Chapter 588: When You Realize Being Alone is Harder

TL: FoodieMonster007

Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King walked through the dark passage. The walls here were also covered with all sorts of patterns, letters, and paintings. While the style was similar to the art they had seen before, it was also different.

It did not seem to be the work of the same artist, yet it gave off a similar feeling.

Are they disciples of the same master?

Geom Mugeuk thought that might be the case.

Since a painting had provided the key to overcoming the previous trial, he made sure not to overlook a single letter.

"Look here."

Geom Mugeuk pointed to a drawing. The very same pattern that had been crucial to breaking the last trial was drawn here as well.

"It seems to be a meaningful pattern to the creators of this place."

The Sword King simply nodded once without offering any other comment.

It was when the two of them had reached approximately the middle of the passage.

"……"

The moment they sensed the formations activating, their surroundings changed in an instant.

Where am I?

The blue sky was reflected beneath his feet. This place, which felt as if he were standing in the sky, was identical to the space from when Geom Mugeuk had unleashed his prayer.

And so, the sea was below. From above, the sky was endlessly clear and peaceful, but beneath it lay the bottomless abyss of the ocean.

"Master!"

Geom Mugeuk shouted, but the Sword King was nowhere to be seen.

"Should I have tied the rope again?"

Of course, he was joking. Tying a rope would not have allowed him to enter this space with the Sword King. This trial was undoubtedly one they had to face individually.

"You're not just watching and having fun while making me suffer, are you?"

Just as Geom Mugeuk's voice echoed loudly, someone appeared in front of him.

Surprisingly, the opponent was Geom Mugeuk himself. Despite another version of himself appearing, Geom Mugeuk was not surprised.

He was well aware that this method of one's own self appearing was often used in old illusions or formations. This trial must be one that tests inner strength.

This place is inside my mind. So, I must believe in myself.

Steeling his resolve, Geom Mugeuk was the first to approach his other self.

Staring intently at the face, Geom Mugeuk spoke to himself.

"It's been a while."

At the greeting, the other Geom Mugeuk showed a look of confusion.

"I see you sometimes."

It was a statement that would make anyone else think he was crazy. However, the real Geom Mugeuk would occasionally stand face to face with his lonely, pre-regression self when he was taking a break alone.

Once, he had even stood opposite himself with a large hole between them and told himself not to fall into it.

"You, you're here today to put me in a difficult situation."

The moment the other self's eyes glinted, the place where they stood changed in an instant.

Geom Mugeuk was running.

Where am I?

The place he was heading toward was the Heavenly Demon Hall within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Father!

It was that day. The day all the members of the Heavenly Demon Hall were killed by Hwa Mugi!

Calling desperately for his father, Geom Mugeuk ran blindly toward the Heavenly Demon Hall. He should not have done that, but his past self had been too agitated to make any other judgment.

Fallen bodies were everywhere. Not just martial artists, but even those who did not know martial arts. Every member of the Heavenly Demon Hall was down. The sight agitated him even more.

The outer court is fine, so how in the world did they break into the Heavenly Demon Hall?

As if to answer that question, a person came into view.

A single person stood on the wall surrounding the Heavenly Demon Hall with her arms crossed, looking down. It was the former Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme.

This was a sight he had not seen on that day in the past. It was an illusion visible only within this formation.

He had considered her a traitor, so her image must have appeared. This place was his own mind, after all.

In the distance, he could see Hwa Mugi.

He could not see his face. However, he could feel that Hwa Mugi was smiling coldly in this direction.

A single strand of sword qi flew at him without a word.

He saw Lee Ahn throw her body in front of his.

Lee Ahn.

He felt the sword qi that pierced Lee Ahn's chest continue on to pierce his own.

Because they fell in a heap, Lee Ahn's hot blood flowed down to his chest.

That day, when he had been so helpless, was being vividly reenacted within the formation.

Then, someone walked up to his fallen self and looked down. It was neither Hwa Mugi nor the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme.

It was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, carrying a giant dao on his back. His gaze was colder than ever.

Next to him, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon stood, looking down at him. The smile behind the mask was unfamiliar. The other Demon Supremes gathered around his dying self.

He saw the Fist Demon's large fist and the heavily made-up face of the Flower Sword Supreme. The reek of the Drunken Demon's alcohol was overpowering. The Demonic Buddha's body emitted a crimson light, not a golden one. The drawings on the Poison King's poison pouch, slung at his waist, were terrifyingly shaped, not the cute figures of the present.

They were all looking down at him, sneering.

Geom Mugeuk could tell what was happening. This formation was trying to delude him into believing that on that day, they were all traitors.

[Be enraged!]

And so, it was trying to make his blood boil like lava.

If he were his ordinary self who had not regressed, this agony and hatred would have dominated him. An unknown energy emanating from the formation was endlessly paralyzing his reason, drawing out suspicion and anger. It was an energy that an ordinary person could never block.

