Chapter 62: This is So Unfair!
“Divine Fusion Realm!”
At that moment, an old man appeared before the black-robed figure. He glared fiercely at the man and shouted.
“Who the hell are you to interfere with Chwi Seon Ru's business?”
“Chwi Seon Ru? Haha... What's so great about that?”
His voice was muffled, as if he were deliberately concealing it.
As the old man opened his mouth to speak, the black-robed figure pointed his right hand downward.
Rumble—!
A bolt of lightning streaked down toward the old man's crown.
The old man's face drained of color as he thrust both hands skyward. A massive surge of energy erupted from his palms. But the old man's power was halted by the lightning and scattered in an instant.
Boom—!
Another thunderclap rang out, slamming the old man's body into the ground.
The black-robed figure withdrew his hand and vanished into the dark night sky in a flash.
Meanwhile, the old man, trembling on the ground and barely managing to prop up his upper body, pulled out a thumb-sized stone and crushed it. A streak of black light shot from it into the air.
It looked like he was summoning someone.
Moments later, fierce sounds of combat echoed from the distant sky.
Someone from Chwi Seon Ru must have come to his aid!
At that point, Seo Cheong—the woman conducting the auction—approached Yeop Hyeon and Gang Gu, bowing deeply.
“Princess Gu, forgive us. Chwi Seon Ru will retrieve the item no matter what. Please grant us just a little time!”
Gang Gu nodded, gazing toward the distant sky.
“I'll give you five days.”
With that, Gang Gu and Yeop Hyeon turned to leave the hall.
It was right then.
[Chase him!]
Yeop Hyeon blinked in confusion at the sudden voice of the Heavenly Maiden.
[Hurry! I sensed the energy of a Dochik from that man's body just now!]
Yeop Hyeon startled and shot back at her.
“Heavenly Maiden, why didn't you tell me sooner? We could've caught him already!”
[If you'd chased after him then, you'd already be dead!]
“......”
Gang Gu turned to Yeop Hyeon.
“What's wrong?”
“Huh? Oh! Something urgent came up! You go ahead without me!”
Yeop Hyeon shot off like an arrow. Gang Gu frowned in bewilderment and ordered the old man beside her.
“Follow him. We can't let that kid cause trouble.”
The old man nodded and vanished in an instant.
But he soon reappeared in the hall.
“Y-Your Highness! He's gone!”
Gang Gu narrowed her eyes at the old man's dazed expression.
“What do you mean, gone!?”
“I-I don't know. His energy vanished in a flash. It's like he disappeared from this world entirely!”
Gang Gu lifted her head toward the direction Yeop Hyeon had gone.
“That bastard... He was hiding something after all!”
Meanwhile, outside Yangjie City, Yeop Hyeon raced onward at wind-like speed. As he entered the deep mountains, sounds of battle echoed through the range.
[Stop!]
The Heavenly Maiden commanded.
“H-Heavenly Maiden?”
[Wait until the fight ends.]
Yeop Hyeon found a flat rock and sat down as she instructed.
“Heavenly Maiden, what exactly is a Dochik?”
[You'll learn in time!]
“Understood. Oh, and it seems the entity on the second floor has awakened!”
[I know.]
“Then couldn't you give that guy a good thrashing, Heavenly Maiden?”
Slap—!
Yeop Hyeon's body suddenly flew through the air, crashing into a tree dozens of zhang away!
He barely pulled himself up, a fresh handprint claw mark vivid on his cheek!
[That's what you get for being cheeky.]
“......”
[Don't worry about the second-floor entity for now. Your top priority is to find that Dochik as soon as possible. If you don't, the tower could face a serious problem.]
Yeop Hyeon rubbed his cheek and nodded.
“Got it. Then, about that guy on the second floor...”
[Don't worry. He can't kill you. You're the master of the Gyeok Ok Tower right now. If you die, the tower reverts to having no master. The entities trapped inside would have to face the tower directly again. Even without the Dochik, the tower still has its instinct to resist them—and that's still too much for them to handle. Right now, your presence is barely maintaining order in the Gyeok Ok Tower. So they won't kill you until they escape.]
Yeop Hyeon couldn't make heads or tails of her explanation.
His mere existence preventing the tower from threatening them...? What the hell did that mean!
Boom—!
Right then, an explosion like the heavens shattering rocked the world. Countless bolts of electricity blanketed the vast sky.
Yeop Hyeon's eyelids twitched.
“H-Heavenly Maiden... That guy's way too strong, isn't he? Chasing him like this is gonna get me killed!”
[You have to enter the tiger's den to catch the tiger.]
“......”
Even as they spoke, explosions wracked the entire mountain range. The whole peak shook endlessly, as if struck by an earthquake.
'Th-This is cheating! He's too damn strong!'
Yeop Hyeon's face hardened in an instant.
Then, suddenly, silence fell.
[Chase him.]
