Chapter 125
Chapter 125
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: The Dance of Letting Go
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I had a hunch.
The task called "Fox Hunt."
Gyeon Dal-rae suddenly taking the initiative on the 74th floor.
So I guessed it was probably a linked mission related to her.
My guess was correct.
But I never imagined it would be like this.
Gyeon Dal-rae's background explanation.
Princess of the Celestial Empire and the foremost shaman of the Imperial Divine Hall.
From a young age, she showed talent for talismans, spells, and incantations.
As such, she took the greatest shaman of the era as her master, learning shamanistic rites and spells as she grew.
'Then, is that nine-tailed fox the shaman?'
That's undoubtedly it.
Because there's a name tag floating above her head.
The background explanation, too.
- Haeryeong, the Grand Shaman of the Celestial Empire's Imperial Divine Hall, was in fact a nine-tailed fox. Like all divine beasts, Haeryeong's dream was to ascend to immortality. To become a yokai-immortal, she had to go through the harsh and arduous process of cultivation.
- Haeryeong lived among humans. She experienced the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, progressing towards her ascension. But cultivation is difficult. She was constantly tempted by the desire to consume human livers.
- To succumb to temptation is to become a demon. A wicked spirit craving fresh human liver, drunk on power. Yet, Haeryeong's will was firm. She never gave in to temptation.
- Then, a tragedy occurred. While she was away, a rebellion broke out in the empire. Her uncle murdered her nephew and ascended the throne. Enraged, her beloved disciple Gyeon Dal-rae attacked the uncle who had become emperor and died as a result of that karma.
- It was a heartbreaking event. Her disciple's death felt like her own heart was being torn apart. Ascension and everything else became meaningless. She left the mortal world and entered seclusion. Free from thought and form, her worldly ties faded and she grew closer to ascension. Just as she was about to reach the very brink of ascension, disaster struck.
- Her companion, another nine-tailed fox who had failed to resist temptation and became a demon, overpowered her and forced her to consume a human liver. And so, she sealed herself away. To avoid becoming a demon.
'Ah!'
How heartbreaking.
That nine-tailed fox is indeed Gyeon Dal-rae's master shaman.
Well, to put it in childish terms, would you say a good fox was defeated by a bad fox?
And to be thwarted right before ascension, too...
Joo-hyuk explained to Gyeon Dal-rae in detail why Haeryeong had ended up like that.
"I believe I understand, my lord. Once one has tasted a human liver, it is impossible to shake off the craving. That must be why my master sealed herself away, to prevent her transformation into a demon."
Then what about the three-tailed, five-tailed, and seven-tailed foxes?
"They are disciples of the demonic nine-tailed fox who did this to Master Haeryeong. They likely set up a barrier at my master's dwelling and have been keeping watch."
Anyway, this 74th floor is also set after Gyeon Dal-rae's death.
Perhaps it's a world projected from the lingering regrets she left behind.
Gwang-ma also let out a sigh.
"How lamentable. A thousand years of cultivation turned to naught in an instant."
Joo-hyuk's heart ached too.
The ultra-high difficulty optional mission was to kill Haeryeong, the shaman and nine-tailed fox, Gyeon Dal-rae's master.
He absolutely did not want to complete the mission.
Mission failure?
What's wrong with failing once?
In a way, it's not even failure.
We completed the main mission, after all.
Gyeon Dal-rae sat slumped, utterly despondent.
How sorrowful must she be?
So he asked Gwang-ma.
"Is there no way to help? To stop the progression of the demonic corruption..."
"Understood. This old man will take a look. To see if there is something we can do to help."
Gwang-ma strode forward.
Towards where the Grand Shaman nine-tailed fox Haeryeong was bound.
Then, he flinched!
Gwang-ma stopped in his tracks.
"...What is this?"
A line drawn on the floor.
He must not proceed beyond it.
He could sense a powerful, unknown flow of energy.
A danger signal triggered by instinct.
If he crosses or steps on this line, disaster is certain.
'It's not just applied to the floor.'
Although invisible, its influence extended to the air and even underground.
Meaning flying over it wouldn't work, nor would tunneling underneath.
'Hmm...'
His Summoner was watching from behind. After boasting so grandly, he was about to lose face.
Right at that moment!
"Gwang-ma-nim, what's the hold-up?"
Kosak scurried over.
"Step in something? That's why you should be careful. Let me go first and untie the knots binding the Nine-Tails-nim..."
"No! Don't go any further."
"...Yessir?"
But it was already too late.
Kosak was just one step ahead of Gwang-ma.
And thus, he inevitably stepped on the line.
Whoooom!
A strange sensation rising from beneath Kosak's feet.
"...Huh?"
His entire body went limp at the same time an unprecedented, immense force violently pushed him back.
Pa-pa-pa-pat!
