Chapter 620: Choice and Decision
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 620: Choice and Decision
Night turned to day.
A full day had passed.
The journey back to the hideout hadn't taken long. Now that my body’s internal injuries were healed, I was much faster than before.
But a question nagged at me.
‘Some hideout this is. It’s way too easy to spot.’
Finding the cave entrance had been far too simple. Yuri had claimed it was hidden by some sort of spell or formation, making it nearly impossible to find. It had been the same when I escaped last time—and the way I had instinctively grasped the lingering traces of the formation just now confirmed it.
It was clear that something within me had changed.
“Stop...!!”
The men standing guard up ahead spotted me and hastily took a defensive stance. Fortunately, Yuri was with me, so I was able to enter without much trouble.
“You...!”
Upon my return to the hideout, the White Ripple Sword appeared in a hurry to check on me. She started to say something, but the words died in her throat when she saw Namgung Bi-ah in my arms.
“...Ah...”
A whirlwind of emotions flickered in her eyes.
I knew. I knew she wouldn't be at ease seeing Namgung Bi-ah. The White Ripple Sword wasn't a completely heartless person; she must have been feeling a complex mix of guilt and worry for Namgung Bi-ah, who had volunteered to act as the bait.
“Take her and check her condition. And.”
This wasn't the time to analyze every little detail. I abruptly handed Namgung Bi-ah over to the White Ripple Sword and spoke with a heavy seriousness.
“I'm going to see the Palace Lord first.”
There was something I had to ask him.
* * *
“Turn back.”
Those were the words of the man blocking my path as I arrived at the iron door where the Palace Lord resided.
The Black Lion, was it? He was said to be one of the great generals of the North. He drew his massive greatsword and leveled it at me.
“You may not have an audience with the Palace Lord.”
The tip of his sword was brimming with vigilance. I knew exactly why.
‘Because I raised hell on my way out.’
He was on guard because I’d thrown a tantrum earlier, threatening to beat up the Palace Lord right in front of him. In other words, this was a mess of my own making.
I raised both hands and put on my kindest expression.
“I think I was a little out of line earlier.”
“...Judging by your expression, you're clearly planning to do something to the Palace Lord. You will absolutely not pass.”
This son of a bitch...
It seemed my attempt at being the 'kind' Gu Yangcheon wasn't working.
“Haa...”
I lowered my hands and let out a long sigh. It was to be expected. The Palace Lord's condition had worsened, and he was in seclusion for that very reason. Since I had threatened him, it was only natural for his guard to react this way.
It seemed words wouldn't work. In that case, I had no choice.
“Move,” I said, my expression hardening as I stared down the Black Lion. “I'm not going to do anything. I'll just ask what I need to ask and leave.”
“Do you think that will be allowed?”
“It won't. Of course it won't.” I flicked my fingers, gauging the distance. “But right now, I have to do it, even if I'm not supposed to.”
The situation had changed. There were things I absolutely had to know, and the only one I judged would have the answers was the Palace Lord. I had to meet him, no matter what it took.
Seeing the look in my eyes, the Black Lion tightened his grip on his greatsword.
“You were only able to make it this far because we treated you as an honored guest. However...”
Fwhoosh!
Energy coiled around the greatsword. It was Combat Qi.
Fwoooo...
I felt the surrounding air being crushed and compressed. The fighting spirit emanating from a martial artist far beyond the Fusion Realm was enough to distort the atmosphere itself. This man was truly powerful.
“Not only can I not allow someone who threatened the Palace Lord to enter, but the Palace Lord is currently in a deep sleep.”
“Haha.” I burst out laughing at his words. “With the situation like this, that old man can actually sleep peacefully?”
“Do not speak so carelessly!”
Kuuuung!
A vibration ran through the greatsword. The force behind it was incredibly menacing.
“If you let your tongue slip about the Palace Lord one more time... I will cut you down where you stand.”
“My, what frightening words.”
Cutting me down—the man was utterly bloodthirsty.
“Normally, I’d say I’ll come back later and let it go. But I’m in a real hurry right now. Tell him to sleep later and wake him up, will you?”
“You truly... intend to see blood.”
“No, why would we see blood? That would hurt...”
Shiiik!
The Black Lion’s greatsword moved violently. Seeing this, I clicked my tongue internally.
“Solar Light.”
