The Duel of Insight
“I’ve ended up staying here long enough that it’s a little hard to leave.”
“That’s true.”
They were getting ready to leave the campsite where they had stayed for quite some time, for one reason and another.
All Yoon Sang-hyuk really had to do was put the container boxes back into subspace. If he helped with the smaller chores, wouldn’t they finish a little faster?
It would get the work done sooner, but it would only put everyone else ill at ease. In the group, Yoon Sang-hyuk’s position was that of a leader. He guided them forward, protected them, and carried the whole party on his back in every sense of the word.
In short, he was a man above them. Anyone who had spent time in society would know this: if someone in a high position hovered around saying they’d help because the people below were struggling, that wasn’t help. It was interference, and it made people uncomfortable.
So Yoon Sang-hyuk could only watch as the party prepared to move again.
After staying in one place for a long time, he had learned something new. The members of the Arian Clan had a very special talent.
Their abilities had all been sealed by a curse, forcing them to wander the Demon Realm at all times. Because of that, they were used to setting up camps. Would you believe it if a campsite changed shape overnight? If they went without attention for a few days, sturdy walls would rise around the perimeter. If they focused on something else for a moment, a fire pit would appear, then a table.
It was astonishing, certainly an impressive skill, but when he thought about why the Arian Clan had become so specialized in this sort of thing, his appetite soured.
“Lord Sang-hyuk. Everything is ready.”
At Zephyr’s report, Yoon Sang-hyuk gave a faint nod.
“Is that so? Then let’s set out again. We should be thinking about the one waiting for us too. What if they’ve waited so long their eyes have fallen out?”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Everything around them was gray and black.
Normally, those two colors would suggest decadence, gloom, or despair.
But this place carried none of that atmosphere.
Opulence.
It was filled with such excessive opulence that it bordered on the obscene. The gray interior was decorated with every variety of black gemstone imaginable. Even the chandelier had been made from black jewels. As a result, the light bathing the room held a strangely unsettling hue.
At a table likewise fashioned from black gemstone, three men sat facing one another. Their features were different, yet for some reason their atmospheres were alike.
The man seated in the most ornate chair of all stared at a projection hovering above the center of the table and muttered, “At last, they’re setting out.”
“If I’d had to wait much longer, I would’ve gone there myself.”
The handsome man opposite him, with hair red as blood, wore a cold smile.
“More importantly, isn’t that quite the remarkable combination?”
The man with pitch-black hair spoke as though interested. It was the first time he had shown any emotion since being invited here.
Zigritria, the Magic Dragon of Despair, who sat in the most ornate chair with his gray hair, gave a cold snort.
“Remarkable combination? It’s nothing but a gathering of vermin.”
Grandeerria, the Magic Dragon of Darkness, with his black hair, also let out a derisive laugh.
“Hmph. Your arrogance will end up gifting your heart a cold blade.”
Since coming to Marhalta at Zigritria’s invitation, they had been watching through the projection as a single human and the beings of the Demon Realm made their way here. After watching them for so long, they had concluded that those people were absolutely not vermin, as Zigritria had claimed.
In particular, the human, the Death Knight, and Ibrahmut possessed formidable power. None of them were impossible opponents, but they were certainly not to be taken lightly.
“A sword in my heart? Have you considered that before that happens, your heart might end up in my stomach?”
Zigritria growled.
“I welcome a challenge anytime. But tell me, do you really think you can do it?”
Just as Grandeerria’s provocation was about to make Zigritria lash out, someone else spoke up.
“Is this really what we’ve gathered for after so long? Watching this boring little procession and snapping at one another? If so, I’m leaving.”
After saying that, Abalatron, the Magic Dragon of Death with his red hair, rose from his seat.
“For all they’re praised as the guardian dragons of the Demon Realm, look at what they spend their time doing.... Zigritria, if those people are really vermin as you say, then all we have to do is crush them underfoot. And Grandeerria, if they do manage to drive a sword into Zigritria’s heart...”
Abalatron smiled brightly.
“Then we can simply wait for our turn with a cheerful heart.”
Once they started moving again, boredom inevitably set in.
There had been nothing special while they were camping either, but small things had kept happening; now, all he could do was sit in the carriage and stare out the window.
“Aren’t the monsters being a little too lazy about this?”
“Pardon? What do you mean all of a sudden?”
Ibrahmut asked, sounding puzzled.
“There should be monsters and beasts around here too, right?”
“Of course.”
“We’re running through their territory, and there’s no reaction at all. It’d be less boring if a beast or monster showed up to block the road now and then.”
“Hahaha. As expected, hyung-nim, you’re something else. And isn’t it obvious? Jerome and Zephyr are riding in the carriage ahead, and they’re still blasting out dark energy nonstop. What insane beast or monster would stand in front of that? However lowly beasts and monsters may be, their survival instincts are still stronger than the demon race’s. Unless I’m mistaken, this will keep up until we enter Zigritria’s territory.”