"Eeek!"
Squeal!
Pushed by the force, Kosak shot towards the basement wall like a bullet.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
"Kkh!"
He slammed right into the wall.
The force was so great that the hard granite stone wall was dented.
"Ko, Kosak-ssi!"
Is he dead?
Surely not?
"Is the assassin alright?"
Gobang hurriedly ran over and pulled Kosak, who was embedded in the stone wall, out.
"Summoner Bo..Bong."
Shivering, as if having a seizure, Kosak groaned.
"I... I'm dead. It was fun while it..., kkh!"
Then he tilted his head to the side and lost consciousness.
"Kosak-ssi!!!"
The summoned beings swarmed over.
"He's dead? He fell in battle?"
"He looks like he's on the verge of death?"
"Don't lose consciousness! If you fall asleep, you die."
"Hueh?"
"Healing potion! Quickly, quickly."
Seriously, did he really get like that just from stepping on a line?
Gwang-ma and Gobang were unfazed.
"The assassin won't die."
"Would he die from that? Unless his head was torn off. He's quite the exaggerator."
Damn. That gave him a fright.
"If the warrior gives him a flick on the forehead, he'll wake up."
Instantly!
"Huerk!"
Kosak sat bolt upright.
"He's awake?"
"Huff, huff, ah, I had a nightmare. A dream where I stepped on a line and died."
"..."
For goodness' sake, is this dodgeball? Squid Game?
Gobang also challenged stepping on the line.
Whoooom!
"Kkh!"
Thud!
But, pushed by the invisible force, he got embedded in the wall.
"My master likely set up the barrier herself. So that no one could approach."
The Grand Shaman nine-tailed fox Haeryeong, who sealed herself away.
A forbidden zone set by an LSSR grade being.
Violate it, and you're in big trouble.
Well then, let's just be done with it.
"Let's just give up and leave. We can reset and try again later. Or skip this and go conquer the 75th floor."
But Gyeon Dal-rae said,
"My lord."
"...Yes?"
Her voice was heavy and sunken,
This is unsettling,
I can guess what she wants to say.
"This maiden will go to my master. Before she turns into a demon, I must send her off comfortably."
Sigh.
"...Hey, that won't do. You saw what happened to Kosak-ssi, and Gobang too, and you saw even Gwang-ma-nim stopped, don't you know?"
Nevertheless, Gyeon Dal-rae smiled faintly.
"You know whose disciple I am, do you not? A shaman has her own ways."
I understand, but...
"My lord, I understand your magnanimous heart, but sending my master off comfortably is a duty I must fulfill."
What to do about this?
"I am not unaware of your benevolent heart, my lord. But please, understand my resolve."
"..."
There's no choice.
Let's trust her.
"Alright. Let's do it."
"I am grateful for your grace, my lord."
First, safety measures.
The summoned beings waited behind Gyeon Dal-rae.
So they could safely catch her if she gets flung back.
How exactly would Gyeon Dal-rae cross the forbidden zone?
Before long,
Her dance began.
A bell in one hand, a knife in the other.
Solemn and noble.
Lifting her heel and gently stepping forward on her toes.
Extending her arms and exhaling.
Drawing them back in while inhaling.
The resentment of losing her parents, the resentment of losing her younger brother, the resentment of seeing her master like that.
In the sorrowful style of the Salpuri exorcism dance, Gyeon Dal-rae advanced step by step.
Sometimes with small, quick steps, sometimes with long strides,
Spinning her body like a top, smoothly waving her outstretched arms,
Joo-hyuk and the summoned beings were also entranced.
An SSR-grade shaman.
A dance that moves the heart.
This was Gyeon Dal-rae.
"Go, Princess!"
"Insane,"
"Beautiful."
"Hueh..."
"A woman's charm is not solely in her chest, it seems."
Was he just realizing that now?
He couldn't help but marvel.
Everyone was captivated by her dance.
Clapclapclapclapclapclapclap!
Applause burst forth.
Gyeon Dal-rae had already crossed the line.
But nothing happened.
Pazik! Pachijijik!
Instead, the spell barrier shattered with her footsteps.
Pachichi...
The sound gradually faded away.
Finally arriving before the bound nine-tailed fox Haeryeong.
"Ahaha..."
As she hurriedly tried to tear off the binding golden cords and talismans,
"Do not touch them."
The Grand Shaman nine-tailed fox Haeryeong opened her eyes.
Finally meeting Gyeon Dal-rae's gaze.
"Ma, Master?"
"Dal-rae. I knew you would come."
"...Huh?"
"Who else but you could cross this place?"
Haeryeong's voice was calm.
Despite meeting her deceased disciple.
"You've started a new life. In another world."
"How, how did you...?"
"My soul is bound to the Tower. How could I not know?"