This formation was the Blood Wave Berserk Formation, which stimulated the anger and hatred deep within a person's heart to drive them mad.

However, it did not work on Geom Mugeuk.

From the moment I first regressed, I thought of them all as traitors anyway.

He had come this far with that exact mindset.

So why did he treat them with such sincerity? Because this life was different from the last.

Who betrayed him in his past life did not matter. The Demon Supremes of this life were different people. He had made them into different people. Their fates had all changed.

Geom Mugeuk looked up at the sneering Demon Supremes and, contrary to their expectations, smiled brightly.

"Is there a show?"

Geom Mugeuk pushed himself up. Lee Ahn's body had vanished, and the wound that had pierced his body was gone.

As Geom Mugeuk smiled at them, the formation dug into another weakness.

[Are you really going to protect them all?]

Looking back, he saw that other people were there now.

Not just the Demon Supremes, but Lee Ahn, Seo Daeryong, Jang Ho, his hyungs, and even his friends appeared. Bi Sayin, Jin Hagun, Jin Haryong, and Han Seol were there. The bodyguards and Jo Cheonbae, too. Everyone he knew had appeared.

[You're arrogant. Life is hard enough just protecting yourself, yet you want to protect all these people.]

His other self walked toward Geom Mugeuk.

[Admit it. That it's hard. Admit that it's so hard you can't take it anymore.]

SPLASH.

The Demon Supremes grabbed Geom Mugeuk's arms and legs and began to hang from them. Geom Mugeuk started to be dragged into the abyss beneath his feet.

Everyone else rushed in and began to pull Geom Mugeuk down. They were all shouting for him to save them.

And so, Geom Mugeuk sank into the abyss.

Just as the other Geom Mugeuk looked down at the water with a satisfied face.

FWOOSH.

Geom Mugeuk shot back out of the water.

All the people who had been pulling him down were now lifting him up, bringing him above the water.

They were not the beings created by the formation that had been pulling him down moments ago. They now wore the expressions of the people who were with Geom Mugeuk in the present.

The formation had failed to control Geom Mugeuk's mind.

"I'm not struggling."

[Don't lie to yourself.]

Geom Mugeuk could feel it. The moment a person trapped in the formation admitted they were struggling, they would break down.

At the same time, the way to break this formation was to not admit it. It had to be done in a way the formation could accept.

"It's not as hard as you think. Not when you realize being alone is harder."

"!"

This time, Geom Mugeuk walked toward his other self.

Behind this Geom Mugeuk, everyone was standing, while the other Geom Mugeuk was alone.

Geom Mugeuk looked at his other self. He was not just an illusion created by the formation. He was the version of himself from before his regression.

"Because of you, I was able to create these people. I mean it."

Therefore, the gaze with which he looked at himself was incredibly gentle.

"You ask if it's hard? It is. You ask if I want to go somewhere alone? Sometimes, I do. But if you were me, you'd know too."

Now, Geom Mugeuk was no longer speaking to himself but to the person who created this trial.

"You've probably never lived a life alone. You've never spent so many nights by yourself, or walked an endless road talking to your own footsteps. Once you experience that terrible loneliness, you understand. That being alone isn't all that great, nor does it feel that free. You know it too, don't you? That time alone only has value when you have people to walk with."

With an even gentler gaze, Geom Mugeuk spoke to himself, and to the formation.

"This formation won't work on me, so you may as well retreat."

The moment he finished speaking, the formation surprisingly began to break.

"……"

The people around him began to disappear one by one.

Geom Mugeuk turned and watched them vanish. They were born from his mind and were now disappearing back into it.

"See you all at our Cult!"

The others disappeared first, and the Demon Supremes were the last to go.

Since they were creations of his own mind, they disappeared in the way Geom Mugeuk wanted them to.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon sat with his giant dao planted in the ground, offering a cup of wine, while the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon took off his mask. The Drunken Demon staggered as if drunk and fell over. Sorry, Hyung. The Poison King crouched, looking at his poison insects, while the Flower Sword Supreme drew her sword and aimed it at him. The Demonic Buddha created a statue of Buddha. The Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme waved a friendly greeting.

And his father, wearing his usual sneer.

The moment his father vanished, the formation disappeared completely, and Geom Mugeuk was once again standing in the dark passage.

"Hooo."

Geom Mugeuk let out a light sigh and slowly walked to the end of the passage.

"……"

The door at the end then opened.

He had passed this trial more easily than the first one. Because he possessed a will firmer than anyone's, the Blood Wave Berserk Formation could not penetrate his mind.

However, the Sword King had yet to appear.

Geom Mugeuk did not enter the door. Instead, he sat down with his back to it, facing the passage he had just come through.

"Stop wandering and come on out."

Geom Mugeuk sat down and closed his eyes.

How long had he waited?

"Hooo."

The Sword King appeared, letting out a long sigh.

That sigh revealed just how difficult this trial had been. Who were the people who had grabbed him and dragged him into the abyss?

