Chapter 269
An overwhelmingly massive door.
Seol stood in front of the door, before pausing for a moment.
He then looked back and saw Hye Myeong frozen in place.
'This must be the power of the mind Watala was referring to.'
While it wasn't as incredible as freezing time, it did allow him to focus entirely on the door in front of him.
Clatter...
Clatter...
The chains wrapped around the door looked incredibly heavy.
'Why does it...'
Seol was overwhelmed by a sense of unfairness, as if he were assigned an impossible task.
How on earth was someone as small as him supposed to open that massive door?
However, he kept those thoughts to himself and said something else out loud.
"Hold on, I'll..."
Clatter...
Clatter...
Seol was overwhelmed, feeling like he couldn't move properly, like he was trapped in a dream.
Despite the door's power growing stronger, Seol felt as if his strength was being limited.
"Haah... Haah..."
Seol ran out of breath just from trying to pull on the door's handle.
"Haah... Haah..."
Seol continued to pull with all his strength, but the door wouldn't budge. Despite finally reaching the door he had desperately sought, he couldn't open it.
Fssss...
In the dark space, the Golden Divine Statue's face appeared from the sky. It was so immense that Seol couldn't see it in its entirety.
It then slowly opened its mouth.
"You... are not the Immortal..."
"...What?"
Another statue's face appeared to Seol's right.
"You are unable to open the door because you are not the Immortal."
"Shut up! What the hell are you saying?!"
"You will never be able to become like the Immortal... How pitiful..."
"No! I never once tried to become like the Immortal... I... never..."
Fsss...
This time, to his left.
"Only the Immortal can open the door, surely. I'm sure you sense it, too."
"......"
"The Immortal is stronger than you now. You will only desperately chase after him and fall into despair when you inevitably fail."
Lower...
Seol slowly let go of the door's handle.
"You are mentally weak."
"You are ordinary."
"They are much greater than you."
The immense pressure from the golden statues bore down on him.
Seol felt his grip weaken even more. He was unable to hold onto his strength.
"In the end, you'll never be able to bear the weight of the mind."
Seol's head drooped low.
"I-I'm sorry," said Seol. "I can't open it now... Once again, could you..."
Seol heard a voice from beyond the door.
- Hm... Could you?
Seol's eyes weakly trembled, his will completely shattered.
'Could you break down the door again?'
Seol thought of the sentence he had failed to finish.
'No... that's not it. That's not what I want at all!'
B-Because I... one day...
'I will have to overcome them.'
Seol finished his sentence to the being beyond the door.
"Could you wait for me a little longer?"
- ......
"I will find a way to open the door, no matter what."
The individual beyond the door cackled.
- Bwahahahahahaha!
"......"
- Hey, look, Seol.
He asked Seol a question.
- Is that 'Immortal' guy you keep murmuring about really that incredible?
The Immortal was a legendary black magician who also founded the Church of Eternal Life. However, that did not mean everyone knew him.
After all, the individual beyond the door also did not know them.
"...I don't know."
- But what I am sure of is, I'm not waiting for the Immortal. I'm waiting for you.
"What?"
- So I'll be patient and give you a bit more time. It's not too hard to delay something I've been looking forward to for a little longer.
As the two finished their conversation, the golden statue asked Seol a question.
"Why do you not give up? You lack the qualifications to open the door."
"...Because I promised him."
"Promised him?"
- I will become a god.
- Then you have the right. You have the right to join me on my journey to become king of all beings. I will prepare a spot for you in my glorious journey.
Seol promised him.
Fade...
The golden statues began to disappear.
Thud...
Thud...
The door began to distance itself from Seol once more, leaving him with the lingering words of the being beyond it.
- Have fun floundering. I will be waiting for you.
Crash...
Seol was freed from the black space.
However, something was different when he returned to his conversation with Hye Myeong.
"Just now... What the..." stammered Hye Myeong, as if he had also gone through something strange.
Turn...
Turn...
Seol quickly looked around him.
'Damn it...'
He then finally discovered the writings on the ceiling.
And not too long after, the Golden Divine Statue spoke once more.
- You may wander, but you must always return to where you once came.
"Haah..."
- Hone the weakness of your mind.
The despair and humiliation Seol suffered just now was a trial Watala had prepared.
'Yeah, those letters weren't on the ceiling when we first arrived.'
It was likely they had begun their trial the moment they headed up those stairs.
Was everything just an illusion, then?
Booooooooom!
"Damn it, he's closer now."
"Urgh... What happened?"
"Wake everyone else up! We have to run!"
Hye Myeong carried Mi Ah on his back, Chi Woo carried Seol Hong on his, and they immediately began to run.
And then...
