Chapter 324
Chapter 324
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 324
Chapter Title: My Love to You
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“Love. Love without end, and love again.”
Unlike the religions of the real world, the beings of the Abyss truly exist, and they offer tangible rewards.
The reason we treat their cultists as madmen is because their desires…
And because the rewards offered by the beings of the Abyss are something we could never accept.
“Kyaaaaak!” “Kieeeek!”
Foul shrieks echoed from every direction.
“Freud’s favorite theme again, huh.”
The most primal, animalistic human desires were being fulfilled in the most reckless ways.
“Ugh, uwaaak! G-get away!”
To sate hungers like appetite or lust, they bared their teeth at everything around them—horrific tentacles or protrusions thrusting brutally into their surroundings.
Kwachijijik!
Though the word “lust” was used, the way it was satisfied was no different from gluttony.
What they craved was the most primitive form of a kiss.
“Gyaaaak!”
Ujeok—ujeok—ujeok—
Saliva or blood, it didn’t matter.
Piercing through skin to mix their bodily fluids with their target.
That was why it was impossible to distinguish if what they sought was lust, gluttony, or simply the release of violent impulses.
“Damn, it’s getting stronger again.”
I’d thought I’d weakened it for a moment, but the thing was drawing in new sacrifices in the name of love.
Human blood, death, souls, screams, desires, grudges, fear, anger, hatred, despair.
It was absorbing all of it, growing its power at an astonishing rate.
Giiiing—
I quickly selected one of the magic crystals orbiting around me—crimson ones made from my own blood—and engraved a rune into it.
It was a different system from the magic I usually used, but for preparing for the worst, I needed something with strong sustain.
In that sense, rune magic was the most suitable.
[ᚢ (Uruz; Strengthening)]
Jeojeojeok—
The magic crystal empowered by the rune shot toward the west.
“Captain Golden!”
* * *
“Gyaaaak!”
A skull-like head on a long, thick, flexible, eel-like neck, red fins sprouting across its body, golden scales, dull eyes lining its neck.
A monster of grotesque form latched onto Seo Cheon-seul.
“Bwahaha! Pathetic!”
Seo Cheon-seul burst into hearty laughter and kicked the eel-necked head.
Ppaak!
The head tore off in an instant.
Instead of blood spraying, cheap-colored petals scattered everywhere.
As the price for fulfilling their abnormal desires—they’d even lost the right to shed blood. The blood they could shed had become a sacrifice for the [Source of Life].
“Gyaaaak!”
The more power Seo Cheon-seul unleashed, the more monsters swarmed him.
To devour part of him, or shove part of themselves into him, to force change upon him, to become like him, to become one with him.
In other words, to share love with that beautiful, dazzling goblin.
Or to eat him.
“Bwahaha!! Come on, that’s the spirit! Gather more! Follow this shining Captain Golden!”
With a lively drumbeat rhythm, Seo Cheon-seul erupted in golden radiance.
He was drawing them in too much.
Fortunately, the magic crystal I’d sent arrived at just the right timing.
“Captain Golden!”
Uruuruung—
The aurochs rune, Uruz, granted Seo Cheon-seul tireless passion, savage strength, and overflowing energy.
“Huh—Western secret arts, eh.”
Even from afar, Seo Cheon-seul glanced precisely in my direction and smiled.
“Bwahaha, I’ll buy you a drink later!”
With that, Seo Cheon-seul’s body soared into the sky. Then it split into hundreds of clones, whirling in every direction.
* * *
“I love you. Love me in return.”
An otherworldly scene enveloped the vast grounds of Cure Medical Care.
Chwareureureuk—
The massive hands, clustered and writhing chaotically at one point, began a new transformation.
A feast of hands blooming beautifully like opening flowers.
A bizarre procession formed by hands possessing divine grace and spiritual reverence.
Diverse mudras forming at each fingertip.
