Night.”
“Don’t call me that.”
Clang.
Gubong gathered his strength.
He attempted to free himself from the cuffs binding his hands, but it wasn’t easy.
‘…Is this made of spirit stone?’
It certainly seemed like handcuffs made of spirit stone. The more force he applied, the weaker he felt, exactly as he experienced now.
“It’s futile. There’s no need to waste your energy unnecessarily, so how about you be still?”
“…”
At the words of darkness, Gubong bit his lips and relaxed.
As he said, it was a meaningless act.
It’s just spirit stone.
There were few beings who could crush this spirit stone with their own strength.
Gubong was not among those few beings.
Resigning, Gubong said, “…Why on earth did you bring me here?”
What was he being held for? That was Gubong’s question.
“Haven’t you just abandoned me until now?”
Decades had passed. This was the life he had stubbornly lived, taking root in a volcano.
Why now search for him?
Gubong couldn’t understand at all.
Just as doubts began to sprout, he asked, “Did something happen to your brother?”
Gubong wondered, hoping against hope.
“And if you brought me back again….”
“Ah, you still continue to be mistaken, even now.”
As Gubong spoke, his mouth clamped shut again. This was because darkness reached out and compelled Gubong to act.
Ugh….
Under the pressure, Gubong grit his teeth.
He struggled to free himself but it wasn’t easy.
‘Still….’
Even after all this time, is the gap still this wide?
Is it still so bad that he can’t even move properly right in front of him?
“Black Night.”
“…Don’t… call me that name…”
Gubong gritted his teeth as he spoke, and darkness nodded.
“If you want it so badly, then let it be. Well, regrettably, your desire hasn’t come true.”
Brrrrrrr-!
As those words were spoken, objects within began to tremble.
“Your brother is still healthy, and even if he weren’t, I wouldn’t call you back for that.”
“…”
These were unyielding words.
Even though it was something Gubong had longed for, hearing it made his insides rot.
“Do you think our clan looks so weak that we’d call back the loser who ran away?”
“…Then why did you call me here?”
Clang-!! Gubong leaned forward, glaring at the darkness.
“Just like you have until now, you could’ve ignored me. Why drag me here?”
The darkness slowly rose, observing Gubong’s hostility.
Creeeak.
“That’s right. I hadn’t cared about what you did.”
Somewhere, a burning scent wafted through. No, perhaps it didn’t even smell like it was burning.
It seems something changed in my perceptions oddly.
“Since you have run away so desperately, I ignored your struggles as a final courtesy. Did you enjoy it? The life of a loser.”
“…I…”
“You seemed to enjoy that petty game of yours, so I overlooked that too…. But then something happened.”
Dry and chaotic.
Then, a rough and fierce voice began to squeeze Gubong’s entire body.
“The head of the White Clan was attacked. Have you heard anything about it?”
“…”
He had heard. How could he not? It was the talk of the town yesterday.
Word was that Baekwol, the leader of the White Clan, was gravely injured in the assault.
“The assailant was said to be a black-haired Moonlight Man.”
…!
Hearing this, Gubong’s breathing hitched, and his eyes widened.
Only upon hearing those words did Gubong finally understand why he had been brought here.
“Moreover, I heard that you had something to do with that idiot’s son.”
The darkness began to lower itself.
“That’s why I had a feeling to check.”
Suuuuuuuu…!
A hand formed of energy pointed toward Gubong’s chin.
It morphed into a hand shape and lifted his chin.
“It was a baseless expectation.”
“…Did you hope I was the culprit…?”
“If that were so, it would be odd to say. I didn’t have high hopes for you. It was merely a speculation.”
“…”
“One.”
The gripping hand released its hold from Gubong’s chin.
“It’s meaningless now.”
The subtle interest in his voice faded.
It took mere seconds. The moment he found out Gubong wasn’t the culprit, he changed just like that.
It was relentless. How can the author still possess such consistency after all this time?
“…How come you haven’t changed at all?”
He uttered this with a voice trembling slightly.
“Ever since you tried to kill me, you haven’t changed at all.”
The darkness tilted its head at the words spat out with resignation.
“You were the one to run away first.”
“That’s right… It was I. I wanted to escape this dreadful prison. That’s why I ran.”
Gubong lifted his head and looked at the darkness.
“And now, it leaves me only with the thought that the choice to run was indeed the right one.”
Seeing this manifestation confirms that my choice was justified.
However, Gubong went on to utter those words.
“Hmm.”
The darkness merely spoke to Gubong in an indifferent tone.
“It’s as if you believe you made the choice.”
“Then, you claim to have made that choice for me?”
“You continue to be deluded.”
The darkness chuckled gently.
“It’s only natural. Does it seem to you that everything occurred by your own choice?”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Do you honestly believe that your luck was excellent because you escaped?”
“…”
“You were even able to enter the insipid volcano. The reason you are breathing right now is all because I allowed it.”
“That’s insane…!”
“Isn’t the fact that you are breathing and alive right now proof of that?”
Crack!