Haeryeong looked at Joo-hyuk.
And bowed her head respectfully.
A meaning to entrust her disciple to him.
Joo-hyuk also bowed his head in return.
"Dal-rae, you must have been disappointed to learn my true identity? I'm sorry."
"It doesn't matter. Whoever you are, you will forever be my master."
"Good child."
Haeryeong comforted the weeping Gyeon Dal-rae.
"Now, send me off comfortably."
"...Is there no other way?"
"You know it too. How severe the price is for defying the heavenly order."
"It wasn't your fault, Master."
"No. It was my fault. Stupidity is also a sin."
Gyeon Dal-rae's hands trembled.
Kill her master?
Joo-hyuk and the other summoned beings watching also felt the same pity.
"This won't do. Exiting the Tower. The 74th floor ultra-high difficulty optional mission is a failure!"
"The warrior agrees."
"A wise choice, my lord."
"Sergeant Veronica Caliber, a swift retreat is momentum for the next advance."
"Correct."
"Hoek!"
"Woof woof!"
However,
"My lord,"
"Yes?"
"Please grant my master's wish."
"..."
Her words asking him to kill her.
"That is the way to serve my master."
Hoo.
He knew she'd say that, which was why he suggested leaving immediately.
Why would Gyeon Dal-rae act like this?
To complete a Tower mission?
No.
Because she doesn't want her master to become a demon.
She wanted to send her off as a human.
The best possible method.
It's also the right path.
He knew.
He knew all that.
But could the human heart always be rational?
Joo-hyuk agonized.
Then, Gwang-ma stepped forward.
Walking clomp, clomp towards Haeryeong.
"This old man will do it for you. Wouldn't that be better than having your disciple end your life?"
Haeryeong also smiled gently,
"You are a frightening person. That is why I feel at ease."
"Hahaha, in truth, I am but an old man who couldn't even cross the barrier you set up."
"That's because our fields are different. If you had just a little more time, you would have easily broken through a mere barrier."
It wasn't a wrong statement.
Analyzing the flow of energy was just tricky.
"In that sense, let's remove the golden cords and talismans. I don't want to lay hands on someone who's tied up, no matter what."
The golden cords and talismans.
What Haeryeong bound herself with to control the demonic power.
"Please don't. Use your hand on me in this state. If my power is unleashed, you'll get hurt."
"You think I can't handle you?"
"I have cultivated for a thousand years. Moreover, with the demonic madness added..."
"This old man prides himself on being quite mad too."
Haeryeong chuckled.
"It's not just you. The one you serve, my disciple, that cute-looking child... Can you fight me while protecting all of them?"
Gwang-ma also smiled, facing her.
He pointed at Gobang.
"It's embarrassing, but I won't be doing it alone. There's a usable shield over there. It's 2-on-1. Don't complain about it being unfair later."
Haeryeong simply couldn't understand.
She could just stay bound by the golden cords and accept a comfortable death.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Die well, and ascend. Ascension is also a kind of death, severing worldly ties and rising to another world."
Haeryeong's gaze wavered.
"...Ah."
"What can't be done if you try? You did grasp the very brink of ascension, after all."
"That, that's..."
"Will you ascend if you die comfortably? You must sever the chains of lingering attachment yourself."
Then, looking at Joo-hyuk,
"Summoner."
A meaning to ask for permission.
Honestly, Joo-hyuk was also anxious.
Can we really win?
The mission to subdue the Millennial Nine-Tailed Fox.
The reason this is difficult is because you have to break through the barrier.
Once you get inside, it's easy.
Because the nine-tailed fox is bound by the golden cords and talismans.
But what if we remove them?
A nine-tailed fox who cultivated for a thousand years will go berserk as a mad demon.
Will subduing her be possible?
Even among the same LSSR grade, there is a vast difference.
Just compare Gobang and Gwang-ma.
A millennial nine-tailed fox turned demon.
Just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine, but...
Ah, screw it, let's just go for it.
He had to trust his summoned beings, who else would he trust?
"Do it."
Joo-hyuk's permission was given.
Snatch!
Gwang-ma grabbed the golden cords binding Haeryeong's body with his hand and tore them off.
"Ah, no!!!"
"Yes."
Snap!
The golden cords severed from Haeryeong's body,
"Unleash your power as a nine-tailed fox. Run wild to your heart's content. And then, subdue the demon within your heart. That is the path leading to ascension."
That was the moment.
"Grrrr..."
Chwararararak!
Nine massive tails fanned out behind her like a peacock's tail.
Haeryeong's face contorted.
Her body grew larger, coarse black fur bristled out, sharp claws extended from her hands and feet, and her mouth tore open up to her ears.
"Grooowl!"
The nine-tailed fox Haeryeong had become a demon.
She had finally broken free from her bindings.
Thudthudthudthud!
