Chapter 411
Chapter 411
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 411
Chapter Title: Occupied Ruins
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At Cheonma's response, Soo-hyuk furrowed his brow for a moment.
This bastard wasn't saying this because he liked him or anything.
"You say I resemble him?"
"Yeah."
"In what way?"
"Ability. And the vibe."
Cheonma threw Soo-hyuk's words from moments ago right back at him.
"People like us just click, don't they?"
It sounded like teasing, but it was a statement Soo-hyuk couldn't deny.
He had heard some basic info about the Guardian.
A Guardian who wielded terrifying lightning.
When he'd heard that story, a bit of curiosity had sparked. What would happen if his fully mastered Lightning clashed with the Guardian?
But Cheonma wouldn't say something like this just because the guy used lightning.
"By any chance... does that guy use Lightning too?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
Neither a yes nor a no.
An unexpectedly ambiguous answer. But this was Cheonma—not someone who'd make a mistake like that.
"Like I said, it's just a feeling. You'll know the reason if you clash with him yourself."
"What kind of irresponsible bullshit is that?"
"Didn't you just say the same thing? Just a feeling."
Cheonma threw Soo-hyuk's earlier words right back at him again.
With that, as Cheonma finished speaking, a bottle of liquor flew toward him. Soo-hyuk had pulled it over from afar using Telekinesis.
He must have wanted a sip after tasting it once.
"Ugh, you petty bastard."
Soo-hyuk chuckled as he mulled over the words thrown back at him.
It wasn't a long conversation of several minutes, but it was plenty compared to their usual exchanges.
There was no point in rushing to get chummy. Hell, he wasn't even sure if this guy was the type you could get close to.
At that moment, Cheonma's gaze flicked toward the rest of the group.
They were talking among themselves in lowered voices.
"What? Curious about their conversation?"
Soo-hyuk waved a hand at the silent Cheonma.
"Just in case, don't eavesdrop. Leave them be."
No matter how low their voices were, a guy like Cheonma could easily hear them from this distance if he wanted to.
Thankfully, he didn't.
"Not planning to eavesdrop."
"If the chance comes up later, ask them what they were talking about."
"......No intention of asking."
"Suit yourself."
Meanwhile, Hailz watched in fascination as Soo-hyuk chatted casually with Cheonma, who she'd approached closer to.
"That oppa's got some guts. Drinking with Cheonma and all."
The part about not knowing when a sword might fly his way was left unsaid.
Jin-un clicked his tongue at Hailz and took up her words.
"Cheonma's soul is gone now. He's letting his guard down, thinking it's safe."
"Uncle thinks otherwise?"
"Not sure. The Cheonma soul is definitely gone... but that doesn't mean we know what kind of guy he really is."
Back in the day, he would've torn him apart on the spot.
Jin-un was still conflicted.
Was the Cheonma talking with Soo-hyuk over there really the same one who killed his daughter?
Deep down, he knew they weren't the same.
Jin-un took a sip of his nearly empty liquor as the memory resurfaced.
'That was a first.'
The moment he faced the soul erased by the Cheonma Golden Spirit Formation, Jin-un felt two emotions.
One was pure vengeance for his daughter. It was the moment he'd waited for so long, and in the end, he'd erased the Cheonma soul with his own hands.
The other was fear.
Even weakened to the brink from his fight with Soo-hyuk, that level of demonic energy.
"For him to carry a ghost like that and still not have gone mad means one of two things."
Jin-un's gaze lingered on Cheonma.
"Either he's got the same ghost, or he's a monster himself."
"Hmm."
Hailz only pretended to drink.
She didn't show it outwardly, but she was the one here most wary of Cheonma. She never actually got drunk.
"What do you think, Unhyang?"
"Y-yes? Me?"
Unhyang startled at Hailz's sudden question.
Unlike Hailz, she'd drunk the most. Her face was slightly flushed.
"I... don't really know."
It was a vague answer, but nothing captured Unhyang's thoughts on Cheonma more accurately.
She didn't know. Truly didn't.
The father-daughter relationship. What kind of person Cheonma was. How he thought of her.
From this distance, he felt like a complete stranger.
"He's a hard one to figure out."
Hailz thought to herself while pretending to drink.
Would there ever come a day when she could drink carefree with him?
The march continued for days on end.
Physically, it wasn't taxing.
It wasn't like they were running out of breath; they were just following Woo Seo-hyun. No one in the group would find that challenging.
But the boredom was brutal.
"How much longer do we have to go?"
In the end, Hyo-min couldn't hold back her curiosity.
She'd tried not to nag, but she couldn't imagine trudging endlessly through this dark, dull tunnel.
But the response was even worse.
"I... don't really know."
"Pardon?"
"I didn't memorize the path. We follow the markers we left among ourselves."
Ever-new paths appearing. And mysterious patterns with each one.
