Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: The Indolent Tracker
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"The third floor... I see."
Hearing the destination Hyeok Mulin had named, Tak Gae revealed a puzzled expression.
He had assumed the Cult Leader had come here to drag someone away, just like the previous visit to the prison.
Or at least to exchange a few words with them.
'But there's no prisoner on the third floor that the Cult Leader would know about.'
In truth, the first through third floors were where those guilty of minor offenses were imprisoned.
For example, it was the place for people convicted of making noise, causing disturbances, rowdiness, begging, theft, or false reports.
So there were far more common folk than martial artists locked up there, while the more notorious criminals within the cult were kept in the deeper levels.
That was why Tak Gae was questioning why the Cult Leader would visit the Chogal Hell.
But.
"Your feet have stopped."
"My apologies! I'll continue guiding you!"
At Jang Wi's chilling voice, Tak Gae quickly shook off his doubts and had no choice but to press on toward the designated spot.
Unlike the deepest level they'd visited before, the third floor wasn't far and they arrived soon enough.
[Chogal Hell]
Tak Gae checked the nameplate and opened the entrance.
Hyeok Mulin was then greeted by a blast of scorching heat pouring out, revealing a prison interior that was no different from the depths of hell.
The cell, barely large enough for a hundred people, was crammed full with over a thousand prisoners.
They were piled layer upon layer, their body heat and breaths mingling chaotically.
The air was thick with sweltering heat, as if lava had been poured in, and the sweat-soaked inmates stuck out their tongues, huffing out foul breaths as they struggled.
They couldn't even dream of lying down or sitting in such crushing density; they simply pressed tightly against one another, standing in a packed mass.
"Water... some water... my throat's burning..."
"Get lost! This is my spot!"
"Who stepped on my foot?!"
"I... I can't breathe..."
Endless sighs, curses, and cries of agony echoed through the suffocating, stench-filled air of the prison.
And whenever someone collapsed from exhaustion, others would tumble over them and trample them in frequent chaos.
The wardens merely sneered coldly at the hellish scene.
"......"
Hyeok Mulin silently surveyed the prisons to either side.
Tak Gae, wondering if the Cult Leader felt any pity, began his explanation.
"Even for minor offenders, we've ordered this intense confinement for their reformation. Only through such an experience can we burn into their minds the resolve never to repeat their crimes."
In fact, these prisoners' only relief came during their labor shifts, so they eagerly awaited work time.
And it was true that recidivism rates had noticeably dropped among those who served their full sentences under this punishment regime.
As Tak Gae expounded on the purpose of the Chogal Hell, Hyeok Mulin slowly spoke.
"I was planning to ramp up the intensity. This is borderline, but it passes."
"Th-thank you."
At those words, Tak Gae felt a chill run down his neck.
It wasn't pity—he was just inspecting the prison's severity.
And even this barely passes?
What kind of hellish punishment had the Cult Leader been considering?
Tak Gae swallowed hard and cautiously asked Hyeok Mulin, who was scanning the prisoners.
"Cult Leader, are you looking for someone in particular?"
"Who has been here the longest?"
"The longest-staying prisoner..."
One name immediately came to mind.
Tak Gae instructed a warden, who soon dragged a man out of the cell.
"This is him. He gets out of the prison only to wander back in soon after. Truly the Chogal Hell's biggest headache."
He had a square face with enormous nostrils, eyebrows that shot upward toward his forehead, giving him a perpetually aggrieved look.
His eyes were dull, his body limp without strength—he was the very picture of sloth.
Thrust before Hyeok Mulin, he averted his gaze and muttered reluctantly.
"What... what do you want?"
He seemed unaware of who Hyeok Mulin was, but from the warden's deference, he grasped that this was a high-ranking demon of the cult.
Hyeok Mulin stared at him intently before asking.
"What's your name?"
"Na Taemun."
Just as I thought.
He'd been half-doubting from the unreliable appearance, but the name confirmed it.
This was the man who would later rise as the world's greatest tracker.
In a dozen years or so, Na Taemun's tracking skills would uncover one of the cult's hidden retreats on the outskirts.
He'd even set up house there in that remote spot, only to be discovered. During interrogation, it came out that he'd pinpointed the Heavenly Demon Secret Vault's location.
To silence him, he was thrown into the Endless Hell, doomed to never see the sun again.
But at this point in time...
"What was he jailed for?"
Tak Gae answered Hyeok Mulin's question promptly.
"Stole men's money pouches and women's perfume sachets to sell. Even after paying his debt and getting out, he never reformed his sticky fingers—always caught again soon enough."
Tsk.
Wasting that talent on petty theft.
Hyeok Mulin clicked his tongue and addressed him.
"I have a task for you."
"......?"
"Someone in here bears a cross-shaped mark I left. Find that person."
A mark...?
Tak Gae gazed at Hyeok Mulin with a mix of bewilderment and admiration.
The Cult Leader hadn't touched any prisoners, just strolled the corridors—when had he left such a mark?
As Tak Gae marveled at the Cult Leader's divine prowess, Na Taemun asked with a faintly annoyed expression.
"What do I get out of it?"
"I'll release you from here."
Ending his sentence was a dream come true for any prisoner, but Na Taemun thought differently.
"I'll be out in half a month anyway..."
He figured he could just tough it out for a fortnight amid the jostling, no need for extra hassle—but he clamped his mouth shut before finishing.
Tak Gae was glaring at him murderously from behind.