- You have overcome the demons of your heart, men of good.
"...What?"
Rumble, rumble...
The ruin began to shift, creating a new passageway in front of them.
- Hurry. Only Watala's relics are capable of putting the great evil to sleep.
They were in a dire situation, with no time for discussion. Seol and the others quickly followed the statue's orders.
Sprint!
Hye Myeong glanced at Seol.
"Seol, you..."
"What is it?"
"There's a strange light coming from your body..."
As Seol looked down, he noticed a faint gold light radiating from his body, as if it were painted on.
No, it was radiating from everyone.
Chi Woo and Hye Myeong's lights were fainter, but they were definitely still radiating it.
Baaaam!
Baaaaaaam!
The sound of the destruction was drawing closer.
There was no way Shade would have cleared through the trials the way they were intended to be cleared.
He was a monster who would break down walls and create new paths if he couldn't solve them.
"Run!"
The immense pressure behind them grew stronger, to the point that they feared Shade would be right behind them each time they turned around.
"The road... it's cut off!" shouted Seol Hong.
She was right.
The distance to the next platform was too great. The passageway had ended prematurely, leaving a gap that couldn't simply be jumped over.
"No, it's not," said Hye Myeong, looking ahead.
There was definitely a path.
And as if to prove it...
The Golden Divine Statue opened its mouth.
- A path prepared for the awakened.
In an instant, Chi Woo, Hye Myeong, and Seol simultaneously leaped forward.
However, they fell far short of the next platform, causing Seol Hong to close her eyes in fear.
As she braced for the sensation of falling... she was instead met with stability, as if they were walking on solid ground.
"You're ... flying."
It seemed as if they were running on the air to Seol Hong.
However, those walking on air kept their eyes fixed straight ahead, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
'There's a path that I can't see.'
Rumble, rumble!
Just as they were about to reach the next platform, the passageway behind them exploded.
A young child appeared, covered in countless black tattoos resembling lines. But they would surely regret it if they simply underestimated him as just an ordinary child.
After all, he was Shade, the ghost cloaked in red and black.
"I finally caught up to you," said Shade.
Ripple, ripple...
The child's body twisted and contorted as it grew, pulling out the evil ghost within from the flesh.
He appeared more like a structure than a person, or perhaps a strangely crafted doll. His body was shaped like a rhombus, and his large hands were composed of countless small, vein-like lines.
Shade quickly chased after them.
Fwoooooosh!
"He's coming!"
"Run!"
Realizing their powerlessness against the overwhelming ghost energy Shade exuded, Seol and the others focused entirely on running.
They looked up at the writings atop the platform as the Golden Divine Statue spoke out loud once more.
- Realize that the body and mind are one.
Leaaaaap!
They lunged over the platform.
Racing across it with their bodies while using their minds to soar through the air.
Seol, Chi Woo, and Hye Myeong seamlessly shifted between worlds, adapting to each new situation. With every transition, they felt their barriers crumbling, their movements becoming swifter, their bodies becoming lighter.
They ran at a speed that seemed inhuman.
However, chasing after them was Shade, an evil spirit.
"How pointless!"
Booooooom!
The platform beneath their feet exploded into fragments just as they leaped off.
To Shade, who effortlessly floated in the air, those bound to the ground were simply prey.
Translator - goguma
Proofreader - Karane
* * *
Fwip!
"The paths are split!"
Five separate paths were in front of them.
Which one would allow them to escape Shade? Which one would lead them to the Luminous Bell?
[The path ahead is split into five...]
'Get out of the way!'
Seol had no need for the options.
He spotted the lone, glowing platform ahead of him, shining like a beacon.
Jump!
As they leaped onto the platform, Seol and the others disappeared into the darkness.
"Did you think I'd lose you?!"
Chasing after them, Shade encountered another platform.
Wooosh!
Wooooosh!
Not only were the platforms becoming increasingly separated as they progressed, but they also required more concentration to see. Consequently, their vision began to blur.
The Golden Divine Statue spoke up.
- Limits are something that is passed down. By overcoming them, they will simply be the limits of others.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Immediately, a red and black hand resembling a gloved hand burst out from the side wall.
"There you were!"
The ghost energy was so intense that even breathing was difficult.
Fwoooosh!
"I will use Watala's powers to revive Lord Hwagmu!"
He swiped down, striking the platform.
"The path will break."
The platforms beneath their feet began to crumble.
However, Shade only struck the platform itself. He failed to hit any of them directly.
"You rats!"
Baaaaaaam!
Shade charged into a wall, but it only slowed him down slightly. He didn't seem hurt at all.
Meanwhile, Seol and the others swiftly made their way to the next platform.
