I Hate These Linked Quests - 7
Kkieak, charging ahead with full determination, was surprisingly fast. I even felt a twinge of self-loathing. Who could've guessed I'd fail to catch a running bird when I wasn't even missing flying ones? Even a chicken escaping its coop wouldn't be this quick.
Maybe it's not a poison bird but an ostrich. Lately, I'd been seriously entertaining that thought. What if Kkieak wasn't some poison bird at all, but an ostrich? That would explain the speed.
Kkieeek!
Anyway, like a valiant vanguard, Kkieak burst through the corridor in an instant and entered a massive chamber. Anyone could tell it was the heart of the tomb. Piles of grave goods filled the space, and a stele several meters tall stood firmly in the center.
Damn it.
And there, standing proudly before the stele, was a black tiger. It looked similar to the tigers we'd captured alive. But unlike those pups the size of dogs—not even adults—this one was as big as a house.
One of the Four Evils. I sensed it instinctively the moment I saw it. This tomb had a real Sa-hung guarding it.
Its overwhelming bulk, ferocious glare, ominous aura, and the fact it had survived 1,600 years trapped in here—it was so obviously a Sa-hung that denying it would be the real insult. Honestly, it being a Sa-hung was the best outcome for everyone.
Kiek, kieeek! Kieeeeeek!
"Calm down. You're not fighting it alone."
I desperately held back Kkieak, who was ready to lunge at the Sa-hung right then and there. Sa-hung and Sa-ryeong were equals, and spirit beasts revered Sa-ryeong like kings. In terms of raw power, Kkieak couldn't take on a Sa-hung solo. I had no desire to watch it turn into Kki/ak.
Besides, we had four Hwa-gyeong masters here. Grandfather alone had once thrashed Do-cheol, so four of them together could surely subdue that beast. They had to. Even if this Sa-hung dwarfed Do-cheol by dozens or hundreds of times, and even if it had lived 1,600 years compared to Do-cheol's cycle of death and revival.
If we fail to catch it, we're screwed.
My hands were starting to tremble. If that Sa-hung broke free from the tomb, it'd be a catastrophe. Sure, Do-cheol had said Sa-hung were too busy fighting Sa-ryeong to bother with humans, but that applied to ones roaming the Central Plains for millennia. This one, locked away while others wandered, might be different.
...Why is it in a tomb, anyway?
A fundamental question arose. Why was a Sa-hung crashing in Seocho Paewang's tomb? I'd seen a horse in Baek Gi's tomb, but that was sorcery forcing Baek Gi's beloved steed back to life. Tragic, but it made sense. Was this Sa-hung something similar—Seocho Paewang's pet? Or was I wrong about it being a Sa-hung, and it was just a beast revived by dark arts?
"Yun."
Ah.
While gripping Kkieak's neck and glaring at the Sa-hung (presumed), Grandfather placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Don't question it now—focus on subduing it. We can leisurely uncover its identity afterward, but stray thoughts before battle lead to collapse."
"Understood, Grandfather. My apologies."
"Good. Step back for now. You're too far forward."
With that, Grandfather moved ahead of me and Kkieak, as if shielding us. Naturally, I didn't say something clueless like, "I'll fight too!" Combining my strength with Grandfather's wouldn't make 1 + 1 = 2—it'd be more like -5. With Do-cheol, desperation to see the qilin's corpse had pushed me to join, but not here.
"Anyone can see that's the boss. A tomb guardian, huh?"
"Leave it to Seocho Paewang to pick such an unusual one. Even in suicide, he stocked his grave well."
"Could be a beast Lord of Hoju found. He knew this tomb's location, after all."
As Grandfather took the front, the other kings readied for battle too. A bizarre entity at the tomb's end. A monstrosity Grandfather himself faced head-on. It'd be weirder if the kings didn't join in.
Abugra-ga-eo-guak!
?
Bugar-a-ga-ga-gak!
What the fuck.
The chamber rang with a deafening roar that left my mind blank. It carried an instinctive pressure, vibrating not just my ears but my skull—a chilling voice that might knock out the faint-hearted.
But the words? Utterly bizarre. Why not speak like Do-cheol or roar like the qilin? What was this in-between babble?
"What is that? Baby talk?"
Gi Gangwang voiced what we were all thinking. Baby talk. Perfect description. The Sa-hung wailed like a babbling infant.
