Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 464 – The Beginning of a Calamity (1)

In a dark forest, a campfire burned.

Jin Ye-rin, who had been sitting in front of it eating jerky to stave off hunger, looked up at the night sky.

For some unknown reason, at some point the night sky had become cloudless, and a chilling, ominous wind was blowing.

She felt that all of this was not a good sign.

Tatak tatak!

After looking at the night sky, she lowered her head and gazed at the sparking campfire.

As she watched it, her mind drifted back to a few hours ago.

***

A few hours earlier.

At sunset, in the bamboo forest that had been reduced to ruins.

Mok Gyeong-un, looking at the clues Jin Ye-rin had engraved on the ground, spoke:

[It’s impossible to stop everything he has prepared for so long.]

Puzzled by Mok Gyeong-un’s unexpected conclusion, she asked:

[…Are you saying you’re giving up?]

[No. I can’t do that.]

[That’s a relief. If you, Young Master Mok, said you were giving up, all the sacrifices so far would have been in vain.]

[…]

[Since we don’t know where Mok Gan is, shouldn’t our priority be to stop those beings called the Six Demons first?]

The six leaders considered the pinnacle even among the Imaemangyang.

They were called the Six Demons.

She thought they should prioritize stopping them, since each one was said to be a calamity and disaster in itself.

However, Mok Gyeong-un shook his head at her words.

[What? Then what do you plan to do?]

[It’s impossible to stop all of them due to their locations.]

[Didn’t you say you weren’t giving up?]

[I’ll strike at Mok Gan’s main body.]

[What? But Mok Gan’s main body…]

[I’ve figured out where his main body is through the connection of his thoughts.]

‘!!!!’

Jin Ye-rin couldn’t hide her surprise at these words.

She knew that Mok Gyeong-un was deeply versed in magic, but had he reached the point where he could even pinpoint someone’s location through their thoughts?

Just then, someone interjected into their conversation.

[Incarnate. I’ll go with you.]

It was none other than Chunchu, the highest-ranking member of Secret Society.

Her eyes, which had been endlessly weeping while embracing Ghost Blade, were now filled with extreme killing intent.

It was anger towards Mok Gan, who had ultimately killed her father.

[For my father’s sake, I must cut off his head.]

[Are you saying you’re defecting?]

Defection.

It literally meant changing from where one originally belonged.

At Mok Gyeong-un’s question, she snorted and replied:

[If that’s what you were hoping for, I’m sorry, but I have no desire to belong to anyone anymore. I’m sick of being manipulated by others. So let’s just call it a temporary alliance.]

[Alliance. Do as you please.]

Mok Gyeong-un accepted this, seemingly unconcerned.

After all, she was closer to an Imaemangyang than a human, and not someone who would move according to his will.

It was appropriate to cooperate just for the purpose at hand.

[If you’ve found out where He… no, that bastard is, I’ll go with you.]

[Together?]

[Why? Do you think I’ll be a hindrance?]

At her words, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged.

Her power, as the highest-ranking member of Secret Society, was practically on par with the Seven Heavens, considered the pinnacle of the current martial world, and in some sense, she could exert even greater power because she wasn’t human.

Then Jin Ye-rin also stepped forward and said:

[I’ll help too.]

Mok Gan, the one who had caused a great calamity, destroyed Musang Castle, and even driven her only father to his death.

And his organization, Secret Society.

She, too, could never forgive them.

But then,

[No. You won’t be coming with us.]

[What did you say?]

[Exactly what I said.]

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Jin Ye-rin argued, unable to understand:

[…You say it’s okay for this woman, but why not me?]

[I never said it was okay.]

[What?]

[You’re free to follow, but I’m heading to where Mok Gan’s main body is right now. If we don’t hurry, we’ll miss him.]

[If that’s the case, we could ride that giant bird you command…]

[The beast Heumwon will take them back to the Heaven and Earth Society.]

[…]

The place Mok Gyeong-un pointed to was where his subordinates who had come with them were.

Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak were both seriously injured and in poor condition.

Even though each of his followers who had come with him had reached the peak of the transcendent realm or even the Transformation realm, Mok Gyeong-un had concluded that they would be more of a hindrance in the upcoming battle, which could truly be the final confrontation.

They also knew this, so they didn’t insist on following their lord at the risk of their lives, not wanting to hold Mok Gyeong-un back any further.

Looking at them, she bit her lip hard before speaking.

[I understand what you’re saying, Young Master. But when even one more hand could be helpful, how can you…]

[Let me be clear. Jin Ye-rin, with your skills, you won’t be of help.]

[…]

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, as cutting as a sword, she was momentarily at a loss for words.

She had reached the Profound realm beyond the wall, the same realm as the Seven Heavens who could be considered the pinnacle of the current martial world.

To say that someone like her wouldn’t be of help?

It was an assessment that hurt her pride terribly, but she couldn’t say anything.

This was because the memory of her being unable to even face Mok Gan’s avatar and hindering her allies several times struck at her core.

Hadn’t she even lost Cheol Su-ryeon because of this?

Kwak!

As she clenched her fist so tightly that her nails dug into her palm and drew blood, Mok Gyeong-un spoke coldly:

[I understand your desire for revenge, but you would only be a hindrance. If you truly want to be of help, go to the Evil Alliance in the north and prepare for the crisis that will come from the north of Shanxi Province.]

