Chapter 91: Obtaining a Mystical Artifact-2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 91: Obtaining a Mystical Artifact-2
"Sniff, sniff..."
"I'm sorry. Stop crying."
Sun-woo was trying to soothe the Human-Faced Spider, looking quite flustered.
He had only intended to test how well it could protect him, but he never imagined the Black Dragon Robe would actually attack her. It was said to possess a will of its own, but he hadn't expected its performance to be this... exceptional.
A significant amount of time had passed since the Black Dragon Robe had finished thrashing her, yet her sobbing showed no signs of stopping.
Wait, isn't she a spiritual being? Why is she acting like such a child?
Watching the Human-Faced Spider’s reaction, a doubt began to creep into his mind.
Come to think of it, she was a spiritual being. At her core, she was a beast. It didn't make sense for her to wail like this just because she’d taken a bit of a beating.
Is she just pretending to cry?
A fairly plausible hypothesis formed in his mind. Perhaps she was crying loudly on purpose just to enjoy seeing him flustered.
Sun-woo began to examine her crying form more closely.
Her face was a total mess. She was covered in bruises from the beating, and her eyes were swollen shut from how much she’d been bawling. To top it off, snot was streaming from her nose, even forming a bubble at one point.
"Pfft."
Sun-woo let out an involuntary chuckle at the sight. Who would ever look at her and think she was a centuries-old Human-Faced Spider?
Then, he felt a pang of guilt. There was no way that simple brain of hers could come up with such a sophisticated ruse.
Rip.
Sun-woo rolled up the sleeve of the Black Dragon Robe slightly and tore a piece of his inner garment. He brought it toward her face.
Flinch.
Her body trembled as if she were terrified of his touch.
Did I go too far?
Seeing her reaction made Sun-woo feel a bit more apologetic. He began to gently wipe her face with the cloth. It was a martial arts uniform soaked in blood and sweat, but what else could he do? It was all he had.
After wiping everything from her forehead to her eyes, nose, and mouth, Sun-woo held the cloth to her nose.
"Alright, blow."
"Honk?"
"I said blow. Put some strength into your nose."
"Hooooonk!"
After clearing out her nostrils, Sun-woo ignited his Samadhi True Fire and incinerated the cloth. Wisps of smoke began to drift upward.
The Human-Faced Spider looked at Sun-woo with a new light in her eyes. She had expected him to thrash her again and tell her to stop crying, but instead, he was actually comforting her. He’d even wiped her face.
She felt her mood lifting slightly.
"I'll give up."
"On what?"
"The Inner Core."
"Isn't that obvious!?"
The Human-Faced Spider shouted at him. To think she was still eyeing his Inner Core while she’d been grinning happily just a moment ago.
"Actually, if the robe wasn't that great, I was going to eat the treasure and your Inner Core... but..."
Stroke.
"This is more than enough."
Sun-woo continued as he stroked the Black Dragon Robe he was wearing. In terms of pure defensive power or raw might, it might fall short of the Overlord Ghost-Face Armor, one of the Six Great Treasures of the Murim.
However, the greatest advantage of the Black Dragon Robe was its versatility. Unlike the Overlord Ghost-Face Armor, which focused solely on defense, the Black Dragon Robe’s utility varied depending on the situation.
Since it looked like high-end luxury clothing, he could wear it freely anywhere. This was a stark contrast to the Overlord Ghost-Face Armor, which he’d left behind because it would hinder infiltration.
Furthermore, unlike the Overlord Ghost-Face Armor, which drained internal energy in exchange for power, the Black Dragon Robe merely used the wearer's internal energy as a foundation to exert its strength without forcibly seizing it.
How could it be anything but good?
Sun-woo entertained a hypothetical scenario. If he were to accumulate more than six Gapja of internal energy and wear both the Black Dragon Robe and the Overlord Ghost-Face Armor at the same time...
He would obtain power beyond imagination.
Yeah, damn right. Life is all about the gear!
If he could also get a sword forged from the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron, it would be the icing on the cake. A deep smile began to spread across Sun-woo's lips.
He looked at the chest in front of him. It was a massive thing that looked incredibly heavy just by its size.
Hmm.
Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron was a treasure among treasures. Taking it with him would be the wisest move, but it was simply too large to carry around. Moreover, Sun-woo had to return to the Tang Clan immediately.
The Poison Demon had said it. The massacre of the Tang Clan was about to begin. He didn't know what might have happened to the clan while the Poison King was away.
Of course, he trusted Tang Seo-yoon, which eased his worries, but you never knew what could happen.
Let's just take the Black Dragon Robe for now.
Sun-woo decided to head back to the Tang Clan first. He was worried about Tang Seo-yoon and the Great Matriarch.
"As promised, I'll let you go. Stay here."
Sun-woo spoke as he turned around. He intended to spare her life as agreed. She had proven her worth. Even though he coveted her Inner Core, killing her now would be an act lower than that of a beast.
