Chapter 198
Chapter 198
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 198
Chapter Title: Purification
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“This rain only falling around here?”
An enormous downpour was raging, but outside Paju Samneung, the sky remained perfectly clear without a single cloud.
The rain fell solely on Paju Samneung, as if sliced off by a knife.
Even the rainwater pooling on the ground didn’t flow elsewhere—it just swirled within the confines of Paju Samneung.
Rumble—crash—
More water surged in from all directions than what fell from the sky. Those managing the ley lines were purifying the blood seeping into Paju Samneung and expelling it outward.
“Ugh, at this rate, we’ll end up with a lake.”
Just a few days ago, words like “rain” or “flood” had made him recoil, but this rain was different.
Crash—
The previous rain had been Dagon’s downpour, filled with hatred and malice dredged up from the abyss. It was completely unlike the rain that had caused horrific flooding and madness in Paju.
How different, you ask?
“This! What is this! What have you done!”
It was the old shaman’s scream.
Gone was his usual jolly demeanor. He clutched his head, eyes darting wildly as he shrieked.
“Stop! Make the rain stop! What is this rain! It’s melting! Falling apart! My power’s draining away!”
Splash—sploooosh—
Like a sandcastle crumbling, the blood leech’s massively swollen body was melting down.
“You’re just reversing what the Twin Evils originally tried to create. Five Yins stripping One Yang, right?”
A ritual to gather five yin symbols, drive out yang energy, and form a twisted, malevolent power.
“I turned it back to its original state. Everything the Twin Evils made in Paju Samneung will vanish.”
What had been banished by the Twin Evils’ ritual would regain its strength, and what shouldn’t have been gained would revert to its former self.
“But why me too? I have nothing to do with the Twin Evils! All the power I’ve gathered over the years! My power! My power’s disappearing!”
Slower than the blood leech’s melting flesh, but the old shaman’s three-meter frame was shrinking.
His grotesque, elephant-like face gradually melted away—returning to an ordinary human’s appearance.
“My power has nothing to do with the Twin Evils! It’s what I’ve accumulated over decades! If you just revert what the Twin Evils did, I should be fine! Spare me! Stop this rain!”
The old shaman begged deliriously. I answered him slowly.
“Well, my goal isn’t about upholding justice or restoring yin-yang and the five elements.”
Normally, it wouldn’t show, but the mask I wore now exposed half my face.
The half not covered by the mask was probably forming the finest smile.
“I tweaked the structure a bit just to screw you over. How’s it feel? Pretty effective, right? Hurry up and turn back into a normal human. Then we’ll fight fair and square, body to body, just like you wanted.”
“Stop! Stop! Stop it! You monstrous freak! Demon! Monster! Kraaaah!”
Writhing amid the melting blood leech flesh, mud, and pouring rain, the old shaman raved. Followed by screams, curses, accusations. And the drumming in my head.
Thump-thump-thump—
“Yeah, yeah. Have fun.”
Ignoring the old shaman, I surveyed the surroundings. The water was rising unnaturally fast. It was already up to my calves.
Lower areas would probably float a boat by now.
“No good.”
[Gate Creation]
A small hole tore open in midair.
“Dol-dol, spin.”
Grrooo—clunk-clunk!
“Good boy. Just pull out one item for me. It’s—”
BOOOOM!!
“You think I’ll die alone!!”
A guttural roar from behind.
The old shaman flew at me, trailing horrific blood-red slime.
Gathering the remnants of the melting blood leech’s power for one final desperate struggle.
Spliish!!
Curses and hatred dripping with venom. A last-ditch attack staking even his death.
Rumble!!
BOOM!!
But his desperate bid didn’t fully materialize.
A massive object bursting from Dol-dol’s belly blocked his attack.
“Kraaaah! Damn it! What is this! What the hell is it!”
“Dude, it’s called a boat.”
The Dragon King’s boat from Insu Village. Made to use on the day Dagon descended, it couldn’t be scratched by ordinary attacks.
Sploosh—sploooosh—crash—
As expected, massive waves surged in from all sides.
Paju Samneung sprawled alongside Gongneung Mountain, and now a lake big enough to launch a boat had formed there.
“Grrr—sploooosh—”
Drained of even the strength to rage, the old shaman sank beneath the churning whirlpool.
Both the blood leech and the old shaman were fully subdued.
[You have overcome your phobia and defeated its source.
As a reward, the overcome phobia is naturally cured, and you gain additional experience.]
[System: ‘Madness: Hemophobia’ has been removed.]
Hemophobia gone. This mess is finally over.
A new phobia would pop up soon enough, but for now, I could relax.
“With contamination this bad, even the purification water needs to be this plentiful.”
Standing on the boat, I gestured around, converting the surrounding ritual through commands.
I removed the adjustments made to neutralize the old shaman and completed the true cycle of circulation and mutual generation.
“This should do it?”
Circulation and mutual generation.
Even for purification, pooling this much water on a mountain wasn’t natural.
The pounding raindrops thinned, soon turning to drizzle. Draining would take time, but a day ought to suffice.
“Bahaha! What a sight!”
Seo Cheon-seul’s sudden laughter.
Flutter-flutter—
Red’s wingbeats.
Looking up, I saw a snowy white owl flying through the dawn sky, with a golden goblin riding it.
“Thousand Gold Captain, Red.”
Seo Cheon-seul leaped from Red’s back onto the boat, grinning wildly.
“Bahaha! You’re completely insane, Kim Seo-bang! Kim Seo-bang! I lose! I lost!”