"Thankfully, you shook them off."

Seeing Geom Mugeuk already there, the Sword King asked with a surprised expression.

"Wasn't it hard for you?"

"My life is just that simple."

Giving him a look that said, 'Is that really so?', the Sword King saw the open door behind him and asked again. The scent wafting from it was an irresistible one for any martial artist. It was the distinct, pleasant aroma of miracle herbs.

"Why didn't you go in alone?"

"I have enough loyalty to wait."

The Sword King approached Geom Mugeuk and said, "I'll acknowledge that loyalty and give you half this time, too."

The Sword King pushed the door wide open.

Peeking inside, Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King were once again left speechless.

A sense of awe even greater than in the first room bloomed on both their faces.

"You were right. That room wasn't the one for us to enjoy."

This room was truly a space for martial artists. All sorts of miracle herbs were displayed in abundance on shelves on every side.

Geom Mugeuk slowly walked forward.

"Can I really take half?"

The Sword King nodded.

"These are things you can't buy even with money. Still?"

No matter how much money one had, acquiring the miracle herbs in this place would not be easy. Of course, it was possible, if one were to pay tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of taels for a single miracle herb.

The Sword King nodded and said, "I have that much loyalty, too. Now, I'm hungry, so let's eat. If we leave any behind, it'll just be a good thing for someone else."

The Sword King tossed a miracle herb in front of him to Geom Mugeuk.

The casually thrown miracle herb was, surprisingly, the Divine Fire Pill, which possessed an efficacy rivaling the Ten-Thousand Year Blood Ginseng.

"I never refuse a miracle herb that's given to me."

"I said half is yours."

"I'll eat it gratefully."

Geom Mugeuk chewed and swallowed the Divine Fire Pill, then asked, "But is it okay to just give miracle herbs to an opponent you have to fight?"

"That's why I'm eating one too, isn't it?"

The Sword King also chewed on a spiritual pill.

Geom Mugeuk sat down first and began to circulate his energy to absorb the pill's effects.

The Sword King was about to circulate his own energy but approached Geom Mugeuk instead.

He stood before him, looking down at Geom Mugeuk.

Since he was in the middle of circulating his energy to absorb the pill's effects, now was the perfect opportunity to attack. A strange tension naturally filled the air.

"What will you do if I ambush you while you're circulating your energy?"

Geom Mugeuk kept his eyes closed and could not say anything.

The Sword King leaned down to look at his face and spoke again.

"You can talk while circulating energy, can't you? You can move, too."

When there was still no response, the Sword King moved as if to poke him squarely in the eyes. At that moment, Geom Mugeuk whipped his head aside to dodge and opened his eyes.

"I trust that you're not that kind of person."

The Sword King shook his head with an expression that said 'as expected'. Talking and moving freely while circulating energy. The Young Cult Leader had already surpassed the common crowd.

As the Sword King sat down cross-legged beside him, this time Geom Mugeuk asked a question.

"What will you do if I finish first and attack you?"

The Sword King closed his eyes and said, "Go ahead, then."

He began his energy circulation as if he truly trusted Geom Mugeuk.

After watching him for a moment, Geom Mugeuk closed his eyes again.

And so, the two of them focused on circulating their energy and completely absorbed the pills' effects.

After finishing his circulation, the Sword King tossed another miracle herb to Geom Mugeuk.

"This one's tasty, too."

This miracle herb was the Gathering Clouds Pill.

"Judging by the properties of these pills, I think we can absorb these two together."

He tossed another spiritual pill to Geom Mugeuk. This one was the Light Heralding Pill.

"Are we really eating all of this?"

"You don't want to? Then don't."

As the Sword King held out his hand to take them back, Geom Mugeuk popped the spiritual pills he was holding into his mouth one after another.

"Of course not."

The two of them repeated the cycle of consuming and absorbing miracle herbs. To think a day would come when they would be full from eating miracle herbs.

When they finished circulating their energy, both of their gazes were incredibly clear and deep.

Geom Mugeuk's inner arts, in particular, were like his prayer. So clear and deep that its volume could no longer be measured.

There were still miracle herbs left in the place, so Geom Mugeuk packed his share separately.

"Who are you saving those for?"

"Won't there be someone to give them to?"

"Putting it in someone else's mouth is a waste. Just eat it all yourself while you can."

However, Geom Mugeuk carefully tucked them into his robes and stood before the door again.

It was a dark passage, emitting an even more intense energy than before.

Geom Mugeuk could feel it instinctively. This was the final trial.

Beyond it lay what the Sword King desired. The core of this underground vault was not the treasure or the miracle herbs, but whatever was in there.

"You should confess at this point. That you could actually pass all these trials, but you were just pretending it was hard to test me. Now that my test is over, you'll just let me pass the final trial."

The Sword King made a different confession.

"I almost died in that last trial."

"……"

"……"

Geom Mugeuk stepped into the dark passage first and asked him, "Are you giving me half this time, too?"