"A-alright..."
As the startled man grudgingly accepted.
"You can refuse."
Hyeok Mulin stated calmly.
"Your choice will simply lead to consequences."
Na Taemun scratched his chin at Hyeok Mulin's loaded words.
Then, with a deep sigh, he spoke.
"Find the marked prisoner among these inmates, right?"
"Yes."
"Understood."
Having accepted, Na Taemun turned his back to Hyeok Mulin.
He strode swiftly down the prison corridor, eyes casually sweeping the cells.
No one could tell if he was truly checking; he moved too fast.
Yet in less than a moment, he'd circled the entire floor and returned to Hyeok Mulin.
He spoke in a reluctant tone.
"Found one, but..."
One?
Tak Gae looked puzzled.
Na Taemun hadn't brought anyone.
As the doubt lingered, he pointed at himself.
"Is that person... me?"
Tak Gae's eyes widened, staring at Hyeok Mulin in disbelief.
Hyeok Mulin nodded.
"Correct."
Hyeok Mulin hadn't touched any other prisoner.
The only mark he'd left was on Na Taemun's nape, a subtle cross on his clothing, right before the man turned to search.
Excellent aptitude for tight spaces and flexible thinking.
Confirming Na Taemun's talent, Hyeok Mulin headed for the door.
"Follow me."
Exiting through the entrance and ascending the stairs, Hyeok Mulin fully emerged from the prison.
Na Taemun, trailing behind, squinted at the sunlight he hadn't seen in ages.
As he shaded his eyes, Hyeok Mulin—back to the sun—spoke to him.
"You have two hours."
"Pardon?"
"Find your way to where I am within that time."
With that curt notice, Hyeok Mulin vanished before Na Taemun could respond.
He'd used Extreme Swift Step, his form gone in an instant—Na Taemun hadn't even caught a shadow.
From afar, Hyeok Mulin watched the baffled man scan his surroundings, then turned away.
Shuuuk—!
Moving with wind-cutting speed alongside Jang Wi, Hyeok Mulin entered one of the secret safehouses in the outer fortress.
Nestled among ordinary homes, it appeared as a shabby thatched hut from outside, perfectly blended with the surroundings.
Inside, Hyeok Mulin sat with Jang Wi and began waiting.
As they waited, Jang Wi murmured skeptically.
"Do you really think he can find this place in two hours without a single clue...?"
"He will."
Hyeok Mulin replied firmly, continuing.
"And he can manage it."
Hyeok Mulin then assumed a meditative posture, cultivating calmly.
Time flowed like running water.
"......"
Jang Wi spoke softly to the eyes-closed Hyeok Mulin.
"Cult Leader, the promised time is almost up."
Hyeok Mulin slowly opened his eyes and peered out the window.
The sun was setting, painting the sky in dusk.
Gazing at the scene, Hyeok Mulin tilted his head.
...Was I wrong?
Given his future fame, he'd expected success with ease.
Perhaps his abilities hadn't fully awakened yet.
No clues given, it might be too much.
But if he couldn't handle even this level of tracking, he'd be of little use anyway.
They needed to hunt those who'd fled deep into the vast Central Plains and vanished.
If he fell short, another approach would be needed.
As Hyeok Mulin swallowed his disappointment and rose.
"......!"
Sensing something, his pupils dilated briefly.
Well.
A faint smile curved his lips as he spoke.
"What did I say? That he could do it."
Leaving Jang Wi—who seemed to sense it too—Hyeok Mulin stepped outside.
There, Na Taemun was scouting the area, cautiously opening the door.
Spotting Hyeok Mulin inside, he let out a relieved sigh.
"Phew. That was close."
Hyeok Mulin asked bluntly, watching him wipe sweat.
"How did you find us?"
"I have a good nose for scents. And I can distinguish the unique fragrances people give off."
Scent. Makes sense.
It was practically the only trace left on him.
"To be honest... I couldn't pick up your trail at all, so I followed the scent of the man beside you."
Na Taemun confessed he'd tracked Jang Wi, not Hyeok Mulin.
But Hyeok Mulin only smiled wider.
Peerless tracking backed by sharp situational judgment and seamless adaptation.
As Na Taemun said, Hyeok Mulin had left no trace of himself—not even a whiff.
Yet Na Taemun hadn't given up.
Unable to track Hyeok Mulin, he'd flexibly switched to Jang Wi's scent.
Thoroughly satisfied, Hyeok Mulin nodded and declared.
"Your skills are confirmed. As promised, you're free from the prison."
"Thank you."
"In return, follow me. I have need of you."
Na Taemun's face fell reluctantly.
"Understood. But... may I ask where we're going?"
"The Central Plains."
"Eek...!"
Na Taemun nearly yelped.
Lazy by nature, he'd never left Heavenly Mountain in his life.
And now, to the Central Plains?
Refusal rose in his throat.
But he couldn't voice it.
How many in the world would refuse a high-ranking demon after coming this far?
Swallowing tears in his chest, Na Taemun asked.
"If I may... who is the great hero who freed this lowly one from prison?"
The question was long; the answer short.
"Heavenly Demon."
"......Pardon?"
"Heavenly Demon. First time meeting?"
Doubting his ears for a moment, he froze stiff.
And soon after.
Thud—
Under the blue sky, one figure collapsed flat on the ground.
The man Na Taemun.
The first day in his life he foamed at the mouth and fainted.