The Bandit's Cave and the Secret Diary
Only the torches on the wall illuminated the darkness of the space.>
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.>
A figure appeared with terrifying suddenness, emerging from the magic circle embedded in the floor.>
He was the dark elf who had fled from the fortress, the one in charge of the lower ranks.>
“Grrrgh…”>
As Yeol-jo exclaimed in pain and collapsed onto the ground, a group of intruders burst into the space where the teleportation magic circle was installed.>
All of them were wearing gray hoods pulled deep over their heads.>
“Intruders! Dark Arrow!”>
“Where the hell are we? Bone Hand!”>
“Take them down! Death Whip!”>
The black magicians began chanting without any hesitation.>
Yeol-jo gritted his teeth and shouted.>
“Unholy Shield!”>
Clang! Clang! Clang!>
Yeol-jo deflected the black magic attacks with a barrier made of dark magic.>
“What the hell are you doing right now!”>
“Black magic?”>
“Who are you?! Reveal your identity!”>
“Grrk! Do you really think we wouldn’t recognize you?”>
Yeol-jo’s furious shout made the black magicians flinch.>
“His voice sounds just like Master Yeol.”>
“Yeah, it does.”>
“But why does he look like that?”>
“Are you really Master Yeol?”>
As the black magicians questioned him, Yeol-jo let out a short groan.>
He could tell his face was in terrible shape just from the throbbing pain he felt on it.>
With his face swollen to the point that it bore no resemblance to his old self, he gritted his teeth and said.>
“I have urgent news. Immediately escort me to Master Ziggurat. Now!”>
“Y-yes, of course!”>
The lower-level black magicians quickly rushed over, helped Yeol-jo to his feet, and headed somewhere else.>
After wandering around in the artificially carved cave for a while, Yeol-jo and the black magicians arrived at a place where books filled every wall of the space.>
At a table placed in one corner of the space, an old man was reading a book and spoke coldly.>
“What brings you here? You should be carrying out a mission right now.”>
“Master Ziggurat, unknown intruders have appeared in the Dragon Mountain Range.”>
“Unknown intruders?”>
“Yes! They attacked not only me but also the vice-leader.”>
“Attacked?”>
The voice was enough to send chills down one’s spine.>
The white hair and the warty wrinkles covering his face made the atmosphere even more sinister.>
“Are you trying to say you lost all the Jiangshi?”>
“S-sorry. He was far stronger than even the Jiangshi.”>
“What an interesting story. Not only did you lose all the Jiangshi, but you were also defeated by a human.”>
“H-he was no ordinary human. Black-haired, and he knew about the Jiangshi…”>
Before Yeol-jo could finish his sentence, Ziggurat stood up from his seat in a jolt.>
“Black-haired and he knew about the Jiangshi?”>
“Yes! He defeated the Jiangshi in an instant with a power that didn’t feel human at all.”>
“Could it be the Black Dragon?”>
“It wasn’t a dragon. There were hundreds of people with that hair color in the Dragon Mountain Range. It wasn’t confirmed by my eyes, but…”>
As Yeol-jo trailed off, Ziggurat urged him on.>
“It doesn’t matter. Speak without hesitation.”>
“It seemed as if the dragon was with those humans. And it was a high dragon, and they didn’t get along well at all.”>
“So the dragon and the black-haired man fought?”>
“I didn’t hear any explosion, but the voice was full of cruelty and the presence was clearly that of a dragon.”>
Ziggurat’s face hardened at Yeol-jo’s confident tone.>
“What happened to the vice-leader?”>
“I don’t know. I only managed to escape when he was unconscious.”>
“You single-handedly fled from a space full of a human strong enough to shatter the Jiangshi and a high dragon?”>
“The dragon made the situation chaotic. Since I moved secretly, no one noticed.”>
Hearing those words, Ziggurat quietly stared at Yeol-jo before speaking to the lower-level black magicians.>
“Clean up this place immediately. Erase all traces. Report back to the teleportation magic circle in thirty minutes.”>
