The Three Fusions Bloodline, Part 1

Lee Jin-hyuk had expected it.

He knew Dang So-wol would turn against Majuron.

This expectation was born of experience.

Before his regression, when Dang So-wol had learned the truth about Majuron and the Dang Clan, her fury had been absolute.

Jin-hyuk probably knows what happened to me in the past, so he expects me to be angry.

Dang So-wol didn't know that Jin-hyuk was a regressor, but she knew that anyone would expect her to be furious upon learning the truth. This was the big picture Jin-hyuk was painting.

He was revealing the truth to her and leaving the choice in her hands.

Instead of just telling me the truth, he's trying to draw me to his side.

Regardless of whether this was morally right or wrong, Jin-hyuk had a clear motive. He wanted to bring her into his camp.

Well, I suppose any player who paints a big picture like Jin-hyuk would do the same.

Looking at the innocent High Elf before her, Dang So-wol fell into deep thought.

Can I really trust Jin-hyuk this much?

Her days with Jin-hyuk had been good, of course. But simply having a good time wasn't enough to make such a monumental decision on the spot.

The Witch Coven and the Dang Clan. Both were massive factions that Dang So-wol could not control on her own.

And above all...

Dang So-wol bit her lower lip.

When I placed my hand on the wall of the Dang Clan estate, I felt more detachment than anger. It was as if I were tracing someone else's memories, not my own.

The truth she had witnessed at the Dang Clan was certainly shocking. During the War between Orthodox and Demonic Factions, witches had secretly infiltrated the estate and kidnapped talented children.

Yet, she didn't feel particularly angry. For some reason, it felt like she was merely peering into someone else's life.

"I'll... think about it a little more."

"...I understand."

Kaelion blinked, surprised that Dang So-wol hadn't agreed immediately.

"Let me know once you've made up your mind."

"I will."

"MIIIIIIIGHTYYYYYY!"

"..."

A month.

A month had passed since Jin-hyuk arrived here.

"This bastard charges in shouting every single time... He doesn't even give me a chance to negotiate."

With Jin-hyuk and Russell's stats, they should have arrived in Sichuan long ago. However, every time Russell spotted bandits of the Green Forest, his body moved first, accompanied by a roaring shout of "Russell!" or "Mighty!"

Thwack!

Although it took less than an hour to clear out most Green Forest bandits, it still ate up a significant amount of time.

Thanks to Russell, Jin-hyuk was racking up useless fame.

Still, Jin-hyuk thought, looking at Russell with a smile, the situation isn't bad.

Jin-hyuk usually talked a lot with his companions. Naturally, he spoke the most with Kaelion. They were bound by a shared destiny, but in this tower, one never knew how circumstances might change or when they might be separated.

I told her that if I didn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠return after a month, she should read the room and make the proposal to Dang So-wol.

He wasn't worried about Elruin either. The current Kaelion was stronger than most high rankers. Given her abilities, she would have integrated well into the Mount Emei Sect.

I feel a bit guilty for wasting their time for my own benefit, but...

Jin-hyuk couldn't help it. He couldn't just abandon Russell, a companion he had reunited with after his regression.

"Bwahahaha!"

Russell laughed boisterously atop the ruins of the bandit fort, looking like a hero who had just vanquished great evil. Jin-hyuk shook his head at the sight.

"Russell. I told you we have things to do."

"Hahaha!" Russell grinned. "But I saved them, didn't I?"

Sure enough, Russell was cradling several animals that had been captured and caged by the bandits.

"Unbelievable." Jin-hyuk scratched the back of his head, exasperated. "Anyway, Russell. Do the Constellations still talk to you?"

"They used to! But they went quiet at some point."

"Recently?" Jin-hyuk felt a prickle of unease. "When exactly did they stop?"

"Hmm. When was it? I don't really remember, my friend! Bwahahaha!"