Burook-geu-reu-keu-ra-aak!
The Sa-hung, branded with that label, raged even harder.
Definitely a Sa-hung. And it clearly understood human speech, confirming it was at least a spirit beast—likely a Sa-hung given the vicious aura. First a Sa-hung that got pummeled by humans, now a babbling one. Seemed no Sa-hung were normal.
"Uryang. Remember fighting Chakhan Cheopmoka?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes. Of course."
"Same as then. A long fight risks damaging the valuables."
At Grandfather's words, not just Gi Gangwang but Dong-gu Wang and Yangyang Wang shifted stances. The excavation team watching felt it too. Seeing Hwa-gyeong masters fight was an honor, but hearing Koke Temur's name—Daesong's old nemesis—mentioned? As martial artists, our pulses raced. Me included.
The 12 Great Masters of Daesong linking against one of the world's top three. Even as a cultivator myself, I was intrigued.
"My lord, it's dangerous up front."
"Ah, right."
Amid the anticipation, Jo Wi-cheo sidled up beside me—ostensibly to guard, but everyone knew he wanted the prime view of the linked techniques. No one blamed him. A warrior's rightful greed.
The kings' linkage was simple yet brutal. Blade winds mercilessly targeting the Sa-hung's ankles. Flame pillars surging to char its fur off, turning a furry beast bald. Gi Gangwang and Dong-gu Wang together could incinerate a mountain in seconds. How many peaks went bald during the bandit purges?
Whoa...
But Grandfather's thunder arts and Yangyang Wang's water arts were more devastating. Already immense destructive power, amplified by water? Even a vile foe deserved condolences.
It's tanking that?
Watching the one-sided thrashing sobered me. The Sa-hung's legs were crisped, its back deep-fried. Joking aside, it looked half roasted chicken, half fried. Pitiful at this point. I'd expected ferocious power from a 1,600-year-old, but it was just getting ferociously beaten.
Weakened from tomb life? Long life doesn't guarantee strength. A third-rate martial artist training 1,600 years becomes a monster; just breathing makes an old fogey. Same for a Sa-hung vegetating in a tomb—just an aged one. Still, stamina and toughness held; it endured four Hwa-gyeong beatings.
So Koke Temur died like that. Suddenly pitied him, caught in this combo. Warriors die in battle, but this would've silenced even screams.
Geuk, gaaaak... Buraaak...!
"Tough hide—must be the size!"
"Chakhan Cheopmoka would've lost an arm by now. Shameless beast!"
Wow. Not quite. An arm meant time to scream. Truth I didn't care to know.
Geu, muak... Geu-raaak... Saaak!
I averted my eyes from the Sa-hung's agonized cries. Felt like we were the villains. This tomb was its home; we invaders scorching it with wind, fire, lightning, water. How could it not resent us?
Respawn somewhere nice next life. Avoid humans—
Geu, maan! Ge-maaaan! You fucking bastards!
"Uh, hmm?"
You fucking bastards! You goddamn fucks!
Invading my tomb? Quietly loot the goods—why touch me?!
We all—me, the kings, the team—stared blankly at the Sa-hung's shout.
What the hell is this thing. It could talk? Then why babble before?
I'm done for. Unlikely as a Sa-hung dying to mere humans, but this pummeling might actually kill me. Can't have that.
I awoke in this tomb, spent 1,600 years here. Ending via human attack? Unbearable.
Geu, maan! Ge-maaaan! You fucking bastards!
Somehow, foggy words I'd struggled for burst out instinctively. Joy mixed with fury. Learning language from beatings? Ultimate humiliation.
Even if I revive on death, even if death's just a path—pride exists. Hangjeok subdued me by force but never pushed to death's edge...!
"Surrender?"
You damn things! You attacked me first, minding my own business!
The strongest human's words flipped my guts. Sounded like I started it. I'd planned to watch them squabble over Hangjeok's goods, doom themselves in greed! Not this direct fight!
"Not surrendering? More beatings then."
What.
But these merciless bastards showed no sign of stopping, even after I regained speech. Cursed wind, cursed fire, cursed lightning, cursed water—all flying again.
You trash! Worse bastards than Hangjeok!
Hangjeok at least talked before killing reasoning foes! Not this abrupt murder!