Chapter 369
Chapter 369
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 369
>Chapter Title: The Crossroads
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Kang Seol was left momentarily stunned upon hearing those words.
- All stories begin from a certain day. Everything you've accomplished wouldn't have happened without you.
“…….”
- The path you've walked is your proof. You're not weak. You're strong—just a different kind of strength from mine.
Brother Kang had said it: all paths eventually lead to a crossroads. Yours probably will too.
His chest suddenly ached.
He had tried to be strict with himself, yet it felt like Shinyu was comforting him.
- You remind me of Brother Kang.
‘Sin-gang?’
- He was always hard on himself. And that's how he became so strong. For some reason, you make me think of him.
“I see….”
The two continued chatting about other things.
Shinyu was so excited that he wouldn't let go of Kang Seol.
- Hey, what's it like outside?
“Same as always.”
- I see.
“…Curious about the outside?”
- I am, but I can't be.
Kang Seol asked Shinyu back at the odd response.
“Why not?”
- Because I can't leave the labyrinth anymore.
“Mind if I ask why?”
- No! Not yet! We're not that close!
As if Kang Seol had asked something incredibly rude, Shinyu panicked and hurriedly vanished.
【What… was that guy.】
Pitiful stared in the direction Shinyu had disappeared, as if saying he'd seen all kinds of weirdos. Kang Seol brushed it off nonchalantly and stood up.
‘Sigh… but where do I start challenging again.’
Having lost to Shinyu, who was using Iri's water-balloon-like body, breaking through the gate seemed impossible.
It was back to square one, searching for clues.
‘Can I get any stronger?’
As he pondered this, a sudden vibration rumbled beneath his feet.
Drrrrrrrr…
‘What… is this…?’
It was the same vibration that had occurred once during his fight with Shinyu.
Kang Seol regretted not asking Shinyu about it and waited briefly for it to stop.
Drrrrrrrr…
But the vibration didn't cease.
And then.
Kwaaaaaaaaang-!
A massive hole tore open in the ground a short distance from Kang Seol, and something emerged.
‘…What?’
Kang Seol corrected his crumbling stance and leaped back.
Kiaaaaaa…
A head shaped just like a snake's.
And an overwhelming presence that could easily devour even Iri.
‘This guy….’
It was the beast that had created the mysterious burrow before, lurking silently underground in the gate.
‘Is this the night beast?’
No, it wasn't.
Kang Seol was certain.
This thing was already bordering on being a mana beast.
Whooooosh…
Ignoring Kang Seol entirely, it began sucking in its surroundings.
Whiiiiiish…
The vegetation remained intact, but nearby night beasts started getting pulled into its maw.
Drrrrrr…
Kwaaaaaang-!
Then, the tail that had burst through the ground targeted Kang Seol.
Zzzzaak-!
Paaaang-!
Woodddd crunch…
“Keuk….”
Reflexively summoning a night beast to block in front of him as a cushion.
However, he couldn't avoid being sent flying back with tremendous force, crashing into a tree.
That single blow made blood spray from all over his body.
“Haa… haa… What….”
What kind of power was this?
It was far more dangerous than what Sin-rip and Sin-hyeon had described.
Sensing something had gone wrong, Kang Seol realized the beast was now eyeing him.
Whooooosh…
The night beast Kang Seol had summoned was sucked into its mouth.
Night beasts and Dark Weeds were nearly his full arsenal right now.
And they were useless.
Zzzzaak-!
Abandoning the night beast summon, Kang Seol called forth Dark Weed and entrusted his body to it.
Thud!
Thud thud thud!
Dark Weed ran, leaving the night beasts behind.
If a large night beast was a tiger, this thing was a whale—one big enough to swallow a tiger in one bite.
‘I need to get to the Sin brothers… They must have felt the vibration too.’
The Sin brothers would find a way.
Primordial Blood was patching up Kang Seol's broken body, but recovery was slow.
‘Damn it… Of all times….’
Having anticipated a fight with Shinyu, the Sin brothers were probably staying at their dwelling today, waiting for Kang Seol's return.
There was some distance between the dwelling and here.
‘Can I hold out until then?’
Whooooosh…
The beast's maw kept sucking things in.
All nearby night beasts floated into the air and were drawn into its mouth.
And… Kang Seol realized his own predicament.
‘Dark Weed… is shrinking.’
The Iri-sized creature was now shrinking to rabbit size.
Looking closely, thread-like darkness was flowing from Dark Weed toward the beast.
Even so, Dark Weed clung tightly to Kang Seol, fulfilling its duty.