Infinite fractal repetitions, or mandala-like—strange and beautiful, yet utterly repulsive.
“What the hell? What are they imitating?”
It reminded me of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin Bodhisattva, who was said to care for all sentient beings. No, it was a horrific distortion of her form.
Kwarureureung—
The influence spread once more.
Gurureureung—
North this time?
“Damn it, not the north.”
I raised the Saiin Chamjeong Sword toward the surreal message of love surging north.
[SSS-grade weapon Saiin Chamjeong Sword (Verdant Lord)’s unique function, ‘Sima’s Visage,’ activates.
// Sima’s Visage: Damage to pure or virtuous targets increases by 400%.]
The trait activated. It must have registered as pure because of its excessive innocence. Simple enough.
[Evil Gaze]
[Flames that Burn Sin]
[Wall of Force]
[Spell Enhancement: Maximized]
The cursed sword, forged to cleave righteous power, channeled amplified mana into a massive magical barrier.
Jeojeojeok—
“Ugh, it’s tough.”
Even with 400% enhancement, it couldn’t hold long against that horrific power of love and dissipated.
Still, I blocked it.
“You still hung up on Jang Hyun-deok? The kid wants to go independent! Leave him alone, you abusive parent!”
Shouting that, I engraved a rune into one of the magic crystals.
[ᛖ (Ehwaz; Travel)]
Piyuuung—
The magic crystals, empowered by the travel rune, performed acrobatic flights and shot north in an instant.
* * *
The hands reaching for Yang Seo-ho halted.
Tsuzuzuzik—
The grotesque trees—no, the massive hands imbued with divine power—retreated, creating distance.
“W-where are you…?”
A dry, cracking voice leaked from Yang Seo-ho’s mouth.
“Why are you backing off? D-don’t go… I didn’t do anything. Right? No, I was wrong. Don’t go. Come to me.”
Cracked lips oozing blood.
Eyes like someone lost in the desert.
Hands stretched forward to grasp anything.
“Don’t go—”
She started to step forward but suddenly—
Realized she shouldn’t and pulled back her hands. With hollow, dead eyes, Yang Seo-ho gazed at what was behind her.
A golden pillar of bizarre form.
She couldn’t let that be taken. The moment it was, ruin would come to this world.
“Yeah, that masked wizard… left that ominous prophecy.”
Protect it?
She could do that. Yang Seo-ho thought she could. But at the same time, a terrifying thought struck her.
“But until when?”
How long had she been here? Why was she here? Why did she have to guard it? Would she be praised for protecting it? Would everyone love her? How did she end up like this?
Why wouldn’t her wishes come true?
Madness seized her mind as heaven and earth tangled, past and present blurred.
The clearest, oldest memory she could recall replayed endlessly before her eyes.
“Ah… uuu—”
Too old a memory. From when she was half her current height, vivid and bright red.
To affirm she was alive, Yang Seo-ho clutched her head with both hands.
At that moment, someone appeared before Yang Seo-ho.
A faint smile formed at Yang Seo-ho’s lips.
Someone she knew.
* * *
And now the south.
I selected three magic crystals orbiting me and empowered them with runes.
[ᛕ (Kenaz; Fire)]
[ᚦ (Thurisaz; Change)]
[ᛊ (Sowilo; Sun)]
The magic crystals flew south.
Gurureureung—
Further south lay the sea.
The crystals began manifesting a spell by drawing in seawater. It would work even without me there.
“Now, get out of my way!”
I swung the Saiin Chamjeong Sword at the massive hands blocking my path.
[Winter’s Jewel]
[Spell Enhancement: Maximized]
Kwadduduk—
The hands froze solid in an instant and shattered.
Through the hole I’d torn, I pressed forward without stopping.
* * *
The sacrificial offering of the banquet plunged relentlessly into the Great Mother’s embrace.
More hands moved to block him, but they couldn’t.
In the end, Kim Shin-hwa would arrive without delay. Thus, the [Source of Life] began its next prepared action.
