Chapter 11
Translator: True Detective
Cults of the Ghouls (3)
Four days had passed since I learned the fact that the culprit who murdered the study room night worker was not an ordinary person.
"We have club practice today, want to join?" "I'm sorry. I have an evening part-time job every day this month." "What's there to be sorry about."
I briefly conversed with the club president senior I ran into on my way back after finishing my lectures, and then parted ways. The part-time job was one thing, but the incident that had been making my mind dizzy recently kept coming to mind.
'I can't ignore it.'
Unless my Qi Sense was broken, it was certain.
This incident is clearly a problem the Bureau should solve, and it would be a great feat if an ordinary organization like the police could even grasp a rough clue.
In other words, there is absolutely no problem if I just focus on my life with the thought that the Bureau will handle it on their own.
'To think the problem happened around me, of all places.'
The problem is that the incident occurred around me. It's not even just someone close, but a person I exchanged greetings with while changing shifts at the study room job for about a year.
Starting from the Mount Geumjeong Forked Path, passing through Yeongshin Elementary School, up to the Monkey Dream.
Haven't anomalous phenomena been occurring uniquely often around me lately? Perhaps this incident, too, might involve me directly, just like the anomalous phenomena up until now.
'It might be an overthought, but for some reason, I can't shake the feeling that I'm pulling various bizarre things toward my surroundings.'
Among the sayings I've heard somewhere, there was this saying:
One meeting is a coincidence. Two meetings are a connection.
'Then, what is the third meeting?'
Because it was such a famous saying, the content differed slightly depending on the variation, but the gist was all roughly similar no matter the kind.
'The third meeting is inevitability, and destiny.'
Up to once is understandable. Up to twice is rare, but something that could happen. However, from the third time, it's different.
Whether it becomes destiny or causality, it's a fetter where you have no choice but to meet no matter what. That even if you try hard to deny it and turn your head away, you will end up meeting a fourth and fifth time.
Reaching that point in my thoughts, a sigh escaped my mouth.
'Perhaps, it might already be too late to turn back.'
I might have dipped my foot in too deeply. Like clothes getting wet in a drizzle, while letting it slide with the thought of 'so these things happen too,' I might have missed the time to turn back.
'The current me can no longer live an ordinary life forgetting everything.'
As long as I possess martial arts, I cannot help but care about the Bureau. However, if I scatter my martial arts, I will lose the weapon to survive the anomalous phenomena existing in this world.
Ultimately, I must move forward. The best course is to raise my martial arts achievements while believing in what I think is right.
Because if I am at least not at a level where the Bureau can toy with me, my current worries might be resolved to some extent.
'Starting today, I should focus on training to break through the wall.'
Up until now, I valued the overall completion of my martial arts. Rather than blindly raising my realm, I trained in the direction of polishing the martial arts I created and cultivated to be as complete as possible.
Naturally, training to break through the wall and raise my realm took up a fairly small portion. In truth, I practically didn't do it at all, or only touched upon it little by little when I had time to spare.
The reason was simple. It was because I didn't feel a reason to specifically raise my realm quickly. There was also the thought that it would be dangerous to raise only my realm while my martial arts were in an incomplete state.
However, the situation now was different from the past. It is a situation where I can only feel relieved if I can draw out Aura, even if it's incomplete, rather than flawlessly perfect Sword Qi.
'Peak is the limit as a biological organism that a human can reach. Transcendent Peak is crossing the limit given to the human species and stepping into the domain of spiritual beasts.'
This is your limit. As if to say that, breaking the providence the heavens have drawn for the existence called human and crossing the line. A martial artist at the Peak Realm breaking through the wall means exactly that.
'Naturally, it must be incredibly dangerous and difficult.'
In the martial arts novels I've read, there were largely two ways for a Peak Realm master to become a Transcendent Peak master.
One is breaking the boundary of the Conception and Governing Vessels, called the Life and Death Profound Gate; the other is crossing the wall with one's original martial arts by gaining enlightenment.
'I don't know which one is the correct answer, but both are necessary things.'
The Life and Death Profound Gate exists for me too. It's a thin membrane distinguishing the Conception Vessel and Governing Vessel around the Baihui acupoint at the crown of the head. In old martial arts novels, if one pierced and opened this, their realm would usually soar along with Body Metamorphosis.
Of course, as big as the return is, the risk is also high. Doesn't the very name Life and Death Profound Gate mean the gateway of life and death? Even its location is the Baihui acupoint, perfectly suited to send you straight to the afterlife if you slip up.
If you make the slightest mistake, you could become a cripple or face death right then and there. Becoming an idiot is on the milder side, and occasionally there were cases where the entire body's meridians and Qi blood twisted and burst, resulting in a gruesome death.
