Chapter 466: Nice To Meet You (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 466: Nice To Meet You (1)
Dragon.
It was a legendary creature of the past, but the term had taken on a new meaning ever since the Blood Demon War a few centuries ago.
Historical records from that time referred to the White Demons as Dragons. This included the Mist Dragon that Elder Shin had hunted down, and the other White Demon slain by Tang Jaemoon. Their appearances had earned them the title.
But what had that bastard just said to me?
“…So you’re telling me I’ll turn into a Dragon if I go through with this ‘shedding’?”
[It is a blessing. You should be honored.]
The entity replied without a moment’s hesitation.
[A lowly being like you should be grateful for the chance to become a seed of a god.]
“What the hell are you talking about, you madman?”
[Yet you have no right to it. You wished to remain human, despite all the power you have accumulated within your vessel.]
“I wanted to live as a human, but I was told I would die if I made that choice. Are you mocking me?”
Did this bastard think I had a choice in any of this? If I could have, I would have remained human. This damned world simply wouldn’t allow it.
“I don’t want to do this either.”
[Then succumb to me.]
“But that’s an even worse fate.”
Was this thing joking with me?
“If you want it so badly, come and take it. Stop asking.”
[…]
A sharp, cracking sound emanated from the bastard’s form as I spoke mockingly.
[You inferior creature. You clearly do not know your place. Do you truly believe a human mind can endure my might?]
“And do you think you can last, either?”
[Of course. I am the seed of a Dragon King. I am nothing like you.]
[So-]
Rumble-!
[Stop resisting and succumb to me–!]*
The Blood Qi surged toward me with overwhelming force.
Slam-!
I channeled every last bit of my remaining Qi to evade the attack.
Crack-!
But this time, I couldn’t dodge completely. The bastard’s fangs sank into my arm once more—the same arm it had bitten before. The monster’s teeth tore through flesh and bone, grinding relentlessly.
“Ugh…”
A groan of pain escaped me, but it was acceptable.
It’s well in there now.
I bit my lip, my gaze fixed on my mangled arm. My desperate plan had barely succeeded. Sacrificing my already-injured arm was the best option, and I had poured all my Qi into making this strategy work. Fortunately, it had.
The pain reverberated through my mind, but it was nothing compared to the agony I endured while training the Heaven Destruction Art.
As my arm was held fast, the bastard tried to move again.
Woong-!
In that instant, I read its intention and immediately activated my Demonic Absorption Art.
[…Krgh!?]*
The creature sensed something wrong and tried to fling me away. I redoubled my grip, sensing its panic.
Swoosh-!
Qi began to flood into my body.
It’s as I expected.
Thankfully, my hypothesis was correct. When my hand had made contact with the monster earlier, I had realized something: I could absorb this bastard. Perhaps because it was essentially condensed Blood Qi, my Demonic Absorption Art had activated automatically upon connection. It was strange to be absorbing energy that was once part of me, but that was irrelevant now.
[You… bastard…!!]*
I could tell the situation had turned against it. As I steadily drained its Qi, the bastard struggled violently.
Squeeze.
I clung to its form with all my strength, refusing to be dislodged. The influx of Qi thankfully gave me the power to maintain my hold.
[Let go! Do you think you can defeat me like this!?]*
Desperation crept into the Blood Qi’s voice, likely due to the absorption.
[You will not be able to endure! You will slowly lose your mind and die without achieving anything!]*
An arm-like appendage reached out to pry us apart. I didn’t dodge. Even if its claw pierced my body, I held my ground.
Swoosh-!
The flow of Qi into my body continued unabated. The volume was immense, far greater than what I had originally possessed. I wondered about the difference, but there was no time to ponder. Simply managing the deluge of energy entering me was already a monumental task.
There’s way too much.
It felt like it was filling the void where my vessel used to be. Was it normal for it to expand this much? A flicker of worry surfaced.
What if it doesn’t work?
But I had no other choice. I could see the bastard’s form shrinking as I continued to devour its energy. I didn’t consider what would happen to my body after absorbing so much. My only priority was to consume this entity completely.
[L…Let… go… I…! am the great…!]*
“Shut up. How dare you try to take over my body without even paying rent.”
It had made itself at home inside me without permission, and now it wanted ownership? I would never allow that. I felt my own Qi swelling as the bastard diminished. In just a moment, I reached a point where its wild thrashing barely registered.
I continued the absorption without pause.
[Krgh…!]*
With a final, choked sound, the bastard vanished without a trace.
“…”
Silence fell instantly.
“…Phew…”
I shook my body lightly and let out a quiet sigh. Was it over? I nodded slightly, feeling the potent Qi circulating within me.
“It wasn’t as bad as I expected.”
