Chapter 350: Ascension to Immortality (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 350: Ascension to Immortality (6)
The Victorious Fighting Buddha had come running at the Jade Emperor’s summons.
Sun Wukong bowed respectfully to the Jade Emperor and offered her greetings.
“You called for me?”
“Yes. I apologize for the sudden summons; you might have been far away.”
“Not at all. As a member of the Heavenly Army, it is only right that I come when the Jade Emperor calls.”
For the record, the Jade Emperor was still not used to Sun Wukong’s polite demeanor.
Who was Sun Wukong, after all?
From the moment he was born, he had emitted light from his eyes that flustered the Emperor, and as he grew, he had turned the Heavenly Realm upside down more times than one could count.
When given a position just to keep him occupied as a civil servant, he rebelled, claiming the rank was beneath him.
When provided with a grand-sounding title he had demanded for himself, he ignored every single regulation of the Heavenly Realm, calling everyone from ancient gods to low-ranking immortals his ‘friends’ and wreaking havoc on discipline.
And then, to top it all off, the crazy bastard had devoured the highest-quality Peaches of Immortality—the treasures of the Heavenly Realm—and then had the audacity to join forces with yokai to start a war.
He was a gifted one, certainly, but he was also a madman who had caused the Emperor no end of headaches.
To think he had become this docile just because he’d attained enlightenment.
The Emperor knew better than to believe it would last, but honestly, he half-expected Wukong to suddenly say, ‘I’m bored,’ and quit the Heavenly Army any day now.
“Ho ho, you may technically be part of the Heavenly Army, but strictly speaking, you are not my subordinate. Are you not a god who has attained enlightenment and reached the rank of Buddha? How could I possibly summon you at my whim?”
“Who is the target for subjugation?”
…Not that he preferred the old days, but the boy hadn’t been such a machine back then.
Was this the price of letting go of so much during his enlightenment and ascension?
“Actually, the reason I called you involves something related to you…”
“…Tsk.”
“…Hmm? Did you just click your tongue?”
“Perish the thought. Why would I do that?”
…Right? He did become docile after enlightenment, didn’t he?
“…Anyway, back to the point. Someone has appeared who seeks to claim all of the Three Divine Treasures that contain your lingering attachments.”
“I see.”
“That person is the target.”
“What is the charge?”
“A living being entering Hell and disturbing the 1st Hell.”
Sun Wukong nodded and bowed again to the Jade Emperor.
“I shall exile them back to the Human World shortly.”
“Yes, I shall trust in you and wait…”
The God of War stepped onto a cloud that appeared out of nowhere with a soft pop and vanished before the Jade Emperor could even finish his sentence.
“…That Nimbus Cloud technique is impressive no matter how many times I see it. So fast.”
…He didn’t run away because he didn’t want to listen, did he? His emotions really are gone, right?
* * *
The 2nd Hell they entered was, as expected, far more dreadful than the 1st.
Breathing normally was impossible due to all sorts of toxic gases, and there was more lava and acid swamp than actual ground, making every step a challenge.
The sheer heat added to the discomfort; an ordinary person wouldn’t have lasted a moment.
Well, if they were ordinary people, that is.
“…Wow, it’s bearable thanks to the elixir, but it’s quite hot.”
“I agree. It’s been cool lately, so I think the heat feels even more intense.”
Between the effects of the elixir they’d just taken and the fact that our party members were far beyond the level of ordinary superhumans, they seemed to perceive it merely as a ‘hot and unpleasant space.’
Well, it certainly was hot and unpleasant, but in a way, it wasn’t necessarily a bad place for me.
The duo of blonde Academy professors, who had been grumbling, were the first to show a change.
Cathy, seemingly annoyed by the sweat, tied her hair up and took off her outer coat, storing it in an inventory artifact.
Professor Park A-ram went a step further; after tying her hair, she even used magic to create a fan to blow air on herself.
I probably shouldn’t be thinking this in this situation, but a ponytail was a hairstyle that drew the eye to the exposed nape of the neck just as much as the hair itself.
