Chapter 27
Chapter 27
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Underground Cavern, Giant's Skeleton
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At Geon-woo's words asking her to buy time, Ilryeong's expression brightened with relief, and she sent back a thought filled with resolve.
= Understood, my lord. I'll drag it out as long as I can.
But her response only made Geon-woo worry that she might be pushing herself too hard.
*Is there no issue for you?*
= No need to worry. Am I not a soul bound to you, my lord? Who could challenge the mind of my lord, who has mastered the Heavenly Brain Mind-Division Spirit Subjugation Technique up to the 11th Star?
*So you're saying you took this gamble because you trust me that much?*
= I, Ilryeong, am the first servant of my lord who pioneered new realms of the Heavenly Brain Mind-Division Spirit Subjugation Technique. Soon, I will embody my lord's own enlightenment.
It was a claim that Ilryeong herself, as a half-spirit, had grown stronger in tandem with Geon-woo's advancing realm.
Geon-woo couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at that.
*Haha, you sure know how to talk. Fine, then. Hold on just a bit longer. I'll scour through the bastard's memories as thoroughly as I can.*
With those words, Geon-woo circulated the Heavenly Brain Mind-Division Spirit Subjugation Technique to manage the overload pressing on his mind.
As he absorbed the memories of the demon tribe's leader, Geon-woo began to grasp exactly what manner of being it was.
*The successor to that Helparis bastard I killed before? Not his son, but second-in-command? Second where? Hm, some kind of tribal autonomous region's leader and heir, huh. Even within Helparis's tribe, they were just a minor regional force. They aimed to make a big score in the Onviroad expedition, but I screwed that up for them. Hmm? The demon tribe lives in independent clans? When they collaborate, they decide by consensus and majority vote?*
Geon-woo pieced together the demon tribe's situation bit by bit.
In the process, he also uncovered why the Helparis clan had doggedly targeted him.
*When I killed Helparis, the expeditionary autonomy seal transferred to me from the vanguard leader? Without it, they lose autonomous rights?*
Finally, Geon-woo understood why all the Onviroad heroes who had similarly slain demon vanguard leaders ended up dead.
The demon vanguard leaders were all the masters holding autonomy over their clan's expedition forces.
When those autonomy holders were slain by Onviroad residents or users like him, the seal passed to the killer.
*In their original demon dimension, the seal automatically transfers to the second-in-command upon the holder's death. But when killed by Onviroad residents or a user like me, it becomes spoils taken by the enemy.*
Evidently, demons couldn't steal autonomy seals from each other that way.
However, upon invading Onviroad, their seals became loot under this dimension's system influence.
Geon-woo had unwittingly become the seal's owner.
*No matter the method, if I died at the hands of any demon, the seal would have flown to this guy. That's why they came at me so desperately. Hmm, but autonomy...*
Geon-woo even learned that the seal functioned like a demon lord's token.
But around then, the leader could endure no longer, and its mind shattered.
Naturally, the flow of memories to Geon-woo cut off there.
*Shame, but nothing to be done.*
Geon-woo organized his thoughts and opened his eyes.
Ilryeong stood before him, returned to her original size, hands clasped together.
= My apologies. I didn't expect it to break so quickly.
"It's fine. In truth, it was facing not just you, but me as well. Not your fault."
= Thank you, my lord.
"I'll share the memories I just obtained with you too, so commit them to mind."
With that, Geon-woo transmitted the demon intel via their linked soul bond to Ilryeong.
= Then, is there no way for my lord to use the seal you possess?
Ilryeong asked, sounding somewhat regretful after reading the memories Geon-woo shared.
"I can't use it. It's like stealing another country's king's seal—you can't stamp it for effect just because you have it. Besides, I can't even perceive the seal."
= I see. Ah, and that means the demon tribe can't forge a new seal either. That's a relief.
Ilryeong added, recalling more from the shared memories.
"The expeditionary force is itching to tear apart the now-autonomyless Helparis clan. Even if they could make a new seal, no one would recognize it."
= Then the Helparis clan loses all power now. Especially with their heir dead here.
"But that's just for this minor invading tribe from Onviroad. Back in the true demon dimension, the massive Helparis clan still stands strong."
= Still, learning that stealing a seal can fracture or weaken demon invasion forces is a huge gain.
"Right. Once we're back, we report this to Command via Lord Kolon. Now, what's the state of that one?"
Geon-woo nodded, wrapping up the talk, and jerked his chin toward the demon leader standing blankly, its mind collapsed.
= I've fully subjugated its spirit. It's essentially a living jiangshi now.
"Really? You made a living jiangshi without drugs or further measures?"
= Not fully. It needs proper doping and a few grand rites to become usable and easily controlled.
"I see."
= But if you wish, my lord, you could control it now with the Heavenly Brain Mind-Division Spirit Subjugation Technique. With your elevated realm, you can handle one more jiangshi, no?
"Hmm. True enough."
Geon-woo agreed it was timely and linked his soul to the demon leader as his eleventh jiangshi.
"Uh?"