“…Stop.”
Chiiiiiik…
Dark Weed halted.
Kang Seol gritted his teeth.
Kkadduk…
“You think I'm gonna flatten myself here?”
Losing everything here meant losing a year.
Whirrririk-!
Tendrils erupted from the beast's growing body. It was growing exponentially stronger by absorbing night beasts.
‘If I don't stop it now… it's over for good.’
He'd be trapped in the labyrinth forever.
Stripped of all darkness, without even a way to fight back.
‘Think, think… Dark Weed can't properly use its power against it. Why?’
Chwihwaaaak…
Puhwihwaaaak!
Dark Weed slicing through the thin tendrils.
But it was being pushed to its limit.
Leaning against a tree to recover, Kang Seol thought.
‘But why can't it take my darkness?’
Kang Seol was already surrounded by Night Shadow, steeped in darkness.
Yet the beast couldn't claim this darkness.
‘Why?’
For some reason, his blood-deprived, spinning head cleared up.
‘Hardness! It's the hardness! My darkness has already hardened! Why didn't I think of that?’
To prevent Dark Weed from being taken, he needed to harden it solid.
Chwahaaaak-!
Dark Weed was retreating.
But there was nowhere left to fall back to.
‘Darkness is useless. It'll just get sucked away anyway.’
Kang Seol grumbled.
“Did I take the wrong path… haha…… Wait?”
Something flashed through his mind like inspiration.
Kang Seol grinned.
“I get it. That's how it is….”
【Master! Hurry! Anything!】
Pitiful shouted while transforming into chains to bat away the tendrils.
Chwahaaaak-!
Kang Seol slashed his wrist.
【What? What are you doing! I'm sorry!】
“It's not the path of darkness.”
What Sin-hyeon had told Kang Seol.
- The boundaries of paths have crumbled, allowing intrusion. Darkness flows from all sides, light blinds the eyes, blood soaks everything, storms rage, and nightmares groan.
There was no path of darkness here.
- It's the path of all things.
“This is it, right?”
Now he understood.
Why his modifications using Primordial Blood, though time-consuming, kept succeeding without major failures.
[The Grace of Blood descends.]
[Primordial Blood merges with Dark Weed.]
[A large amount of ability points is required.]
Because this place was the crossroads.
Whooooosh…
Primordial Blood began devouring Dark Weed's hide.
Huuuuuung…
Just as a new existence was about to be born.
Kang Seol faced two events at once.
Huuuuuung…
“Ah!”
Pitiful cried out in surprise.
Because the mysterious sword, Yakcha, which had been vibrating in Kang Seol's arms, broke free on its own will and headed toward Dark Weed.
Kang Seol was too shocked to speak.
“…You.”
But Pitiful was startled by Yakcha, while Kang Seol was shocked by something else leaping into Dark Weed.
They were flustered by different things.
What Kang Seol saw was…
“Shinyu, no! It's dangerous!”
Shinyu, seeping into the blood.
As it connected with Kang Seol's blood, Shinyu's thoughts transmitted.
- All the beasts I could possess are gone! No choice!
Indeed.
Shinyu had sensed the crisis and tried to possess a night beast, but all nearby ones had already been sucked into the massive serpent.
For Shinyu, this was the only option right now to protect his brothers.
Whiiiiiish…
[Ability points are consumed.]
[Ability points are used.]
[Ability points are used.]
[Ability points are used.]
[Ability points are used.]
[Ability points are used.]
[Ability points are used.]
……
Countless such messages appeared.
Until the blood-engulfed Dark Weed transformed into perfect form.
Piiiit-!
Piiiit-!
The tendrils couldn't approach Dark Weed.
The sharp, dark, sticky aura it emitted wounded anything that neared, forcing retreat.
Finally, as the blood washed away, something revealed itself.
“This is….”
[Ultimate: Dark Weed transforms using a large amount of ability points.]
[Yakcha's special ability activates.]
[Yakcha Immortality activates.]
[Yakcha will definitely revive.]
……
Dark Weed, wearing a mask.
Kang Seol recognized that mask.
“Yakcha….”
The mask of Yakcha, which he had destroyed at the end of a long battle with the demon.
[Enlightenment! Awakening a new ability.]
[Ultimate: Awaken Yakcha.]
[Ultimate: Yakcha is born!]
……
It had returned.
Grrr rumble…
Kikigik…
The masked Yakcha slowly turned its head to look at Kang Seol.
“This is….”
Sometimes, reality surpasses imagination.
Kang Seol now stood at the crossroads where everything converged.