Chapter 641: The Thunderous Sword (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 641: The Thunderous Sword (2)
Swoosh—
A cold wind swept across the desolate ground in the wake of the chaos.
Left alone in the silence, I stared blankly at the horizon and whispered, "Was it all a dream?"
The thought crossed my mind because the entire situation felt utterly absurd.
"..."
But as I looked at the scene before me, I knew it was no dream. The land had been shattered and reduced to ash, as if a primordial force had swept through the earth. Feeling the residual heat radiating from the soil, a cold sweat broke out down my spine.
I didn't see it properly.
I should have witnessed the exact nature of the power that had been unleashed. But the light had been so blindingly intense that I had instinctively closed my eyes. It was a regret that would haunt me for a lifetime.
I should have seen it.
I should have watched every second and burned the image into my mind. To be so foolish as to close my eyes...
Dammit.
Gritting my teeth, I scanned my surroundings. The chaotic mess could be dealt with later; the priority was understanding what had just happened—especially my father's sudden appearance and his equally abrupt disappearance in the middle of our conversation.
And...
He was clearly about to say something regarding my mother. To vanish at that exact moment...
"What the hell?"
He had piqued my curiosity and then simply vanished. Where did he go? No, how did he even get here in the first place?
Just as I was pondering my father, who had arrived and departed like a fleeting gale...
Crack!
"Huh?"
Feeling a sharp sensation against my chest, I reached into my robes and pulled the object out.
"Oh?"
My eyes widened. It was a marble—the red jade marble Lady Mi had given me. I had checked on it only moments ago, so the object itself wasn't strange. The problem was its condition.
"It's broken?"
For some reason, the marble was shattered. Not only that, but it had lost its vibrant luster, turning dull and transparent. The first thought that flashed through my mind was a simple one.
"...I'm dead."
I felt more terrified in that moment than I had when facing the White-Grade Demon. The issue wasn't just that a marble had broken; it was that the person who had given it to me was Lady Mi.
"How am I supposed to explain this...?"
The gift from Lady Mi was ruined. What kind of excuse could I possibly make when I returned? As that foolish worry occupied my mind...
"...Hm?"
I belatedly noticed another change. As I fiddled with the broken shards, I felt it.
It’s hot.
The marble was burning to the touch.
Is it because of my body?
Unlikely. Having mastered flame arts, my body temperature was higher than an ordinary person's, but not enough to heat an object to this degree just by holding it. Moreover...
I can feel Qi.
Aside from the heat, the marble was imbued with a distinct Qi. Was it mine? For a moment, I thought so, but that wasn't it either. This was definitely...
Father's Qi.
It was a heat far closer to my father's than my own. Which meant...
"Was it because of this thing?"
Could this marble be the reason my father had suddenly appeared in the North? It seemed like a ridiculous idea, but no other explanation fit. Besides, I remembered what Lady Mi had said when she gave it to me.
—Use it when you think you're in danger.
And she had mentioned that my father was the one who had given her the marble in the first place. Looking at the shattered fragments, I nodded.
"This is it."
It had to be. This was the reason my father was able to manifest in the North.
I knew it was a treasure...
Since it came from Lady Mi, I had naturally assumed it was valuable.
But to think it possessed this kind of power.
The power to summon someone from a vast distance. I never imagined such a treasure existed in this world.
...Well, there's also a madman who opens Gates of Demons with his bare hands, so maybe it's not that strange.
Suddenly, the thought of Cheol Jiseon struggling with the errand I had given him put my mind at ease. With a slightly calmer heart, I examined the shards from every angle.
How did I activate it?
Setting aside its effects, I had never intended to use it. Lady Mi told me to use it in times of peril, but she never explained the method. How on earth had I triggered it? As I retraced my steps, one thing came to mind.
Was it my Qi?
When I used the Spatial Art instead of picking up the marble directly, I remembered it glowing faintly. Which meant...
It activates when directly imbued with Qi.
Thinking of it that way, the activation method was simple. It seemed that accidental infusion was what had caused this entire incident.
Also, it seems to have a time limit...
"Time is up."
That’s what my father had said right before he vanished. Judging by that, it wasn't a complete teleportation, but rather a temporary summoning with a set duration.
On top of that, the fact that the marble shattered...
Should I view it as a one-time use item? Or was it because it had been pushed to its limit? I couldn't know for sure. But the important part was clear.
