Chapter 630: Nine. And Three. (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 630: Nine. And Three. (2)
Smoke billowed from the explosion.
The acrid scent of burning stung my nostrils as heavy fumes obscured my vision.
Woong—!
I channeled Qi into my eyes, sharpening my sight through the haze. The ground ahead finally came into view.
Fwoosh—!
Without hesitation, I gathered flames to manifest another Flaming Sphere. I hurled it at the ground once more.
Kwwaaaaaaang—!!
Another massive explosion roared, sending shrapnel whipping through the air. I repeated the process over and over.
I could feel my Qi draining. The Flaming Sphere was a technique that consumed a staggering amount of energy, and the depletion felt particularly sharp now.
Still, I didn't stop.
Boom! Kwaang! Boom!
Wherever the ground was visible, I blasted it apart. Ignoring my dwindling reserves, I kept unleashing the Flaming Sphere. As I watched the debris fly, a stray thought crossed my mind.
‘I used to struggle just to use it once.’
There was a time when a single activation would trigger a backlash so severe it left me wrecked for days. I think it was around the time I entered the Heavenly Dragon Academy. Even then, the problem was that I was forcing a technique that was only meant to be used after reaching the Fusion Realm.
Pushing past my limits was still my way of doing things, but…
‘I’ve gotten better.’
At least the days of becoming a half-cripple after a single use were gone. Of course, using it recklessly like this was still a massive strain.
Objectively speaking, if I managed my Qi with extreme precision—controlling the compression and rotation to a perfect degree—I could probably use it ten times, maybe a few more. Using it in a frenzy like this reduced that number significantly.
But I had no time to search for a proper path, and this was no time to conserve energy.
Kuaaaaaa—!!
I continued to shroud myself in heat, unleashing the Flaming Sphere several more times. It was on the fifth blast that something changed.
Thud!
A strange sensation made me halt the Qi I was gathering. It wasn't the chaotic, jagged terrain I had been seeing until now. I could see a proper underground structure—a design that was clearly man-made.
Tap.
I landed lightly and sensed the surrounding energy.
‘This is it.’
I knew at once. This was the place I had been looking for. A chilling cold pierced through my body, and a subtly uncomfortable silence hung in the air. I casually flicked my fingers.
Flick—!
The unlit lamps ignited, brightening the surroundings slightly. Not that it made much of a difference; it was still just a long corridor. As the lamps flickered to life, I walked down the hallway. I expanded my senses, but strangely, there was no presence following me. I thought that bastard, whether his name was Mang or Maeng, would be right on my heels.
After walking a short distance, I found a massive door blocking the path. I frowned at the sight of it.
‘This is…’
I had seen this door before. It was the same size and shape as the door in the Lord of the Ice Palace’s hideout. Recognizing it, I immediately grabbed the handle. I figured it would open on its own if I just gripped it like last time, but…
Pzzzzzzzt—!!!
“…!”
Contrary to my expectation, I felt a violent resistance. Along with a jolt of pain, an unknown energy shoved me back. It was as if the door itself was trying to keep me out.
I let out a dry, mocking laugh.
“This bastard? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
How ridiculous. All I was doing was trying to open a door, and it was actually trying to stop me. A surge of annoyance washed over me, and I gripped the handle again.
Pzzzzzzzzzzzt—!!!
Once again, the energy surged to push me away. The pain was immense, but…
‘I’m used to this.’
Getting hurt and feeling pain was something I had experienced so often I was sick of it. I ignored the sensation and tightened my grip.
Riiip.
As I withstood the energy, the skin on my hand tore. To think this would happen even with a layer of Combat Qi protecting me. Of course, I didn't let go.
Grrrrrk—!
I braced myself and pulled. The resistance was immense, but I countered it by flooding my muscles with Qi. It was a brutish, crude method. If there was a formation or a seal on the door, the logical step would be to disable it first.
But I didn't care about logic. I just wanted the door open. Even I had to admit how primitive I was being. However…
‘Since when have I ever been the type to use my head?’