Ga-eul had transformed into her Demon King form, increasing her skin exposure slightly. Ha-ni couldn’t take anything off because of Lilac, but she had tied her hair into a small nub and rolled up her sleeves.
Lee Yu-na, who usually wore her long hair in twin tails, had braided them to make them as short as possible.
Master said she’d follow my lead since she was at it and tied her hair in a style similar to mine. Only Baek Seol remained perfectly composed, though it wasn’t because she was simply enduring the heat or discomfort.
“Would everyone like some Eternal Snow?”
She was using the rare Eternal Snow just to cool down, claiming that forced endurance was inefficient.
Anyway, everyone looked different than usual, which was quite a treat for the eyes.
“So-hyun, Han-hee. Should we just close our eyes and strip down to our shirts…?”
Lilac, that clueless bastard, was at it again.
Those who knew the situation looked at Lilac as if he were a madman for a moment, but soon stopped at sending him looks of contempt, realizing he simply didn’t know Ha-ni’s secret.
“Was what I said really that bad…?”
I handed some Eternal Snow to Lilac, who hung his head as if he’d been wronged.
“Exposure to toxic gas can be dangerous. Just endure it with this.”
“Oh, okay. But I’m asking because I’m a bit scared… So-hyun, did I really do something so wrong that they’d glare at me like that?”
Yes, you did. If there had been any malice or ulterior motive in your words, you’d be enjoying a half-body bath in lava right now.
I can understand looking, but suggesting they strip is crossing the line.
For the record, I’m only letting it slide because of our friendship and his circumstances; if anyone else had said that, I would have killed them.
“Looking at your face, I guess I did mess up. Sorry.”
Fortunately, the situation passed thanks to Lilac’s quick apology.
“But you know, with the toxic gas, lava, and even the acid… I know it’s all dangerous, but honestly, is it that much more dangerous than the 1st Hell?”
Just as I was about to head out after dealing with Lilac, Professor Park A-ram set a flag.
“I mean, the 1st Hell had swords flying everywhere and all that chaos. Compared to that, everything here is just stationary. As long as we dodge carefully…”
“It’s already too late, but please stop.”
“Pardon?”
“If you say things like that, then usually…”
Boom. A very unsettling sound echoed through the air.
Well, of course. These premonitions rarely miss the mark.
“Ah, what the. Don’t tell me this actually happened just because I said it? It’s a coincidence, right?”
It probably was a coincidence, but when the timing was this perfect, one couldn’t help but think that way.
Appearing with the roar were massive giants made of lava and acid dragons crawling out of the swampy terrain.
There wasn’t just one of them, either; their numbers were significant. Judging by how they kept crawling out of the lava and swamps, it didn’t seem like simply defeating them would be the end of it.
-Ho. That fellow, Great King Chogang. His lava-manipulation techniques have become quite refined. They used to look like slimes, but he’s captured the form of a demonic man quite well.
Sun Wukong’s relaxed attitude, which didn’t fit the situation, made the reality of the moment sink in even more.
“We were really about to get through this smoothly…”
“No, really, is it because of me!?”
Simultaneously with Professor Park A-ram’s howl, the giants began swinging their arms and splashing lava with perfect timing.
* * *
The two Great Kings were anxious as they fled.
When the group had briefly stopped in the 1st Hell, the Kings thought they had surely lost their way. But what do you know? As if they had merely taken a short break, the group had found the gate to the 2nd Hell and descended without a hitch.
“Hey, you said they wouldn’t find the entrance!”
“I’m telling you, I hid it well! I used formations, spells, and even magic treasures! How much more was I supposed to do!?”
“If you were so thorough, why did they break through!? Is that guy’s insight at the level of a Celestial Immortal? A Great Immortal!? Or does he have Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils in his sockets!?”
“Don’t even mention Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils! You’ll jinx us!”
Though they were huffing and puffing as they ran, the reason they were arguing wasn’t necessarily because they thought they’d be caught.
