The Chair of Repentance
Crunch.
"Surrender already, Wei Minggang."
Geonho adjusted his grip on the dagger buried in his abdomen. He had avoided the vital points, but even a few more inches of movement in this state would kill him instantly.
"…So this is your choice, is it."
Whoosh!
Wei Minggang's expression turned ice-cold as he thrust a palm straight at Geonho's shoulder.
Thud.
Whoosh!
"Gah!"
Seeing it, Do-ha stretched out a staff that had been lying discarded on the underground floor and yanked Geonho back by the nape of his neck. The pull was so sudden that a startled gasp burst from Geonho's mouth.
"Why the hell is a staff like this even down here?"
"It belonged to a con man we caught a few months ago."
"Ah."
"…You bastard… You've been an eyesore from the moment you showed up, and now you keep getting in my way."
His carefully aimed hand sliced only empty air. Wei Minggang glared at Do-ha. Ever since this man had appeared, nothing had gone according to plan.
"Hey, let me ask you just one thing."
"You think I'll answer you willingly?"
"Who's distributing the Demon Pills?"
There was probably at least one person inside the Blood Cult who manufactured them… no, at least two.
"…"
"You're mixing demon blood supplied through the Demon God Cult with the Demon Pills and shipping them to Earth. Where are those guys?"
"So you're from Earth after all."
Killing intent flooded Wei Minggang's eyes. How did this man know such a closely guarded secret? What the hell was he?
"Who is it?"
"Who knows. Our Blood Cult has never done anything of the sort."
Wei Minggang forced his expression under control and twisted his lips into a cold smile. The man had no real proof anyway. Everything he was saying was pure conjecture.
"We only distribute Demon Pills within the martial world. Look—here's the evidence right here."
Thud.
Wei Minggang kicked the crate behind him. The Demon Pills packed inside would serve as proof that his words were true.
"Keep spouting that bullshit. I made those Demon Pills."
"…A dull joke."
"I'm serious. Doesn't it seem strange? How they suddenly appeared in bulk like that."
"…"
That much was true. For years the Martial Alliance had been quietly disposing of related intelligence, and recently they had heard nothing at all about the Blood Cult.
"I made the Demon Pills to catch you. Thanks to that, the Martial Alliance's resources got cleaned out."
"Nonsense."
It was absurd. Making Demon Pills with Martial Alliance resources? Impossible. Human blood was essential for Demon Pills. Everything else could be substituted, but blood was mandatory. And the Martial Alliance would never have human blood on hand.
"Can't believe it, can you? I'm far more exceptional than you think."
"Mere excellence isn't enough to create Demon Pills. As is already known, they are refined from human blood. And you claim you made them? So you sacrificed people just to catch me alone? Enough people for a thousand Demon Pills? And you even have demon blood? Preposterous."
"No human blood went into them."
"Heh heh heh. You expect me to believe that?"
Earlier, when the steward had examined the pills in front of him, the authenticity test had already been completed. The Demon Pills here were genuine articles mixed with demon blood by the Blood Cult. Even the head of the Medical Hall had certified them as authentic.
"Tsk tsk. That's why you Blood Cult bastards are fucking defective. Demon Pills can be made without human blood. The only reason you can't is because you're inadequate."
"What, have you become some Life-Death Divine Physician?! That is impossible!"
The word "inadequate" sent Wei Minggang into a sudden frenzy. Demon Pills were the culmination of knowledge piled up by the most brilliant minds of the Blood Cult. They were the very essence of those people. And this man dared to belittle their efforts like this?
"The Blood Cult is great. Greater than the likes of you could ever imagine."
"Wow, look at this complete fanatic. Hey, looking at you, I finally get why the Demon God Cult partnered with the Blood Cult. You're both the same brand of lunatics."
"Die!"
Thud!
Whoooooosh!
BOOOOOM!
