Chapter 94
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Baby
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I opened my parched lips toward the Black Elder.
"It's been a while."
The Black Elder replied curtly.
"Indeed."
Could I escape?
No. Impossible.
From the start, the plan to use Paeng Daesan as a tank to draw the aggro of those two Nine Heavens Castle bastards had gone completely off the rails with the arrival of this wildcard. Even if the demonic elder somehow got blocked by Paeng Daesan, this guy, the Black Elder, would absolutely follow me no matter what. His goal had been solely me from the beginning.
The Black Elder spoke. His voice rang out with uncanny clarity amid the surrounding roar.
"The young lady is coming. Don't even think about going anywhere. Stay put. I won't kill you."
I knew that already. These people—the Black Elder and Cheonha Young—needed me. Their objective wasn't to kill me, but to capture me alive.
In that case, there was something I had to ask.
I jerked my chin toward the demonic elder, who was clashing explosively with Paeng Daesan.
"Are those guys on the same side as Nine Heavens Castle?"
The Black Elder answered without a moment's hesitation.
"No."
I see.
I took one more step forward.
"The reason you and Cheonha Young are chasing me... is it to save someone?"
At my question, the Black Elder's brow furrowed ever so slightly. He fell silent for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"Yes."
I see.
In that case, what they wanted from me was my abilities—specifically, my healing powers.
"The person you need to save is someone you can't tell me about, right?"
"Yes."
I see.
I took a short breath.
"Then, if I promise to save that person, could you grant me one request?"
The Black Elder stared at me intently.
A brief silence.
Paeng Daesan's roar and the clash of the demonic elder's staff filled the battlefield.
Finally, the Black Elder spoke.
"...What is it."
I pointed straight at the demonic elder like I'd been waiting for this.
"Kill that old man for me."
The Black Elder's eyebrow twitched.
"I don't kill without reason."
"That old man is trying to kill me. Isn't that reason enough?"
The Black Elder stared at me again.
"I see. But I don't like being used by you."
Hm. As expected, no dice.
I was pondering my next move when—
"But... just this once, I'll play along."
The Black Elder's body began to be enveloped in something black.
Sssrrrr...
Like a living shadow, pitch-black darkness crawled over his skin, devouring his entire body.
It seemed to suck in every bit of energy around him, not even leaving a single ray of light.
Black hole.
The Black Elder slowly extended his hand toward the demonic elder.
At that moment, the demonic elder—who had been overwhelming Paeng Daesan and pounding him—froze in place. His red snake-like eyes turned toward the Black Elder in shock.
"Urk...!"
Sensing danger, the demonic elder kicked Paeng Daesan far away and, without hesitation, unleashed a space slash at the Black Elder.
Kwaduduk—!
Space tore at his gesture, deathly rifts surging toward the Black Elder. Getting hit by that would be game over.
But I just watched quietly. Honestly, whichever one died was a win for me.
And then.
The space slash struck the Black Elder.
Or it looked like it did.
The black rift that sought to swallow him seeped into his palm like water into a sponge, vanishing silently into the blackness.
Silence fell.
The demonic elder's face hardened rapidly, then twisted into hideous shock and disbelief. His kindly grandfather facade crumbled completely.
The space slash had vanished entirely. How?
Y-you bastard...! What did you do?!"
The Black Elder said nothing.
The pitch-black darkness on his outstretched arm rippled faintly.
And the next moment—
"Khek...!"
The demonic elder's body was yanked toward the Black Elder as if seized by an invisible force. He thrashed, jamming his staff into the ground to resist, but it was useless. He was as helpless as iron filings before a massive magnet.
In the end, the demonic elder's throat was gripped in the Black Elder's hand.
"Let go! ...Let go, you fuck! Let go!"
Wooduduk—! Kwaduduk—!
A gruesome crunch echoed from the demonic elder's neck as bones twisted.
"......Aaaagh! Ack!"
His scream rang out miserably, but the Black Elder merely gazed down at him impassively.
Figuring this was just another special ability of someone who'd surpassed the wall, I asked the Black Elder.
"How did you do that?"
"Grasp."
...Grasp? That basic technique of clinging and seizing?
"Really?"
"Yes. Infused with demonic energy."
Grasp infused with demonic energy.
How the hell does that work?
At that moment, a clear yet chilling voice came from behind me.
"...It's been a while?"
I turned. A woman had approached silently behind me. Pink hair stark against her black night suit formed an eerie harmony.
Cheonha Young. It was her.
I swallowed dryly and opened my mouth.
"Y-yeah... what. Long time no see. Hope you've been well..."
Cheonha Young circled me once with a seductive smile.
"Pfft... You don't have to be so scared? I won't eat you. ...Probably. But Shadowless, it took forever to find you. You hid well. I was shocked. Hehe..."
I forced my lips into a smile and shrugged.
"Yeah. What can I say?"
"How did you hide? I even scattered Thousand-Li Tracking Incense back then, but couldn't find a trace. Even mobilized the Cult's entire intel network."
Hm? She said she scattered Thousand-Li Tracking Incense?
A chill ran down my spine. I hadn't noticed at all. That could've been bad. ...Actually, it was bad. Right now.
...But she couldn't find me?
All I'd done to evade them was hole up with Soso in the Azure Dragon Squad. Was there some formation in the Murim Alliance headquarters that neutralized Thousand-Li Tracking Incense?
"No idea."
"Hehe... Hiding it? Whatever. Point is, we've found you now."
She came right up to me and gently stroked my cheek with her finger. The cold touch made my hairs stand on end.
"But if you run now, I'll really chop off your limbs and turn you into a baby who can't think of anything else? You won't run, right?"
She was smiling, but her eyes weren't.
At that moment—
Wooduduk—!
The Black Elder demonstratively tightened his grip. A full crunch echoed as the barely-breathing demonic elder's neck bones shattered.
Thud.
The demonic elder's head lolled limply. Dead. Completely gone.
Dying on the day of his promotion. What a tragic life. Though mine was more tragic right now.
"Haha... Of course."
Damn it.
If I saved whoever it was they needed, would they let me go peacefully, or just kill me? The Black Elder said he didn't kill without reason, but you never know with people. Especially strong, dangerous ones like them.
...If Dokgo, Byeok Cheonwi, and Paeng Daesan—who was barely getting up over there—joined forces for a gangbang, could they beat that Black Elder monster?
I was spinning that faint thread of hope when—
"By any chance... are you plotting something?"
Cheonha Young peered straight into my eyes. Her crescent-moon eyes curved prettily.
"Haha... No, I originally came here to the Nine Heavens Castle—no, the Orthodox Alliance—for some business. Mind if I handle it real quick?"
The best I could do in this situation was buy time. Somehow escape and link up with the Alliance Leader or Byeok Cheonwi.
The Black Elder's expression turned icy.
"Your words don't match what you said earlier."
Ssssss...
Black haze rose from his body again. The air grew heavy, pressing down on me. Killing intent far beyond what he'd used on the demonic elder stabbed through my body.
At that instant, Cheonha Young waved her hand lightly. The rising black haze vanished from the Black Elder's body like a lie.
"Fine. We'll do as you say."
Cheonha Young said with her smile intact.
"You're in the palm of our hand now anyway. Going somewhere else briefly together is no big deal."
"...But keep this in mind. If you have even a hint of funny ideas..."
She leaned close to my ear and whispered. Her hot breath touched my earlobe.
"I'll personally 'manage' the rest of your life."
Checkmate.
No ideas came to mind. No clever way out of this. Accepting their proposal was my only option.
I forced a smile, resigned to everything, and replied.
"Of course."