In the end, I can't use this treasure anymore.
I knew it instinctively. The treasure's power was spent. In fact, instinct had nothing to do with it; anyone could tell just by looking. If it was shattered and faded like this, it was obviously finished.
"Hmm."
It was a bit of a shame. It was an incredibly useful item. To be able to call upon someone just by injecting Qi—even if it wasn't a permanent teleportation, there was no better emergency device. If I still had this...
I could prevent situations like this one.
That alone would have been a great comfort. I already had so much to worry about; this could have eliminated one of my greatest anxieties. I carefully gathered the pieces of what used to be a marble and tucked them back into my clothes. A broken treasure was just that—broken. There was no point in wallowing in regret.
Fortunately, though...
I knew someone who could overturn that reality. A person who could not only fix broken treasures but also create "artificial" ones.
"I was planning to visit her anyway."
Now I had a solid reason to go. The good thing was that finding her wouldn't be too difficult.
And as it happens...
The Heavenly Demon. I had confirmed she was in Henan. And the one I was looking for would be by her side. Just as I was about to revise my plans...
"My Lord!!"
I turned my head at the sound of the voice.
Ah, right.
There was that, too. Things had happened so rapidly that I had momentarily forgotten the aftermath of the natural disaster my father had unleashed. Before us lay the corpse of the demon, now nothing more than a pile of ash. Its incredible regenerative ability was gone, and it showed no signs of movement. It looked well and truly dead.
Well, it would be a problem if it weren't dead after that.
Its body had been incinerated. If it could get up from that state, it would be beyond ridiculous. The Black Lion, the guard of the Palace Lord, was approaching the remains of the White-Grade Demon.
"My Lord...!!"
The Black Lion reached out with trembling hands, but he hesitated, unable to bring himself to touch the remains. I walked up to him.
"You were swinging your sword with such gusto before. Why the hesitation now?"
"...!"
The Black Lion flinched at my words but didn't answer. I thought he might get angry, but he remained silent. As I wondered what was wrong with him, someone appeared beside me. It was the Dishonored Venerable.
He looked at me and sighed. "I knew you were inconsiderate, but I didn't realize you were this much of an asshole."
Tsk, tsk.
He clearly didn't like my tone, as he clicked his tongue repeatedly.
"...I didn't include character education in your training. I'm starting to wonder if that was a necessary component."
"Hey, character education from you, Elder? That's a bit... Aack!"
A sudden smack to the back of my head nearly made my eyes pop out. I knew it was a silent command to watch my mouth, but I still didn't quite get why he was so annoyed. My feelings must have shown on my face, because the Dishonored Venerable let out a small sigh.
"Disciple."
"Yes."
"If you're born human, you need to work on that thing called empathy."
"I'm aware of that, but it's not like you have much of it yourself, Elder."
"..."
I said it fully expecting to be hit again, but this time, the blow didn't come. The Dishonored Venerable must have felt the sting of the truth, as he turned his gaze away.
"...Anyway."
He was trying to move on, so I decided to stay quiet.
"Where did your father go?"
"...I'm not sure. Probably Shanxi."
"...Huh? Shanxi?"
To say that someone who was in the North just moments ago was now in Shanxi... The Dishonored Venerable's eyes were full of questions, but explaining was too much of a hassle, so I let it slide.
"Anyway, that's that."
"...My Lord..."
The Black Lion was still staring at the dead demon. Seeing him, both the Dishonored Venerable and Seong Yul, who had quietly approached, wore grim expressions. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and ash, and a somber mood prevailed.
Good grief.
"It's not even dead yet..."
Thump.
"Hm?"
I froze and turned my head. I felt the atmosphere shift the moment those words left my mouth. Everyone was staring at me. Did I do something wrong again? I didn't think so.
"Why is everyone staring at me like that?"
Even the Black Lion, who hadn't looked away from the corpse until now, was glaring at me. He asked urgently, "...What did you just say?"
"What about?"
"That it's not dead. What do you mean by that?"
I tilted my head at his tone. It was only then that I realized the disconnect.
Aha, so that was the problem.
I wondered why they were reacting like this; it seemed they simply didn't know.
Well, if they knew, they wouldn't be hesitating.
I placed a hand over my heart.
Thump! Thump!