Shriik! Thwack!
“...!”
I manifested Solar Light from my left arm, binding the greatsword and sealing its movement.
Kiiiiik!
A power struggle began—the Black Lion trying to wrench the greatsword back, and my force holding it firmly in place.
Kuuuuung!
My opponent was a martial artist of the Fusion Realm, one who had already reached a state of mastery. Moreover, since he used a greatsword, his external arts were exceptionally well-developed. As I tried to withstand that raw power, my muscles screamed in protest.
However, I wasn't pushed back.
Seeing this, the Black Lion’s eyes widened.
Kuuung! Kung!
Power clashed against power, and vibrations erupted. The shockwaves began to damage the surroundings. Dust fell from the ceiling as the space trembled.
“You bastard...!”
“Do you really want me to break everything down just to get in? That won't end well for anyone.”
“I am the Palace Lord's warrior. I cannot stand by and let someone who poses a threat to him pass.”
“Hmm.”
It was the right mindset for a guard. I could feel his conviction, his absolute refusal to yield. In that case, there was only one way.
“Then I guess I'll have to knock you down and go through.”
Fwoosh!
I drew up my energy, rotating the rings of the Gu Flame Wheel Art to flood my body with heat. Combining it with my fighting spirit, I gathered flames in my palm, clutching a Flaming Sphere that seemed ready to explode at any moment.
The Black Lion, seeing my state, shrouded his body in as much Combat Qi as he could muster.
It was a hair-trigger situation. Just as we were about to clash—
[Stop.]
“...!”
At the voice from behind the door, the Black Lion immediately withdrew his Combat Qi. It was the Palace Lord’s voice.
[Black Lion. Open the door.]
“But... Palace Lord...!”
[That is an order.]
“...”
For a moment, a look of displeasure crossed the guard's face, but the Black Lion said no more. He simply sheathed his sword on his back.
Grip!
He grabbed the doorknob.
“...I will obey your command.”
Creeeak!
The door opened. Seeing this, I withdrew my energy as well. Fwoosh! The same cold chill I had felt before brushed past me.
[Come in.]
As soon as the Palace Lord’s words fell, I started walking.
“...This time, I pray you show the Palace Lord the proper respect.”
I paid no mind to the Black Lion’s bloodthirsty farewell as I entered the room. It was still a cold, unpleasant space. The Palace Lord was sitting in the same spot as before. The only difference was the way I now looked at him.
[I am pleased to see you again so soon.]
“Indeed. I didn't expect to see you again like this either.”
I spoke as I arrived before him. He looked the same as ever—half of his body encased in ice, with frost extending from him to cover the entire area.
And yet...
‘The same energy as that bastard.’
I could feel an energy quite similar to that of the one I'd just met, Yuseon. Though the feeling of unpleasantness and hostility was far less than what I felt from him.
[So, for what business have you woken me from my sweet slumber?]
“Were you really sleeping?”
[Oh, yes. I was sleeping very, very well.]
The Palace Lord said with a smile. Of course, I didn't believe him for a second.
[Young Master, what business did you have with me that required you to stage such a play?]
“Hmm.”
Hearing the Palace Lord’s words, I couldn't help but smile. It seems I've been found out. The confrontation with the Black Lion—it was my intention to act forcefully so the Palace Lord would be forced to reveal himself. It seemed the Palace Lord had seen through it at once.
It didn't matter. I had achieved my goal, after all.
I looked directly at the Palace Lord and said, “I just came from meeting your son. Or maybe your daughter.”
[...]
“Their name was ‘Yuseon.’ I believe they are the culprit.”
The name could be an alias. Yuri had said it was her older sister’s name, but the person I saw was clearly a man. Of course, there was a possibility that their gender itself was a lie.
The Palace Lord stared at me as I brought up the topic out of the blue. His pupils were still vertical slits.
[Yuseon, you say...] the Palace Lord muttered under his breath. [I see.]
Even after hearing the identity of the child who had started a rebellion, the Palace Lord’s reaction hardly changed.
[So it was that child.]
“...Is that your only reaction?”
[If you came all this way just to tell me, then I thank you. I have made you take a busy step.]
I frowned at his strange reaction. But I had my own main point to get to.
“No. I came because I have something to ask.”
[Speak. I will listen carefully.]