It was at the moment Sun-woo was about to leave without lingering.
"Wait... Wait a minute!"
The Human-Faced Spider’s urgent cry rang out.
"What?"
Sun-woo turned his head to look at her.
"...Take me with you."
She spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.
"Piss off."
Sun-woo spoke firmly. He was already doing her a huge favor by letting her go despite wanting her Inner Core, so what kind of nerve did she have to ask him to take her along?
There was a saying that seeing is wanting. Even greed that didn't exist could sprout once you actually saw the object of desire. If she kept fluttering around in front of him, his greed for her Inner Core would only grow. That was why Sun-woo rejected her request flatly.
"Hey, shouldn't you at least ask why!?"
She snapped at Sun-woo, clearly offended. In a situation like this, wasn't it normal to ask for the reason first? How could he refuse so resolutely?
"I don't really want to hear it."
Sun-woo remained unmoved by her raised voice. He didn't know what her situation was, but it wasn't his business. He had spared her life in exchange for the treasure, and their relationship ended there. Why on earth would he take this burden with him?
"In my current state, I'm too weak! My natural enemies will eat me! So take me with you!"
Ignoring Sun-woo's words, she blurted out what she wanted to say. She had no choice. Her body had been weakened to the limit after being slashed repeatedly by Sun-woo. Furthermore, hadn't her screams echoed throughout the Godok Hall?
If the other poisonous creatures realized she was weakened, it was obvious they would swarm to devour her.
"Are there others here besides you?"
Sun-woo expressed doubt at her answer. The Poison Emperor had clearly mentioned only a pair of Human-Faced Spiders. The existence of other creatures was news to him.
"There are things all over the place that aren't as strong as me, but they're still dangerous. If they swarm me, I'll die..."
She continued, her eyes welling up with tears. This was the truth. While not as powerful as her, the Godok Hall was a place teeming with monsters possessing significant spiritual energy. If he left her here, she would become their target. Her spiritual nature and poisonous qi were valuable enough to be coveted by not just humans, but other spiritual beings as well.
Sun-woo fell into thought.
Should I take her? Or not?
To be honest, he wanted to leave alone. Whether she got eaten by others or not, what did it matter to him? Their deal was already over.
But then, something bothered him. The thought of other bastards snatching up and devouring the creature he had given up with such reluctance made his blood boil.
How hard had he worked to subdue her? How many times had he brushed with death, and how many holes had been poked in his body? The idea of someone else swooping in and stealing the meal he’d prepared without any effort made him irrationally angry.
No way in hell!
The conclusion was reached. If he couldn't eat her, no one else could either. Taking the Human-Faced Spider with him was a risk, but he felt like he wouldn't be able to sleep if he let her be taken away like this.
"Can you stand up?"
Sun-woo approached her and asked.
Shake, shake.
She shook her head from side to side.
Chuckles.
Sun-woo let out a small laugh, finding the sight somewhat cute. He thought that as long as she kept her mouth shut, her appearance was quite perfect.
"Fine, get in."
Tap, tap.
Sun-woo patted his chest twice and spread his arms. He intended to carry her.
"........."
She stared blankly at Sun-woo.
Slide.
Then, with a bright smile, she tucked herself into Sun-woo's arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. It wasn't a bad feeling at all. Sun-woo's embrace was quite cozy, and she liked it.
Looking at her, Sun-woo smirked. He thought that for something that wasn't human, she acted more human than most people.
"If you go out there and cause trouble, I'll rip out your Inner Core on the spot. Got it?"
Before moving, Sun-woo released a hint of murderous aura as a warning. Even if she acted like a child, she was strictly a spiritual being close to the Transcendent Realm. If a creature like this caused trouble, it would be a massive headache.
Shiver.
Reacting to Sun-woo's murderous aura, her body trembled.
Nod, nod.
She nodded her head vigorously in agreement. Satisfied, Sun-woo smiled and began to move. His destination was the Tang Clan.
*
Sichuan Tang Clan, Main Hall.
"Die!"
A man wearing a demon mask began to swing his sword violently.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
"Gah!"
After a flurry of sword strikes, a man dressed in green was stabbed in the throat and died instantly.
"Kahahaha! Is this all the Tang Clan’s might amounts to?"
The man in the demon mask, Hwang Du, the Vice Unit Leader of the Evil Ghost Squad, burst into laughter.
"The Vice Unit Leader has taken down a Tang Clan Elder!"
"Waaaaah! Kill all the poison-mongers!"
"Kill them, rape them, burn them all!"
At his laughter, the morale of the Evil Ghost Squad soared as if to pierce the heavens, while the Tang Clan’s morale plummeted to the floor.
"Even Elder Tang Han has fallen..."
"Is there truly no one who can stand against those demons?"
"Where on earth is the Clan Head!?"
The despairing cries of the Tang Clan warriors echoed everywhere.
