Chapter 133 – Taese
Baekwoon looked up at the sky and gasped.
“The sky…!”
Just moments ago, it had been broad daylight.
But what was happening now?
An ominous crimson mist.
A black veil hung over one of the peaks of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains in the distance.
“What in the world is going on…?”
Jang Bong was also shocked.
They had barely escaped alive from the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, only to witness something bizarre they’d never seen before.
It was a literal natural disaster.
One could even consider it a bad omen.
“Taese.”
Namgoong Yeon muttered quietly.
Taese. Baekwoon had heard the term a few times but couldn’t remember it clearly.
“Taese?”
Baekwoon asked.
“Let’s discuss it while we pick up the pace.”
Following Namgoong Yeon’s words, they quickened their steps.
Even without an explanation, they instinctively realized that they needed to escape this place as soon as possible.
“Have you heard of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends?”
The Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends.
Thirty-six stars with heavenly names.
Seventy-two stars with earthly names.
In total, 108 ominous stars.
“Of course. The Heavenly Kill Star, the Earthly Evil Star. There are many, but the most famous is the Heavenly Kill Star.”
“Indeed, Baekwoon. And opposing the Heavenly Kill Star is the Purple Star.”
Having been taught by the monks of Jongnam, Baekwoon was familiar with this subject.
Why was Namgoong Yeon bringing this up in the context of martial arts?
Furthermore, Jongnam was known as the birthplace of Taoism.
Baekwoon quickly realized that Namgoong Yeon wasn’t testing his knowledge with this question.
“The Heavenly Kill Star and the Purple Star. These stars are said to decide the fate of the martial world.”
Those born under the fate of the Heavenly Kill Star would bring rivers of blood to the martial world.
And when the Heavenly Kill Star appeared, there would always be someone born with the fate of the opposing Purple Star.
The martial world had always changed, following the incomprehensible movements of the celestial bodies.
“Are you saying this phenomenon is related to the celestial bodies? Like those Heavenly Kill and Purple Stars?”
“If only it were that simple. Taese opposes the Se Star.”
The Se Star.
A giant star representing wood among the Five Elements.
In other words, Jupiter.
“Opposing the Se Star? There’s no such star…!”
“You’re right. That star doesn’t exist.”
“Then what is Taese?!”
“It doesn’t exist, but it does.”
Namgoong Yeon’s words were like a Zen riddle.
“A star buried in the earth. Does that make more sense to you?”
“…Buried in the earth?”
“The Hollow Star Taese. A star not in the sky but buried in the ground.”
“Taese Star Lord?”
Jang Bong interrupted.
“Hm, you’ve seen more than I expected. The Five Great Sects and Nine Schools are busy hiding this information.”
Namgoong Yeon turned and chuckled.
“…I only heard bits of it from a rogue in the demonic sects.”
“There are those who call it the Taese Star Lord. But that’s a mistaken title.”
Rumble…
Black clouds gathered from all directions.
“It’s a demon, a demon. The title of god is wrong. Maybe once it could have been considered a god, but not anymore. …A calamity god might still count as a god, though.”
“A demon…”
“We should get out of here quickly. If we linger, we won’t like what happens next.”
Namgoong Yeon knew all too well the information that the Martial Alliance had concealed.
Baekwoon tried to think deeply about Namgoong Yeon’s true identity, but he couldn’t come up with an answer.
Namgoong Hyung, how do you know such things?
He might have made a joke like this under normal circumstances, but now was not the time.
Baekwoon kept his mouth shut and silently picked up the pace.
He wanted to get away from that ominous aura as quickly as possible.
—
It was an unbeatable existence.
My instincts told me so.
But I couldn’t run away either.
That kind of existence wouldn’t allow it.
I had already consumed almost all of my resources.
In my current state, I wouldn’t be of much help.
The only thing I could do was one thing.
To be of some help to the Snake Queen.
“Grrrr…”
I swelled up my body as much as I could and let out a fierce growl.
Woom.
The energy of the Beihj Bird resonated once more.
Just one time.
I had enough power to attack once.
“Oh? You still haven’t given up?”
The lips of the Imoogi Bird twisted grotesquely.
“Kheheh! How amusing, truly!”
The Imoogi Bird slowly approached.
“My companion. I’ll give you the signal… You must escape.”
Flash!
The Snake Queen’s form changed.
She appeared as a human, as if she were wearing armor made from my dragon scales.
The Snake Queen stood between me and the Imoogi Bird.
“Snake Queen. This is not a situation for you to intervene.”
Boom!
The Snake Queen’s body disappeared.
Bang!
The Snake Queen was sent flying far away by the impact.
Was she easily flung because she had taken human form?
No, even if she had been in her original form, there wouldn’t have been much difference.
In fact, due to her larger size, she might have taken more damage.
“Hm, good. I’ll save the best part for last. Let’s have a little chat.”
“Grrrrr…”
The Snake Queen was thrown far away.
That meant the Snake Queen could now escape this place.
My task was clear.
To buy time, no matter how little, so the Snake Queen could flee.
“Rooooar!”
With a roar, I charged at the creature.
Thwack!
