Chapter 103
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 103
A quarter hour ago, So-ya had made a request to Seol-yo.
[Listen, Seol-yo. Can you transform into a demonic beast too?]
When they first met at Mt. Horim, Seol-yo had been in the form of a demonic beast. Since Seol-yo could transform into any animal, she wondered if he could take on that form again.
[A demonic beast... like this?]
Seol-yo tilted his head once, and then—poof!—he transformed, mimicking the other demonic beasts in the underground palace.
[That’s amazing, Seol-yo! You look just like a real demonic beast!]
When So-ya clapped and praised him, Seol-yo’s nose twitched as he grinned, looking as if he had never been scared or tearful in the first place. Then, hiding So-ya within his fluffy fur, he made his way into the underground palace.
“It’s a success!”
“Well done, Seol-yo!”
“Hehe.”
Feeling elated by the back-to-back praise, Seol-yo wagged his tail vigorously. At that, other demonic beasts passing by shot him suspicious looks.
“Seol-yo. Your tail...!”
“Oops.”
Seol-yo quickly let his tail droop and began to saunter along, imitating the gait of the other demonic beasts. Though it was a somewhat clumsy imitation, the other beasts soon looked away.
“Phew.”
Relieved, So-ya let go of the fur she had been clutching tightly with her wings and plopped down.
“I thought we were going to get caught.”
“Sorry, So-ya. I’ll be careful.”
Seol-yo apologized, rolling his eyes upward toward So-ya, who was perched on his head.
“But where should we go now?”
“First, let’s look for the Black Tortoise Tribe’s shrine.”
“Okay!”
As if trying to make up for his earlier mistake, Seol-yo moved nimbly to find the shrine. Usually, shrines were located in the deepest, most secluded parts of a mansion to prevent outsiders from approaching them.
It didn't take long for Seol-yo to find a black shrine in a remote corner of the underground palace.
Creeeak—
He nudged the old wooden door open with his head, revealing the interior. With its broken doors, sagging rafters, and cobwebs and dust everywhere, the old wooden building looked to be in poor condition from years of neglect.
So-ya hopped down and headed inside, with Seol-yo following stealthily behind her. Tiny bird tracks and thick demonic beast pawprints were left behind in the layer of gray dust.
They said the Black Tortoise’s divine object was a black shield made of iron.
So-ya looked around before fluttering upward. However, nothing resembling a shield was in sight. After scurrying across the dust-covered altar, So-ya tilted her head.
That was when a torn black tapestry hanging on the wall caught her eye. It was the Black Tortoise Divine Painting, embroidered with the images of a black turtle and a snake. The hatred and rage directed toward the divine beast were evident in the way the fabric had been slashed and shredded.
So-ya recalled how Hyeon Ra-baek had personally severed all the bloodlines of the direct lineage.
Why did Hyeon Ra-baek hate the divine beast so much?
Divine beasts were sacred and righteous beings who had protected the continent long ago. They were beings everyone respected and looked up to.
Then, she discovered another tapestry embroidered with the symbols of the seven tribes. Among them, the symbol of the Black Snake Tribe caught So-ya’s eye. It looked a bit larger than the snakes So-ya was familiar with.
—That is not a snake; it is an imoogi.
“An imoogi?”
—A serpent that failed to become a dragon. However, it is said that once every thousand years, a dragon is born even among those who inherit the blood of the imoogi.
“I see.”
So-ya nodded lightly and turned her gaze away. The important thing wasn't the seven tribes or the imoogi, but the Black Tortoise’s divine object.
However, there was nothing here that looked like a shield. The divine beasts also told her they couldn't feel the Black Tortoise’s energy at all.
Maybe it’s somewhere else.
If it was that man who hated the divine beasts, there was a high possibility he wouldn't have kept the divine object enshrined properly.
But it’s impossible to break or destroy a divine object. They’re made from the spiritual bodies of the divine beasts.
So-ya fell into deep thought.
What would I have done if I were him? Since I couldn't destroy it, I’d shove it away somewhere and use sorcery or something... Wait, sorcery?
She froze.
So-ya twitched her beak and sniffed the air, her expression suddenly turning to one of shock.
“What’s wrong, So-ya?”
“Seol-yo, can you smell this?”
“A smell?”
“Yes, this is from the Mountain Lord Festival three years ago...”
Even though Seol-yo had an excellent sense of smell—enough to track a peril beast—he only tilted his head with a confused look.