“You lost?”
“Yeah! I lost this bet!”
Oh, right. We’d made that wager.
“Couldn’t beat you your way, with raw power, skill, or even goblin magic. Total defeat for me. Bahahaha!”
Chattering excitedly about his loss, Seo Cheon-seul suddenly threw his arms wide, dancing and singing.
“A boat atop the mountain, frolicking with a friend in this wondrous thrill—is this life or a dream? Even the value of life fades for a moment.”
And the mask covering my face played drumbeats matching his song and dance.
Thump-thump-thump—
Nice moves.
Spreading his arms toward me, Seo Cheon-seul said,
“That robe, and even that mask! All yours, Kim Shin-hwa!”
[Achievement Unlocked! You have earned the Thousand Gold Captain’s recognition.
Acquired ‘Advanced Achievement: Friend of the Thousand Gold Captain.’
Achievement Reward: Thousand Gold Captain becomes a firm ally, acquire [Goblin Mask] and additional experience.]
“Bahaha! And now, Kim Seo-bang—”
Wait, hold on—hold on! I know what event comes next.
“No way!”
“Huh? No?”
“You keep being Thousand Gold Captain. I’m not interested.”
“But the things I gave you—”
I’d taken two of the Thousand Gold Captain’s symbols.
“Symbols aren’t what matter anyway, right? Just call it a gift.”
“Huh—gifts?”
“Yeah. Next time you visit, I’ll prepare some gifts too. Let’s do that.”
“Bahaha! I like the sound of that. Then I’ll visit next time expecting your gifts, Kim Seo-bang.”
“Deal.”
Glancing around, I said,
“By the way, Thousand Gold Captain. Can this be expanded further?”
The pooled water had fully purified the toxins lingering in Paju Samneung.
If we could widen the range, we could cleanse other areas too.
“Hmm, Kim Seo-bang, that won’t be easy. The Twin Evils used this place’s ley lines to create a dreamlike bubble just around here.”
“A miracle permitted only within this space?”
Tonight, Paju Samneung had formed a sort of isolated otherworld, cut off from the outside.
That’s probably why no one from the Foreign Administration or elsewhere had interfered despite the chaos.
“Right. To do this elsewhere, you’d have to follow the Twin Evils’ exact procedure.”
Starting from how Paju Samneung was a feng shui stable site.
“No surprise. Without the help, even a wizard like me couldn’t have adjusted the ritual so perfectly.”
Saying that, I gazed toward Gongneung, now submerged.
“Huh? Kim Seo-bang. The landowners have come to greet you.”
“Ugh, yeah.”
On the water’s surface toward Gongneung floated hazy shadows.
Shadows of Queen Ye Jong and Queen Jang Sun, buried in Gongneung of Paju Samneung. Seo Cheon-seul bowed respectfully, not to human royalty, but as owners of the local ley lines and spiritual guardians.
“Kim Seo-bang. She wants to repay you?”
“Repay?”
I couldn’t hear it. But Seo Cheon-seul relayed Queen Jang Sun’s words.
“The curse on your body is too vicious to touch, but she says she can remove one minor one.”
“Huh? Really?”
Remove one penalty trait? For real?
[Achievement Unlocked! You drove out the Twin Evils and healed the curse dwelling in Paju Samneung.
Acquired ‘Advanced Achievement: Twin Evils Hunter.’
Achievement Reward: One penalty trait removed, additional experience gained.]
Ah, got it.
The achievement reward manifested like this.
[System: Penalty trait ‘Healing Resistance’ has been removed.]
The [Healing Resistance] trait that had hindered recovery all this time was gone. Before I could fully express my joy, Seo Cheon-seul pointed elsewhere.
“Kim Seo-bang, and over there too.”
Toward Sunneung. Where Queen Gong Hye, consort of King Seong, lay.
“She wants to repay you too.”
[Achievement Unlocked! You drove out the Gourmet Expedition and defeated the blood leech grown in Paju Samneung.
Acquired ‘Advanced Achievement: Hunter of Hunters.’
Achievement Reward: Acquire ‘Rapid Recovery’ and additional experience.]
My skin itched suddenly. The wounds, bruises, and scars covering it were healing at rapid speed.
‘This is a pretty rare trait too. Nice.’
“And those two over there—oh, this Kim Seo-bang? Well?”
The two were the crown prince and crown princess of Yeongneung.
Gifts kept coming. Wonder what this one is.
“Kim Seo-bang, they say if you have no partner, they’ll grant you luck in marriage or love.”
“......I’m not married, but tell them no thanks.”
“Kim Seo-bang says he’s not married. Ah, yes. I see.”
“Tell them I don’t need it!”
“They’re worried you’re at marriageable age and need to hurry.”
“No, I really don’t—”
No use. They’re the spirits of a Confucian nation’s crown prince, married no less. Whatever I say, they’d see me as some immature fool who doesn’t grasp marriage’s importance.
“—Just say I have a betrothed. And that I’d appreciate something else instead.”
“Ah, Kim Seo-bang already has a future partner. He wants something else instead. But Kim Seo-bang, what do you want?”
I answered Seo Cheon-seul.
“Tell them I want all the rainwater pooled here in Paju Samneung.”
“Huh—all of it? What for? This water’s tainted from purifying blood and filth—the landowners can’t use it anymore.”
The rainwater filling Paju Samneung was now unusable contaminated water for this land’s owners.
Smiling, I replied.
“I’ve got a use for it.”
Faint cock crowing echoed from afar.
Dawn was breaking soon.