Chapter 351: The Dark King (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 351: The Dark King (1)
The moment the Heavenly Demon vanished into the Abyss, the girl rushed to Gu Yangcheon’s side.
“Master Gu…!”
He was collapsing, his balance gone. The instant Wi Seol-Ah touched him, she felt the Demonic Qi raging within him like a boiling cauldron.
“No…”
The word escaped her lips in a whisper.
So it had happened after all.
She had prayed that in this life, Gu Yangcheon would not become a Demonic Human. Yet here they were.
She looked into his eyes. The familiar black and red were gone, replaced by a haunting violet glow—the unmistakable mark of a Demonic Human. Seeing it, the girl began to sob, her shoulders shaking.
“No… No…”
Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over at the slightest provocation.
Then, Gu Yangcheon moved. He raised a hand and reached for her.
“Are you okay…? Master Gu…!” she called out urgently.
He didn’t answer, only patting her cheek gently.
“Ah…”
“What are you crying for?” His voice was rough, but his touch was soft as his hand brushed past her eyes, wiping away her tears. “I’m fine, so stop crying. You’re acting like I’m dead or something.”
“…”
The girl bit her lip as Gu Yangcheon watched her in silence. She had already withdrawn the white aura that had surrounded her earlier. The growing quiet between them made her anxious. There was something strange in the way he was looking at her. She tried to tell herself it was just fatigue, just the shock of the Heavenly Demon’s appearance, but deep down, she knew better.
“Hey.”
“…!”
“We need to have a talk, don’t we?”
The girl gasped at his words, her mind racing. She hesitated, uncertain.
[ Sis… ]
Wi Seol-Ah’s voice called from within her mind, but she was in no state to respond.
Then, a change rippled through Gu Yangcheon’s body. A faint ssss sound filled the air. The girl leaned in to check on him, but he caught her wrist, signaling her to keep her distance. She saw the Demonic Qi swirling violently in his eyes before it began to course slowly through his entire body.
Just as she wondered what was happening, Gu Yangcheon exhaled heavily. “Swoosh…”
Not only was his Qi shifting, but his appearance began to change as well. His black hair, tinged with red, started to return to its usual state, and his eyes followed suit, the violet light receding.
“This is…”
It looked as though he was reverting to a normal human, but the girl knew that was impossible. Once someone becomes a Demonic Human, there is no turning back. In her experience, the Demonic Qi that scattered from a dying Demonic Human’s body was vile and repulsive. Only death could free them from it. Yet here was Gu Yangcheon, reversing the process of his own accord. How?
She watched in shock as he opened his eyes, the transformation complete.
“…Phew.”
“Just… How…”
She started to ask what he had done, but the words died in her throat as Gu Yangcheon met her gaze. They locked eyes for a few seconds that felt like an eternity. Excuses flooded her mind. No, it’s a misunderstanding. It’s not what you think. She had known a day like this would come, but it had arrived before she was ready.
Then, he spoke.
“What should I call you?”
“…!”
“What name should I call you?”
His tone was casual, but his words shattered her composure. His expression told her everything. He was already certain.
“…Ah… Uh…”
“I don’t remember you as a stuttering type. How did someone like you end up this broken?”
“I…”
“Anyway, I have a lot of questions, but I want to ask the most important one first.”
Her mind raced. Where do I start? How much can I tell him? What will he ask? Will he ask what’s happening? Why I’m here? Why I kept it from him? Or will he ask why I killed him, and if I found satisfaction in it? Will he resent me for it? The thoughts alone made it hard to breathe. Her hands trembled, but she fought to steady them. He had every right to say those things. She had only run away because she couldn’t bear to hear them.
“Do you still,”
She shut her eyes tight as he began to speak.
Then,
“Hate me?”
The question hung in the air. Had she heard him correctly? Slowly, she opened her eyes, her face a mask of confusion. She stared into his.
“W-What do you mean…?”
“You must really hate me to follow me all the way here. Can you forgive me already? I’ve been trying, you know.”
She was left speechless as he spoke awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. Such words… they couldn’t be real.
“What do you mean by that? You… you can’t be asking me that.”
“Hmm?”