“Yes, Master Ziggurat!”>
The lower-level black magicians quickly dispersed.>
Even though it was a measure that questioned his words, Yeol-jo’s expression showed no resentment or displeasure whatsoever.>
Each individual’s conviction didn’t matter.>
As long as there was no suspicious situation, he had hidden his tail and stayed silent.>
That was the core reason they had been able to continue their grand scheme so secretly and meticulously.>
Yeol-jo, who knew this better than anyone, accepted the current situation as natural.>
Ziggurat didn’t care about Yeol-jo at all.>
A dragon and a black-haired human. Things were turning out interestingly.>
Hiding his mysterious gaze, he reached toward the small mirror the size of an adult male head resting on the table.>
“ᎏᝠᥞᨆᜋᥜ!”>
Whispering an incomprehensible chant, Ziggurat blew dark magic into the mirror.>
Siiiiing…>
The mirror began to shake violently and gradually turned pitch black.>
After a moment, the shaking stopped, and a voice flowed out from the now completely pitch-black mirror.>
[Speak. Ziggurat.]>
“I greet the Lord.”>
[Tell me your business.]>
“The lower-rank leader just returned. He reported…”>
Ziggurat faithfully relayed Yeol-jo’s report.>
The pitch-black aura filling the mirror violently surged.>
[A thousand years. The time we have prepared for the grand scheme. During that time, what we kept hidden was only one thing: we could not allow any mistake in completing the perfect grand scheme. But! Our secrecy and meticulousness, which we maintained until now, have been shattered. By someone we absolutely cannot let know! ]>
Yeol-jo immediately knelt and lowered his head at the cruel shout coming from the mirror.>
“I take full responsibility for the sin. I will bear responsibility for disrupting the grand scheme with my death.”>
[Death is too lenient. Offer your soul and body to the grand scheme! ]>
At the words of the Lord, Yeol-jo’s eyes wavered terribly.>
But after a moment, he bit his lips as if steeling his resolve and lowered his head.>
“I will offer my soul and body for the grand scheme.”>
[Ziggurat! ]>
“Yes, Lord.”>
[The dragon has noticed our existence. Clean up that place and hide immediately. And withdraw all plans currently in progress in the Dragon Mountain Range! ]>
“If we withdraw all plans in the Dragon Mountain Range, it will greatly affect the grand scheme.”>
[We have no choice. Although we have gained the new power of the Jiangshi, it is not enough to challenge the dragon at our current level. Moreover, if the being that appeared among the black-haired humans is a high dragon, it must be the Lord of the Gold Dragon! We absolutely cannot make contact with it! ]>
The Lord, who knew of Sybel’s existence.>
Ziggurat nodded in agreement.>
“I understand. I will cancel all plans currently in progress in the Dragon Mountain Range.”>
[One more thing. Send ordinary humans among your subordinates to secretly investigate the black-haired humans. Who they are, where they came from, how they know about the Jiangshi! ]>
“I will do so.”>
[It won’t be long now. His perfection, the perfect summoning of the Jiangshi! ]>
“I will gladly offer this one life for the grand scheme.”>
[That sacrifice will become the foundation for the world being offered to the god of corruption and death! ]>
That was when the conversation between the Lord and Ziggurat was coming to an end.>
Suddenly, Yeol-jo raised his head sharply.>
“There is one more thing I remember about those humans.”>
[Speak.]>
“They called themselves bandits.”>
[Bandits? ]>
The Lord’s voice was filled with astonishment.>
Yeol-jo quickly continued.>
“Yes. And they had a name for the fortress. It was quite unusual.”>
[A human who shattered the Jiangshi calling himself a bandit. It means it wasn’t an ordinary place. What was the name of that place? ]>
“Jinryong Chae. They definitely said Jinryong Chae.”>
Before those words could finish, a strange sound suddenly began flowing from beyond the mirror.>
Kugugu gugu gugu gugung!>
[Why are you suddenly doing this?! ]>
