“Heo Sanghyun! This bastard, I knew you’d start messing with me back at the masquerade! You’ve got quite the skill!”
Pachut, Pajijik—
A white spark bursts from his teeth and throat—Kwaarrarrung!
Kwaaaang!!
A bolt of pure white lightning erupts from his mouth.
“Ugh, damn it.”
That mana, that light!
It’s my [Baengroe] that he devoured.
I hurriedly channel magic into my Sain Chamjeong Sword and thrust it forward.
[Piroe]
Pajajajajak! Pachijijijit!!
The Piroe power granted to the Sain Chamjeong Sword disperses the white lightning he unleashed.
The shockwaves ricochet outward, incinerating nearby trees and shattering rocks.
I can’t hold back and shout at Seonbu.
“You bastard! Who taught you to spit out what you’ve swallowed?”
I could’ve thought up a more fitting curse, but I’m not stooping to that level.
“Kahahahaha! If you’ve got complaints, prepare a delicacy I can’t spit out!”
“Ah, really? Then I’ll prepare something exciting for you.”
While I draw up magic for my next spell, someone farther east than Seonbu shouts.
“Next dish is on me!”
About two hundred meters east of Seonbu’s position.
It’s the roar of Cheonggeum Daejang, rampaging at the center of Paju Samneung.
“Get out of the way, you twookshinis! Didn’t you ask me to serve Geumgangbong cuisine?”
Bauuuuuuung!
A sound so fierce it ruffles the hairs.
Cheonggeum Daejang swings his Geumgangbong in a circle, flinging the twookshinis around him away in one sweep.
“Ah, so you’re here too! Finally I can taste Cheonggeum Daejangtang, the pride of Cheonggeumdang!”
“Bahahaha — before that, taste the Grilled Geumgangbong!”
“Kahaha! I like your style! Hurry up and serve!”
They’re strangely in sync.
“Wait, something’s off?”
A sudden, inexplicable unease blooms in my chest.
That elephant-headed brute has formidable strength, but he’s on the same level as the other Judgers I’ve faced—like Heo Juna or Hwa In.
‘I have a matchup problem because of his pattern of consuming my spells.’
He’s not strong enough to withstand a combined assault from Seocheonseul and me.
So why is he so cocky?
Kwaaaang!
“Here I goooo!”
The ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) moment Cheonggeum Daejang, wreathed in golden light, springs off the ground—
Gurururung—
Something trembles even farther east than Seocheonseul’s position.
Hold on, that—something dangerous!
“Cheonggeum Daejang. Wait!”
Damn it, he’s deliberately drawing our attention and buying time! They still haven’t shown their full power.
As I unwind the spell I was preparing to attack Seonbu and try to reconfigure it to protect Seocheonseul—
[System: Manchanui Jemul Teukseongi Baldonghamnida.]
[System: Manchanui Jemul Teukseongi Baldonghamnida.]
[System: Manchanui Jemul Teukseongi Baldonghamnida.]
[System: Manchanui Jemul Teukseongi Baldonghamnida.]
[System: Manchanui Jemul Teukseongi Baldonghamnida.]
[System: Manchanui Jemul Teukseongi Baldonghamnida.]
[System: Manchanui Jemul Teukseongi Baldonghamnida.]
Suddenly, message windows pop up and block my view.
“Damn it, get out of the way!”
That crazy bastard is doing the same trick as last time!
Pajijijik!
I frantically summon magic to clear the message windows from my vision, but it’s too late.
Gururururung!!!
From the bloody pool twookshinis created, a massive tentacle made entirely of blood bursts forth.
It shoots skyward with unending heights.
Though its form has completely changed, I know what it is.
“That tentacle that burst out from beyond the gate back then!”
Chyarururuk—
A colossal crimson storm billows everywhere. No, a torrent of blood tentacles surges toward Seocheonseul!
I raise magic to form a protective spell around Seocheonseul and halt the tentacle’s advance, but—
[Bohogjin]
One moment too late.
Kwaaaang!
Seocheonseul is struck by the giant blood tentacle and flies farther away from me—west to east.
[You must have foreseen all of this, right? Everything is unfolding exactly as you predicted.]
Yes, I foresaw it.
No—I didn’t foresee it. Wait. You foresaw it.
No—I didn’t foresee it. Yes, I did.
My vision splits into two, three, then four.
Blood! So much blood!
Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Just a bit longer! It’ll go down again!
A buzzing noise in my head.
Yes. I foresaw it. Yes! You predicted it!
I foresaw that they’d abandon every plan at the worst moment—and that they’d start thrashing about using all the blood they’d gathered.
[The blood—a beast born of blood, containing primitive, primal power and terror—has awakened. You must have anticipated even more blood flowing here.]
But I ignored that foresight.
Because I pictured too much blood. My phobia made me subconsciously choose to look away from the horrific sight and what would happen next.
[Your latent madness stirs, twisting your mind. A derangement is about to occur.]
[Willpower check... Success!]
Jjeojeojeoteuk—
My fractured vision coheres as if forcibly joined.
“You did it.”
The other personalities within me, which were to be my allies, subdued the ‘other one’ gone mad.
So all the madness and shock I should have felt this instant—‘that one’ absorbed it instead.
My mouth moves without my intent.
“I told you not to survive this night, but it’s gotten worse. Move quickly!”
“Kill that elephant head!”
“No, we must destroy that gigantic tentacle first!”
Each personality shouts through my mouth.
Shaking my head at being forced to mutter to myself like this, I feel I might really lose my mind.