Anyone else might have suspected Russell's memory had been wiped by a curse or magic. But Jin-hyuk knew better. This idiot simply hadn't paid enough attention to remember when the Constellations had stopped speaking to him.

He probably didn't care in the first place.

Deciding not to press the issue, Jin-hyuk examined the injured animals.

Wait, this is...?

Among them, he spotted a divine beast with a familiar appearance. It resembled an elephant and fed on iron. It was a Bulgasari.

"Oh? Look at its back. Doesn't that pattern look like a plate of dumplings?"

"...Dumplings?"

"No, you know... that thing they use in temples. Round and ornate."

"A mandala."

"Right, that's it! It looks exactly like one!"

Now that he mentions it... Jin-hyuk activated his skill.

The white flames rising from Jin-hyuk's hand seeped into the Bulgasari's body, and its wounds began to heal. While the fire worked wonders on the other animals, its effect on the divine beast was far more dramatic. No matter what food they consumed, the essence of all divine beasts was rooted in divine power.

"Thank you, my friend!"

Deeply moved by the gesture, Russell lunged to hug Jin-hyuk. Russell possessed the ultimate physical body, but that was all he had. Healing others or formulating complex strategies was entirely out of his wheelhouse.

"Don't hug me, you lunatic."

"Don't be so shy!"

As they bickered, crackle... click? Something caught Jin-hyuk's senses as he channeled the holy fire.

"What's this?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Hold on."

Since it concerned his animal friend, and because Jin-hyuk was radiating an ominous pressure, Russell watched closely, growing slightly tense.

Every flow of energy in the area laid itself bare before Jin-hyuk's eyes.

The young Bulgasari whimpered softly. Inside it, Jin-hyuk detected a sinister energy—a demonic energy shaped like a Buddhist lotus flower.

A Buddhist symbol made of wicked demonic energy.

It was an ominous sight by any standard. The fact that even Russell, who was incredibly sensitive to energy, hadn't noticed it proved how covertly the curse had been planted.

"It's a curse."

"A curse?" Russell's eyes widened. "Those Green Forest idiots are too brainless to use magic like that."

Ignoring Jin-hyuk's look who's talking ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠expression, Russell clenched his fists.

"Ha! I knew something was off. I knew there was a grand conspiracy at play!"

Russell's words couldn't be dismissed as mere nonsense. The lotus and the mandala pattern inside the Bulgasari carried a distinct signature. It belonged to the Witch Coven. Specifically, Majuron.

Before my regression, Majuron's base of operations was on the 4th floor.

And now, the Hundred Thousand Mountains where the Heavenly Demon Sect resided shared a striking geographical resemblance to that place.

Could it be...? Jin-hyuk's eyes narrowed. Did she swallow up the factions of the 10th floor instead of the 4th floor?

With Majuron's abilities, it was entirely possible. Rather than subjugating them by force like she did on the 4th floor, it was likely a cooperative alliance, but it was well within her capabilities.

"This is a bit of a problem."

"Why? What is it?"

"...The Potala Palace."

The Potala Palace of the Western Regions. Composed of the Great Esoteric Dharma Protectors and the Seven Golden Priests, they practiced a form of Tibetan Buddhism. While they shared the same root religion as the Shaolin Temple on this floor, they belonged to a completely different sect.

The Witch Coven is collaborating with the Potala Palace? Jin-hyuk swallowed hard. They've completely nested themselves on the 10th floor.

Considering that members of the Heavenly Demon Sect had shown up when the divine beasts were kidnapped on the 9th floor, they were definitely working together. The Witch Coven, the Heavenly Demon Sect, and the Potala Palace. Jin-hyuk's expression hardened at the unexpected alliance.

The truly terrifying part is that other factions might be involved in this alliance. And... He swallowed again. Subjugating or co-opting the Potala Palace, the antithesis of Shaolin... this might not just be a political alliance, but a religious infiltration.