Tears spilled down her cheeks, her shoulders trembling. “You should curse at me… tell me I’m horrible, that everything is my fault. You should say that instead. Why… why would you ask me this?”
“What the hell are you saying? Why would I curse you? Are you into that sort of thing?”
“I…”
“Hey, stop crying and answer my question already. Seriously.”
Growing impatient, Gu Yangcheon cut her off. Then, he repeated his question. “Do you still hate me?”
“…”
Her wrist was still in his grasp. He’d said he had so many questions, yet this was the first one he asked. Even though he should resent me endlessly, curse me, and beat me to death… this is the question he chooses. She wondered if he was being sarcastic, but his eyes were the same as always. The eyes she had longed to see for so long.
After a long moment, she finally answered. “No…”
Her voice was slow and shaky as she fought to control her emotions. But she did not lie. It might have been different when they first met. No, she probably had disliked him then. How could she have been fond of him, considering how they first met? Yet, the emotion she felt for him at his death was certainly not hatred.
“I don’t hate you… I never hated you.”
Her voice trembled as she spoke. Upon hearing her answer, Gu Yangcheon loosened his grip on her wrist.
“I’m glad.”
Then he smiled. That was the first question he’d chosen to ask, and he smiled at the answer. Seeing that smile made her heart skip a beat.
“…”
A memory surfaced in her mind. I want to hug you. She remembered the first and last time she’d hugged him, the day he’d died, covered in blood. Remembering that moment, she wanted to hold not the cold, dying body, but his living, breathing self. Did she have the right? No, she had none. Yet, despite that, she wanted to embrace him. She knew it was selfish.
The girl moved as if entranced, and Gu Yangcheon looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“…How about you stop there and help me?”
Pause.
They froze as a voice came from behind.
“This is all very entertaining, but I’m a bit pressed for time myself.”
Gu Yangcheon turned to see Bi Eejin, cold sweat trickling down his face.
“Hmm?”
“…Oh.”
They’d both completely forgotten he was there.
* * *
Creak.
A dense fog filled the space, and in its center sat a red coffin. Ominous and foreboding, the coffin lid opened, and a figure began to rise, moving with careful, deliberate slowness.
Crack.
Each movement was accompanied by the sound of cracking bones echoing through the fog. After rising fully, the figure moved cautiously, as though unfamiliar with its own body.
Crack, crack.
The sounds lessened with each adjustment. When they ceased entirely, the figure pushed through the fog, leaving the coffin behind as it started forward.
Seeing this, the Dancer hurried forward and knelt. “…Are you okay? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
The figure glanced around before responding. “It’s a worthless body, but it’s enough.”
“I apologize.”
“There’s no need to feel sorry. After all, there’s only one body in this world I find satisfactory.”
Chuckle.
The figure chuckled. As the fog dissipated, its appearance became clear. It brushed its hair aside and inspected itself, revealing a shocking resemblance to Jang Seonyeon. No—it was not Jang Seonyeon. It wore only a mask of his face, and it was far from human. In place of Jang Seonyeon’s usual pupils were blood-red eyes. A rough, bumpy mark marred one cheek, giving the skin a reptilian texture. The figure seemed aware of this; it touched its cheek, and the mark vanished. It blinked a few times, and gradually, Jang Seonyeon’s usual eyes returned.
Then, it addressed the Dancer. “Dancer.”
“Yes.”
“Did you deliver my message as instructed?”
“Yes. I informed the Chief Abbot and the Alliance Leader in advance.”
Swish.
Jang Seonyeon—no, the Blood Demon—slowly walked out and changed into the clothes the Dancer had prepared. “It’s refreshing to walk on my own two feet again.”
A satisfied smile spread across its face. How many years had it been? Centuries, likely. Though it hadn’t felt that long. The Blood Demon had never bothered with the passage of time.
“…Master.”
The Blood Demon turned at the Dancer’s voice. “Yes.”
“May I dare to ask you a question?”
Amusement flickered in its eyes as it gazed down at her. It gave its permission.
“I wanted to ask… why you’re choosing now to act in person.”
“Reason, huh.” The Blood Demon stroked its chin, considering the question. “If I had to give a reason, it’s because the time has come.”
“Time, you say?”
“That’s right.”