“...Palace Lord.” I took a breath and looked him in the eye. “Do you know about Dragons?”
[Hmm.]
Hearing my question, the Palace Lord was silent for a moment.
[I do.]
To my surprise, he gave an affirmative answer. I had expected him to feign ignorance.
“...You... know?”
[I do. Even now...] The Palace Lord’s slitted pupils turned to me. [Is one not before my very eyes?]
“...!”
My eyes widened. This man...
‘He knew?’
It seemed he had known my identity from the very beginning. How did he know? That question didn't even need to be asked. The Dark King had noticed. The one named Yuseon had noticed. I figured the Palace Lord could have as well.
However...
“You knew, and you still let me in?”
[Is there any reason not to? You are an honored guest who has sought this place.]
I racked my brain as I listened to the Palace Lord’s answer. How much should I ask? How much did he know? And how much could I trust him? Such thoughts swirled in my head.
The deliberation was short.
“Your child was a Dragon, too.”
He wasn't surprised by this either.
[I see. So the Ice Crystal chose that child in the end...]
Instead, he just closed his eyes as if he had realized something. I continued speaking.
“And they looked at me and called me a Pureblood.”
As I said that—
[What...?]
Strangely, his reaction this time was unusual.
“So I came to ask. About your child. And about why I am called a Pureblood.”
[...]
The Palace Lord's eyes widened like saucers. He had seemed unfazed when he heard about the child I had met, but he couldn't hide his astonishment at this part. What was the reason? What was the difference?
[A Pureblood? You say that child called you a Pureblood?]
“Yes.”
They even tried to rip my arm off and kill me. I didn't bother mentioning that part.
“What in the world is it?”
[...Ha...] The Palace Lord let out a hollow laugh. [...I see...]
He nodded his head as if a missing piece of a puzzle had fallen into place.
[Has the time finally come?]
Then he muttered something incomprehensible.
Crack-crack-crack!
“...!”
Suddenly, the ice covering the Palace Lord’s body began to crack. The ice shattered into pieces along jagged lines.
Ssk.
The Palace Lord shed the ice and slowly rose to his feet. I had to hide my surprise. He was huge—much taller than I had expected.
‘...He's almost as big as my father.’
I hadn't realized it since he was always sitting, but now that he was standing, his stature was imposing.
Patter.
The Palace Lord brushed off the ice fragments clinging to his body and spoke to me.
“Would you follow me for a moment?”
The voice that had echoed before was now normal. It was a pleasant voice, heavy yet clear.
“Suddenly? We haven't finished talking.”
“I will give you the answer to that, so please, I hope you will follow me.”
“...”
“I ask this of you.”
I frowned and looked at the Palace Lord. He was just staring at me with a serious expression. We hadn't even finished talking, and now he wanted me to follow him somewhere else? Frustration rose in the urgent situation, but since he promised an answer, I replied with a sigh.
“...Where are we going?”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Hearing my answer, the Palace Lord smiled faintly, then turned and started walking. I followed him.
We didn't walk far. We didn't even leave the chamber, just walked a little further in the opposite direction from the entrance. Then, as we neared the far wall, I saw something.
‘A door?’
It was a door set into the wall, leading elsewhere. It wasn't very large; considering the Palace Lord’s size, it was actually quite small. In a way, it felt just right for me.
“What is this...”
“Please, try to open the door.”
I was about to ask where it led when the Palace Lord spoke. Why was he asking me to do it instead of opening it himself?
‘Is there some kind of trap?’
The suspicion crossed my mind.
“If you are suspicious, I will allow you to place any forbidden formation you wish upon my body,” the Palace Lord offered boldly.
“...”
Noticing my suspicion, he had made a drastic offer. Normally, I would have gladly placed a formation on him. But now, for some reason, my hand reached out first.
This, too, was based on my gut feeling. It had been like this since the moment I saw the door. My instincts were screaming at me.
Go on, touch the door.
Following them, I placed my hand on the frozen doorknob. At that moment—
Crack-crack-crack!
My fingertips had only barely touched it, but a massive crack spread across the door. Before I could react to the sudden change—
Fwoosh!
The pure white chill that had been clinging to the door was swept away.
Creeeeak...
The door began to open on its own, even though I hadn't even turned the knob.
‘What is this?’
I stared beyond the door with a look of disbelief.