'On the other hand, enlightenment is safe, even if it's a bit slow.'
Excluding the disadvantage of being slow because you don't know when or how it will come, the method of reaching the Transcendent Peak through enlightenment is the best.
Doesn't your realm suddenly rise along with the completion of your martial arts leaping higher? I'll have to open the Life and Death Profound Gate someday too, but if I had to choose, it would be safer to do it at the Transcendent Peak rather than Peak.
Therefore, for the time being, I should do some training to gain enlightenment. With those thoughts, I left to do my abandoned school night guard part-time job.
'It's still early, but since I'm going to practice martial arts there anyway, it shouldn't matter if I go early and work.'
Since he wouldn't demand me to spit out more salary just because I started working earlier than usual, rather, the employer mister would welcome unpaid work from an early hour with open arms.
Because unlike people who work, people who make others work always want to pay less money.
However, unfortunately, my training plan for raising my realm collapsed not long after.
"Phew... Right, I was the target from the beginning. Is that it?"
11:50 PM. The sun had already fallen, burying the surroundings in pitch-black darkness, a time slightly before midnight.
It was a quiet night that could be called the dead of night, but shattering such tranquility, an ominous aura began to hover over the abandoned school's playground.
It was the repulsive aura I felt while passing by the study room where I worked four days ago. That eerie aura perfectly suited to the word 'evil' flowed out from a certain man.
"Amazing, truly amazing! How did you get your hands on such mystery? I am so incredibly curious!"
A Westerner who looked more like a walking corpse than a human, draped in a completely tattered robe and holding a somewhat bizarre book open in one hand, muttered.
No, perhaps the expression 'muttered' wasn't correct. Because he was speaking almost as if shouting, revealing highly elevated emotions.
It wasn't particularly important content. Chasing me all the way to a remote place like this, exuding a sinister aura, and furthermore, those words muttering about mystery and whatnot. That bastard is definitely targeting me.
"Let me ask just one thing."
I won't kill him. He's a bastard who did things worthy of death, and I want to kill him, but...
If I kill him for no reason, even I might get swept up in a troublesome matter. Instead, I plan to make him a half-cripple and hand him over to either the Bureau or the police.
Swallowing those thoughts, I threw the final question before starting the battle.
"What kind of bastard are you?"
An appearance hard to view as an ordinary human, an ominous and filthy aura like he housed a demon in his body, and even his history of killing people.
Not a single thing is ordinary. Even the clothes he's wearing and the book in his hand are incredibly bizarre.
"Who am I, you ask? Hehe, yes. I suppose you'd be curious."
My figure reflects in his madness-tinged pupils. The mouth, dripping saliva, clacks and answers my question.
"A mage."
A being possessing the grimoire called Cults of the Ghouls, shaking the providence and laws of the world with its mystery.
"Marcel Lacrima."
And simultaneously, a monster trying to achieve eternal life by devouring me and plundering my mystery.
"Is this much enough of an answer?"
The mage who finished his series of introductions lets out a fishy smile. Meeting that smile with a chuckle of my own, I too mutter briefly.
"Sufficiently."
Saying so, I kick the ground. The inner energy already gathered and drawn out faithfully adds speed to my body even with the sudden leap.
Of course, it's not a run that is simply fast and meant for a surprise attack. Because the opponent is a mage I have never experienced facing even once up until now.
What exactly the power of magic is remains unknown, but it must at least rival martial arts. Since he will wield a power rivaling anomalies with human intellect, this side must also apply variations accordingly.
Thus, Footwork & Movement Skills. It is right to pressure him so he cannot easily try any tricks, using light and fast yet irregular movements.
'I don't know what kind of magic he uses, but fundamentally, it's fine as long as I don't get hit.'
One step, two steps, three steps. As the steps repeat, the speed increases. The trajectory drawn by the moving body is dizzying with a mix of straight lines and curves, fast as an arrow yet lightly bouncing and continuously changing direction.
It is not a footwork suited for a tactic aiming for a one-hit kill by closing the distance in a single breath. It isn't, but it is suited for disturbance and probing—aiming for the enemy's openings while hiding my own.
'Immaculate Joyous Movement Skill, Joyful Shadow Step.'
A body imbued with timelessly joyous feelings is light. Just as memories of running and playing in a playground as a child usually are.
Containing such feelings, I unfold the Movement Skill and Lightness Art. Since an excited, joyful, and bouncing footstep is exactly what can reveal that most clearly, I tread my steps just like that.
Because the body and mind of a young child are pure, their intentions cannot be fathomed. They merely approach and retreat, speed up and slow down, joyfully and innocently.
