Sobaekta turned to the Illusion King, about to speak.
To the man who had toyed with his heart.
Why don’t you get lost, you bastard!
The Illusion King, sensing the sign of it, spoke a step ahead of him.
“I’ve already heard it, so don’t say it.”
The Illusion King was not at all tense at the appearance of the Pungcheon Cult Leader. Of course, that did not mean he had let his guard down. Using Sobaekta as his shield, he stood behind him and said,
“Welcome, Cult Leader. Please understand the circumstances, unsightly as they are.”
He was using his disciple as a hostage and acting like a coward, but the Pungcheon Cult Leader could feel that the Illusion King was truly strong. His skill was one thing, but the man was also the sort who would do anything to achieve his objective.
“It’s fine. Isn’t being that frightened your way of showing me respect?”
They were in a relationship where they would kill each other, yet they treated one another courteously. No—because the other was someone they would kill anyway, they could afford to be courteous.
Unlike Geom Mugeuk or the Demon Buddha, nothing had blocked the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s path on his way here.
Indeed, the Illusion King had invited only the Pungcheon Cult Leader to this place.
“Experts always die because of pride. If the Young Cult Leader or the Demon Buddha had come with you, it would have been troublesome to deal with.”
“When there are too many people, it only makes a fight distracting. You haven’t experienced the Young Cult Leader, so you don’t know. Before the fight even began, you’d get so furious you’d smash your own head against that wall.”
As he said that, the Pungcheon Cult Leader leisurely looked around with his hands clasped behind his back.
“So this was the Blood Cult’s leader hall. Oh, was this blood demon originally shaped like this?”
The blood demon painted on the wall was quite different from the form passed down in the Pungcheon Cult.
“This is where the true Blood Cultists lived.”
“How would you know, when you never lived there? If anything, I think it would’ve been even more of a mess than it is now. Wouldn’t this great hall have been swarming with things mad with thirst for blood?”
The corners of the Illusion King’s eyes creased slightly.
At his reaction, the Pungcheon Cult Leader asked slyly,
“You’re on that side, aren’t you? The secret society trying to revive the Blood Cult?”
“Calling it a secret society makes it sound far too grand. At first, yes.”
“And now?”
“The revival of the Blood Cult is not my ideal.”
Only then did the Pungcheon Cult Leader turn his gaze to his disciple.
“That is how it should be. Even a man like him is trying to find his own dream, isn’t he? Let the Central Plains conquest you’ve heard about since childhood drift away just like that.”
Sobaekta was still staring at his master, wrapped in agitation. He feared his master would die because of him; that was all he could think about.
“Are you all right, Baekta?”
When his master called his name and asked if he was all right, Sobaekta’s heart surged. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he did not know what he should say. The only words that came to mind were these.
“Do not submit to him because of me. I am not worth that much.”
The Illusion King watched with interest to see what answer the Pungcheon Cult Leader would give.
“Do you know what the Young Cult Leader said when I told him it was dangerous to enter the painting here, so I’d go alone?”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader brought up Geom Mugeuk.
“The Young Cult Leader said this: that was me begging him to come with me. So if you’re worried about me, you should say the opposite. Please save me. If you’re my master, then you have to save me. Save me! Even if you die, save me! Like that. Then wouldn’t I get so disgusted that I’d leave you to live or die?”
He said it like a joke, but it struck Sobaekta’s heart.
‘That’s right. The more dignified I act, the greater the burden on him to save me.’
When that thought reached him, Sobaekta repeated exactly what his master had said.
“Please save me. Even if you die, Master, you must save me.”
At those brazen words, the Pungcheon Cult Leader nodded as if he had been waiting for them.
“All right, I’ll save you.”
Sobaekta was flustered, since that had not been what he had meant to hear.
‘That is not it, is it, Master?’
The Pungcheon Cult Leader’s eyes said this:
It’s fine. Leave it to me now, my disciple.
Because of that, Sobaekta could not simply stay still.
He quickly turned, trying to slap the Illusion King across the cheek at least.
But the Illusion King caught his hand and stopped him.
Sobaekta glared at him and made one final effort.
“You bastard, you don’t have to get lost. Instead, kill me and fight my master properly. You won’t be able to fight to your heart’s content while worrying about me either. I’m a hostage who will hold you back too. So kill me and pour out everything you have.”
The Illusion King stared silently at Sobaekta, then spoke to the Pungcheon Cult Leader beyond him.
“This is why he weighs on your mind.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader nodded. There was no need to hide his true feelings from the Illusion King, a man who must have weathered every sort of hardship.
“When I was right beside my disciple, nothing happened, but once we were apart, a trigger like this appeared.”
That was why triggers were so frightening.
Meeting Geom Mugeuk had completely changed his life. His relationship with Gowol had changed, and in the end, his very life had changed as well.
By coming beyond the borders this time, his relationship with his disciple had also changed greatly.
Like this, when it came to changing the relationships between people, a trigger sometimes came before effort. Just as he had become enemies with this Illusion King.