Wei Minggang's side had already healed. He poured out crimson energy, and the underground began to collapse. Fortunately the underground warehouse did not sit directly beneath the buildings, so the Martial Alliance itself did not come down with it.
Flash!
Thud.
"Ugh, what a brute. Hey, you okay?"
Do-ha burst out of the underground and looked at Dan Woo-hyeon.
"Yes, I'm fine."
Dan Woo-hyeon nodded. The poison had been so vicious he could not expel it immediately. Luckily Do-ha's banter had bought him enough time; most of it was out of his system now.
"You wait. I will come back and kill you for certain."
Thud.
Wei Minggang scanned the surroundings, delivered his murderous warning, and launched himself toward the wall. Once he was out of the underground, Martial Alliance warriors would swarm in any second.
At that moment—
"Where do you think you're going."
Woooooom!
Watching Wei Minggang streak away, an immense force surged from Do-ha's body.
Yeoraesingjang — Tathagata Palm
"What?!"
Ruuuumble!
A gigantic palm descended from the heavens. Wei Minggang immediately drew up his energy to shield himself. A Tathagata Palm carrying this much power?! Was that man the abbot of Shaolin or something??
BOOOOOOM!
"Ugh, look at all this dust."
"I'm billing you for the collapsed wall."
Namgung Je-u, who had been quietly watching from the building, grumbled at Do-ha. Whenever Baek Do-ha used raw power, nothing around him ever survived. And because of the Demon Pills that bastard had manufactured, every medicinal ingredient in the Martial Alliance had been wiped out.
"Aaaargh!"
As the dust settled, Wei Minggang screamed, blood pouring from him. He had protected himself with protective qi, yet dozens of bones had still shattered.
"Canteas. Restrain him."
"Got it."
Canteas, who had been snacking beside Namgung Je-u, cast a spell toward Wei Minggang.
Dark Snap
Zaaang.
Clatter-clatter!
The moment Canteas finished the chant, darkness surged up and began binding Wei Minggang.
"Let me go!"
"So what now?"
Namgung Je-u asked Do-ha. What did he plan to do with the man once captured? As a Blood Cultist, the bastard would never open his mouth under ordinary torture.
"I'm taking him to Emilton."
"Ah… you don't mean—?"
Something clicked in Namgung Je-u's mind and he shuddered. The Chair of Repentance. A magical tool Emilton had created—an instrument of torture that delivered truly unspeakable agony. It had been so horrific that the emperor of the time had issued a decree forbidding its use. But the emperor now was Dimerof, wasn't he? If the Chair of Repentance still existed, Do-ha fully intended to use it.
"Hmm. I'll come along too."
Je-u leapt down from the building. Since Do-ha was heading to the Western Continent, he might as well meet their friends as well.
"Geonho."
"…Yes, Alliance Leader."
Thud.
Pat-pat.
"You have repaid my trust splendidly."
"…"
Squeeze.
Geonho clenched his fist, forcing down the surge of emotion. The Alliance Leader was thanking him for not betraying them.
"I will live up to your expectations, Alliance Leader."
"Good. Thank you. Woo-hyeon."
Still resting a hand on Geonho's shoulder, the Alliance Leader turned and called the captain of the Heavenly Sword Unit.
"Yes, Alliance Leader."
"Help Geonho with the cleanup. Burn every last Demon Pill."
"Understood."
Dan Woo-hyeon smiled and bowed his head.
"AAAAAAARGH!"
An untimely scream tore through the sky above the imperial palace of the Western Continent. The captured Wei Minggang had been seated in the Chair of Repentance.
Several hours passed.
Creak.
"Whew."
Emilton wiped the sweat from her brow as she stepped out of the torture chamber—no, the repentance chamber.
"Ugh… she really is a complete madwoman."
Canteas shook his head at the sight of her. How could someone look so refreshed after hours of torture?
"Canteas. Keep talking like that and I'll strap you into that chair next."
"Haha, I must have misspoken for a moment."