I wrest control of my body and speak.
“Don’t let any of you touch my mouth! Right now there’s something more important!”
My chaotic mind unifies into one.
Yes, right now there’s a problem that must be solved faster than all that.
Chyarururureuk!
The bright red tentacle surges again.
It lunges at Seocheonseul, who’s crashed to the ground.
Kwaaaang!
A tentacle of blood. Every impact sends geysers of gore flying.
At the center of that gore storm is Seocheonseul—
“For now, we must stop Cheonggeum Daejang from turning into a twookshini!”
I form a magic circle through the Sain Chamjeong Sword I hold.
Uuuuuuuuuuung....
The sword blade trembles and emits a bizarre sound, then strikes out lightning toward the east.
Kwarururung! Kwaaaang! Kwaaaang!
Even if I leave this spot, the Sain Chamjeong Sword must hold the line here.
“Achilles! Guard this area too!”
Kigigigik!
“Got it, going!”
[Yeouui Gankyoham]
[Baekjo-ui Chum]
[Bohogjin]
Enveloped in layered enchantments, I leap from the summit of Gongneungsan.
[L-geup Uibok ‘Bam Jangmakui Nalgaeot’ui Goyu Gineung, ‘Cheonmaui Nalgae’ga Baldonghamnida.
// Cheonmaui Nalgae: ‘Bihaeng’ jumun jadong sijeon.]
Whoooooooosh!
Cutting through the heavy, blood-laden air, I fly west to east.
“Heo Sanghyun! You’re going to play with me!”
Fharururureuk!
Pitch-black dark flame flies at me.
It’s the magic I cast that Seonbu swallowed last time.
“You little brat who learned manners up your nostrils! If you put something in your mouth, you swallow it to the end!”
I wave my hands, forming massive azure magic circles all around.
[Supokcheonjeong]
Poogagagagaga!!!
The glowing blue circles explode, unleashing a torrent of waves surging toward the east, where Seonbu stands.
Chyaaaak!
“This much is nothing!”
Whoooooooosh!
“Oh, he’s eating that again?”
As expected, elementals won’t work. I need curses or summoning magic.
[Mangjaui Sonagwi]
[Nokadeuneun Badak]
Gururururuk—
The ground around Seonbu turns into sticky mud and begins sinking, as hundreds of ghostly hands emerge from below to grab him.
“Kkuung! Alright, I can’t eat this!”
While he struggles to escape the mud, I accelerate toward the giant tentacle pounding Seocheonseul.
“Stop it, you big leech bastard!”
[Eongnyuhaneun Saseul]
[Hokhaneui Kallal]
Shining magical chains wrap around him and blades of ice bite into his flesh, freezing it.
Jjeojeojeoteuk! The tentacle’s movements slow.
Urururung— Urururung!
[Baengroe]
Kwaaaaarrrrnnng!
A bolt of white lightning stains everything white.
I feel his strength wane, and I pull the chains binding him backward.
‘Still can’t kill him like this.’
I can’t eliminate him until I restore this area’s ley lines. And before that, I must save Seocheonseul.
“Ugh—”
Seocheonseul lies at the center of a monstrous creation made of blood tentacles.
Blood scent and gore cover the ground.
A splitting headache brings another message window.
[Your latent madness stirs, twisting your mind. A derangement is about to occur.]
Shoo—get out of here!
[Willpower check... Success!]
“Haaah—”
Already the third today.
How many more can I endure?
I steel myself and approach Seocheonseul.
“Surprisingly—”
He’s intact?
Seocheonseul is just covered in blood and earth, sprawled on the ground. His body is unharmed, and his expression is more peaceful than I expected.
He gazes dully at the sky, at the full moon above.
His mouth opens, and a foreboding word slips out.
“Blood—”
“Cheonggeum Daejang?”
“This taste—so—so—so—surprisingly—”
Seocheonseul murmurs strange words in a delirious expression.
“So—surprisingly—well, it’s a bit hot. I can almost understand what flavor these twookshinis chase. Even this little taste gives me an idea of the taste—imagine drinking it properly. Ah, I’m curious. Curious. Curious.”
His mask, covering half his face, twists in a bizarre expression. A smile? Sadness? Or simply savoring the flavor.
If this continues, I might actually witness Cheonggeum Daejang go mad and become a twookshini.
I wish I’d brought the Sain Chamjeong Sword, but it must remain west of Paju Samneung.
Instead, I heft the Butcher’s Hook and level it at Seocheonseul.
“Mr. Kim, Mr. Kim, Mr. Kim, Mr. Kim. Why—why are you pointing that grim tool at me? Mr. Kim? What are you thinking right now? Do I look a bit dangerous? Are you out of your mind? Mr. Kim, Mr. Kim, Mr. Kim. Do you really think that pitiful hook can take me on?”
Seocheonseul throws off the mask hiding his face and tries to rise.
He hasn’t become a twookshini yet. It’s a kind of delirium.
It’s not too late. He can recover quickly at this stage.
I strip off the Night Veil Mantle and toss it to Seocheonseul.
“This is—Mr. Kim, this is—so—this is—”
“Go to sleep, Cheonggeum Daejang.”
“Ah, yes. I will sleep. All of this is a gruesome nightmare. By sleeping, I will return to the true reality prepared for me.”
Seocheonseul pulls the Night Veil Mantle over himself like a blanket and drifts off to sleep.
Chyarururureuk!
The massive blood tentacle stirs to rise again.
I turn my gaze from east to west, looking upon my enemy—the monster I must slay before dawn.
