Chapter 590: Haven't We Lived a Life Without Rest?

TL: FoodieMonster007

We can't leave unless we kill everyone?

Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King exchanged a look.

"It means we have to kill the person we came here with." The Sword King's expression hardened as rage poured out of him.

"What kind of damn formation is this?"

"……"

The Sword King mercilessly kicked the sign, shattering it into pieces that scattered everywhere. As if that wasn't enough to quell his anger, he then pulled the sign's post from the ground and snapped it in two.

Meanwhile, Geom Mugeuk watched the Sword King in silence.

"Aren't you angry?"

"You're being angry enough for the both of us."

"We hate this kind of thing."

Just when it seemed the fuming Sword King was starting to calm down, he smoothly drew his iron sword.

SEUREUNG!

SHWIIIIK.

Geom Mugeuk tilted his head back just as a formless sword qi grazed past his face.

With his sword drawn, the Sword King spoke. "Are we doing this now?"

"No, why are you taking your anger out on me?"

The moment the Sword King drew his sword, the surrounding atmosphere changed in an instant.

Geom Mugeuk felt the Black Demon Sword wanting to cry out. He had been suppressing it ever since he met the Sword King.

Not yet.

Geom Mugeuk shook his head. "I'm not going to fight."

In that moment, Geom Mugeuk saw a fleeting emotion in the Sword King's eyes. It was a feeling that was definitely close to relief.

"If we don't fight? Then what?"

Then Geom Mugeuk said something completely unexpected. "We just don't leave."

"What?"

"Let's not leave. Let's just live here."

Geom Mugeuk looked up at the sky and shouted, his cry directed at whoever created this place. "Hey! We're not leaving!"

At those words, the Sword King couldn't help but burst out laughing. He knew Geom Mugeuk wasn't serious, but he truly liked how the man kept his composure even in a situation like this.

"You really are…" The Sword King didn't finish his sentence.

Geom Mugeuk looked around before speaking to the Sword King. "Please lend me one of your shoes for a moment."

"Are you about to say something that'll make me want to throw my shoe at you?"

"No, if that were the case, I'd have asked for both."

With a look that asked what on earth he was planning, the Sword King handed over the shoe tucked at his waist.

Geom Mugeuk closed his eyes for a moment as if making a wish, then threw the shoe high into the air. After it flew up, it fell back to the ground. Geom Mugeuk looked in the direction the shoe pointed.

"Let's go this way," he said.

The Sword King shook his head in disbelief. He never imagined Geom Mugeuk would decide their direction by telling their fortune with a thrown shoe.

"And you didn't use your own shoe?"

"It would get dirty."

As Geom Mugeuk dusted the dirt off the shoe and returned it, the Sword King finally said the words he had held back earlier. "You're a madman."

Hearing those words at last, Geom Mugeuk laughed pleasantly.

"Why are you laughing when I called you a madman?"

"Things have usually ended well with the people who've called me a madman."

"The one saying it must be a madman too."

Geom Mugeuk laughed even louder and started walking. The Sword King sheathed his sword and followed him. Perhaps because they didn't have to fight right away, the Sword King's expression looked relaxed.

"I should correct what I said earlier. We might be the slowest to ever clear this formation since it was created."

"This formation will begin and end with us anyway."

"I suppose you're right." It didn't seem likely that this formation was installed anywhere else.

The two continued to walk until the end of the wasteland was blocked by a high cliff.

"So this is the extent of the world the formation created. The other directions are probably also blocked by cliffs after walking this far."

The Sword King realized that Geom Mugeuk had walked all this way just to confirm the formation's boundaries.

What on earth is he planning? He clearly seemed to have a plan.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk once again said something unexpected. "It's getting dark, so let's stay here for the night."

With that, he gathered the dry branches scattered around and started a campfire. He looked like someone who had forgotten they were inside a formation.

Anyone else would have called this madness. No, a comparison to others was unnecessary. Anyone else wouldn't have come down into the underground with him in the first place.

The campfire blazed to life. Embers crackled, flying into the air with the smoke, and the flickering light colored the dry rocks and grass.

"Alright, one day should be fine!" The Sword King flopped down beside it.

Seeing this, Geom Mugeuk also lay down comfortably on the other side of the campfire. "What's one day? We can rest for a year. Let's get some rest."