In the end, I decided this was the method that suited me best. Even as my skin tore, pain flared, and my muscles screamed under the strain, I ignored it all and poured in every ounce of my strength.
Creeeeak.
After a moment, the door actually began to give way. Well, it wasn't so much opening as it was…
‘Being ripped off.’
What did it matter? I put my full weight into it.
CRUNCH—! CRASH—!
The iron door was torn clean from its hinges. The massive barrier that had protected the Ice Palace’s secrets for hundreds of years was discarded like scrap metal. Looking at the door in my hands, I muttered, “Should’ve just opened quietly. Why’d you have to put up a fight?”
Swoosh.
CLANG—!
I tossed the iron door down the corridor and walked straight through the entrance. Fortunately, I didn't feel the same backlash as before, but the cold I had been sensing grew exponentially stronger.
I turned my gaze to my forearm.
‘Hmm.’
Goosebumps had formed between the faintly visible scales.
‘What is this now?’
The moment I stepped into the space, my skin crawled. A nauseating, uncomfortable sensation washed over me. It was the feeling I always got when I encountered a half-dragonoid or traces of a dragon, but this time it was exceptionally intense.
It was like…
‘Like when I met the Blood Demon.’
The Blood Demon who had been wearing Jang Seonyeon’s face. An overwhelming hostility, identical to what I felt then, was boiling inside me. I suppressed my emotions and surveyed the room.
‘It looks the same.’
The space in the hideout where the ice crystal had been. This place was almost an exact replica.
‘Which means…’
I turned my head toward the spot where the energy felt most concentrated. Sure enough, an ice crystal stood there.
‘I was right.’
The Lord of the Ice Palace had said it—that in the basement of the palace, there was an ice crystal that blocked the severe cold. This was clearly the place. The shape of the crystal was no different from the one I’d seen before.
But looking at it raised a question.
‘It blocks the cold, huh?’
The surrounding chill was the same, and it didn't look any different. But he had said this one consumes the cold while the other radiates it. I couldn't feel any difference, which meant I had no idea what principle made it work that way.
‘Not that it really matters.’
How it worked didn't matter anymore. What was important was that I now knew the source. I took a step toward the ice crystal.
Fwoosh.
I gathered Qi in my hand. There was no long thought process, no grand plan. Things had gone south, so I would break it. With that singular thought, I approached the crystal.
Just as I was about to punch it, not caring if it shattered into a million pieces…
“…?”
The moment I looked closely at the ice crystal, my movements froze. The Qi in my hand dissipated.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
A curse escaped my lips. I couldn't help it. There was something inside the ice crystal. Now that I was close, I could see through the frost that had been obscured by the cold.
Inside it…
“What the hell is this bastard doing in here?”
Woo Hyuk was inside.
“Huh?”
My eyes widened. The original purpose for coming to the Ice Palace flashed through my mind. I had come to find Woo Hyuk and take him home.
What the hell? Why was he in there? I was bewildered. This was the most baffling situation I had encountered in a long time. Why on earth was Woo Hyuk sealed inside an ice crystal?
I scowled deeply at the crystal, but…
‘This is a fucking mess.’
The bewilderment was brief. Regardless of how this insane situation came to be, it just gave me another reason to shatter the damn thing.
Squeeze.
I twisted my waist and clenched my fist, flooding it with Qi. I was about to unleash it when…
[Dammit.]
Along with the harsh words…
Kwwaaaaaaang—!
Sharp shards of ice suddenly erupted from the crystal. Should I just take the hit and punch through? I considered it for a split second, but…
Fwoosh—!
My instincts had already twisted my body away, creating distance.
‘Tsk.’
It wasn't an attack I could just tank. They were all aimed at my vitals, making it difficult to evade while preparing a counter. Immediately after dodging the shards and taking a few steps back, I spat out a curse.
“Ha, you son of a bitch. You bastard, what do you think you’re doing?”
[…]
A heavy silence followed my words.
[Truly, this is absurd.]
A familiar voice—Mang’s voice—echoed from the ice crystal.
[Are you clever, or are you a fool? To think you would act so recklessly.]
Grind.
The slight tremble in his voice revealed a seething rage.