“I know that you killed my elder sister.”
“I did.”
“How did she die?”
“She died when the Jeryeongin left her.”
As if he understood what had happened, the Illusion King nodded silently.
“Originally, I was supposed to go to the Demon Cult, and my sister was supposed to come here. But she insisted. The Demon Cult mission must have looked bigger to her. She was like that since childhood. She always wanted to beat me somehow. She never once did, though.”
No sorrow or mourning could be felt from the Illusion King. The Pungcheon Cult Leader could tell. This was a man who lived only for himself.
“If I kill your disciple, that would make things even.”
“It’s no use trying to shake my composure like that. I’ve already sensed that you are not foolish to that extent.”
It was a counterblow containing the implication that the Illusion King could not defeat him in a straightforward fight, but the Illusion King was not shaken either.
“He is a disciple who would cast away his life like a blade of grass for his master, so you must save him.”
“I’ll try.”
At that moment, Sobaekta did not let go of the thread of hope. He was watching only for an opportunity. For his master, he would even cling to the man’s trouser legs and drag him down. If that could save his master, he would not mind dying.
And if by even the slimmest chance he survived, he would live the rest of his life for his master.
It was then.
Swaaaek!
Thud!
The Pungcheon Cult Leader thrust his hand into the empty air to his left.
Then blood began dripping from the space where there had been nothing.
A corpse fell with a thud, blood flowing from its neck. It was one of the Illusion King’s subordinates, who had approached while hidden, using the gap in their conversation to attempt a surprise attack.
Wiping the blood on his hand against the man’s clothes, the Pungcheon Cult Leader asked,
“By the way, why did you put the wind of unifying the lands beyond the borders into my disciple?”
“Why, for your disciple’s dream, of course.”
For an instant, Sobaekta flinched, but as if to show him that this was how one dealt with such a situation, the Pungcheon Cult Leader said calmly,
“Thanks to you, my disciple truly found his dream. I should be grateful, rather.”
If it had been his former self, he would not have been able to respond so flexibly. He had met Geom Mugeuk, seen a new side of Gowol, argued and struggled—and in the process, he too had grown.
In a flash, the Pungcheon Cult Leader vanished and reappeared.
Puuuk!
A bloodied hand burst out of the empty air.
He had caught another enemy who had been approaching while concealed. Instead of condemning the ambush,
“I lost weight recently, so my movements have gotten faster.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader was even bragging about his weight loss to the Illusion King.
Looking around to see if there were any others hidden, the Pungcheon Cult Leader walked toward the Illusion King as if it was time to fight in earnest. Before that, he asked about Geom Mugeuk.
“The Young Cult Leader?”
“He’ll be fine.”
“No, I meant, did you properly lock him up?”
“He is trapped in a place he cannot escape. Even if he breaks through that place, there are three more checkpoints he can never break through.”
“Only three?”
“Only?”
“I’m telling you, you don’t know that man.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader released his aura.
Swaaaaaaaaa.
A powerful ghostly energy unlike anything experienced before spread in all directions, and blue flames began to burn from both of the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s hands.
“Then I’ll have to hurry. So I can show off when the Young Cult Leader gets here.”
* * *
“Ah! This isn’t right.”
I opened the door with great momentum, then closed it again.
After dealing with all the evil spirits in the banquet hall and finding the method to break through, I found the next door.
Where had the method been? It had been hidden beneath the geomungo the musician had been playing. It was fortunate I’d had experience finding hidden breakthrough methods several times; for someone searching for the first time, it would not have been easy at all.
The problem was the next room.
When I opened the door a moment ago, a massive snake was coiled in a room as large as a plaza.
The Blood-Venom Great Python.
It was the Blood-Venom Great Python, called the king of venomous snakes. Around the Blood-Venom Great Python swarmed thousands upon thousands of poisonous snakes.
Just from opening the door for that brief moment, the poisonous fumes and fishy stench were overwhelming. The poison was so vicious that if an ordinary expert had merely opened the door, he would have been poisoned and forced to circulate his qi to recover. More importantly, though, I absolutely hated snakes.
“Cult Leader, fight well. I trust you and will turn back.”
Of course, I could not do that. If it were only a matter of catching the Illusion King, I could trust the Pungcheon Cult Leader. But now there was the variable called Sobaekta. Who knew what dangerous situation his affection for his disciple might create?
I had to get there as quickly as possible and create the variable called “Geom Mugeuk.”
Suddenly, I remembered when the Pungcheon Cult Leader had come to save me when I was trapped in an illusion. I remembered the hellscape that had stretched beyond the open door. The Pungcheon Cult Leader had broken through that path to save me.
Yes. Even if every snake in the Central Plains is there, I’ll break through.
I drew the Black Demon Sword and opened the door again, stepping inside. The poisonous snakes nearby lunged toward me.
Shik! Shiiik!
I swung the Black Demon Sword and cut them down. As the snakes burst apart, poisonous fumes sprayed out.
The other snakes began moving all at once. They were no ordinary snakes. They sprang up, whipping their bodies through the air as they rushed at me.