"Hoho, so it seems."
"How did it go? Did you get it out of him?"
"Mm-hm."
She nodded at Do-ha's question. At first he had kept his mouth shut to the end, but after several hours he had begged them to kill him in exchange for the information.
"There's one person at Blood Cult headquarters who manufactures and distributes the Demon Pills. As for the demon blood, someone from the Cult brings it over. But the courier changes every time, so it looks like they're just errand boys."
That part was a little unexpected. Demon blood was far too precious to entrust to mere messengers the way they were doing now.
"Originally two people handled distribution, but one died a few years ago, so now a single person is handling everything."
"Who's the one?"
"Wei Liang? He said Wei Liang, the one on Earth."
"Huh? Wei Liang—isn't he Cheonwaecheon?"
Canteas, recognizing the name, looked at Do-ha. Among the seventeen Cheonwaecheon hunters on Earth, the fifteenth-ranked Chinese hunter was named Wei Liang.
"Is that right?"
At Canteas's words Emilton looked to Do-ha.
"That's right."
Wei Liang. That man had been receiving Demon Pills from the Blood Cult and spreading them across Earth. Do-ha had seen his face once at a dinner party, but they had never spoken.
"What do we do?"
Canteas's expression turned awkward. If it had been an ordinary hunter they could have quietly disposed of him, but the target was Cheonwaecheon. Handling him carelessly would spark a diplomatic incident for certain.
"Don't worry. Whoever it is, we'll deal with them in the end."
Now that they knew who was distributing the pills, he would have to think carefully about how to handle the man.
Pat.
Do-ha sighed, and Dimerof beside him gave his shoulder a reassuring clap.
"You never get a moment's peace—whether you're in Belhart or on Earth."
"Tell me about it."
Dimerof's words sank deep into his chest. Why was his life always so full of storms? The second he tried to rest, another problem erupted.
"Rest for today at least."
"Then I'm going somewhere for a bit."
"Where?"
"Tunrad's grave."
His friend and comrade Tunrad. He wanted to visit the place where the dwarf had died and at least pay his respects.
"Let's all go together. Who knows when we'll be gathered like this again."
At Namgung Je-u's words, Dimerof and Emilton both nodded. Since Do-ha was here with them, going together to pay respects was the right thing to do for him.
"If it comes to it, should I just summon his soul?"
"Absolutely not, you crazy bastard!"
Thwack!
Emilton kicked Canteas for the suggestion. A soul killed by a dragon could not be summoned. Or rather—black magic could drag a soul out of the Underworld, but the dragon's authority would immediately twist it into a malevolent spirit. Of course, if Canteas's circle rose past the ninth he might be able to erase the dragon's residual power, but right now he was only at the fourth circle. Even returning to his original eighth-circle body would not make it possible yet.
"I was just joking because the mood was so heavy…"
Canteas sulked after the kick. As if he would actually summon Tunrad's soul… The dwarf had been his friend too. Besides, his magic was still only fourth-circle; soul summoning was impossible.
"Ah, right."
"What now."
"What is it this time."
"One more word of nonsense and you're going in the Chair of Repentance."
As they stepped outside the building Canteas clapped his hands, and his friends all spoke at once.
"Do-ha, aren't you going to see Selenia?"
"…"
At Canteas's question every friend shot Do-ha a sidelong glance. That damn skeleton… Why did he have to ask that right now? He could have asked when the two of them were alone.
But I was curious…
Selenia probably doesn't even know Do-ha is alive.
Nice one, Canteas.
As Do-ha stood in silence, each of his friends entertained their own thoughts. They had been curious, truth be told. They all knew Do-ha and Selenia loved each other. Yet for some reason Do-ha had never accepted her feelings. Back then they had assumed it was because destroying the Demon God Cult came first, but now they knew the real reason.
Because he really was from another dimension.
A man who would one day return to Earth could never build a family in Belhart.