Without hesitation, Yeop Hyeon shot toward the source of the noise. The deeper he went, the colder his heart grew. The strike zones were charred trees reduced to black ash. The ground was cracked like after a quake.
A chill ran through him.
The black-robed figure was no one he could face!
[What are you worried about with me here?]
Yeop Hyeon forced a grin.
“You're right! With you, Heavenly Maiden, I wouldn't fear the whole Chwi Seon Ru!”
He accelerated further.
Atop a small mountain peak, he reached a hillside crackling with residual electricity—utterly devastated.
“Why would someone this strong steal an earthly weapon?”
[That weapon can unleash its full power in his hands. And it'll boost his own strength too—very useful. Now, veer right from here. A waterfall lies a few hundred zhang ahead.]
Yeop Hyeon turned right as directed. He arrived at the waterfall in no time—and froze, mouth agape.
This was the very waterfall where he'd once hidden briefly with Gang Gu!
He cautiously approached the small cave behind it.
And sure enough!
Inside, the black-robed figure lay sprawled with legs extended.
“Heavenly Maiden! Is the Dochik on him?”
[No!]
“......”
[But traces of its energy cling to him. That means he's been near where it was!]
“Heavenly Maiden! He looks knocked out—should I wake him and ask? Though he might kill me...”
[Hmm, I don't think he's out cold.]
“......”
Right then, a colossal energy enveloped Yeop Hyeon. He couldn't budge, as if buried under a mountain.
Panicking, he cried out to the Heavenly Maiden.
[Heavenly Maiden, help!]
She went silent.
His face paling, he pleaded desperately.
[Heavenly Maiden! You're not messing with me on purpose, are you!?]
The figure he'd thought unconscious now stood before him, mask removed. His robe was torn, revealing his form clearly to Yeop Hyeon.
And Yeop Hyeon was a bit shocked—it wasn't what he'd expected.
Standing there was no domineering warrior, but a stunningly beautiful woman.
An unparalleled beauty!
Her large eyes held serenity and chill detachment. Her flushed skin was translucent as water. Her delicate features compelled endless fantasies in any beholder.
And most crucially... her figure.
Her ample bosom strained against her thin robe, impossible to hide. Yet her waist was slender by contrast.
A beauty to set any man's blood ablaze!
But Yeop Hyeon, hopeless with women, felt nothing of the sort.
“Who the hell are you?!”
Her voice dripped with menace. Yeop Hyeon pondered a moment before replying.
“Can't we just pretend you never saw me?”
Her gaze grew heavier. She hadn't sensed his presence at all when he'd arrived.
Likely the Heavenly Maiden's doing.
Suddenly, she whipped her head toward the waterfall. An old man leaped down from a tree outside.
Her face changed drastically as she pressed close to Yeop Hyeon. His body froze solid.
The old man scanned the area but missed them inside the falls and vanished.
In the cramped cave, inches from Yeop Hyeon, she whispered.
“Carry me. We're going to Jeoguk.”
Her voice brimmed with unmistakable killing intent.
Yeop Hyeon was trapped, pleading inwardly to the Heavenly Maiden.
[Heavenly Maiden... Please save me...]
But she gave no reply.
Deep into the night, under faint moonlight bathing the world in silver.
In the small cave behind the waterfall, Yeop Hyeon sat facing the nameless woman.
The space was already tight. Pressed close, he could clearly smell her fresh fragrance. In this perfect(?) setup, no impure thoughts stirred him. No—he was desperately scanning for escape routes.
Even gravely wounded, she could crush him effortlessly. He dared not move rashly.
The Heavenly Maiden? Useless in this situation!
“Let's go! Carry me!”
The black-robed woman rose. Yeop Hyeon spotted bloody gashes on her legs. Wounds, no doubt! His mind raced.
“Trying to run?”
Too rusty at scheming? She heard the creak. A smile tugged at her lips.
“Try it.”
Yeop Hyeon glanced her over and gave up fleeing. The gap between them was vast.
No external factor could bridge a difference in realms like this.
Reluctantly, he offered his back. She climbed on without hesitation, molding to his broad frame.
'Y-Yeah, they're huge...'
His first sensation. They'd looked big, but the feel was beyond imagination!
And so soft—like freshly steamed buns.
Shaking off the stray thought, he exited the cave and followed her gestured directions.
She eyed him suspiciously. Why had this man appeared? How had he hidden his presence? With such a realm gap, no technique should allow it.
Yet she hadn't detected him.
For that reason alone, she held back her killing blow—a fact Yeop Hyeon never suspected.
He was just utterly wronged. He'd followed the Heavenly Maiden's word blindly. Yet she'd vanished at the critical moment!
And now his life hung on the hands of the woman on his back.
'This is so unfair!'
Unable to voice it, his cry echoed inside. The woman he carried was a powerhouse beyond any stray fancies!
With her on his back, Yeop Hyeon sped toward Jeoguk's borderlands.