The corners of Hwang Du’s mouth curled up. In war, morale was the most important factor. Hwang Du believed that if morale broke, the war was as good as lost, regardless of the situation.
So, what was the easiest way to boost morale? It was simple. You just had to take off the heads of the leaders.
Hwang Du had specifically targeted the old men who looked like they held some authority, and as a result, he had sent the Tang Clan warriors' morale crashing below the ground.
Despairing cries filled the air. He couldn't stop laughing.
In terms of raw numbers, they should have been evenly matched, but the Tang Clan warriors were being helplessly slaughtered by the Evil Ghost Squad’s blades. This was the difference between amateurs and professionals of war. It was pathetic to see them despairing over such obvious results.
"Kuhahahaha! Kill them all! I heard the Tang Clan women are absolute beauties. I’ll give the man with the most kills the first chance to plow them!"
"Waaaaaaaah!!!"
"Waaaaah!"
At his vulgar words, the Evil Ghost Squad’s morale soared even higher. Conversely, the Tang Clan’s morale was in a wretched state.
It was a problem of leadership. The absence of someone to steady them and hold the center was dragging their morale into the abyss. To eliminate that center, Hwang Du had cut down every Elder or high-ranking member as soon as they appeared. As a result, the Tang Clan warriors had lost the figures who could anchor them.
"Agh!"
"Gurgle..."
"Urgh!"
The number of corpses in green robes littering the floor of the Main Hall continued to grow. In proportion, Hwang Du’s smile deepened.
This place is finished.
Soon, reinforcements would arrive to assist the Evil Ghost Squad. Once they arrived, the destruction of the Tang Clan would be accelerated even further.
Hwang Du began to swing his sword with glee. Tormenting the weak was always a pleasure. It was even better when they were consumed by terror.
It was then.
Fwoosh.
He felt something graze his cheek. A sharp, burning sensation followed. He touched his cheek.
The touch of a sticky liquid snapped Hwang Du to his senses. The sticky liquid was blood. Someone had actually made him bleed.
Who dares!
Furious to his core, Hwang Du quickly scanned his surroundings. He was looking for the culprit who had drawn his blood.
It was then.
From far away, the sound of footsteps began to approach.
Tap. Tap.
The footsteps were incredibly clear. They were too light to be a man's.
Tap. Tap.
Yet, the footsteps began to spread clearly, as if they were being heard right next to him.
Internal energy?
Yes. The person was using internal energy to amplify the sound of their footsteps. Who would waste their energy on something so useless?
Hwang Du looked around. Not just him, but many others had stopped fighting and were focusing their gaze on the source of the footsteps.
Tap. Tap.
Hwang Du also fixed his eyes on the direction of the sound. And then, he saw her.
A fairy dressed in robes as black as the darkest night.
Tap. Tap.
Gulp.
Every time she took a step, the sound of people swallowing hard echoed around. Hwang Du was no exception. Her presence and beauty were so overwhelming that he couldn't help but salivate.
Hair as fine as ebony, skin as white as snow, eyes of exquisite beauty, a sharp nose, lips full of red hue, and the beautiful curves of her body revealed by the tight-fitting black robes.
"A Nation-Toppling Beauty!"
The phrase came naturally to mind at the sight of her. Hwang Du felt a surge of blood rushing to his member. He was aroused. His breathing grew heavy, and his manhood stiffened further.
That bitch is mine!
He was filled with nothing but the desire to possess her.
Tap. Tap.
Stop.
Having stopped in the middle of the battlefield, she looked straight at Hwang Du. Her obsidian-like gaze sent a thrill through his entire body.
"Hehehehe. Was it you, you little wench, who scratched my cheek?"
Hwang Du spoke, letting out a vulgar laugh toward her.
"Yes."
A beautiful, melodic voice flowed from her lips. She was a woman whose voice, as much as her appearance, had the charm to tug at a man's heartstrings.
"The price for that scratch will be quite painful. First, I'll personally break in that backdoor virginity of yours. Hehehehe."
Hwang Du spat out a vulgar joke at the woman who looked so noble. These girls from prestigious families were all the same. If you said something crude, they would lose their cool and charge in.
"........"
However, she merely stared at Hwang Du without saying a word.
"Your mouth is filthy."
She muttered a single sentence and then swiftly flicked her hand upward.
Swish!
"Huh?"
Hwang Du, who was confused by her inexplicable action, suddenly felt an emptiness where his right ear should be.
"Wha... What!?"
The emptiness soon turned into a searing heat, bringing with it a wave of agony.
"AAAAAAAGH!"
Hwang Du frantically clutched at his right ear. It was gone. The ear that should have been there was nowhere to be found.
Hwang Du looked at her, terrified.
"Do you want to die?"
The woman, who had just spat out such harsh words, was smiling brightly. Her clear, radiant smile was beautiful enough to make even a Nation-Toppling Beauty weep, but to Hwang Du, that sight began to look like pure terror.