The steady beat of my pulse. But something else was mixed in with it. Feeling the resonance, I looked at the pile of ash.
Thump! Thump-thump!
The pulse grew stronger. My heart was telling me that something was still alive.
Swoosh.
I raised my hand and swung it lightly.
Fwoosh!!
A blast of wind pressure erupted from the strike, infused with Combat Qi. The harsh gale struck the remains of the demon.
Pssssss—!!!
The charred body began to crumble and scatter into the wind.
"What do you think you're doing—!!" the Black Lion roared, but I ignored him and pointed straight ahead.
"Don't get angry. Look closely."
Pssss...
Ash scattered into the air. The speed at which it disintegrated was remarkable. The heat must have been immense to reduce such a grotesque body to this state. But that wasn't the point.
"...!!"
As the ashes cleared, the Black Lion finally noticed. Beneath where the demon's body had been, a human form remained on the ground.
"My Lord!!"
It was the Lord of the Ice Palace. The man who was said to have been consumed by ice crystals and transformed into a demon was lying there. The Black Lion rushed over and checked his condition.
"Hah...!"
Surprisingly, the Lord's body was pristine, without a single wound. His torso had been blown away and his face torn repeatedly during the fight, yet after the demonic shell vanished, his original body was perfectly intact.
How strange.
This was unexpected. However...
He's only uninjured. There are plenty of other problems.
First, the physical mutations were severe. The scales that had already begun to form now completely covered the area around his face. The resonance I felt from the half-dragonoid was still there, but his breathing was so shallow he seemed to be barely hanging on.
Is this the aftermath of being consumed by the ice crystals?
I was curious about what had happened, but he remained unconscious. With his breathing and Qi in such a state, I doubted he would wake up anytime soon.
"Hmm."
Looking at the Lord, I wondered if I could use my heat to heal him, just as I had with Moyong Hi-ah. The thought crossed my mind, but...
I don't really feel like it.
Even if it were possible, the most important factor was missing: Why should I? I felt no need to go out of my way for the Lord. There was nothing more to gain from him, meaning it wasn't worth the effort of using my heat.
As that thought took hold, my internal temperature seemed to cool. My interest vanished.
Unlike me, the Black Lion helped the Lord up, looking around with a desperate expression. "Quickly... we must get to a healer...!"
I tilted my head at the sight. Such incredible loyalty. I found it strange—what did he see in the Lord to act like that? It was even more alien to me, as I tended to view such devotion as meaningless.
Even if they take him, I doubt there's anything they can do.
The Black Lion's devotion was admirable, but that was the cold reality. Of course, I didn't bother pointing that out or stirring the pot. It wasn't out of respect for the Black Lion; it was simply because it had become a hassle. I had lost interest, and even speaking felt like too much trouble.
I averted my gaze and focused on my next move.
Should I head back first?
I had to return to my companions. The injured Namgung Bi-ah and Tang Soyeol were far more important than the Lord. I looked toward Seong Yul.
"You said you helped them escape, so you must know where they are..."
I was about to ask him to lead the way when...
Thud.
A strange presence made me turn my head again. My eyes widened in surprise. Someone was standing exactly where only the Black Lion and the Lord should have been.
"Hut!"
The Black Lion noticed a moment later. He tried to move, but...
"Stop."
At the figure's voice, the Black Lion's body froze solid. He had stopped on command, though his expression suggested he didn't understand why he had obeyed. The figure continued, speaking to the paralyzed guard in a cool, detached tone.
"If you don't want your master to die, you'd best stay right where you are."
I hadn't even noticed when he had appeared. Moreover, he was someone I knew. Not just me—the Black Lion's face crumpled the moment he saw him, so he recognized him as well.
His black hair had turned snow-white, and his dark eyes now gleamed with a piercing blue light. But his handsome features remained the same. It was impossible not to recognize him.
The Black Lion gasped, "Biwegun...!!"
Yes, the person who had appeared was, surprisingly, Woo Hyuk. For a moment, I wondered if he had returned on his own after I told him to leave.
No.
I was certain the moment I saw him. Frowning deeply, I addressed him.
"...You."
At my voice, his gaze shifted toward me. The moment I met those blue eyes, an eerie chill washed over me. His gaze alone felt sharp enough to draw blood.
That was why I was certain.
"Who are you?"
That man was not Woo Hyuk.