[It was almost done. It would have been but a moment. How dare you refuse my hand and interfere with my work?]
“Interfere? Don’t make me laugh.” I sneered at Mang’s words. “It’s not like you ever planned on us being allies anyway, you fucking bastard.”
Who did he take me for?
“Did you think I’d just stand by and listen to that?”
I could tell from our conversation that Mang had no intention of joining hands with me from the start. A center without roots. The way he spoke—as if he would tell me everything, yet leaving out the only parts that mattered. Listening to him subtly trying to coax me, it was impossible not to see through it.
“It was obvious you were just stalling for time. Why would I listen to that crap?”
[Ha.]
He let out a dry laugh.
[You are more perceptive than I thought.]
He had been buying time. He’d even gone so far as to appear in Yuseon’s body after hiding so carefully. What was the reason? Why did he have to go to such lengths?
I didn't have to think about that for long either. If he truly had a reason to stall me, that reason was inside the ice crystal. I had searched for the crystal with that expectation, and sure enough, the situation was a complete disaster.
“What is all this?” I asked, grinding my teeth.
[I should be the one asking you that,] Mang threw the question back at me. [Ninth. What is the meaning of this?]
“What?”
[Why in the world are you interfering with me?]
Mang spoke as if he genuinely couldn't comprehend it.
[I did not weave lies into our conversation. Our common enemy is the same, and it was true that I intended to join hands with you. Why would you make such a choice?]
At his words, which were tinged with a hint of genuine confusion… I looked at him and said, “Do you not have ears?”
[What did you say…?]
Maybe he didn't. Otherwise, there was no way he could react like that.
“I told you I don’t like you because you’re a pain in the ass to work with. Are you slow on the uptake?”
[…]
“I hate guys with shady pasts the most.”
If someone acts up in front of me, I can just beat them up. But with shady bastards, you never know what they'll do; there's too much to worry about. Especially the fact that he had been sucking the bloodline of the North dry for hundreds of years for his own revival—that completely turned me off.
[…For such a trivial reason?]
Even after I kindly explained it to him, Mang continued to speak as if he couldn't understand.
[Simply because I consumed a few of these primitive creatures, you refuse to take my hand?]
“Listen to yourself. Your very tone is fucked up.”
[It is a blessing that these insignificant beings were used for my revival.]
“Now you’re just spouting bullshit.”
[It is something they should be grateful for even in death, yet you, of all people—my own kind—are getting angry about it?]
Hearing his words, I clicked my tongue. I was getting too pissed off to continue this conversation.
“Don’t get it twisted.” I gathered Qi in my body again. “Whether the North suffered or not, I don’t give a damn.”
Right, that didn't matter. What great connection did I have with them to get worked up over it? What was important to me wasn't the sacrificed bloodline of the North.
“It’s that I’m sick and tired of a bastard like you who does such things without a second thought. You son of a bitch.”
I wrapped my fist in even more Qi than before and launched myself forward.
Crack-crack-crack—!
Ice shards rained down just like before. But this time, I was moving to evade, so it wasn't hard to dodge. My clothes were pierced slightly from the violent movements, but the damage wasn't worth worrying about.
Tap—!
I pivoted on my toes and assessed the situation. I broke through Mang’s attack and reached the ice crystal. This time, without hesitation, I slammed my fist into it.
Kwwwadddddddk—!!!
My fist plunged straight into the ice crystal. I swallowed a bit of surprise; it had pierced through far more easily than I expected. I thought there would be at least some resistance, but it felt like breaking an ordinary rock.
‘Strange, but…’
I pushed my fist in with all my might.
Crack-crack-crack-crack-crack—!!!
Cracks began to spread from my embedded fist, rapidly engulfing the entire crystal. And then…
Kwaddeuk.
It took only a few seconds for the ice crystal to crumble and collapse.
Patter-patter.
The fragments of the ice crystal scattered. I frowned as I watched the debris fall. It wasn't because the crystal was breaking.
The reason was…
“…Hah… You’re really getting on my nerves.”
Someone had grabbed my outstretched fist.