An itchy whisper echoed quietly from somewhere.
Its content was this.
“With my love, I shall fulfill your wishes.”
* * *
“Woo-jin.”
Shin Woo-jin.
Yang Seo-ho’s most trusted subordinate, who had served her for a long time and followed her more loyally than anyone.
Such a Shin Woo-jin had pierced this forest of death—this grotesque, horrific forest made by divine power—and appeared before Yang Seo-ho.
“Team leader.”
Shin Woo-jin approached Yang Seo-ho with an utterly innocent smile.
But something was off.
How Shin Woo-jin had entered this dangerous place wasn’t important.
But.
Why.
Was.
Shin Woo-jin.
Like.
That?
Shin Woo-jin’s hair was still the wild lion’s mane, but it had turned stark white.
His skin was blotched with pitch-black spots, as if afflicted by some horrific plague.
“Woo-jin. You? Why? Like that. Why?”
Fragmented words spilled from Yang Seo-ho’s mouth.
“Team leader. I finally got power.”
An incomprehensible story flowed from Shin Woo-jin’s mouth.
“For you, team leader. Power to reach you, haha, I got power. Uh… You heard it too, right? That great voice?”
“Woo-jin. You. Woo-jin.”
Yang Seo-ho’s stammering reply.
She couldn’t understand. What was he saying?
“It said it’d grant wishes. Said to love. Love. Team leader. Team leader? Remember what you said to me back then? Uh… You told me to live like a human. You gave a monster-born me, living as a freak, a chance to live as a person? R-remember?”
“Remember? Remember…? Woo-jin. Stop. You’re. Weird.”
“I always wanted to say thanks. Always thought about it. How to do something for you, no. Not for you. How to reach you. Ah! But then, that, that. The Great Primordial Mother said she’d grant my wish—no, your wish.”
A sensation in Yang Seo-ho’s mind warned of danger. Something Kim Shin-hwa might call [Enhanced Vigilance].
Danger? Enemy preparing to attack? Enemy? Woo-jin an enemy? Strike first? Me? Attack Woo-jin? Granting a wish? What wish?
Her mind tangled.
If not for the delirium, Yang Seo-ho would have attacked Woo-jin.
Tears were for spare time only.
But the horrific delirium blending past and present gripped her ankles.
It was Yang Seo-ho who had brought in young Shin Woo-jin, living as a monster.
Further back, Yang Seo-ho had turned her parents into red mist.
And now, Woo-jin had sold his soul to an abyssal being for her.
“Woo-jin. No. Don’t. Don’t sell. Yourself. Don’t sell.”
Shin Woo-jin lifted some object.
Though she’d never seen it, Yang Seo-ho’s traits screamed in unison.
“With this power, I can make your wish come true.”
Love.
Shin Woo-jin whispered to the [Soul Shackles] with boundless love.
“Kuh—cha—ookta—br—toff—sha—suaak.”
Something was coming.
“Ah…”
Realizing she couldn’t stop it, Yang Seo-ho closed her eyes with a relieved expression—but
* * *
Pajijijijik!!
Enormous sparks erupted from the [Sword of the Flesh].
“Uwaa, this is insane!”
Whoa, Kim Shin-hwa’s lost it! Why’d he jump in here!?
Can I even block this?
[L-grade magical artifact ‘Soul Shackles’’ unique function, ‘Two Graves,’ activates.
// Two Graves: In exchange for the owner’s life, bestows inescapable death upon the desired target.]
The helpful message displayed before my eyes.
“Oh, really? Inescapable death, huh?”
And the horrific power of death, shoving me back with absurd force to claim one life.
Pajijijijik!!
Amethyst sparks flew everywhere.
Without the [Sword of the Flesh], blocking wouldn’t have even been an option.
No, but this is pretty heavy? Can I really block it? What if I can’t?
Wait. If I fail, do I die?