= Wow, my lord. Incredible. Linking soul to jiangshi so effortlessly. And subjugating it in one go.
"It's the Heavenly Brain Mind-Division Spirit Subjugation Technique at 11th Star—more potent than I expected. Didn't think it'd be this easy."
= Did the number of controllable jiangshi increase, by chance?
"Doesn't seem so. But control is far smoother and more precise now."
= Disappointing, but demanding more would be greed.
"Yeah. Exactly. Now then..."
Geon-woo trailed off and walked toward the cavern's center.
= My lord?
Ilryeong hurried to his side with a puzzled look, followed by the demon leader turned living jiangshi.
"The energy gained here elevated both the Eonga Jiangshi Technique and Heavenly Brain Mind-Division Spirit Subjugation Technique."
Geon-woo murmured, reaching the center and gazing at the ground.
"The Eonga Jiangshi Technique advanced first. Its growth massively enhanced my jiangshi body, nearing indestructible."
= Your demon-slaying display earlier looked like you could take on an army alone.
Ilryeong recalled Geon-woo's fight.
"Something's below here. And it aided the Eonga Jiangshi Technique's circulation. Felt like someone granting me special energy."
= And amid that, the Heavenly Brain Mind-Division Spirit Subjugation Technique reached 11th Star?
"No."
= Pardon? You said it advanced to 11th Star alongside the Eonga Jiangshi Technique's progress.
"True, they're closely linked. But..."
= ....
"The energy below boosted the Eonga Jiangshi Technique. The Heavenly Brain Mind-Division Spirit Subjugation Technique rose due to the intent within that energy. Yes, that's the right explanation."
= Energy and intent, my lord?
"Mighty regenerative power—one strand enough to mend a pierced heart. It brought my jiangshi body near indestructibility. Tougher flesh and bones were bonuses."
= Then, what intent do you mean?
"Fragments of enlightenment this being held in life. Lingering will after death transmitted to me. Assimilating it into the Heavenly Brain Mind-Division Spirit Subjugation Technique got me to 11th Star. Jiangshi spirit summoning stems from that will."
The new ability of summoning jiangshi spirits upon reaching 11th Star in the Heavenly Brain Mind-Division Spirit Subjugation Technique.
Strictly speaking, that effect stemmed from the enlightenment fragment left by whatever lay beneath Geon-woo's feet.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Geon-woo took a deep breath, gathered his mental power to the max, and unleashed psychokinesis.
= Ooh, such powerful psychokinesis—first time seeing this.
Ilryeong exclaimed in awe at the sheer force of Geon-woo's psychokinesis.
Rumble rumble!
Ignoring her, Geon-woo kept excavating the ground with psychokinesis.
The initial finger-width hole gradually widened to fit a person.
Boom boom boom!
When Geon-woo finally stopped, a deep hole yawned before him, depth impossible to gauge.
"Let's go."
Geon-woo tossed the word to Ilryeong and leaped into the hole.
= My lord!
Ilryeong rushed to his side, and the demon leader living jiangshi followed suit.
A dirt ledge below prevented a fall; even the late-jumping jiangshi landed beside Geon-woo.
Rumble rumble!
With the jiangshi on the ledge, Geon-woo rubbed it against the hole wall and descended underground.
Geon-woo led Ilryeong and the jiangshi deep underground, into pitch darkness without a speck of light.
Just as the faint light above vanished completely, the ledge halted.
Splat!
= M-my lord.
As it stopped, Geon-woo pulled a mana lantern from his waist pouch and lit it. Ilryeong shuddered at what the light revealed, stammering.
= What in the world is that?
Ilryeong pointed at the bones illuminated by the mana lantern.
There sat a giant's skeleton, nearly three meters even seated.
Standing, it'd top seven meters easily.
The giant perched on a chair woven from countless bones.
It emanated overwhelming presence even in death.
Yet this mighty giant remained only bones now.
"Definitely not native to Onviroad, that's for sure."
Geon-woo murmured with conviction.
= How can you tell?
Ilryeong apparently couldn't guess the reason.
"This dimension's system rejects it."
Geon-woo explained.
Ilryeong nodded in understanding.
= Right. You couldn't use most user-granted abilities, and demon powers were restricted from the cavern onward. Makes sense.
"Exactly."
= So those bones are...
"Probably like you."
= Like me?
"You're neither user nor invading demon, yet you came here. The ability you taught me ignores Onviroad and Earth's dimensional constraints."
= So you see similarities between me and those bones?
Ilryeong nodded as if it rang true.
"Who knows when, but this giant came to Onviroad too. And ended up buried underground like this."
= Why?
"Because, unlike you, it never met an ally like me."
= An ally like you...
"You were on the verge of fading when we met. That's why you sought my aid."
= Ah, I see.
"But I'm not claiming that's the truth. Who knows the giant's story? Still, if its end was eternal entombment deep underground, that's tragic regardless."
Geon-woo approached the giant's remains slowly.
There, he raised a stone platform with psychokinesis, ascended, and sat cross-legged.