Chapter 300
Chapter 300
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 83
>Chapter Title: Demonic Beast (2)
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A very long time ago,
A much smaller form of the demonic beast Alyu gazed at something with a face full of terror.
It was the shadow of a massive fox with nine tails draped thickly over the heart of the blazing Lesser Hwam Mountain.
Within the flickering shadows of the flames, the gigantic Nine-Tails was tearing the head off something.
It was the adult form of Alyu, which had the head of a dragon.
The small Alyu's red eyes trembled wildly as it watched.
* * *
"Kiririk, what... what are you? Why do you smell like that monstrous fox?"
The demonic beast Alyu asked Mok Kyung-un with trembling eyes.
Having endured ninety-nine days of torment from the Anti-Demon Incantation and a hunger that felt like its stomach was turning inside out, Alyu had intended to devour him in one gulp the moment it saw him.
Yet, no matter how starved it was to the point of losing its reason, it was still a high-class ferocious spirit of the Immeasurable Realms.
As an intelligent demonic beast, Alyu instantly filled with wariness at the familiar scent emanating from Mok Kyung-un and had no choice but to recoil.
"The monstrous fox's scent?"
"Kiririk. No doubt about it. The smell coming from you is definitely that of the monstrous fox."
Mok Kyung-un's eyes narrowed at the demonic beast Alyu's confident words.
Quick on the uptake, Mok Kyung-un immediately thought of the Fox Ghost Consort—no, the King of Hundred Faces, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox—the moment he heard "monstrous fox."
[Carry it with you. It'll serve as proof that I've reserved you.]
[If it's proof of your reservation, it's all the more uncomfortable to carry around.]
[You're so honest. But there won't be any downsides to carrying it. You seem to get tangled up with Immeasurable Realm beings quite often.]
[......]
[So keep it. If you have even a part of my tail, you won't get involved with any nuisances.]
Mok Kyung-un recalled the round medallion in his bosom.
It was something the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox had made from her severed tail.
He had originally planned to just discard it, but Cheongryeong said it would be better to keep it for the time being.
-Even if it's just a part, from a divine beast as close to a sacred creature as the King of Hundred Faces, anything from her body should have some use.
But he hadn't expected it to come in handy so soon.
Judging from the wariness in the demonic beast Alyu's eyes, there was fear there too.
Since it was intelligent enough to speak human words and was reacting like this, he might be able to use it to his advantage.
With that, Mok Kyung-un pulled out the medallion made from the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox's tail from his bosom.
The moment he did,
-Swaaaaaah!
The demonic beast Alyu took several steps back at the even stronger scent of the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox.
"Kiririk. Y-you, what are you? Why does a mere human like you have something like that?"
The demonic beast Alyu shuddered, recalling memories from long ago.
Even after so many years, the terror etched into its very being had not faded.
It was a tyrant through and through.
Even among fellow Immeasurable Realm beings, if something displeased it, it would dismember their bodies and devour them without mercy.
-Parrurur!
Mok Kyung-un's lips twitched at the sight of Alyu's red fur bristling as it trembled rigidly.
It seemed he could resolve this easily if he played it right.
'How should I approach it?'
From its attitude, it was clear the demonic beast Alyu greatly feared the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox.
In that case, it would be best to act as if he had a very close relationship with her.
With that, Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly and said,
"You certainly have a keen nose, as expected of a demonic beast."
"Kiririk. What are you?"
-Clang!
The iron chains of the shackles around the retreating demonic beast Alyu's ankles grew taut.
Thanks to the shackles connected to the center of the cave, the demonic beast Alyu's movement radius couldn't reach the cave walls.
Mok Kyung-un approached such an Alyu and said,
-Don't get too close. Mortal.
Just in case, Cheongryeong warned him.
No matter how fearful it was, the opponent was a high-class demonic beast among the Immeasurable Realms.
There was no benefit in provoking it unnecessarily.
However, to show confidence on purpose, Mok Kyung-un narrowed the distance even further.
In that state, he held up the round medallion made from the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox's tail fur and said,
"As you can see, should I say she's an old acquaintance?"
"An acquaintance? You mean that monster?"
"Yes, you seem to know her well."
"Who wouldn't? The number of beings who died by that monstrous fox's hand is beyond counting. If they were piled into mountains, they'd be taller than the Heavenly Mountains."
-It's probably true. A monster of that caliber has likely lived for thousands of years, enough to stack not just one Heavenly Mountain, but several.