But So-ya could smell it clearly. This was undoubtedly the same scent as the scent pouch Eun Si-yo had used during the Mountain Lord Festival three years ago.
The scent of the North’s sorcery...
Having made a quick judgment, So-ya hopped onto Seol-yo’s head and shouted into his ear.
“Please, Seol-yo! Go out and turn right!”
“O-okay!”
“Left up ahead!”
Seol-yo moved his feet quickly in the direction So-ya indicated. Soon, a cave revealed itself deep within the palace. About a dozen demonic beasts were guarding the entrance. Their behavior suggested they were protecting something.
So-ya and Seol-yo exchanged glances, and then...
Poof!
So-ya released her beast transformation, drew the White Tiger Sword, and charged. Simultaneously, Seol-yo swelled to a massive size and pounced on the demonic beasts.
The beasts shrieked at the sudden attack, falling helplessly before them. After making short work of the demonic beasts, So-ya and Seol-yo entered the cave.
The interior, lit here and there by candles, had an eerie atmosphere, as if some suspicious ritual had been performed. So-ya followed the scent of sorcery deeper into the cave.
“So-ya, there’s a shield over there!”
And there, atop a long black box, they found a shield tightly bound and sealed with chains.
—It is the Shield of King Yeom, little bird!
—They sealed it with sorcery. How insolent.
So-ya approached the black shield engraved with the pattern of the Black Tortoise.
So this is the divine object of the North, the Black Tortoise Iron Shield...
Just as So-ya carefully reached out her hand—
“So-ya!”
—It is dangerous, little bird!
Swoosh!
So-ya quickly dodged a sudden attack.
Whap!
Looking back, she saw a black figure in the shape of a woman pointing a long, crescent-shaped scythe at her.
“Do... not... approach... any... further...”
The voice sounded like the rasping of metal.
“I am... the Shield Guardian... who protects the divine object of... King Yeom of Hyeon-to, the Northern Divine Beast...”
A Shield Guardian?
So-ya’s eyes widened. It was common knowledge that the Shield Guardian of the Black Tortoise Clan was usually one of the seven tribal chiefs.
But the direct lineage of the Black Tortoise was wiped out by Hyeon Ra-baek. There shouldn't be any tribal chiefs left.
Furthermore, the figure didn't look human no matter how she viewed it. Yet, it looked too human to be a demonic beast. As So-ya stood there bewildered, the Cheonghae Dragon God spoke.
—It is a thought form.
“A thought form?”
—Yes. The soul of a deceased person has been captured, unable to leave the earthly realm. It has awakened in response to an object containing a desire from when they were alive.
“If it’s an object containing a desire, do you mean that shield?”
—It is impossible for a mere human’s desire to dwell within the spiritual body of a divine beast. Likely, something else...
—More importantly, the fact that a thought form can exert such power means the original body is nearby. Find the body, little bird.
“Nearby? But...”
As she looked around, the long black box caught So-ya’s eye.
Could that be...
While So-ya stared at it, the thought form attacked again.
“So-ya!”
Seol-yo quickly snatched So-ya and dodged.
Thump!
The long scythe struck the spot where So-ya had been standing a moment ago, creating a large crater.
“Seol-yo, please!”
So-ya left Seol-yo to deal with the thought form and ran toward the black box. The thought form realized So-ya’s intention and swung its scythe, but Seol-yo immediately blocked it.
“Grrr...!”
While Seol-yo held back the thought form, So-ya pushed aside the lid of the black box. Inside lay the body of a woman. What she had thought was a long box was actually a coffin.
The spirit core is...!
The woman inside the black coffin had a severely contaminated spirit core; half of her body was that of a beastkin, while the other half was twisted and black like a demonic beast.
So-ya spread her hands and summoned the Purification Flame. The flame that started at her fingertips soon blazed brightly, enveloping the woman’s body.
“Ah... ahhh...”
The thought form, which had been swinging its scythe at So-ya and Seol-yo until a moment ago, suddenly froze and let out an unrecognizable groan.
Soon, the woman’s contaminated spirit core was purified, and her twisted, black body returned to its clean, original form. Simultaneously, the black surface of the thought form peeled away, revealing a clear soul with a translucent human form.
The thought form has been purified.
So-ya panted as she watched the transformation.
“Ah...”
After a brief silence, the woman’s soul slowly blinked her eyes and let out a soft exclamation.