Chapter 266: What Am I? (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 266: What Am I? (3)
Drip… drip…
The sound of water droplets echoed through the damp, silent space.
It was a basement, as such places tended to be, but this one felt particularly unsettling. The reason was likely the ice crystals at its center. As if put on display, clusters of them filled the secret chamber, with an even larger crystal looming deeper within.
They felt profoundly out of place. Instead of the frozen halls of the Ice Palace, where all four seasons were locked in ice, these crystals were here, within the very heart of the Murim Alliance.
Step.
Setting that incongruity aside, a woman walked through the darkness, a small torch in her hand. She could have navigated this place with her eyes closed, having visited it over a thousand times. As if to prove it, her eyes remained shut.
Her calm, elegant footsteps gradually slowed. She had reached her destination.
Woong-
As she stopped, a wave of cold air rushed toward her. The gust nearly tore away her face covering, but the woman didn’t flinch.
Then, a voice echoed, imposing and deep.
—Dancer.
Hearing it, the lady knelt.
—You seem to have lost connection with the child of Namgung.
“…Yes. It appears there was an issue.”
—How strange.
“I will dispatch someone to investigate immediately.”
Dancer considered sending an agent from the Alliance to ascertain the situation. It was, after all, a matter of considerable importance. The Lightning Dragon of the Namgung Clan, one of the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes, was their first test subject. He was being used to observe the effects of containing Divine Qi and to see how long a body could endure it. He had been chosen as the most suitable candidate.
Personally, she felt it was too early for such an experiment, but her master had thought otherwise. And that was enough for Dancer. Her master’s will was her own.
Hehehe-
A low chuckle followed her words.
—There is no need.
“…Pardon?”
The response was unexpected. She had believed her master also considered this matter critical. Why this reaction?
Just as Dancer began to wonder,
—The Namgung Clan… you said that other child also went there, correct?
Her master spoke.
“By that child… you mean… ah.”
Dancer’s eyes widened in realization. He was referring to the dark horse, the young martial artist whom neither he nor the Alliance Leader had anticipated—the one who had recently garnered so much attention.
The True Dragon.
This newcomer, who had appeared from nowhere, had displayed power incomparable to the young prodigies, overpowering everyone in the tournament. His emergence had twisted their plans, yet her master didn’t seem overly concerned. It was almost as if he welcomed the unexpected turn of events.
And coincidentally or not, the True Dragon was currently with the Namgung Clan.
Which means…
Did her master believe the True Dragon was responsible for the problem with the Lightning Dragon?
What could that young prodigy possibly have?
He wasn’t someone who had received a ‘piece’ of her master’s power, nor had he captured the attention of the Heavenly Eye. He was supposed to be someone who would have vanished, unable to survive the relentless tide of time. Dancer couldn’t comprehend it—such an existence appearing out of nowhere.
Yet, regardless of the reason, she knew this was far from ordinary, especially considering the sudden loss of her connection to the Lightning Dragon. She hadn’t been able to determine the cause. It had happened in an instant. Right as the Lightning Dragon was asking her something, the connection had been severed. It felt almost as if an external force had actively broken it.
That was Dancer’s primary concern. If the True Dragon was indeed responsible…
—How amusing.
Sensing her thoughts, her master chuckled again.
“…Are you fine with this?”
—Fine with what?
“Won’t this potentially disrupt your plans?”
The air around Dancer grew heavy and dense as she asked. In response to the palpable shift, she lowered her head.
—A problem, huh? That’s a nice word.
“…Pardon?”
—Nothing is more intriguing than an unusual occurrence. It brings change.
His voice was laced with more laughter than she had expected. She had believed her master harbored a grand ambition for this plan, so his casual reaction puzzled her.
—This is an order.
Dancer bowed her head even deeper upon hearing her master’s tone.
—Do not delve too deeply into the Lightning Dragon’s case.
“…Understood.”
Her response held no hesitation. Her mind was a whirlwind of questions, but Dancer did not voice them aloud. She merely listened. The principle of not questioning the great one had been ingrained in her since birth.
—Dancer.
“Yes… Master.”
—Contact the Chief Abbot. Tell him I wish to see him.