Blackish-red tentacles shot up from the ground.
Thud!
The tentacles hurled my heavy body into the air.
And then.
Crack!
An enormous shock slammed into my body.
Boom!
I crashed back to the ground.
Thud!
Without even a moment to catch my breath, I was thrown into the air again.
Crunch!
Snap!
Thud!
Like a rubber ball trapped in a low ceiling, my body bounced around uncontrollably.
Boom!
By the time the onslaught from the Gaetsalgoadal ended, my body was in tatters.
“Gah…”
I spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Grgrrk…”
I staggered and forced myself to stand.
It felt like all my bones were broken, and my body wouldn’t obey me.
Barely managing to support myself with my tail, I glared at the creature.
I had to get Gaetsalgoadal’s attention.
Only then could the Snake Queen survive.
I would give my life for her.
Not because I was standing here with such noble intent.
The Snake Queen had to survive so that my own chances of survival would increase.
“Hoo… Truly remarkable vitality.”
Clap.
The Imoogi Bird clapped its hands.
“Shall we end the entertainment here?”
Thwack!
One of its tentacles lifted my body into the air.
“A beast with dragon scales. I will give you one last chance.”
…A last chance?
Was it offering to spare my life?
“Serve under me.”
What a ridiculous offer.
In my current state, I couldn’t even reach its feet.
There was absolutely no reason for it to try and win me over.
Yet it was delaying killing me.
It must have another goal.
That goal was obvious without even needing to think.
To make the Snake Queen submit.
It had been using its mental powers on her this whole time.
It could have dealt a more fatal blow earlier, but it had merely tossed her aside.
It wasn’t aiming for the Snake Queen’s life.
What it wanted was for her to truly submit to it.
I could see the ugly lust in its eyes.
“It wouldn’t be hard to subdue someone like you with brute force.”
That was true.
In my current state, I was barely clinging to life.
“Watch.”
A black shadow enveloped my body.
Sizzle!
Sssss…
Black smoke rose from my body.
I immediately knew what it had done.
All the pain that had engulfed my body disappeared.
My broken bones mended, and the scales that had fallen off regrew.
Gaetsalgoadal had healed me, its enemy.
It was showing me that even if I recovered, it wouldn’t change anything.
“I am the destruction that will burn the world, and the immortality that will enrich it.”
It was trying to break my will.
“Don’t you want this power?”
The Imoogi Bird continued with its insidious voice.
“You can become anything you imagine.”
Flash!
“Picture it. Soaring through the sky with massive wings.”
Large wings sprouted from Gaetsalgoadal’s shoulders.
“You could become a dragon. A true dragon.”
Gaetsalgoadal looked at me with its grotesque face.
Rustle…
When I didn’t respond, it seemed to lose interest in the idea of a dragon, and its wings disappeared.
“If not that… How about this? What about becoming human?”
It formed a human shape from its grotesque tentacles.
“Every spirit beast dreams of becoming human. It’s their instinct. Come now, if you take my hand, I will give you a human body.”
Gaetsalgoadal extended its hand.
A pale, grotesque hand.
If I took that hand, I could return to being human.
Human arms.
A human voice.
A human face.
Though I hadn’t shown it, how much had I longed for that?
But my choice was clear.
Ptui!
I spat out the blood I had in my mouth.
Fwoosh!
The blue flames from my dragon blood touched the Imoogi Bird’s face, but it only sneered.
“Hoo… You’ve got spirit. I don’t dislike ones like you.”
Smack.
Gaetsalgoadal’s hand slapped my cheek.
It felt like my neck would break from the impact.
I nearly lost consciousness.
“But right now, I don’t want to see that attitude.”
Smack!
“One is enough. Both you and the Queen are equally irritating.”
Just as Gaetsalgoadal was about to strike me again.
Zzzzing!
A powerful beam shot toward us.
The Imoogi Bird’s tentacles blocked the Queen’s beam.
“So, the Queen has returned.”
…I told her to run, but she never listens.
“Fine then, I’ll handle the Queen. In the meantime, take your time to think it over.”
Clap.
The Imoogi Bird clapped its hands.
“That is, if you can escape.”
The Imoogi Bird grinned wickedly.
At that moment, everything went dark.
—
What just happened?
My head ached.
“Wake up! Please, wake up!”
Someone was shaking me violently.
…Right. Now’s not the time for this.
I opened my eyes urgently.
Why was I lying here?
What was I doing…?
…
What was it again?
“The sun’s already high in the sky. You have to get up now.”
“Hm. I guess I did move a lot yesterday…”
“Oh, sister!”
I turned my head to look at the two women speaking to me.
They were unfamiliar faces.
But somehow, they felt familiar.
…What was this?
Why couldn’t I remember?
“Ah, you’re awake?”
One of them confirmed that I was awake and sat on the bed beside me.
She subtly pushed her hips toward me.
Then, as if waiting for me to say something, she examined my face, as if expecting me to have forgotten something.
What’s going on?
I turned my gaze.
The other woman was staring at my lower body, drooling.
This scene, I’d seen it somewhere before.
Yes.
These two were definitely…
“Tus, Pus?”