“...It was true,” the Palace Lord said, watching the scene. “What you said was true.”
“...What do you mean?”
“This door... only a Pureblood can open it.”
“What?”
“It was decided so long ago. I have only just now learned that it was true.”
I looked at the door. I hadn't seen the Palace Lord try to grab it, so I couldn't know if he was lying or not. But it was made so that only a Pureblood could open it?
‘By who?’
Who in the world would have done this in the North? Just as I was about to ask—
Step.
The Palace Lord ducked his head and stepped through the entrance. Was he telling me to follow? I walked after him once more.
The feeling was completely different from before. The passage wasn't long—it took only about ten steps to pass through. And after exiting the passage...
“...Huh?”
I gasped at the sight that unfolded.
It was a space saturated with an overwhelming cold energy. A spherical object that filled the chamber was floating in mid-air. It looked like ice, but it was a perfectly spherical piece—a shape that couldn't exist unless it was artificially sculpted. And considering its massive size, there was no way a human could have done it.
What is that?
‘What in the world is that thing?’
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Why was my heart pounding like crazy just from looking at it?
Huu. Huu.
I tried to calm my increasingly ragged breathing, but my gaze was trapped. What was it that was making me react so strongly?
Step.
My legs moved on their own. As if I had to get closer to that place, they moved without my permission. Just then—
“This is what we call an Ice Crystal.”
The Palace Lord’s words managed to force my steps to a halt.
“An Ice Crystal? You're saying that's an Ice Crystal?”
“Half of it is in the palace basement, but this is also an Ice Crystal.”
“...There's another one of these?”
“That one is an object our bloodline has protected for generations. However.” The Palace Lord’s gaze turned to the sphere. “This is the first time I have seen it as well, but I believe the one before us is the Original.”
The Original. Did he mean the one in front of me was the real Ice Crystal?
Then...
“...Why are you showing this to me?”
Why was he suddenly showing me such an object? It was obvious that it was something an outsider should never see. Could it be? Was he planning to kill me here? Just as that worry began to surface—
“As I said before, this is a place only a Pureblood can enter. That was the established law,” the Palace Lord said.
Which meant...
“You brought me here because I'm a Pureblood?”
“That is correct.”
“For such a simple reason...?”
“You see this as simple, Young Master? It is not.” The Palace Lord continued, looking at the Ice Crystal with serious eyes. “For the past several hundred years, the bloodline of the Ice Palace has been bound by the duty passed down to us, taking root in the North and enduring. Today is the day we properly face that duty.”
The Palace Lord, who had been staring intently at the Ice Crystal, now turned his gaze to me.
“After long ages have passed, should a Pureblood appear in the North, you must face them and bring them to this place.”
Woong.
A faint vibration hummed from the Ice Crystal.
“To maintain and protect the Ice Crystal until that day. That was our bloodline's duty.”
For centuries, they had protected the palace and this place, waiting for the promised someone to arrive. That was their bloodline's duty. I frowned at the story.
“...What, like some kind of prophecy? You've lived your lives waiting for someone who might never even show up? Does that make any sense?”
“That is why we call it a duty, and a curse. Is it not cruel?” The Palace Lord spoke with a smile, but it was a smile entwined with something terribly bitter. “However, I truly did not expect someone like you, Young Master Gu, to appear.”
“How can you be so sure that I'm the one you're talking about? It could be someone else, couldn't it—”
“That is not important,” the Palace Lord cut me off. “If you were not, that door would not have opened.”
“...”
His insistence on me opening the door earlier... it was to confirm this.
“...For what purpose? What do you want from me?”
Why had they waited for a Pureblood to appear? Why had they wished for one to reach this Ice Crystal? I couldn't understand.
“History has often described that as an 'egg'.”
At his words, I looked at the Ice Crystal. An egg?
‘That huge thing is an egg?’
It was too large and too cold to be an egg. If that was an egg, what could possibly be inside to make it so massive? If something were to be born from such a place, the thought alone was unsettling.
“It was described as such.” The Palace Lord approached my side. “But it was also written of with another name.”
Coming up beside me, the Palace Lord spoke in a calm, heavy voice.
“The Heart of the Dragon Emperor.”
“...!”
I whipped my head around to look at him.
“The Ice Crystal... is the Dragon Emperor's heart.”