Gubong clenched his teeth.
In all honesty, he couldn’t rebut that claim.
Being someone who understood the powers of this place better than anyone, he instinctively realized that the darkness’s words were unfortunately true.
“You can erase it any time you wish. Should you desire, I could easily eliminate the master of that place you trust and follow.”
At the words of darkness, Gubong’s eyes hardened.
“What did you just say?”
Clang.
Veins throbbed on his handcuffed arms.
“Hmm.”
The dark figure narrowed its eyes at that sight.
“Your gaze is quite irritating.”
“What do you intend to do about Jang Moon-in?”
Clang-! Clang-!
He poured all his strength into attempting to break the handcuffs. Although it seemed impossible, Gubong continued to exert strength.
As if he did not care if his arm broke or not.
This sight temporarily piqued the darkness’s interest.
“Here I am before you, yet that master holds more value, it seems.”
“I have never once considered you my father.”
Gubong’s face was twisted in anger. Pain and fury surged within him.
“From the instant I ran away and met him in the forest. He, not you, is my father.”
“Hmm.”
The darkness listened and nodded.
Did it accept that? No. It fully comprehended what was being thought inside.
“I kept you alive, yet here you are displaying your fangs toward your father.”
At that moment.
Kwack!
“Guh!!”
An energy gripped Gubong’s neck, lifting him off the ground.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s meaningless since I confirmed it already.”
“Ugh… guh.”
“I tried to afford you some compassion and send you away peacefully, but given your attitude, I see that cannot happen.”
“Nguh… guh….”
Regrettably, the handcuffs remained unbroken.
The gold seemed slightly dinged, but if it went on like this, Gubong felt he would break before the handcuffs did.
“Son, I did ask you earlier.”
The darkness spoke while looking at Gubong.
“I wondered whether something had gone wrong with your brother.”
“…Ugh…”
“Even if something went awry, I won’t search for you. You hold no value to warrant that.”
“…”
A feeling akin to piercing the chest surged.
It was as if he was reminded of the facts already known.
“Your brother has likely gone to that fellow you introduced.”
“…What…?”
Gubong’s body trembled at the darkness’s words.
“…What… What do you mean…?”
“I assume that right about now, Guyangcheon is overhearing quite a lot.”
Ughhhhhh…!!
At the mention of potential danger to Guyangcheon, Gubong thrashed desperately.
He understood his brother was strong, but this was the author’s domain.
If anything should happen to Guyangcheon…
I would have no face to meet Lord Jang.
It was a matter that Lord Jang had patiently awaited for countless long years.
One could not just allow it to go without taking action, regardless of personal grievances.
“GAAAAAH!!”
Gubong strained with all his might.
Every hair on his body stood on end. It was an almost frantic struggle.
“Didn’t I tell you? It’s meaningless-.”
In the moment he clenched his teeth and exerted strength.
Snap!
“Hmm?”
The handcuffs restraining Gubong suddenly broke apart.
The dark figure’s eyes widened at the sight.
Did he just break the handcuffs made of spirit stone?
“Interesting.”
The darkness observed its child with fascination.
“This is a surprise.”
“…Grrrar!”
Gubong bared his fangs and lunged toward the darkness.
Seeing this, the darkness moved its hand slightly too.
Just as before, the energy began to take on a physical form.
First, it needed to disable Gubong’s limbs so he couldn’t run amok.
That’s what it thought, launching its arm at Gubong’s shoulder.
Is this place? Yes, it must be here!
A voice echoed from somewhere.
Crack!
Suddenly, a hand burst through the surrounding darkness.
“…Mousse-.”
At that moment, the darkness was caught off guard.
The hand that broke through quickly moved, seizing the dark figure’s face.
Then, with a clang-!
BAAAAM—!!!
He drove the face against the wall of darkness.
“…Grrr… Huh?”
Gubong, who had been growling, turned to stone at the unexpected situation.
“It’s right here. Ah, I was searching for it for so long. Why was it hiding so well? Really annoying.”
The one who crashed through the territory was Guyangcheon.
For some reason, he was covered in blood, but oddly, he didn’t appear injured.
Moreover, he gripped someone’s hair with his other hand.
“…”
It lay motionless, as if it were still alive, but also dripping in something.
At first glance, it appeared to be in a poor condition.
What is that? Gubong squinted at the familiar form.
Before long, understanding dawned upon him.
“That….”
Black hair, black ears. And black fur.
That recognizable figure…
Wasn’t it his own older brother?
While his face was hard to see, it seemed like him.
“…”
What on earth was happening all of a sudden…?
Gubong could only stiffen like a stone and observe the scene.
At that time.
“Hey. Yo.”
Guyangcheon waved cheerfully at Gubong.
The problem was that he was holding something in both hands.
“…”
Every time Guyangcheon waved, the bloody mess that was his brother flopped along with it.
His father was effectively buried into the wall by Guyangcheon.
Put simply, it was.
“…What a mess.”
It was truly a chaotic affair.
And an extraordinarily huge one at that.
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