Chapter 50: Monster (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 50: Monster (4)
His eyes were so mysterious they were almost enchanting.
It was the first time I had ever seen someone with two golden pupils.
-Golden eyes...
The startled voice of the Namcheon Iron Sword echoed in my head.
I, too, couldn't help but be shocked to see a being with golden eyes, something I had only heard of in rumors.
I asked the Namcheon Iron Sword, ‘Is he the one who fought the Namcheon Sword Guest?’
But the answer was unexpected.
-No.
‘No?’
-That is not the face I saw back then. His features are completely different.
Then who on earth was this man?
As I wondered, the Namcheon Iron Sword continued.
-The man I saw then had only one golden eye. But this man, both of his pupils are...
“Hey!”
Before the Namcheon Iron Sword could finish, the golden-eyed man called out to me.
He spoke with an excited expression.
“I asked if you were the one who peeled off the talisman.”
The fact that he could speak meant he was a rational being. He seemed completely different from the monsters.
If he wasn't the golden-eyed man who killed the Namcheon Sword Guest, then who was he?
Though full of questions, I answered him.
“...I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Then was it you?”
The golden-eyed man turned his head and asked the one-armed man.
“I-I haven't the slightest clue...”
Just like me, there was no way he would know what was going on.
The golden-eyed man tilted his head and muttered to himself.
“So it just fell off on its own even though no one touched it? Well, whatever. Khahahaha!”
He burst into a boisterous laugh.
He had a handsome face, but his manner of speaking and his aura were rough and wild. I didn't know his true identity, but my instincts were screaming that he was dangerous.
-I agree. He looks just as dangerous as the man my previous master and I encountered.
-What are you going to do?
At their words, I looked at the chains binding the man’s legs.
They were chains attached to massive iron balls. Although the iron cuffs on his hands had been removed, it would be impossible for him to move quickly as long as those remained.
‘Fighting him...’
I couldn't gauge his strength. The fact that I couldn't grasp his power even after my internal energy and Innate True Qi had grown stronger meant he was definitely superior to me.
‘Can I escape?’
I rolled the possibilities over in my head. However, I wasn't confident I could escape while carrying the one-armed man. If he could cut his legs free just as he did his arms, it wouldn't take him long to catch up.
‘Ugh!’
As I agonized over the decision, the pain in my left eye intensified. When I opened my right eye, my vision was still blurry. It was a true dilemma; I couldn't take my eyes off him for fear of what might happen.
Then, the golden-eyed man spoke.
“Hey. Can I borrow that?”
Before I could even respond, he reached out his hand. I wondered what he meant, but his gaze was fixed on the Namcheon Iron Sword in my hand.
-No, Woon-hwi.
The Namcheon Iron Sword refused vehemently.
I had no intention of doing so either. Why would I lend him my sword, only to have heaven knows what disaster follow?
“Are you talking about this?”
I held up the Namcheon Iron Sword. The golden-eyed man nodded.
“Yeah. That sword.”
‘...He doesn't recognize you.’
The golden-eyed man didn't seem to know the Namcheon Iron Sword at all. If he were the one who had fought the Namcheon Sword Guest, he would have recognized it instantly. But he seemed completely oblivious.
Was he really a different person, just as the Namcheon Iron Sword said?
“I’m not asking to keep it, so why the hesitation?”
“I don't see why I should lend you my sword.”
At my wary tone, the golden-eyed man smirked.
“Now that my hands are free, I could just cut myself loose and escape these iron balls by force. You should be able to figure that much out.”
“Then why do you want to borrow the sword?”
“Just because my body heals fast doesn't mean it doesn't hurt when I get cut.”
‘He feels pain?’
It seemed like important information, yet he offered it up readily. But then a thought struck me. Asking to borrow the sword meant he believed he could cut those thick chains. When my sword had struck the iron ball earlier, it hadn't even left a scratch. Was he certain he could cut it?
After a moment's hesitation, I spoke to him.
“I’ll lend it to you if you make a promise.”
-Woon-hwi!
The Namcheon Iron Sword was appalled.
Just trust me for a moment.
“A promise?”
“In a way, wasn't it thanks to me that your hands became free?”
“Your help?”
“That’s right.”