There was still plenty of distance, and it was certain that living beings wouldn’t be able to cross the Boiling Hell easily, so they weren’t worried about that. The problem was that since the intruders had followed them to the 2nd Hell, the Heavenly Army would surely come this far as well.
What was the Heavenly Army?
It was a force directly under the Jade Emperor, recruited from all directions based solely on martial prowess. Whether that prowess was collective or individual varied, but in the end, they were all merciless instruments of violence, differing only in degree.
Of course, it wasn’t that there were no sensible people among them, but such individuals only showed up when a summons was perfectly successful or when one was exceptionally lucky.
If one was unlucky, the kind of people who showed up were like living weapons of mass destruction that would lay waste to the entire surrounding area.
“This is all your fault…! Calling the Heavenly Army, and a random one at that, just to catch a single Earthly Immortal…!”
“How was I supposed to know the Celestial Maidens would be away for a banquet…! I was trying to call someone moderate and gentle…!”
While they were bickering, Chogang stopped in his tracks upon hearing Jingwang’s words.
“…Right, now that I think about it, he’s just an Earthly Immortal. There’s no way such terrifying monsters would come just to catch an Earthly Immortal.”
“Why are you stopping all of a sudden…?”
“Hearing you say that, I think we might have been too scared. Not everyone in the Heavenly Army is a thug. It’s just a job to catch an Earthly Immortal. We might be office workers, but most Gods of War should be able to handle an Earthly Immortal, shouldn’t they?”
“T-That’s true, isn’t it?”
Indeed.
Their stress had reached its limit, and their ‘hope circuits’ had begun to spin.
“So, it’s better to block them here. While we’re blocking them, the Heavenly Army will arrive, no matter who it is. If we keep running and they actually follow us down to the 3rd Hell, what will the other Great Kings think of us?”
“…That’s true as well.”
“Both the lava and the acid here are the natural enemies of the living, so we should be able to block them without much trouble. I’ll block them, so you just lend me your strength.”
“Alright, let’s do it…!”
In their minds, it was already a foregone conclusion that a moderate member of the Heavenly Army would arrive, and they began to cast their divine abilities with newfound hope.
The spells to summon the massive lava giants and acid dragons were quite powerful, as they were the result of two of the Ten Kings joining forces.
Ordinary people wouldn’t even dare to resist before meeting their deaths.
If they were ordinary people, that is.
* * *
A downpour of lava and acid.
In addition to the powerful attacks from the giants and dragons, demonic beasts that survived the lava and acid were charging toward us. I hesitated for a brief moment.
Should I use the medicine…?
We had to make it all the way to the 5th Hell, so I knew it was better not to use it if possible, but honestly, I was worried and scared.
Could they really get through this place without my help?
What if someone got hurt because of me?
However, those worries only surfaced for a fleeting moment.
-Did I not tell you? You think of those children too much like infants.
As the light of the Holy Sword spread out expansively, the demonic beasts faltered and backed away.
And taking advantage of the moment the beasts were stunned by the Holy Sword’s light, the violently flickering darkness of the Demonic Sword severed their necks, signaling the start of the battle.
A downpour of lava and acid?
“Hup…!”
The golden-haired woman took a stance and struck the sky, and the rain vanished without a trace.
Lava giants? Acid dragons?
“Oh, this isn’t made with mana? It’s based on a slightly different energy. I’m quite interested in seeing exactly how this works.”
They were being toyed with and analyzed by the magic created by the witch.
Of course, since there were so many of them, they couldn’t handle everything on their own, but neither the overflowing demonic beasts nor the conjured giants and dragons posed much of a problem.
The demonic beasts struck by Ga-eul’s whip began to fight among themselves, turning hostile toward one another.
Ha-ni also accurately struck and toppled the cores of the massive monsters made of lava and acid.
-They are at quite a decent level now, are they not?
“…They really are.”
I didn’t think they were this strong even during the Devil incident.
“I don’t know why everyone is so cool.”
Seeing them become this strong made me feel more than just proud; it was almost a little scary.
At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if they all ended up as S-rank.