The north of Shanxi Province, Datong.

That was where there might be a clue about one of the Six Demons.

***

Tatak tatak!

As she recalled the events from a few hours ago while staring at the campfire, she bit her lip hard, still feeling frustrated.

She wanted to take revenge with her own hands, but she had to leave it to others.

Was she really that weak?

“Haah.”

No. To be precise, the enemy was too strong.

If she didn’t admit this, it would be nothing more than self-consolation.

All she could do was sigh.

She took out the secret manual from her bosom.

天遁 星明劍法

[Heavenly Concealed Luminous Star Sword Art]

If she had discovered and learned this earlier, would things have been different?

It was a secret manual left by her ancestors as a contingency.

It seemed to be a manual with power beyond the current Luminous Star Sword Art, but it was impossible to master it in a short time.

‘In the end, all I can do is prepare with the Evil Alliance.’

She felt self-loathing at the reality that she couldn’t lend her strength.

But she couldn’t just be disheartened by this.

Even if Mok Gyeong-un succeeded in killing Mok Gan’s main body, the leader of Secret Society, there was no guarantee that another great calamity wouldn’t occur, and it was also hard to rashly guarantee success.

Therefore, it was right to make even a little preparation.

She turned the pages to study the secret manual.

But then,

Hwaryuk! Tatatatata!

At that moment, the campfire flames suddenly flared up, sparks flying in all directions before the fire rapidly died down.

Her eyes shook at this sudden, strange omen.

‘What’s this?’

It was a kind of sixth sense.

In the dying flames, she could only think of one person.

‘Young Master Mok?’

***

It happened so suddenly, without any chance to avoid it.

As Mok Gyeong-un was flying at an incredible speed, a beam of light with tremendous brightness surged up from the ground and enveloped him.

Paaaaaaaaa!

Unable to open his eyes properly due to the blinding light, Mok Gyeong-un tried to secure his vision by opening his eye power.

Seuseuseuseu!

As his eye power opened, the dazzling light faded and he gradually began to see what was in front of him.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un sensed a familiar energy in this blinding beam of light enveloping him.

This was,

‘That thing from back then?’

The feeling of the entire space becoming dull, as if submerged in a heavy liquid.

As if time itself had stopped, his entire body was moving very slowly.

This was undoubtedly the same technique that Mok Gan’s avatar, who had taken Na Yul-ryang’s body in the Heaven and Earth Society, had used.

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes sharpened.

Had he prepared this in advance, anticipating his arrival?

Just then, a voice was heard.

“You arrived earlier than expected. Incarnate.”

Time was flowing so slowly that Mok Gyeong-un couldn’t turn his eyeballs, but he could guess who the owner of this voice was.

‘Mok Gan?’

But something felt off.

The manner of speaking was certainly similar, but it wasn’t the same voice he had heard when following his thoughts.

As he was wondering about this, someone flew in front of Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes with their hands behind their back.

‘!?’

When he saw that face, Mok Gyeong-un’s pupils slowly contracted.

This was because it was an old man whose face was so covered in wrinkles that only his black pupils were visible, with no whites showing.

Of course, even so, the atmosphere was far from ordinary.

The third eye on his forehead staring directly at Mok Gyeong-un, and the smile tinged with madness, along with the tremendous aura flowing from him, were all extraordinary.

‘…An avatar.’

Mok Gyeong-un felt a chill inside.

It was clearly powerful, but this wasn’t the main body in front of him.

So this was the reason why the location of the main body had been revealed so easily?

This was a prepared trap.

The old man, presumed to be Mok Gan’s avatar, opened his mouth.

“How do you find the Supreme Void Sealing Reversal Technique?”

‘Supreme Void Sealing Reversal Technique[1]?’

This revealed something.

Did this mean that the technique used to trap him in the Heaven and Earth Society back then wasn’t complete?

Seuk!

Meanwhile, he was approaching closer.

Mok Gyeong-un, thinking that escaping should take priority over understanding the nature of the technique, tried to summon his Supreme strength.

However, the energy wouldn’t gather easily.

As if he had anticipated this, Mok Gan’s avatar sneered and said:

“I prepared this especially for you. It will be completely different from last time.”

The completed Supreme Void Sealing Reversal Technique.

This was an ancient forbidden technique that required sacrificing the lives of beings possessing a thousand yin energies and a thousand yang energies.

Mok Gan had once used this technique to seal The Restraining Badger, one of the Six Demons, the Assassin King of the Sea.

It required many sacrifices and was tricky as both yin and yang energies needed to be at their peak, but it was the only technique that could completely trap Incarnate, so he had been waiting for this moment.

“Huhuhu. Then, shall we retrieve what’s mine from you?”

Mok Gan’s avatar slowly reached out his hand towards Mok Gyeong-un.

He seemed to have already noticed that the wooden doll in Mok Gyeong-un’s chest contained Cheong-ryeong.

Seuk!

But at that very moment.

A fierce light flickered in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes as he glared at Mok Gan’s avatar.

Then,

Wookshin!

“Kek!”

At that instant, Mok Gan’s avatar spat out black blood and clutched at his heart.

He was so shocked that he glared at Mok Gyeong-un with trembling eyes.

‘…This bastard, could it be?’