Behind the Lord’s astonished shout, another voice followed.>
[Tell me again. What did you say their names were? ]>
Yeol-jo trembled at the horrific voice that felt like his breath was being cut off.>
“T-they said Jinryong Chae!”>
[Jinryong Chae, Jinryong Chae! Kkkkkkkkkkkkkk! ]>
Siiiiiiiiiiiiing!>
The mirror shook violently and began to crack.>
“Grrk.”>
“Kuooh!”>
Yeol-jo and Ziggurat screamed in pain as blood flowed from their ears.>
Yet the horrible laughter did not stop.>
Clang! Clang! Clang!>
Until the mirror shattered completely.>
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!>
The pitch-black magic rose like mist and the mirror rapidly lost its light.>
From that mirror, a sinister voice faintly flowed out.>
[Grrr… You also came here. Jin Chen! ]>
***
At that moment, Jin Chen sat on a remaining log of cut wood, looking straight ahead.>
“So while I was working hard for the fortress, you were managing the household?”>
Krrrr.>
With a low growl, Baek-i stealthily avoided his gaze.>
“It was just a coincidence! Damn you! How did a spiritual beast become strong enough to fight monsters like this? Hm?”>
“The Sabel Tiger is not a monster; it’s a ferocious beast. It’s important to clearly distinguish between the two…”>
“Shut up! You bastard!”>
Sybel, who got involved for no reason and only received insults.>
Countless pairs of eyes watched his entire demeanor.>
They were the Sabel Tigers gathered behind Baek-i.>
But the appearance of the famous ferocious Sabel Tigers was a bit strange.>
With their tails tucked tightly between their legs, they couldn’t even lift their heads.>
Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.>
No one didn’t know the reason.>
Baek-i knew as well.>
The presence that terrified the Sabel Tigers was felt in its entirety.>
Krrrrr.>
Baek-i bared its teeth fiercely, glaring at Sybel.>
It was full of fighting spirit, wanting to fight more than fear.>
Sybel, watching that with eyes full of curiosity, suddenly looked up at the sky.>
At the same time, a clear cry resounded.>
Kiiiieeeek!>
A small bird circled once over Jin Chen’s head and then dove down.>
Fwaaaat!>
The bird descended at enormous speed and landed lightly on Jin Chen’s shoulder.>
Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!>
Samsaek-i rubbed his beak against Jin Chen’s cheek as if it were asking for something.>
Jin Chen narrowed his brows and said.>
“Where on earth have you been circling around like that?”>
Squeak!>
“What’s there to be busy about! You were the one roaming outside, so that guy must have been causing some weird trouble.”>
Squeak squeak!>
“What? Even when questioned, you didn’t answer? That’s really…”>
Jin Chen’s gaze returned to Baek-i again.>
Krrung.>
As if to ask when Baek-i had started glaring at Sybel, it avoided his gaze once more.>
Squeak squeak! Squeak!>
Samsaek-i pointed at Baek-i with his wing and chirped nonstop.>
Jin Chen, who understood it well and immediately started scolding, began.>
Bbakbbaki, who had been quietly watching the scene, asked Sybel together.>
“They are not ordinary animals. They possess such immense power inside their bodies.”>
“The White Tiger and the Five-Colored Divine Bird are spiritual beasts considered equal to dragons in our world.”>
“Dragons, you mean creatures similar to them, right?”>
“Yes.”>
Bbakbbaki nodded and answered.>
Last night, Jin Chen had organized Sybel’s location.>
‘You’ve lived eight thousand years. Treat me well.’>
To that, Bbakbbaki raised his voice.>
Well, not completely.>
“An encounter with such beings. Interesting. I thought you were a human far from those things.”>
“The White Tiger and the Five-Colored Divine Bird are different. They have been connected since Master Yeol-nim met the masters, so they are like family.”>
“I’m curious. Who are the masters who created such a monstrous human like you.”>
Sybel’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Jin Chen.>
The curiosity he had heard when Jin Chen said he personally created the martial art.>
As if he had found the way to solve it.