An expression that said, Alright, let's do that, appeared on the Sword King's face. It had been a truly long time since he had rested. He just never thought he would be taking that rest inside a formation, and with the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult of all people.

"Haven't we lived a life without rest? Please, rest well."

"How did you know I've lived a life without rest?"

"Because you met me. I've also been running without rest. It takes one to know one."

A faint smile formed on the Sword King's lips.

The two lay there, looking up at the sky. As time passed, the color of the sky changed. When the twilight had completely faded to darkness, new lights began to embroider the heavens.

"The stars that day… I liked them too."

Geom Mugeuk turned his head to look at the Sword King. What had he been thinking while looking at the stars that day? Who had he been thinking of?

"Why did you join hands with them?" He was clearly different from the other members of the Twelve Zodiac Kings he had seen so far.

Before, he would have never answered, but today was different. "I owe a debt."

Geom Mugeuk's gaze deepened as he looked at him. "It must be a large debt."

The Sword King nodded slightly while still lying down. And then, a single phrase was tossed out. "Nothing changes."

Contrary to his words, a hint of regret flickered in the Sword King's eyes. What if we hadn't met as enemies? This Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult was certainly a man who made one think such thoughts.

Then, Geom Mugeuk's voice came from across the campfire. "Don't decide things in advance. It's your life, Master, and it's my life. We can decide our own lives."

After a brief pause, Geom Mugeuk added, "And debts can be repaid."

The Sword King didn't answer. As the campfire died down, the night grew deeper.

There was a new report from the All-Knowing Hall.

The Principal of the Yellow Dragon Academy had visited the duel stage leading underground, and it was said a great master had appeared there. The Fist Demon's eyes gleamed at the report that this person had bandaged fists.

He had heard that two absolute masters had joined forces in the last battle at the Thousand Flower Palace, so he figured this was another master who had come to provide support.

"Not only that, but masters who appear to be their subordinates are gathering one by one at the Yellow Dragon Academy." The bastards had begun to make their move in earnest.

After finishing her report, Lee Ahn shared her thoughts with the Fist Demon. "It seems they're waiting for the Young Cult Leader to come out. The fact that they're guarding the entrance without going down must mean that what's happening below is that important. Or, it could be that they trust the person who went with the Young Cult Leader."

The Fist Demon, who had been nodding silently, made a decision. His gaze turned to the Flower Sword Supreme. In a situation like this, the decision a man like the Fist Demon would make was this.

"Let us be the ones to wait for the Young Cult Leader."

It meant they would eliminate all the enemies and be the ones to greet Geom Mugeuk when he emerged to the surface.

A smile appeared on the Flower Sword Supreme's lips. "I've been waiting for you to say that." Unlike her smile, her eyes shone as coldly as her sword.

Lee Ahn had expected this decision from her father.

This must have been why Geom Mugeuk had called the Demon Supremes. He must have trusted that they would take care of things without being told. Yes, if one had to pick a word that least suited the term 'Demon Supreme', it would be 'safehouse'. The two of them were only staying put for a short while for her and Seo Jin's sake.

However, she hadn't expected this part of her father's decision. "You're coming with us."

She thought he wouldn't take her because it was dangerous.

"A martial artist belongs on the battlefield. Just like the Young Cult Leader is in the underground right now." This was the Fist Demon's philosophy on life.

He also knew well that the more precious the child, the more hardships they must endure. Coddling them was the easy part. Sending them out is the difficult thing.

"Father! Thank you." Lee Ahn expressed her gratitude with a bright face.

The Flower Sword Supreme opened the door first and looked back at the two. "Let's go. We can't let the enemy stand above the Young Cult Leader's head."

The next morning, when Geom Mugeuk opened his eyes, the Sword King was standing alone, watching the rising sun.

"You must be the only person who can sleep so soundly in a situation like this."

"Thanks to you, Master, I've been so tense lately that I couldn't sleep at all." Geom Mugeuk stretched widely and stood next to the Sword King.

"If you had killed me, you could have broken the formation and left."

"Don't we have enough honor not to stab each other in our sleep?"

"Of course. That's why I slept so well." Of course, another reason was that he trusted the Heavenly Demon Defense Art, which he had achieved complete mastery of.

"A pity. I wanted to fight you on that duel stage." Their gazes, which had been on the rising sun, turned to each other.

"You intend to kill me."