Long ago, the Blood Demon had been sealed away. The records claimed it was killed, but that was not the reality. It had never been killed—only sealed. The heroes of the past concluded they could not destroy it, so they resorted to a powerful Formation to contain it. They dissected its body, scattered its Qi, and tore its five senses from its soul, ensuring they could never reunite. After hollowing out its soul and body, they bound it within layers of Formations.
The seal was meant to last for centuries, yet the Blood Demon broke free in less than a hundred years after the Blood Demon War. Contrary to the heroes’ expectations, it hadn’t even lasted a century. Amusingly, this was exactly what the Blood Demon had expected. It was impossible for mere humans to contain it with their Formations. A hundred years was impressive, but breaking the seal did not mean the Blood Demon had fully regained its body, Qi, and five senses.
It wasn’t worried, though. In the end, all would return. Such was the flow of the world, and its principles would ensure it happened. All the Blood Demon needed to do was remain patient. It waited, and its time finally came. The scattered pieces of the Blood Demon returned after a long absence.
“I hadn’t expected my fragments to merge with another soul, but that’s not so bad.”
The Blood Demon’s five senses had been lost to the cycle of reincarnation, yet they all reappeared in the same generation, as if lying in wait. Was this also a predetermined sequence? The thought made the Blood Demon laugh.
Then a memory surfaced: a man with golden hair. “Didn’t I tell you? It’s all pointless.” The Blood Demon recalled the man walking away, stubbornly disbelieving when told his efforts were futile. Look at it now. The world’s flow had returned to its destined path. “There were some slight changes, but they are only struggles that won’t affect anything.”
Splash.
The Blood Demon walked through a path of puddles, the Dancer following closely behind.
“You asked why I’ve chosen to act now, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“It’s because the world is calling me.”
“…The world… you say?”
Beings who carried each of the Blood Demon’s five senses had begun to emerge. The Blood Demon had sensed it from the moment they were born. It felt all five of them. This was no coincidence. The puzzle pieces that should have appeared upon its resurrection had been deferred, as it wasn’t time yet. Then, a hundred years passed, and all of them returned at once.
“Chuckle.”
The Blood Demon only chuckled. It was so obvious, it made the situation even funnier. It looked up at the ceiling. Though it was the ceiling of a sealed basement, the Blood Demon’s gaze pierced through it, looking toward the sky and beyond.
“Are you that scared?”
A cold breeze suddenly blew by.
“What are you so afraid of? It’s quite entertaining.”
The Blood Demon smiled at the silent onlooker before turning to the Dancer. The Dancer kept her face down to avoid its gaze. Her face was covered with a mask, but the Blood Demon saw right through it. Seeing her reaction, it spoke.
“It seems your younger siblings have crossed paths.”
“…!”
The Dancer’s shoulders trembled at the mention of her siblings. She forced down the emotions boiling within her. Jealousy. Biting her lip to suppress it, she felt the Blood Demon’s gaze upon her.
“What makes you so angry?”
“N-No, how could I…”
The Blood Demon considered her reaction. What a pitiful creature. Unlike the others who shared its body and Qi, the Dancer had received only a few scales. Jealousy—a narrow-minded emotion, perhaps, but the Blood Demon didn’t blame her. It observed her briefly before turning toward the entrance.
“For now, I just want to feel the breeze.”
Originally, the Blood Demon would have lingered longer, but something had changed, troubling it. The world’s destined flow remained intact, yet it sensed something subtly twisting its course.
“How fascinating.”
A shift in an otherwise immutable story. It was something Yeon Il-Cheon had so desired, but failed to achieve. The Blood Demon thought of a young man with a fierce expression. A very strange child. Not only did he harbor a terrifying presence within him, but half of him was not human. Moreover, he bore marks from other worlds. Anyone with so many markings should have had their soul burned away, yet he was perfectly fine. And he seemed entirely unaware of his own condition.
If that wasn’t the change in the world, then what was? This was the change the Blood Demon had desired, and seeing it confirmed here, it couldn’t resist setting off.
“This time, I’ll go see him directly.”
Excitement filled it.
“Once I gather all that was scattered.”
The Blood Demon set out to reclaim its body, Qi, and five senses.