Before his regression, Majuron had planted spies everywhere and brainwashed countless people with her spells. Considering that, her influence could easily be hiding within the Orthodox factions, or even the Unorthodox Coalition. The fact that the Green Forest bandits were going out of their way to abuse these animals was suspicious enough.

Regardless. Jin-hyuk clenched his fist tightly.

Fzzzt!

I need to look into this further. The silence from the Constellations is also deeply unsettling.

Originally, he had planned to regroup with Kaelion and Dang So-wol as quickly as possible. But now, it seemed there was a more pressing matter at hand. Fortunately, convincing Russell would be easy.

"Russell."

"Hmm?"

"Take good care of it. It's your animal friend, after all."

As Jin-hyuk handed over the exhausted Bulgasari, Russell thumped his chest proudly. "Of course! Leave it to me!"

...Why do I feel so uneasy? Jin-hyuk sighed.

Well, the Bulgasari ate iron, so Russell could just feed it the weapons lying around.

"By the way, there are some really bad guys out there. I think they're the ones who pulled the strings behind the Green Forest bandits."

"Pulled the strings...? Those absolute bastards...!"

Seeing Russell burn with rage, Jin-hyuk smirked.

"Yeah. Let's go beat up the bad guys."

"Let's do it!"

Whimpering softly, the Bulgasari was held tightly in Russell's arms to keep it safe as he followed Jin-hyuk at high speed.

How many Green Forest bandits had they plowed through? The resistances of his equipment, which normally had an abysmal chance of increasing, were rising steadily. It was all thanks to the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leftover scraps of items the Bulgasari had chewed up and left behind.

"Jin-hyuk! That place over there looks suspicious!"

At a glance, it looked like nothing more than an abandoned herb garden.

The Bulgasari squeaked in agreement with Russell. Jin-hyuk activated his skill.

There's definitely some kind of energy here.

It was a trace so faint that even the dragon's eyes of the Truth-Seeking Eye could barely register it. Knowing he would have missed it entirely ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠without the skill, Jin-hyuk focused his gaze on the lingering energy.

"This is..."

The Bulgasari tilted its head. Unable to see the energy, both Russell and the beast began sniffing the air in unison. Perhaps because their sense of smell was vastly superior to Jin-hyuk's, they had picked up on something else.

"I smell something. A distinct scent."

What Jin-hyuk saw, they could smell.

"Let's go in first."

As they ventured deeper, the scent grew stronger. It was a highly unpleasant, mind-numbing aroma of herbs.

Tack! Tack! Tack! Tack! ... Tack! Tack!

The rhythmic, hollow sound of a wooden temple block began to echo.

"...!"

At the sudden notification, Jin-hyuk quickly scanned his surroundings. To think there was a status ailment so insidious that it could deceive all his senses without even triggering a system warning window beforehand. If not for his passive skills, he would have been incapacitated before he could even react.

"Huuu..."

The Bulgasari whimpered sleepily. Sure enough, Russell's eyes were drooping as his mind was slowly being encroached upon.

Knowing that staying still would spell disaster, Jin-hyuk quickly unfurled his wings and swept away the surrounding mist and energy. *Whoosh!*

"That's...!"

Once the mist, the sound of the wooden block, and the invisible scent vanished, a mandala drawn in blood was revealed.

The chilling phrase was written in Hanja above the mandala.

"It seems we have guests in this ancient temple." *Tack! Tack! Tack!*

The figure who emerged alongside the bizarre wooden block sounds had a hunched back like an old monk, but he was far more grotesque than any holy man. He wore a crimson Buddhist robe, and his entire body was covered in tattoos that blazed like roaring flames.

Is that...? Jin-hyuk's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the tattoos. "The Blood Sect?"

"A sharp-witted child, indeed. In that case..." The monk grinned. "You must offer your lives to become fertilizer for the imprisoned god."

Rumble!

Suddenly, the world began to fill with a crimson tide. Blood. Like a raging torrent or a deadly weapon, the monk began to manipulate the blood, pressing down on Jin-hyuk and Russell.