“So in other words, I’m going to be bored all the way there.”
Yoon Sang-hyuk murmured the words under his breath.
“Increase the speed.”
No sooner had he spoken than the horses let out long, drawn-out whinnies. The carriage suddenly lurched forward at a faster pace. At Yoon Sang-hyuk’s command, Zephyr’s brothers had increased the speed at which they drove the carriage.
Leaning back in his seat, Yoon Sang-hyuk looked over at Valender von Graus and Arin beside him. The two were engaged in a very simple game.
“Rock, paper, scissors!”
Exactly that.
Yoon Sang-hyuk had been wondering how to improve Arin’s abilities when he thought of rock, paper, scissors. It was absurdly simple, but for Arin, it was also a method that could produce greater results than any training.
In fact, Arin was winning nine out of ten rounds against Valender von Graus. Her eyes were tinged gold.
She had already made tremendous progress, able to keep her power active for more than two hours. It should have been tedious, but Valender von Graus played rock, paper, scissors without a single complaint. No, he was as serious as he was during training.
It was as if he truly believed he was dueling an opponent who could predict his next move.
“Ibrahmut.”
“Yes, hyung-nim.”
“We’re bored too, so why don’t we play rock, paper, scissors? The loser gets a forehead flick. What do you say?”
“I’m not doing it.”
Ibrahmut refused flatly.
“Why not? You’re bored too.”
“The last time I took one of those forehead flicks from hyung-nim, I thought my head was going to split open. It was the first time I’d ever experienced such awful pain since I was born. And now you want me to feel that again? Absolutely not.”
“If you hate forehead flicks, how about wrist flicks?”
“You say that with a smile as if one-handed living were some kind of blessing.”
“Tch. What an unfun guy.”
“A frightening hyung-nim who enjoys torture as a game.”
Just then, while they were bickering,
“Huh?”
Arin let out a baffled sound. When he looked at her, the two of them were still playing rock, paper, scissors. But as he watched, he noticed something interesting.
“Rock, paper, scissors!”
“Rock, paper, scissors!”
Arin, who had been winning nine out of ten rounds, or even all ten, was now... not even winning five out of ten. Her eyes were still gold. That meant she was using her ability.
He shifted his gaze to Valender von Graus. He couldn’t see the eyes hidden beneath the helm, but he could clearly sense a change in his atmosphere. There was a strange emptiness about him. Even though he was sitting right there, it felt as if he wasn’t.
“What in the world.... Valender.”
Yoon Sang-hyuk called his name, but Valender von Graus kept playing rock, paper, scissors with Arin. Something about the atmosphere felt wrong. Looking closer, Arin was the same way. Her eyes had grown even deeper gold.
“Keep this speed up. If the horses start to struggle, pump dark energy into them. Run them until they collapse from exhaustion.”
After giving the order to Zephyr’s brothers, he looked at Ibrahmut.
“Go to the lead carriage. Anything that blocks the road, no matter what it is, crush it to powder. This carriage must not stop.”
Ibrahmut seemed to have sensed something as well and gave a small nod. Before leaving for the lead carriage, he muttered to himself and left behind one remark.
“Enlightenment isn’t some cabbage you buy at the market, you know. Yesterday it was one guy, today it’s another. This one’s got enlightenment, that one’s got enlightenment.... How’s a fellow who hasn’t found enlightenment supposed to live without feeling wronged?”
After running full out for two straight days, the horses finally fell, foaming at the mouth. Arin, too, lost consciousness. Valender von Graus sat in the carriage without a word.
Sitting in a chair beside the campfire with a cup of coffee in hand, Yoon Sang-hyuk looked over at the carriage Valender von Graus was riding in. It had been placed a little away from the fire, and Zephyr’s brothers were guarding it thoroughly on all sides.
“Mm, nnh.”
Arin, who had been unconscious with her head resting against Yoon Sang-hyuk’s chest in his lap, slowly opened her eyes.
“You okay?”
“Yes. I’m just a little weak.”
“You overused your ability.”
“Yes, I know. But I couldn’t stop.”
“Why not?”
“Well, um... Valender ajusshi kept challenging me.”
“Valender didn’t say a single word.”
“I could just tell.”
Yoon Sang-hyuk asked the thing he was most curious about.
“Right before you passed out, you were losing almost every round of rock, paper, scissors. Why did that happen?”
“I couldn’t see.”
“You couldn’t see anything even while using your ability?”
“No. I couldn’t see anything. I just saw a black swamp. It felt like some unidentified being was watching me from deep inside that swamp.”
Yoon Sang-hyuk stroked Arin’s hair and glanced toward the carriage where Valender von Graus sat.
“Honestly, what a terrifying talent monster.”