Cheongryeong murmured in agreement.
At that, Mok Kyung-un shook the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox's round medallion at Alyu and said,
"I'm glad you know just how dangerous the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox is. I was worried you might not even hear me out on a proposal that could benefit us both."
"A proposal?"
"Yes. One that might pique even her interest, shall we say?"
"What is it?"
The demonic beast Alyu asked curiously at the word "proposal."
With that, Mok Kyung-un tucked the round medallion back into his bosom and said,
"If we play it right, it could get you out of here."
"Out of here? From this damned cave?"
"Yes. If you're interested, would you hear my proposal?"
"Kiririk. Hmm."
The demonic beast Alyu rolled its eyes with a strange glint, then looked down at Mok Kyung-un and opened its mouth.
"What's the proposal?"
"It's not difficult. You just need to kill a Yao demon for a bit and pretend to be under my control."
"Pretend to be under your control?"
"Yes."
"You're saying I should act subdued by you in front of those monks?"
"Oh ho. You're quick to catch on."
A light shone in Mok Kyung-un's eyes.
As expected of a demonic beast-class, it surpassed mere intelligence in conversation and possessed a certain insight.
"You must know why the Shaolin monks capture and confine you and other Immeasurable Realm beings, and with your intelligence, you know why they chant sutras while keeping you locked up, right?"
"So I just need to pretend to be controlled by you humans?"
"Yes. If you do, the Shaolin monks will release you."
"Just for that?"
"The reason the monks keep you confined is your danger. But if you can be controlled, there's no need to hold you."
At Mok Kyung-un's words, the demonic beast Alyu's eyes narrowed.
It seemed to be seriously considering the proposal.
If it feared the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox and wanted out of here, wouldn't it accept the proposal smoothly?
But then the demonic beast Alyu spoke up.
"Kiririk. I have a question, human."
"What is it?"
"I get the conditions for my release, but you don't seem connected to those monks. Why are you trying to prove it?"
'Ah......'
Mok Kyung-un inwardly found the demonic beast Alyu's question annoying.
He had hoped for a simpler approach, but because it possessed intelligence and insight, it was questioning the intent behind the proposal itself.
With that, Mok Kyung-un quickly racked his brain.
He needed to figure out how to phrase it so the demonic beast Alyu would accept the proposal without suspicion.
Soon, Mok Kyung-un drew upon his curse power, the foundation of sorcery.
As he did, at the aura it revealed, the demonic beast Alyu raised its voice and said,
"Kirik. Human. You're a sorcerer."
"Yes, as you can see."
"No wonder those damned monks wouldn't let a normal human in."
-Grind!
Shrugging at the sight of the tooth-grinding demonic beast Alyu, Mok Kyung-un said,
"Yes. But this is an opportunity for you. I also need to prove to the monks here that the Immeasurable Realm being I took as a familiar due to friction with them isn't dangerous."
"A familiar?"
"It's weaker in demonic power than you, but I have one."
At Mok Kyung-un's words, the demonic beast Alyu smirked with its elongated mouth and said,
"Kiririk. So the monks are after the Immeasurable Realm being you sorcerers took as a familiar."
"That's right. You're sharp. So if you accept my proposal and help, we both stand to gain, don't you think?"
"Kirik. Kirik. Yeah. Could be."
"Will you accept my proposal then? It might be tough at first, but if you just follow my control for a bit, you'll gain your freedom......"
-Pak!
Before his words could finish.
Mok Kyung-un urgently leaped back as the demonic beast Alyu's front hoof shot toward him at tremendous speed.
-Pat! Kwaaaang!
As the hoof slammed into the ground, the floor cracked and shattered fragments flew up.
Mok Kyung-un sliced through the flying debris with sharp sword energy formed from his sword art manual while dodging what he could with his body movements.
But no sooner had he done so than,
-Krurrururururu!
Purple condensed smoke poured from the demonic beast Alyu's mouth, trying to envelop Mok Kyung-un.
'Poison? No.'
It wasn't poison.
It was like smoke infused with demonic power.
-Sruk!
As Mok Kyung-un hurriedly dodged, the emitted purple condensed smoke collided with the ground.
But unlike before, at the spot where the smoke hit,
-Woooong!
The golden sutra script shimmered and promptly repelled the smoke in a bizarre phenomenon.
The repelled smoke then crashed into another wall of the cave.