"Because I can't be the one to die."

"Well, will you feel relieved or regretful after killing me? I'll confess first. If I kill you, Master, I think I'll regret it for a long, long time. I'll regret it and think about it for the rest of my life."

"You're scheming until the very end." The two men looked at each other and laughed.

"Even if we're going to fight, let's see the final room together before we do. You know, don't you? How hard I worked digging."

"I know. But this damn formation…" The Sword King flinched and stopped mid-sentence. He sensed that Geom Mugeuk had some kind of plan.

His premonition was correct. "We don't have to fight here."

"……"

"As you may have sensed, I have a basic knowledge of illusions and formations." And the solution to this problem lay in the very basics of the basics.

"Illusions and formations must always have a method to be broken. That is the first principle."

The Sword King nodded with an expression that said he knew that as well.

"However, a breaking method that requires you to kill the people who entered the formation with you cannot exist in the first place. That's because it would violate the premise of the first principle, which is that you can survive if you break the method."

"!"

Geom Mugeuk had accurately seen through what should not be missed. "That sign was a trick."

"!"

"In a situation where the formation isn't broken even after defeating the enemies, if a sign like that is left behind, you'd naturally think you have to kill your companion too. It's the final gateway's formation, so it must be truly vicious, right? It's a trick that preys on that kind of thinking."

Geom Mugeuk's gaze turned toward the sun rising in the distance. "The remaining enemy must be hiding somewhere here. If we eliminate that last one, then we will have eliminated everyone."

The Sword King was truly surprised and impressed. If they hadn't seen through this trick, they would have killed each other, the very companion they came with. If the Young Cult Leader's words were true, this formation was a truly malicious one that played with people's hearts.

Ah! So that's why he walked to the edge of the formation to see how wide this place was!

"Then why didn't you say this yesterday?"

"I wanted to light a campfire with you, Master. Isn't this all part of making memories?"

The Sword King said nothing. He had been about to ask if Geom Mugeuk hadn't been trying to pry secrets from him, but he could tell from Geom Mugeuk's expression now. He had truly just wanted to camp with him for a day.

If he had been trying to pry out secrets, he would have been persistent. However, yesterday, he and Geom Mugeuk had spent most of their time looking up at the night sky.

This time, the Sword King himself took the shoe from his waist and threw it into the air. Picking up the shoe that fell to the ground, he said, "Let's search this way first."

And there really was someone. He was not far from their starting point. Surprisingly, there was only one enemy left.

"I'll cut him down." Emotion filled the Sword King's strike.

Since only one was left, one might think he would be incredibly strong, but that wasn't the case. He was on the same level as the martial artists from the first of the three attacks.

That's what made the formation even more infuriating. All they had to do was find and kill this weakling. But by the time one realized this fact, they would have already killed all the companions who came with them.

Geom Mugeuk could feel it. The creator of this formation was mocking humans and martial artists. It was a formation where that malice could be clearly felt.

As soon as the opponent was cut down, the formation finally began to break. It was the moment they had 'cut down everyone' as the formation demanded. The people who had entered the formation were not included in that 'everyone'.

SEUSEUSEUSEUSEU.

When the formation disappeared, the two of them were standing in a dark passage.

CHEOLKEONG.

A door at the far end of the passage opened. The Sword King looked at Geom Mugeuk with a complicated expression.

"We've passed another gate thanks to you." The Sword King started walking toward the door first. "Still, I can't give you half this time. This is a place where you get everything or nothing."

Geom Mugeuk said as he followed behind him, "It's a shame, but it can't be helped."

The two men stopped in front of the door at the end of the passage. Just then, Geom Mugeuk's gaze shifted to the space above the door. A single symbol was drawn there. It wasn't a symbol he had seen on the walls or in the rooms of the previous passages.

This was a symbol he was seeing for the first time. Nevertheless, it captured Geom Mugeuk's attention more intensely than any other image he had seen so far.

Six small circles surrounded a square in the center. The colors of the circles were all different. They were black and white, blue and red, and yellow and purple.

Could it be? The square in the middle looked like the Secret Box, and the six surrounding circles looked like the beads the Secret Box absorbed.

As Geom Mugeuk stared intently at the symbol, the Sword King asked, "What is it?"

"I take back what I said earlier." Geom Mugeuk said as he slowly opened the door.

"Please give me everything in this room."