Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Soul Separation Body Swap
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So Gun-ak opened his eyes.
No, his eyes had been open from the start. He had simply lost consciousness.
'Where am I?'
Even as he regained awareness, he was confused about what had happened, but as time passed, his thoughts gradually returned to normal. So Gun-ak nimbly assessed his current situation.
The moment he had faced off against Go Jin, snow had suddenly begun to fall, and he had lost consciousness. In that moment, he vaguely recalled seeing something enormous and pale white, but he couldn't pinpoint it exactly.
And now, upon opening his eyes, he found himself in this state.
'My body won't move.'
His entire body was immobile. Not even a single finger or eyelid would budge.
Only his consciousness was awake; it felt as if his body and will had been severed.
Unable to move, his field of vision was extremely limited. Within that narrow view, he could see two members of the Black Dragon Corps. They were his subordinates who had shielded him to the end, one of whom was Deputy Leader Deung Pyeong.
They were trapped inside what seemed to be crystal—whether ice or glass, he couldn't tell.
'Am I in the same state as them?'
If his condition matched theirs, it made sense that he couldn't move.
Beyond the Black Dragon Corps members, all he could see were walls of pure white snow and sunlight streaming through a window.
'Those walls were clearly made by someone on purpose.'
The squarely trimmed shape of the walls and the neatly fashioned window made it evident that this was an artificial space crafted by someone.
From the brightness of the sunlight, he could roughly gauge the passage of time.
Until the dazzling sunlight faded into dimness and darkness fell around him, So Gun-ak pondered why he and his Black Dragon Corps men were confined here in this state.
But no answers came easily.
He couldn't even accurately determine his own physical condition. He only knew that his body wouldn't respond.
He needed some kind of clue.
'Whoever did this must have had a purpose in trapping us like this. Sooner or later, someone will show themselves.'
So Gun-ak speculated on the identity of their captor and waited for them to appear, intending to glean clues from that encounter.
However, over twelve cycles of night and day, he didn't catch sight of so much as a single mouse, let alone a person.
'What is this? Have we been sealed in some absolute barrier formation?'
So Gun-ak racked his brain for every sealing formation he knew, but none matched this one.
What was strange was that even after twelve days, he was still alive.
If he were trapped in ice like Deung Pyeong, he shouldn't be able to breathe, yet here he was, perfectly fine.
'No, I might already be dead.'
His body could have died already, with his soul simply unable to depart. Without having experienced death before, he couldn't be certain of his state—alive or dead.
On the thirteenth day, So Gun-ak finally spotted someone. A man dressed in thick furs gripped a spear, eyeing him warily as he sidestepped away.
He was a blond foreigner, and given his caution, he didn't seem to be the one responsible for their predicament.
'Hey! Can you hear me?'
So Gun-ak tried desperately to shout, but not only did no voice emerge—his lips wouldn't even part.
It was utterly frustrating.
In the midst of it all, a thought flashed through So Gun-ak's mind.
A way to break free from this situation had occurred to him.
It was a method that required someone's sacrifice.
Soul Separation Body Swap Great Law.
A curse that swapped souls with a target, created by the fourth Cult Leader of the Fire Worship Cult in pursuit of immortality.
The fourth Cult Leader had succeeded once, acquiring the body of a fifteen-year-old boy at the age of 104 and living another century.
After growing old again, he attempted the technique once more but failed for some reason. Thereafter, no one in the Fire Worship Cult dared attempt it, though it had been secretly refined and preserved in theory alone.
'The target's mind and body must be pure. And the weaker their spirit, the easier it is to take over.'
So Gun-ak, well-versed in the Fire Worship Cult's curses, understood the principles. The Soul Separation Body Swap Great Law required a pure body hospitable to a soul. It involved expelling the original soul and seizing control.
'I am So Gun-ak. I won't fail.'
No matter how resilient the target's soul, he was confident he could oust it and claim the body. The key was making eye contact to open the soul's pathway.
'It's unfortunate for him, but this must be fate.'
He felt a pang for the foreigner, but there was no other choice.
Though known for his restraint, So Gun-ak was a man of the Eternal Divine Cult—he didn't shrink from killing when necessary.
He simply disliked needless slaughter. When required, he drew his blade more decisively than anyone.
To escape this stifling situation and save his subordinates, the foreigner's sacrifice was unavoidable.
'Please pass by again.'
So Gun-ak prayed and attempted to separate his soul. Though his body wouldn't move and his internal energy wouldn't flow, the curse made it possible.
Having consciousness meant his soul was awake, and an awake soul could slip free from an unresponsive body at any time.
However, he could remain in soul form for less than a moment.
A faint spark flickered in So Gun-ak's eyes, trapped in the crystal. His soul was preparing to depart.
Now he just needed the foreigner to pass by again.
If he failed to take the foreigner's body, he'd have to find another within that moment.
'Good. Heaven is on my side.'
The foreigner crept by once more, and their eyes locked.
Shhhhhh.
So Gun-ak's gaze took on a blue hue.
"Wh-what?"