Booom!
Boooom!
"I will tear you limb from limb!" shouted Shade.
Shade's voice echoed behind them in the crumbling ruin. Under such circumstances, it wouldn't have been surprising if the fear of being pursued by him had driven them mad.
'So this was how Shade cleared the trials.'
But if that were the case, there was no way he would have sensed the mysterious powers or absorbed the teachings.
The Golden Divine Statue spoke once more.
- Acquire freedom. Swim through the land and stroll through the sky.
Suddenly, a wall appeared in front of them, blocking them.
"Damn it!" shouted Chi Woo. "I can't see anything ahead!"
He turned, ready to fall back and face Shade on his own.
Fwirl!
"Urgh?"
Seol quickly used Shadow Hand to snatch both Chi Woo and Seol Hong.
Leap!
He then leaped into the wall ahead of them.
"We're going to crash into it!"
Fwoosh...
However, they simply passed through the walls, without any impact.
Wooooooosh!
They were sent sliding down a steep slope, as if they were on a slide.
Boom!
Boooom!
Shade slammed his fists into the wall, breaking through it. However, thanks to this, Seol and the others managed to put a little more distance between them.
At the bottom of the slope, they saw darkness.
Chi Woo and Hye Myeong both bit their lips.
"I can't see..."
Now, even Hye Myeong could not see what was ahead.
Meanwhile, the golden light radiating from Seol's body grew stronger.
Fwirl!
Seol swept up Hye Myeong and Mi Ah as well.
"I'm jumping."
There was only a bit left of the slope.
The Golden Divine Statue opened its mouth.
- If you wish to acquire everything, you must awaken yourself to everything.
Wooooosh!
"We're fallinggg!"
Seol leaped off the end of the slope, welcoming the darkness that began to surround them.
Normally, it should have been where those who failed to receive Watala's teachings would fall and die.
However, Seol continued to emit a golden light, his hair flowing as it continued to grow brighter.
Watala's teachings continued to pour into him like a flood.
Seol spotted an invisible stone statue bearing Watala's face, gazing up at the sky with its mouth wide open.
Seol was aiming for that small gap.
Boooooooom!
As he did, Shade appeared right behind them.
However, he was too late. Seol and the others had already disappeared into the stone statue's mouth.
Rumble, rumble, rumble...
The ruin began to restructure around Shade.
Thuud!
Thuuuud!
A massive whirlwind swept through the area, and statues the size of small hills leaped at Shade, attempting to stop him. In an instant, Shade was surrounded by rubble.
"I'll kill you no matter what!"
Boooooom!
Baaaam!
Shade slipped past the collapsing rubble, closing in on the end of his relentless pursuit.
Run...
As Seol and the others continued to go down the path laid out by Watala, the statue spoke once more.
- You who have awakened, continue forward. Watala's power awaits you.
"A passageway! We made it!"
"Then the Luminous Bell should be in the next room..."
As everyone excitedly moved forward...
"...Kang Seol?"
Hye Myeong turned around and noticed that only Kang Seol was standing still. Seol silently stood his ground, as if his feet had taken root.
"What are you doing...?" asked Hye Myeong. "You..."
By passing through that hallway, Hye Myeong would acquire a power much more valuable than the Luminous Bell. He would acquire the true powers of the Golden Divine Statue.
And that... was not Seol's.
"Keep going, Hye Myeong," said Seol.
"...What about you?"
"I'm staying here."
"Why?"
"Because I've already acquired it."
Thud...
Thud...
Seol then reiterated, "Go already."
"I can... I'll fight..."
"Listen and leave already!" shouted Seol. "Seol Hong! Chi Woo!"
As Seol called out to them, they nodded in response.
"We have to go, Hye Myeong! Now!"
"But Kang Seol is..."
"Trust him!"
Seol and Seol Hong had unwavering faith in each other. To Seol Hong, Seol's words were as good as fact.
"Let's go... Hye Myeong..." weakly murmured Mi Ah. "He's coming..."
"Krgh..."
With Mi Ah pulling on his hand, Hye Myeong now had no choice.
Run, run...
The four quickly ran away from Seol, leaving him all on his own.
A few moments later.
Step...
Step...
A young child appeared at the passageway.
"Have you given up on running away?" asked Shade.
"...I never ran away."
"All of this was pointless," Shade mocked. "All I have to do is erase your existence and take Watala's power for myself."
Fwoooosh...
Shade's ghost energy began to overwhelm Seol, demonstrating just how formidable an Immortal-rank being truly was.
While Phantom had been only half as strong as he once was when Seol fought him, Shade was showing just how powerful one of Hwagmu's Ghost Generals was at his prime.
"Die."