"Mmm...!"
Did he never even dream that I would show movements and techniques surpassing humans to this extent?
The smile disappeared from the face of the mage, Marcel Lacrima, who had been letting out laughs in high spirits. The emotions that filled the place instead were unexpected bewilderment and wariness toward the strong.
'Is it his first time seeing martial arts?'
Just looking at the atmosphere, he seemed like an absolute dark mage who had buried countless martial artists and the like, but seeing his actual reaction, he didn't seem as amazing as I thought.
'The answer will come out if I hit him directly.'
Circling around Marcel Lacrima as if bouncing, I twisted the direction of my footwork in an instant. At the same time, I moved my inner energy with my arms and hands, preparing a palm technique laden with the profound principles of Striking the Cow Across the Mountain.
'With a level of power that would rupture the internal organs if an ordinary person were hit.'
I have no intention of killing him, but it shouldn't be too weak either. It should at least be enough to make him kneel with meaningful damage.
'First, one strike to the back.'
Closing the distance with large strides as if lunging straight on, I rapidly kick the ground twice a couple of steps in front of Marcel.
One step to the side, two steps to the back. How would a situation feel where the enemy right in front of your eyes reaches out their hand from behind your back in the blink of an eye?
I didn't particularly want to hear the answer. Since his reaction to the attack would soon be the answer, I felt no need to exchange questions and answers in words.
—Pow!
"Keugh?!" "Indeed, so you really are a mage, for all you look?"
A heavy palm strike properly landed on his defenseless back. Seeing as he couldn't mount any response or reaction, it seemed he was poor at close combat, but...
'The power decreased significantly. That robe scattered more than half of the inner energy loaded into the palm strike.'
It seemed he had come fully prepared in his own way, packing quite a lot of special items as a means to block attacks he couldn't respond to.
'If it's the part covered by the robe, the shock attenuation effect must be consistent. If I strip off the robe itself or strike a part not covered by the robe—'
It was the moment I was about to move straight away, coming up with a strategy.
"Guweeeek!"
Marcel Lacrima suddenly opened his mouth wide and vomited something. Along with a disgusting stench, a cruelly dismembered and mutilated corpse poured out.
At that sight, I immediately stomped my foot. I intended to approach in a straight line as quickly as possible and attempt an attack.
Because my attack just now absolutely did not have enough power to make that mage vomit.
'If he had been hit without any interference, who knows, but a palm strike whose power was mitigated by an unidentified magic placed on the robe could never make a person vomit to that extent.'
Furthermore, judging by the aura I felt, that bastard didn't seem human anymore. He hadn't completely deviated from humanity, but it seemed he had half a foot in the domain of bizarre beings.
'There is a high possibility that it's preparation to use magic.'
The most effective method of fighting a mage is to push them and kill them without giving them a gap to use magic.
I was about to kick the ground to put that strategy straight into practice, but at the last moment, I conversely threw my body backward.
"Kuhehe, yes. It's a good thing I prepared to this extent. I almost died in reverse."
The bastard's pupils flashing with ecstasy look at me. From the saliva dripping down, I feel his greed directed at me. A disgusting yet bizarre ominousness crawls up my waist.
The next moment, Marcel Lacrima pulls glass bottles from his bosom. An amount of glass bottles fitting the expression 'poured out' falls onto the pile of corpses he vomited and breaks.
And, from the broken glass bottles, screams rang out.
—Kkyaaaaaaak!
I reflexively covered my ears at the ghost wail that seemed to rattle my mind. The bastard, looking at my flustered state as if enjoying it, spread his arms wide and howled toward the sky.
"Mother of Abundance commanding a thousand young! Lord of the Black Forest! I entrust myself to your embrace, so open here the door that leads to your bosom! The bottom of my grave shall be the blanket your young will cover, and the depth of the darkness cast over the dug grave shall be the nourishment for your young crossing the door!"
The corpses lump together. They writhe and rise, twist and move. A monster that moves but has no breath is born.
The monster, taking a few steps like that, bursts. It explodes gruesomely like a balloon, scattering its blood and flesh all over the abandoned school's playground.
"...Son of a bitch, you're making things fucking huge."
The monster born from a dead corpse creates a new cradle with its own death.
I don't know if this expression is correct, but at least the situation unfolding before my eyes felt like that to me.
Monsters grow from the scattered blood and flesh. The grown monsters shriek and look at me.
Finally, Marcel Lacrima, who threw off the robe he was wearing as if it had outlived its usefulness...
"Your mystery shall become a banquet and fill our bellies."
Revealed his body, which had mutated into a monster similar to the ones scattered around.