The foreigner blurted out a dazed exclamation, unable to even think of turning away. The great law was already in motion—it was inevitable.
'Perfect.'
Flash!
A gleam burst from So Gun-ak's eyes, and his pale soul slipped free, swiftly sucked into the foreigner's eyes.
"Wh-wh-what."
Thud.
The foreigner—Jamie—collapsed to the floor, limbs twitching violently.
A ragged man in a filthy, thick winter coat stood before the gates of the ice castle.
"Found it."
The voice trembled with emotion. It belonged to Jamie, the famed Knight of the Wind.
A small bird-shaped wind spirit, Raf, circled him, sharing in the joy.
Jamie swallowed hard and stepped toward Crokshu's castle.
Unlike the rumors, the White Dragon Crokshu didn't seem overly ferocious; he hadn't appeared even with Jamie's arrival. Otherwise, it would mean the castle was empty.
"I'll definitely make it back to you."
He had come at the command of his lord, Baron Willis. It was a suicidal mission, but Jamie had no choice.
"Sophia..."
Sophia Willis. The lord's daughter and his beloved.
The lord, an accomplished fighter himself, had approved of the skilled Jamie and their relationship. But everything changed when the Diel Family proposed marriage.
Unlike the Willis family Jamie served, the Diel Family was wealthy and influential.
No matter how capable Jamie was said to be, he was just a knight. He couldn't compare to a Diel heir.
Once the situation shifted, the Baron's goodwill turned to enmity, then murderous intent.
Now, Jamie was merely a target to eliminate.
To avoid scandal before the Diel marriage, they aimed to remove Sophia's lover, Jamie.
The Baron made Jamie an offer he couldn't refuse, calculated with precision.
If he retrieved Ryle's Sword—lost ten years ago—the Baron would officially announce his marriage to Sophia.
For Jamie, it was a tantalizing bait and an inescapable choice. Even if death awaited, he had to try, no matter how slim the odds.
The issue was that the White Dragon Crokshu had taken Ryle's Sword. But if he entered Crokshu's lair and reclaimed it, Jamie's fame would soar to the heavens.
He could even outshine the Diel heir as a groom.
That was why Jamie had staked his life to come here.
Uneasy that Crokshu might appear, he cautiously explored the castle's halls and rooms. Then he froze in shock.
In the center of a vast hall stood countless crystals, each containing mounted knights.
"The castle's guardians?"
He knew dragons placed guardians to fend off intruders while away.
"Old Jack was wrong."
Before climbing Sky Mountain, Old Jack at the tavern had shared a tale from his grandfather: Crokshu, knowing no human could approach, kept no guardians.
Suddenly, he felt foolish for pinning his hopes on that. Even with guardians, he would have come anyway.
He quickly drew his spear and stayed alert, but nothing moved. After a tense standoff, Jamie closely examined the mounted knights in the crystals.
"People...?"
Without lowering his guard, he glanced around. Their all-black attire exuded an eerie pressure. Even their hair and wide eyes were black.
Were they like the demon king's army from adventure tales?
Clink, clink.
Tapping the crystal, he couldn't tell if it was ice or mineral.
"Raf, do you know what this is?"
Raf tried to pass through as wind but bounced back as if blocked by a wall.
"Raf, you okay?"
Raf shook his head. Spirits and contractors communicated via feelings, not words—unlike human speech.
"It won't break, you say?"
Understanding Raf, Jamie still proceeded cautiously, skirting the central hall to check various rooms.
Several were warehouses brimming with gold and treasures.
And there, in one, was what Jamie sought.
"Found it!"
Seeing Ryle's Sword, Jamie's heart pounded. He hadn't expected to find it after risking his life.
The sword of the Willis family's founding patriarch had become their symbol over generations. Stolen by Crokshu, its recovery was their long-standing wish.
Jamie had fulfilled it.
He was truly delighted.
Now, Baron Willis would have no choice but to acknowledge his marriage to Sophia.
Though tempted by other treasures, he left them untouched—lest Crokshu notice the missing gold and treasures.
Jamie tucked only Ryle's Sword securely into his bosom.
"Gotta get out fast."
He'd entered while Crokshu was away due to luck, but the dragon could return anytime. Jamie hurried to leave the warehouse.
The black knights in the crystals remained still. He didn't know why they were sealed, but if they broke free, it would spell disaster.
As he crept past, eyeing them warily, Jamie panicked.
"Huh?"
He accidentally locked eyes with one black knight, and suddenly, his body froze.
"Wh-what's happening?"
Alarm escaped his lips.
His body was rigid. He couldn't turn his head or blink.
Tzzzzzt.
Then, light seemed to emanate from the black knight's eyes, followed by a blinding flash.
"Urk."
Jamie finally closed his eyes and toppled backward. On the floor, his eyes darted wildly as his body convulsed.
"Ughhh... ughhh."
Strange groans leaked from his mouth.
Raf, the wind spirit fluttering worriedly above Jamie, could bear the sight of his contractor's agony no longer and slipped straight into Jamie's mouth.