Those patterns must be the guides.
"We go until no more markers appear."
"And when's that?"
"No idea on my end."
It made the path ahead—and their vision—feel even darker. At least Hailz was lighting the way.
After what felt like endless days of this march...
"We're here!"
They finally heard Woo Seo-hyun's bright voice.
"Here?"
The tunnel stretched on.
It looked like there was still far to go, but this was the end?
"Up there's the Demon Realm. Just past the entrance, in a relatively safe zone."
Woo Seo-hyun pointed at the tunnel ceiling. Sure enough, there were marks up there.
Soo-hyuk, having reached the destination, greeted her.
"Thanks. Tough march—good work."
"Why talk like we're parting here?"
"Huh?"
"I'm coming too. How else will you get back? You didn't memorize the path."
"Aren't there markers?"
"Oh, right. Yeah."
She shrugged like she'd forgotten, but Soo-hyuk could tell. She wanted in on this.
Woo Seo-hyun had fought demons at the forefront for ages. He didn't know her backstory for hating them so much, but it was clearly life-or-death important to her.
Unable to decide alone, Soo-hyuk glanced at the others.
No one objected to Woo Seo-hyun, whose skills were proven. Cheonma looked indifferent either way.
Soo-hyuk nodded.
"Alright then."
Relief briefly crossed Woo Seo-hyun's face. She'd worried he'd send her back alone.
"Thanks. And here—"
Woo Seo-hyun unpacked the large bag on her back.
Inside were several jars like camouflage cream and perfume, plus ragged clothes.
"To disguise as demons, we need these. Use the cream and perfume now."
"What's this stuff?"
"Camouflage cream to pass as demons. Same with the perfume. It'll help."
She was more prepared than expected.
The group applied the cream and sprayed the perfume. Soo-hyuk approached a reluctant Cheonma to smear it on his face by force, but Cheonma slapped his hand away.
"......I'll do it."
"Would've been easier if you'd done it sooner."
With a face full of complaints, Cheonma applied the cream and sprayed the perfume.
The perfume, infused with demon scent, was odorless to human noses. But there was a clear difference with and without it.
Preparations complete...
"Let's head up."
Woo Seo-hyun began breaking through the ceiling.
She chipped away rock with a shovel, dug out sand. Then, an empty space appeared above.
A ladder was installed inside. The group followed her up.
At the top, Woo Seo-hyun pulled aside the tarp hiding the underground.
Whoosh—.
Removing the fake tarp matching the ground color revealed a vast plain.
Unhyang, breathing fresh air for the first time in ages, took a deep breath.
She'd expected refreshment, but it felt off.
"The Demon Realm air... feels stifling."
A bit of exaggeration, and it was only slightly better than the underground tunnel.
"No, unpleasant?"
"It's real. Maybe that's why demons keep crossing over—they hate it here."
Jin-un, experiencing the Demon Realm for the first time, felt the same. Discomfort etched his face.
But Jin-un's guess about the air was wrong.
"Actually, they'd feel the same on our side."
Jin-un shot Soo-hyuk a look of 'how do you know?'
"Gyo-seong was the most attuned to demonic energy among us. He wasn't bothered here either."
"So demons have the advantage here?"
"It's not uncomfortable breathing—it's the demonic energy that's gross. Like creepy bugs crawling on you. You'll adapt quick."
"If you say so."
Unhyang, overhearing, exaggerated her breaths. It was just a bit stuffy—no real hindrance to movement.
"So, where are we?"
Unhyang asked Woo Seo-hyun, but Ye-ryeong answered.
"An abandoned temple."
"How'd you know?"
Woo Seo-hyun asked, startled.
She'd never mentioned the destination. Ye-ryeong hadn't stolen intel either.
"I've been here before."
Ye-ryeong pointed to a spot.
Beyond the plain, a small temple faintly visible in the distance.
"That rundown one no one uses."
"The place we stayed before."
Hyo-min nodded as it clicked at Si-woo's words.
Long ago, when Blue Eyes entered the Demon Realm. Their hideout.
A demon temple they'd abandoned.
"Great location. Makes sense they picked it as the endpoint."
"Being abandoned keeps it off demon radar. In and out won't raise flags."
Si-woo and Ye-ryeong headed for the temple first, reminiscing. Woo Seo-hyun had led till now, but not anymore.
Blue Eyes knew the Demon Realm best. Especially Si-woo and Ye-ryeong, who'd been here a year ago.
As the group walked toward the temple...
Cheonma, trailing a bit as usual, spoke up.
"We have a problem."
Soo-hyuk nodded. He wasn't the only one who'd sensed it.
"Yeah."
Traces scattered along the path.
Soo-hyuk's gaze shifted to the now-closer temple at the traces they hadn't seen before.
"Looks like someone's claimed the abandoned temple."