Elder Shin’s warning had led me to anticipate something far more grueling, but it had been more manageable than I’d imagined. Sure, my body was currently a wreck, but since this was a mental space and not reality, I believed it would be fine.
“And my Qi…”
I felt unbearably full, as if I might vomit Qi, but it was still tolerable.
“Then… is it over?”
It felt anticlimactic, given how grandly the beast had spoken of ‘shedding’. After all, I had endured.
But my vessel hasn’t returned to normal…
The emptiness inside me remained. And moreover…
How do I leave this place?
Just as I began to wonder how to escape this mental space—
Woong-
A vibration coursed through me.
“Hmm?”
I looked down. The tremor was emanating from my heart.
“What the…”
As I focused on the strange sensation in my chest—
Crack-
I heard something break.
Craaaaaaaack-!
“Ugh…!?”
An unimaginable pain erupted in my chest. I groaned loudly, curling my body into a ball.
Woong-!
Suddenly, the liquid environment around me began to change. It swirled and started to wrap around my body.
Swoosh!
Enveloping me completely, the liquid began pouring into my body. Amidst the heart-rending pain, I felt a distinct sensation. This was a form of Qi. The water was transforming into pure energy and flooding my system.
Immediate regret followed. Of course. I should have known it was too easy. As always, something had to come along and screw me over.
My body was already at its absolute limit from absorbing the Blood Qi monster. I was clinging to consciousness by a thread, and now even more Qi was forcing its way in?
Haha, fuck me…
It felt like a test to see how much my body could take before it exploded.
Crack.
I gritted my teeth. My body began to shudder violently from the overwhelming influx of energy. Now I understood why both Elder Shin and the Blood Qi, masquerading as a Dragon, had said I would regret my decision. No ordinary human could possibly withstand this much power.
My every instinct screamed a warning. If I let my guard down even for a second in this state…
I’ll die.
I would explode and be wiped from existence.
Did that mean…
The Blood Qi bastard would take over my body?
Or perhaps some other entity would seize control. Whatever the case, I knew one thing for certain: if I lost myself here, I would cease to be me.
I can’t let that happen.
Crack-!
I gritted my teeth so hard I heard a sound. My hands curled into fists.
I would endure, even if it seemed impossible. If I were going to give up, I would have done so long ago. It would be a waste to be defeated now, after coming this far.
I will overcome this no matter what.
Only then could I tease Elder Shin about his relationship with Tang Jaemoon. It was for that silly goal that I managed to cling to the last shreds of my consciousness.
Woong…
“…”
A faint sensation stirred from within the body.
Shincheol slowly opened his eyes, which had been closed for some time.
“Hmm…”
It seemed something was happening inside. He could feel a powerful force echoing from within.
Woong-! Woong-!
It was a subtle vibration and sound, but to Shincheol, it felt like someone was pounding against his insides with a blunt weapon. As if something was trying to break through a wall to escape. It was a sensation Shincheol had never experienced before.
He stared ahead, feeling the persistent vibrations. There was nothing in his line of sight. The Heavenly Venerable should have been there, but the man was nowhere to be seen.
“…Hmph.”
Shincheol let out a short scoff. He had known the Heavenly Venerable was leaving even with his eyes closed, but he hadn’t bothered to stop him. After all, the Heavenly Venerable had already died as a martial artist. There was no need for Shincheol to destroy him further. Even if the Heavenly Venerable was a character who needed to die in this story, delivering the final blow wasn’t Shincheol’s responsibility.
Shincheol looked down and examined his hand—or more accurately, Gu Yangcheon’s hand. His body was still engulfed in a black darkness, as if consumed by shadow.
“Ugh, tsk, tsk.”
Because of that young brat, Shincheol felt his back bending like an old man’s, even though he was in relatively good shape for his age. He was working himself to the bone for a nasty youngster who resembled a mantis, when he could have been aiding his own clan descendants. The thought infuriated him.
“Not only that, but he dares to play with me?”
He recalled what Gu Yangcheon had said before leaving.
-Let’s talk about your relationship with Lady Tang Jaemoon.
“Hmm.”
Shincheol was angered by the statement, but it also left him deeply confused. He couldn’t make sense of it no matter how much he thought.
“…Hmm.”
Although Shincheol had been residing in Gu Yangcheon’s body all this time, he couldn’t constantly monitor the outside world. He had been wholly focused on preventing the vessel from shattering. So, while he knew Gu Yangcheon had met Tang Jaemoon, he was unaware of the nature of their conversation.
It made him wonder.
What did they talk about?
Why had that brat Gu Yangcheon referred to Tang Jaemoon as ‘Lady’?
Shincheol tilted his head in confusion, failing to comprehend. After all, the Tang Jaemoon he knew was a man.