“Understood.”
After hearing her master’s command, Dancer departed, bowing her head in respect before turning away.
Left alone in the darkness, the being known as the Blood Demon whispered into the silence.
—Child, I’m curious if you can achieve what the Iron Fist could not.
Child.
The Blood Demon thought of the fierce young man he had encountered. He resembled the man who had imprisoned him in this darkness long ago. This child had a similar ferocity, and he, too, harbored the king of another world within his body.
—They are similar.
Even the fact that he possessed a monster inside him was a parallel. Was this mere coincidence? Surely not. Coincidences did not exist in this world. Which meant this was an inevitable fate.
Simultaneously, the Blood Demon thought of the person who had locked him away. It might have been the best action that individual could have taken, but it had only delayed the calamity, leaving it for his descendants to confront.
—It all returns to where it began. Thus, a reincarnation.
To be destroyed and burned out of existence. That was the fate of this world. No matter how much people struggled, it was merely a fish splashing in a vast ocean—a pathetic, futile struggle.
—However, I wonder if you are any different.
The Blood Demon did not know. The sequences had already been set in motion, but just as in the past, people would fight back to survive. It was both amusing and disappointing, but that, too, was fate.
—Will you be the dagger?
A dagger that could stab through the smallest opening. The Blood Demon was curious. Could such a fragile blade truly pierce through it all?
My thoughts drifted to a memory from the past.
It was just before the Heavenly Demon went to the Murim Alliance, around the time two of the Heavenly Venerables had died. The Celestial Sword was still called the Young Sword Queen then, and the factions of the Orthodox Sect were finally beginning to unite after trying to survive on their own.
Countless people had been turned into Demonic Humans by the Heavenly Demon’s power. In terms of sheer military might, it was highly unlikely the Demonic Cult would lose. Some of its masters had fallen to the Orthodox Sect, but everyone knew the truth: as long as the Heavenly Demon lived, the Demonic Cult would not fall.
I observed the Murim Alliance’s army from a distance. Each soldier was an elite martial artist, yet the Heavenly Demon remained utterly calm in the face of their numbers.
—Captain.
At the sound of its voice, I raised my head.
—…Yes.
—Do you want an answer?
The Heavenly Demon was asking if I wanted the answer to the question I had posed. I nodded in response. I wondered if I even dared to question Heaven, but in that moment, I felt capable. So, I asked.
It had inquired why I desired the world. But where the Heavenly Demon came from, what kind of existence it was, what it truly desired… I held no curiosity about any of that. It was far too late for such wonders. Even so… there was one thing I wanted to know.
—What do you think the reason is?
—…I’m afraid I don’t know.
Why did the Heavenly Demon wish to sweep across the Central Plains and stand above the very sky? What was its goal in taking countless lives? I needed to know.
The Heavenly Demon smiled in response.
—Captain, you seem to have an ulterior motive for asking this question.
—…
I fell silent.
—Are you afraid?
The Heavenly Demon’s gaze fixed on me.
—Are you afraid that my fingertips will reach the girl you can’t stop thinking about?
I started to imagine it. The girl bleeding out, dying at the Heavenly Demon’s hands. The girl looking at me with resentment in her eyes. Was I afraid of that?
—…
I couldn’t deny it. Nor could I fully admit it, but I knew the emotion was festering within me.
The Heavenly Demon’s violet pupils aimed in my direction. I wanted to lower my head, but I couldn’t. It wouldn’t allow it.
—I thought your heart had frozen like ice.
The Heavenly Demon’s fingers reached out, lifting my chin.
—The Captain is the same as ever. Not a single thing has dried within you.
—I’m so…
—I will not accept your apology, for you have done nothing wrong.
With those words, the Heavenly Demon turned away without hesitation. Its robes billowed as Demonic Qi began to surge around it. I wondered if a human could truly attain such power.
—Reason, huh.
I listened closely.
—I’m not sure.
The Heavenly Demon slightly lifted its hand, and Qi began to gather. The energy coalescing in its palm was undeniably calamity—a calamity that could annihilate an entire army in an instant. The black orb, seeming to contain all the world’s evil, paradoxically appeared more faithful than anything else. Was it because I was a Demonic Human? Or was the Heavenly Demon’s power simply that glorious? I didn’t know.