At my words, the golden-eyed man’s lips twitched before he burst into laughter again.
“Khahahaha! You’re an interesting fellow.”
“What is so funny?”
“The fact that you’re trying to bargain with me when you were just a pawn moving according to my intent.”
‘...I knew it.’
His words confirmed it. He had intended for me to cut his wrists from the start. That was why he had blocked the second strike.
“It’s not a big bargain. I simply have no reason to fight you since we have no grudge, so I want your word.”
“You want me to promise not to harm you?”
“Yes.”
The golden-eyed man stared at me for a moment before smiling.
“Fine. It’s not like I’m devoid of honor. Since it’s true I was freed thanks to you, I’ll give you my word.”
Fortunately, he accepted. I couldn't relax just yet, but he didn't seem like the type to lie. After all, if he wanted to harm me, he could have just forced his way out anyway; there was no need for him to agree to such a promise.
Whish!
I tossed the Namcheon Iron Sword to him. The golden-eyed man reached out and caught the sword with practiced ease. Just by looking at his hand movements and the way he gripped the hilt, I could tell he was an extraordinary swordsman.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve held a sword.”
After receiving the sword, he swung it through the air a few times. Then, without hesitation, he brought it down on the chains binding his ankles.
Clang!
‘Ah!’
With a light swing, the chains—made of the same material as the iron balls—were severed. It was metal striking metal, yet not a single spark flew. He was a master of the sword.
“This is a better sword than it looks.”
After complimenting the sword, the golden-eyed man cut through the chain on his right ankle and the one around his waist. I watched his movements intently. It was the pinnacle of fluidity.
To add such softness to a sword, one usually has to remove as much force as possible from the swing, but even then, some tension remains. However, there was none of that in this man.
“Phew.”
Crack, crack!
Completely freed from all his restraints, the golden-eyed man stretched his neck and loosened his body. He had a refreshed expression. On the other hand, I didn't let down my guard. This man might change his mind, contrary to my expectations.
However...
Whish! Thud!
The golden-eyed man immediately tossed the Namcheon Iron Sword back to me.
-It seems he intends to keep his promise.
The Lesser Conversation Sword spoke, sounding relieved. Just then, the pain in my left eye grew even sharper.
“Ugh.”
Unable to bear it any longer, I squeezed my left eye shut. It felt like it was burning. At that moment, I felt a presence right in front of me.
I opened my blood-streaked right eye to see a figure approaching. It was the golden-eyed man. Startled, I tried to step back, but he reached out as if to grab my right wrist using a Golden Snake Hand technique.
I twisted my wrist in the opposite direction to shake him off. However, his hand shifted direction and gripped my shoulder.
Grip!
His hand was as cold as ice. I lowered my shoulder and then snapped it upward, trying to repel his hand with counter-force, but the golden-eyed man suppressed it with even greater strength.
“Not bad. With this skill, you must be quite famous in the martial world.”
Praise flowed from his mouth, but in this situation, it wasn't welcome at all.
“Didn't you make a promise?”
“Who said I was breaking it?”
“Then why are you doing this?”
In response to my question, the golden-eyed man gave an irrelevant answer.
“Why don't you open that left eye?”
“Why?”
As I wondered, he suddenly brought his face close to mine. Then, he sniffed as if catching a scent.
“What are you doing?”
I frowned and tried to push him away. But the golden-eyed man started babbling nonsense.
“Look at this guy. You’re an interesting one.”
“What?”
“Did you undergo the Golden Imperial Body procedure while still alive?”
“Golden Imperial Body?”
“What is your relationship with that guy?”
He kept saying things I couldn't understand. My vision was already blurry and frustrating, so I forced myself to endure the pain and opened my left eye.
The golden-eyed man’s face was right in front of mine.
‘Huh?’
His golden pupils were locked onto my left eye. The corners of his mouth curled upward.
“You did have the procedure. But you don't know him?”
“I’m telling you, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Well, I suppose there’s no way that guy would be here now.”
“Who on earth are you talking about?”
“If you don't know, forget it. By the way, did you enter a room full of Luminous Pearls?”
“How did you...?”
He knew I had entered that cavern. Did he know something? As I wondered, the golden-eyed man spoke as if he couldn't understand.
“But how did you survive without dying? Otherwise, you should have ended up like those things.”