And on that wall too, the golden sutra script caused the smoke to reflect elsewhere, spreading it all around.
Thanks to this, Mok Kyung-un widened the distance as much as possible to avoid the smoke, but soon enough, the reflecting smoke had filled more than half the cave.
Some of it touched his skin as a result.
-Chiiiii!
'Acid?'
It was extremely corrosive acid.
This was separate from immunity to poison.
Direct exposure to the acid would melt the skin inevitably.
To counter this, Mok Kyung-un drew upon his demonic qi to form a thin membrane over his skin, protecting his body like a protective aura.
Fortunately, it worked.
The acid couldn't pierce the membrane made of demonic qi.
-Shuk!
Not stopping there, Mok Kyung-un used his true qi to push back the smoke, preventing it from entering a certain range.
Then, from within the smoke,
-Thud! Thud!
The demonic beast Alyu, who had suddenly attacked, revealed itself.
"Kiriririk. You're no ordinary human. There's no way a mere sorcerer who handles spells could move this fast."
"Whether sorcerer or not, does it matter? I even made a proposal enticing enough, so what's with this sudden attack?"
At Mok Kyung-un's words, the demonic beast Alyu suddenly bared its savage, sharp fangs in a laugh.
"Kiririririri. You think I'd believe your words?"
"......Unexpected. I thought if you're fated to die listening to sutras in captivity anyway, you'd grasp even a slim chance to escape."
"Kirik. Sure, it sounds right at first glance. But those monks and you sorcerers are no different from natural predators to our kind. To think I'd trust your flimsy promise—how foolish."
Mok Kyung-un clicked his tongue at the beast's words and said,
"You're throwing away a chance to get free just like that?"
"It could also be a chance to die after being used."
Mok Kyung-un smacked his lips at the demonic beast Alyu's words.
He himself was suspicious, but this demonic beast Alyu, true to its intelligence, refused to trust him at all.
He had thought the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox's medallion would make it easy, but apparently not.
With that, Mok Kyung-un pulled out the medallion again and said,
"If it's because I'm a sorcerer, there might be a misunderstanding. Just from being acquaintances with the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox......"
-Thud!
Before his words could finish, the demonic beast Alyu slammed its hoof into the ground.
Then, looking down at Mok Kyung-un with a voice full of intimidation, it said,
"Thanks to you, human, dirty memories have resurfaced."
"Dirty memories?"
"That monstrous fox massacred all my kin on Lesser Hwam Mountain, leaving me as the sole survivor."
"......"
Mok Kyung-un let out a small sigh.
He had thought as a lower-class Immeasurable Realm being, it merely feared the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox.
But if all its kin had been slaughtered,
-Gooooh!
The surging intense killing intent made its blatant hostility clear.
"......This won't end well for you. Even if you hate the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox, my proposal really isn't a lie."
"Whether lie or truth, I don't trust the monks or you humans. More importantly, I've got a brilliant plan now."
"A brilliant plan?"
"Yeah. Since the monstrous fox treasures you so much, if I kill you here, she'll have a massive fight with those damned monks who locked me up!"
-Kurrurrurururu!
No sooner had it spoken than the demonic beast Alyu spewed purple smoke.
The purple smoke, emitted with even greater force than before, flew somewhere—the iron gate at the entrance.
In an instant, the area near the iron gate filled with purple smoke.
'It's trying to block the exit.'
Mok Kyung-un had no choice but to move to the opposite side.
As Mok Kyung-un leaped toward the opposite side, at that moment, Alyu's long tail whipped toward him like a lash.
-Whip!
Given the tail's enormous size, it wasn't just any whip.
In response, Mok Kyung-un drew his Demon Instant Sword in a flash.
-Shring!
He blocked the incoming tail with the Demon Instant Sword.
-Chaeng!
Contrary to expectations that the red feather-like fur on the tail would be soft, it clashed with a metallic ring, proving incredibly hard.
Moreover, the power and weight carried in the tail itself were immense,
-Paang!
Mok Kyung-un's body was flung backward.
The flung Mok Kyung-un was on a trajectory to crash into the opposite cave wall.
Deciding to use this force, Mok Kyung-un flipped in midair to redirect himself and kick off the cave wall.
But the moment he tried to plant his feet against the wall upon impact,
-Kwaang!
At that instant, both feet punched through the cave wall, and Mok Kyung-un's body was sent straight through to the other side.
'!?'