The next instant!
A single form was unleashed.
The Nine-Flame Demonic Art, Third Form: Great Demon Wall.
A massive wall of ganggi rose before me.
Thud! Thud! Thuuud! Thud!
The snakes that collided with the wall of ganggi burst apart. Poisonous fumes spread thickly. That poison provoked every venomous snake in the room.
The Blood-Venom Great Python raised its massive body and charged at me.
Boom!
With an explosive roar, the Great Demon Wall trembled. The Blood-Venom Great Python, wounded by the ganggi, began to thrash. Because of that, smaller snakes were crushed to death in chaos.
The Blood-Venom Great Python spewed venom.
Chiiiiiiik!
This atrocious venom, which would melt anything it touched, was truly horrifically toxic. Poison mist billowed thickly. If I had not been immune to all poisons, there would have been no way to endure it.
The venom began melting the Great Demon Wall.
A tremendous amount of internal energy was consumed to maintain the Great Demon Wall.
And in this fight, I made a new attempt for the first time.
With the Great Demon Wall still raised, I unleashed another form.
An evil spirit appeared before the Great Demon Wall. I had unleashed the Second Form: Great Annihilation.
Ssssssss.
The evil spirit split into six. In the meantime, my accomplishments in martial arts had advanced, and the number it could split into had increased from four to six.
“Go!”
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
The six evil spirits swept through the snakes and pushed forward.
Puh-puh-puh-puh-puh-puh-puh-puk!
Every snake in their path was cut apart.
Their target was the Blood-Venom Great Python straight ahead.
Could they really take it down?
The Blood-Venom Great Python, which had been melting the Great Demon Wall, sprayed poison at the evil spirits. Drenched in venom, the evil spirits pushed straight ahead.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
Puaaaaaak!
I saw it. The six evil spirits severing the Blood-Venom Great Python’s body.
The head side and the tail side, cut into two, began to writhe in agony. As it thrashed, the surrounding poisonous snakes were crushed to death.
The writhing Blood-Venom Great Python charged at the Great Demon Wall with its severed body.
Kwaaaang!
The Great Demon Wall shook violently, but with a body cut apart, it could do nothing to the Great Demon Wall.
Thud!
The Blood-Venom Great Python collapsed to the floor and twitched one last time before disappearing with a bang, bursting into a terrible cloud of poison. Then all the other poisonous snakes also began to vanish.
Puh-puh-puh-puh-puh-puh-puk!
Normally, even after defeating them, one would not be able to pass through this room filled with poison mist.
But I crossed it and opened the door behind where the Blood-Venom Great Python had been, stepping inside.
Astonishingly, beyond the door was the leader hall.
And the moment I saw the scene spread out there, I froze. The place was filled with traces of a bloody battle, broken on every side, corpses strewn about.
My gaze went to the grand preceptor’s chair in the distance.
Someone familiar was sitting there.
Astonishingly, it was the Pungcheon Cult Leader. He was covered in blood, his head drooping.
The corpse lying before the chair was none other than Sobaekta. In the end, he had failed to protect his disciple.
At the thought that the Pungcheon Cult Leader might be dead, my heart began to pound madly.
I launched myself toward him. Had I ever been this shocked in recent days?
After landing before the grand preceptor’s chair, I called him.
“Cult Leader.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader did not move.
“Cult Leader.”
Then the Pungcheon Cult Leader laboriously opened his eyes and looked at me.
“……I couldn’t kill him.”
“Cult Leader.”
“……I’m sorry.”
The life faded from his eyes, and his head was about to droop again.
“Cult Leader!”
Just as I was about to support him—
Shiiik!
Puuuk!
The Pungcheon Cult Leader’s hand, which had reached out to seize my vital point, had stopped in front of my chest. Conversely, my ten-thousand-year cold iron dagger was buried in his heart.
Black energy swirled in his two eyes, and pitch-black ghostly energy flowed out.
“……How did you know?”
He had been a fake Pungcheon Cult Leader.
“The Cult Leader I know wouldn’t have said ‘I’m sorry’ as his last words. He’d have said, ‘I’m dying because of you. Hand over my divine artifact, Young Cult Leader! Try living well without me and Gowol!’ That’s the kind of person the Pungcheon Cult Leader is.”
The moment my faith was conveyed, the fake Pungcheon Cult Leader’s body burst and scattered into black smoke. Sobaekta’s corpse, which had been lying collapsed, also burst into smoke and began to disappear.
I believe.
“That man could get stabbed to death while drinking in Maga Village. But he won’t die inside an illusion here. This is his world.”
I strode toward the door behind the grand preceptor’s chair.
A moment ago, I had felt what it would be like if the Pungcheon Cult Leader died. Even though part of me suspected it was a trap, my heart had pounded as if it would burst. I absolutely could not let the scene I saw here become reality.
With the Black Demon Sword drawn, I threw the door open and leapt inside. It did not matter what waited beyond it. Just as you came to save me—
‘This time, I’m coming!’