As the space around us began to distort, the wind howling and mixing with Demonic Qi, the Heavenly Demon spoke to me.
—It’s just my role.
Then, it moved lightly toward the charging army, and in that moment, it seemed to smile.
With that scene fading, I opened my eyes.
“…Oh.”
I let out a sigh and looked around. The ceiling was unfamiliar, but it was far more welcoming than the dream.
“What a shitty dream that was.”
As usual, my sleep had turned into a nightmare, and this time was no exception. This is why I hate falling asleep.
“Sigh.”
I wrapped my hands around my head and sat up. It wasn’t just a headache; my entire body ached. My dantian hurt especially, throbbing with a hollow, painful emptiness.
I’m fucked.
It was so bad I couldn’t even think about training or using Qi. I let out a hollow laugh and mumbled to myself.
“…Who am I to blame? I’m the one at fault.”
Tsk.
I stepped outside, my body exhausted, clicking my tongue in frustration. I didn’t know what time it was, but I couldn’t afford to stay in my room. Besides, I wasn’t at the Gu Clan; staying put wasn’t an option.
The calm morning breeze greeted me as I exited. I noticed someone standing by my door as the wind blew. For a moment, I thought it might be Hongwa, but the figure was wrong.
Seeing who it was, I frowned.
“So you’re fine, huh?”
Hearing my voice, the bastard turned around.
“…”
It was Namgung Cheonjun from last night. His injuries seemed mostly healed. The bone in his chest had been set, his twisted arm restored to normal. The only remaining injury was his finger, burnt black after I had torn out his fingernail.
Moreover, his gaze was completely different from yesterday. The eyes that had been filled with madness and evil intent now held only perplexity and doubt. I assumed there was a fair amount of fear in there, too.
Which is fair.
I knew why he was acting this way. I had absorbed all the Blood Qi that had been flowing inside him. Judging by the sheer volume, he had been granted an insane amount of power. I didn’t know why Namgung Cheonjun had been chosen for such a boon.
I’ll just have to hear it from him.
I should at least be able to extract everything he knew. Thinking this, I observed Namgung Cheonjun’s body closely. More accurately, I was checking the Demonic Qi inside him, rather than the man himself.
…It’s clear. Way too clear.
The Demonic Qi within Namgung Cheonjun’s body was clear, and I saw it seeping into his very flesh as if it had a will of its own. I had placed it there as a replacement for the Blood Qi, but it was problematic how it was becoming one with him. This smearing of Demonic Qi into his body meant Namgung Cheonjun was slowly turning into a Demonic Human.
Furthermore.
I was responsible for this. Since last night.
I remembered mentioning how my Demonic Qi evolved with my level. I’d said I might even be able to turn others into Demonic Humans at this rate. It was a power exclusive to the Heavenly Demon, and I had believed only it could wield such an ability. I’d laughed it off then, believing it impossible, but I’d been terrified inside.
I already knew. I knew instinctively that I was capable of such a thing if I wished. I knew it without needing to try, as if someone had whispered it to me. Even so, I had prayed I was wrong.
But this confirms it.
I had no choice but to accept the reality before me. Namgung Cheonjun was turning into a Demonic Human because of my Demonic Qi, and he would soon be fully transformed.
“How did this…!”
“Kneel.”
Thud…!
“…!”
Unable to resist, Namgung Cheonjun’s knees slammed into the floor.
“Fuck.”
Seeing that, I let out an incredulous laugh laced with a curse. The Demonic Qi within him had forced him to obey my command. My words were his command. Wasn’t this a terrifying power?
“This… is… This is…”
Namgung Cheonjun looked up at me, his face a mask of pure fear. He didn’t seem to understand what was happening to his body.
“Just… what are you?”
The bastard asked me. What was I?
In response to his question, I gave a bitter smile.
“I know. I’m curious too, about what I am.”
I didn’t know myself at this point. No, I just wanted to ignore it. But this time, I couldn’t afford for my prediction to be correct.