Gobang charged in.
In response, Haeryeong swung her bluish-tinged, energy-clad claws.
Sschk! Gobang's forearm was nearly severed.
Along with his pitch-black armor and thick skin.
But, slither,
As if it never happened, the skin reattached.
It was Gobang's LSSR-grade hyper-regeneration, acquired through the Rapid Regeneration upgrade.
"Gg-eung!"
Taking one attack with his body, Gobang tightly embraced Haeryeong's demon-transformed body from behind.
"Kraaaaaaah!"
Haeryeong's nine tails transformed into spears and stabbed repeatedly into Gobang's torso.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
"Kk-euk,"
It seemed even Gobang was struggling to endure.
His always expressionless face was severely contorted.
"Just hold on a little longer."
Gwang-ma stepped in.
Gwang-ma placed his hand on the head of Haeryeong, transformed into a demon.
"Come to your senses. You cultivated for a thousand years. Can you not overcome a single mistake?"
Gwang-ma's energy flowed in through her head.
"Kyaaaaaaaah!!!"
Haeryeong screamed.
Gyeon Dal-rae did too.
The old image of Haeryeong left in her memories.
Her warm, benevolent, and thoughtful master.
She couldn't just stand still.
She had to do something.
In the end, all she could do was perform the Salpuri exorcism dance, pouring out all her lingering resentment.
Gyeon Dal-rae's dance began.
The quick-witted Raxis took out portable orchestra equipment from his subspace backpack and flipped the switch.
Doong-doong-doong-doong!
The sound of drums echoed.
The rhythm of the Salpuri dance.
The paladin Lucius Bardin didn't stay idle either.
Emitting a brilliant radiance from his entire body, unlike anything seen before,
"Light!!!"
He shone like the sun.
"Light!!!"
Haeryeong's thrashing.
The sharp nine tail-spears.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
Gobang's body became riddled with holes.
But he didn't let go of Haeryeong.
He embraced her even tighter.
Gwang-ma also drew out all the energy in his body to suppress the demonic power.
Please come to your senses, and regain your power as the Imperial Grand Shaman like before.
"Haa..."
Joo-hyuk couldn't just stand by either.
Did he just have to watch like this?
Even for an ordinary guy, this wasn't right.
So he walked clomp, clomp towards Haeryeong.
"Summoner Bong!!!"
"Commander, you mustn't!"
What did they mean he mustn't!
He also learned Gwang-ma's martial arts.
When you think about it, he's practically his disciple.
He activated the Heaven and Earth Unity Technique and placed his own hand over Gwang-ma's hand resting on Haeryeong's head.
"...Summoner?"
"Keep going."
Joo-hyuk's energy was added to Gwang-ma's.
The two of them together pushed down the demonic energy.
Gyeon Dal-rae's dance continued, along with Kosak, Sergeant Vera, Raxis's prayers, and Bardin's radiance.
Everyone wished with one heart.
Then, a change occurred.
"Grrrr..."
The nine tail-spears that had been relentlessly stabbing Gobang lost their strength and drooped limply.
Haeryeong's vertically slit pupils returned to their normal state.
Haeryeong regained her senses for a moment.
She was ashamed.
Just because the golden cords were removed, she went berserk and ran wild like this.
Was her thousand years of cultivation only this much?
Was being forced to eat a human liver such a great sin?
No.
It wasn't just because she ate the liver.
In the end, it was because she couldn't sever her desires.
Craving for power, greed to reach a higher place.
Come to think of it, isn't the purpose of ascension similar?
Selfishness, wanting to look down upon the world and finally seize freedom of soul and body.
It all happened because of that.
What ascension when you can't even abandon greed?
Her thousand years of cultivation were all in vain.
She just wasted time.
Her disciple Gyeon Dal-rae returned from death to save the world and was struggling so hard, but what about herself?
She had no face to look at her disciple.
And it was devastating.
The ruined Celestial Empire.
The suffering of the people caused by it,
But she entered seclusion, claiming to sever worldly ties.
It was an irresponsible act.
She should have stepped forward for a better world.
Regret and self-blame, a terrible sense of loss.
Amidst it all, her disciple's dance entered Haeryeong's eyes.
The Salpuri dance she had taught her.
'How can she be so graceful?'
Despite losing her parents, her only younger brother, being trapped in the bottomless pit, she persevered with patience, and now dances for a greater cause.
If she contributed anything to the world, it was raising that child.
Finally, her heart felt at ease.
It seemed the last fragment of lingering attachment was also disappearing.
When lingering attachments disappear, worldly ties are also severed.
And so,
Whoooooosh!
Along with a brilliant light, the soul of the millennial nine-tailed fox Haeryeong,
Sssssss...
Finally broke free from the Tower's bindings.
Spot!
And proceeded towards ascension.