The man gestured with his eyes toward the decapitated monsters. What did he mean? The golden-eyed man tilted his head.
“Do you have the same constitution as him? Or does it have to do with the energy in your heart?”
‘!?’
Amazingly, he had sensed my Innate True Qi. Then, the golden-eyed man tried to place his other hand over my heart. Reflexively, I tried to swat his hand away.
However, he parried my hand instead and placed his palm over my heart like a bolt of lightning. A cold energy surged from his hand into me.
“Gah!”
It was a chilling energy that made my skin crawl. As I panicked, the hot energy of the Innate True Qi in my middle Dantian rose up as if to resist, trying to push the cold energy out.
The golden-eyed man pulled his hand away and spoke.
“I thought so. This is what protected you.”
“Protected me? What do you mean?”
“You’re a lucky fellow.”
He didn't answer my questions at all, only saying what he wanted to say.
“But at this rate, there was no point in undergoing the procedure.”
Suddenly, the man began applying a pressure point technique to the acupoints near my heart.
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!
It happened so fast I had no way to block it. Every time his finger touched me, a cold energy pierced through me as if my chest were being impaled.
“Urgh!”
I felt like my insides were turning upside down. I began to gag.
“Blegh!”
Only stomach acid and saliva spilled from my mouth. The golden-eyed man let go of my shoulder and stepped back.
Then he said to me, “I’ve cleared the energy flow, so you should be fine now.”
“Ugh... what... what did you do to me?”
“Hahahaha! What do you mean, 'what did I do'? You should be grateful to me for the rest of your life.”
“What?”
“This settles my debt to you.”
As if he were finished, the golden-eyed man strolled away toward another part of the cavern. Still struggling with the nausea, I shouted.
“Wait... blegh.”
The golden-eyed man glanced back and pointed a finger at his own golden eyes.
“Just in case, if you ever see someone with only one eye like this, don't hesitate—just run.”
“What does that...?”
“Unless you want to end up trapped in a place like this, like me.”
Flash!
With those final words, the golden-eyed man disappeared into a tunnel to the west. He was the most self-centered and elusive person I had met since my master.
“Young Master So! Are you alright?”
Only then did the one-armed man run over to me. He asked with a worried expression. I waved my hand, still gagging, to signal I was fine.
The nausea stopped shortly after. And strangely, as soon as it stopped, the pain in my left eye vanished.
‘It doesn't hurt.’
Even my right eye, which had been blurry and bloodshot, could see clearly now. It was as if everything that had happened was a mirage.
As I was wondering about this, a massive roar, like a clap of thunder, echoed through the cavern.
BOOM!
Rumble, rumble!
The entire cavern shook violently. I stood up, wondering what was happening, when an ominous sound reached my ears. It was coming from the direction of the tunnel the golden-eyed man had entered.
The one-armed man looked that way and spoke in a trembling voice.
“This is...”
It was then.
Whoosh!
“W-Water!”
Water came gushing out of the tunnel like a flood. The current was so strong it smashed against the tunnel walls like a raging torrent.
-Run!
“Dammit!”
I scooped up the one-armed man.
“Y-Young Master So!”
“This is faster!”
Ignoring his protest, I bolted toward the cave entrance. I didn't know what the golden-eyed man had done, but it seemed a waterway next to the cave had burst, and water was rapidly flooding in. At this rate, the place would be submerged in no time.
-Hurry!
I know!
The terrifying sound of the rushing water roared behind me. Using my lightness skill, I dashed into the tunnel and moved quickly along the passage. Then, I threw myself into the area where the water had pooled.
Splash!
As soon as I hit the water, I concentrated my Innate True Qi into my eyes to secure my vision. With the energy focused, everything became clear even underwater. As I swam, the voice of the Lesser Conversation Sword rang in my head.
-Woon-hwi. Your left eye...
‘What about my eye?’
Come to think of it, in my haste, I had opened both eyes without thinking. There was no longer any needle-like pain, so it was fine.
-No, that’s not it. Your eye color changed.
‘What are you talking about? I haven't deactivated the Blood Demon Flower yet...’
-No! Your left eye turned golden!
‘What?’
I almost opened my mouth and swallowed a lungful of water in the middle of my swim.