At his command, Shade's horrific hands emerged from a void of darkness.
Fwoosh!
It felt as if time was slowing down once more.
Glowing with a swaying golden light, Seol was engulfed by darkness again.
Fwoooooosh!
As the veil of shadows enveloped him, he found himself standing before the door once more.
* * *
Seol's mental world was only visible to him.
In an instant, he arrived in front of the door.
The Void Door emanated the same overwhelming aura as before.
Seol placed his hand on the door.
"I'm back."
However, there was no response.
Had they grown weary from waiting for so long?
- If you wish to acquire everything, you must awaken yourself to everything.
Clad in a mysterious power, Seol placed his hand on the handle.
- You who have awakened, continue forward. Watala's power awaits you.
Despite being just a step away from acquiring Watala's powers, Seol turned back.
Because that was Hye Myeong's.
Crackle, crackle...
As Seol's mind slowed down the passage of time, he took a step forward. The once-misaligned balance had finally been restored.
"I will open the door now."
Hrgh!
Creak...
Creak...
It felt entirely different from before.
This time, the door was definitely budging.
Suddenly, a black, hazy doll appeared from the door.
- You are not me.
It was likely a mental image of the Immortal that Seol had created.
Veins bulging, Seol kept pulling on the door as he responded.
"Yes, I am not you..."
Creak... creak...
Clench...
Clatter...
Clatter...
The chains were breaking.
Rumble, rumble, rumble...
The door began to shake even more violently.
"But so what?!"
Creaaaaaaak!
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
Creaaaaaak!
Seol had managed to form a small gap in the door.
Creaaaaaaaaaaak!
Seol poured all of his strength into it.
"Open the door already, you fucking bastarddddddd!"
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
An immense energy exploded as the door burst open.
Thud...
Thud.,..
The door that seemed ever so massive... had finally been fully opened.
WOOOOOOOOSH!
Fierce winds surged from the void, tousling Seol's hair.
"Ha... Haha..."
Seol had opened the door.
He then looked at the individual standing behind it.
"......"
A giant physique.
Seol saw chains of skulls wrapped around each of his massive forearms, with each skull emitting its own unique energy.
His cool, piercing blue gaze was ablaze with fiery intensity.
"Ahh..." groaned the Great Shaman, Jamad. "Is it finally going to be fun?"
[You have forcibly opened the Void Door.]
[The Void, the Abandoned Paradise, greets its new master.]
[The Void, a paradise for summons and creations, greatly accelerates their growth.]
[The Void grows on its own.]
Instantly, the black space shattered.
Crack...
Crack...
They were brought back to reality.
At first, it seemed certain that the strange hands Shade shot out would crush Seol. Even Shade himself was convinced of it.
But...
"...What?"
They were stopped, and had failed to reach Seol.
All due to a large, black monster.
Creak...
Creak...
With no other options, Shade brought back his hands.
"...Where did you come from?"
Jamad looked very different from how he appeared when Seol last saw him. He was not only radiating far more vitality and adorned with numerous dangling accessories, but he also carried a variety of things Seol had never seen before.
But the biggest change was the aura he radiated.
Seol had never encountered such dark and ominous energy before, and Jamad radiated it in abundance.
- Woah! I can see it! I can see now!
- What did I tell you? I told you the door had to be opened from the outside. We would've been in a lot of trouble if we forced it open.
- I know, good job. Can you hear me? Master, can you hear me? Master?
- Hey, can you hear us?
[The Void pulses.]
Seol heard Karen and Ur's voices.
- I don't think he can.
- There's no way...
Seol left them alone as he continued to read the messages pouring in.
[Jamad, the Totality of Nature, occupies your Shadow Space.]
[Shadow Space is completely filled.]
'...Immortal-rank?'
While in the Void, Jamad had reached Immortal-rank.
Fwiiiirl!
Shadows tangled and wrapped around Seol's body, thick and sticky, in a way he had never felt before.
Craaaaaaaackle!
"What the—! You..."
Even Shade was taken aback by the power Seol was starting to amass.
Craaackle...
Crackle...
It wasn't just Jamad's fang pattern that imprinted itself onto Seol's Bones of Origin.
Symbols of lightning, sulfur, and mountains also appeared.
As well as a symbol that Seol struggled to discern...
[You enter the Night Crow form with Shaman 'Jamad, the Totality of Nature'.]
[You absorb Jamad, the Totality of Nature's stats.]
[Your class is changed to Shaman.]
......
The subsequent messages served to prove just how much Jamad had changed.
"Get out of the way, you lump of steel."
Jamad had forced Seol to enter the Night Crow form with him.
The fang pattern then pulsated once more.
"That's my spot."