Chapter 992 – 992. The Ascent To Guangming
The sorcerers of the Manmu Tower teleported the entrants to the island simultaneously.
The scenery changed drastically, and my stomach churned.
I felt stuffy from the sudden rise in temperature and looked around.
In the distance, a volcano was continuously staining the sky with black smoke. Just looking at it made me feel hot. And something black was constantly falling from the sky. It was volcanic ash.
‘There’s a lush, green forest near the volcano. This is really strange….’
I decided not to think too deeply about it.
This world is a world from a work of fiction. It’s not strange for the laws of reality and common sense to be twisted. It’s better to move than to waste time on useless thoughts.
I summoned a drone from my inventory and sent it into the sky. The volcanic ash didn’t cover every space, so there was a point to scouting.
‘Where is Hwangbo Ga-hye? It would be nice if she was nearby.’
I glanced at the tablet while controlling the drone. I could see the video from the camera attached to the drone through the tablet.
‘There’s someone. It’s not Hwangbo Ga-hye….’
I moved the drone away from the person. The drone had been attacked twice before when it got too close to the warriors.
Crack!
The video on the tablet cut out with a shattering sound. The drone had been attacked and crashed.
‘It was an attack from the camera’s blind spot.’
I didn’t know who attacked or what the means of attack were. The drone’s location was too far to see with the naked eye. It was too late to use the Heavenly Eye now.
‘I saw a figure before the video cut out.’
The video was automatically saved. I rewound the video to check the figure.
‘Found her! It’s Hwangbo Ga-hye!’
In the video, Hwangbo Ga-hye was looking at the drone with a surprised expression. She already knew that the drone was my magical artifact, so there was no reason to be so surprised.
‘She must have seen something that smashed the drone. The camera was on the bottom, and nothing flew from nearby… Did it attack from a higher place than the drone? Then it must be a yokai or a spirit beast.’
Yokai and spirit beasts.
From my perspective, they were both monsters, but in this world, they were clearly distinguished.
Monsters with evil energy were yokai, and monsters with sacred spiritual energy were spirit beasts. Or so they say.
But that distinction doesn’t mean much. Spirit beasts also eat humans, and yokai sometimes help humans. And like humans, spirit beasts and yokai also have cores if they reach a high level. Humans don’t aim for other humans’ cores because there’s almost nothing to gain from eating them.
‘It was definitely… this way. It’s not far.’
To meet Hwangbo Ga-hye, I infused my legs with internal energy and ran. About 15 minutes later, I could see Hwangbo Ga-hye fighting a yokai. The yokai was a 2-meter-tall gorilla. Its two eyes were bright red, and its open mouth revealed sharp, menacing teeth.
“Haaap!”
Hwangbo Ga-hye shouted and threw a solid punch. The gorilla didn’t dodge and instead threw a punch of its own.
The small human fist and the yokai gorilla’s large fist collided.
“Kueeeeee!!”
It was the gorilla that let out a painful scream. It jumped up and down, not befitting its large size. The gorilla’s fist was broken. On the other hand, Hwangbo Ga-hye’s fist was fine.
Hwangbo Ga-hye charged at the gorilla like a beast. Her fists and feet became a flurry of attacks, raining down on the gorilla.
I had sparred with Hwangbo Ga-hye several times, so I knew what martial art this was.
‘Phoenix Immortal Hand Fist… It’s a strange martial art that gets stronger as the combos continue.’
When Hwangbo Ga-hye’s combos exceeded ten, her hands and feet changed. They gradually turned red, like flames. Of course, it wasn’t real fire, but energy.
‘It just gets stronger as the combo continues… It’s a really strange martial art.’
During our spars, I was curious about how strong her punches could get, so I deliberately didn’t break her combos and just took them.
23 times.
That was the number of combos I could take. I couldn’t withstand any more than that.
The way to break the Phoenix Immortal Hand Fist was simple. Break the combo. If breaking it was difficult, it was also a good strategy to run away for a moment to break the flow.
“Kueok! Kueok! Kwek!”
The gorilla yokai was struck by 19 combos and died. The gorilla’s thick forearm was blown away by the final blow.
As soon as the gorilla yokai died, Hwangbo Ga-hye took out a small knife and stabbed it into the gorilla’s belly. Then the knife broke. The gorilla’s hide was that tough and durable. Hwangbo Ga-hye frowned, threw away the knife, and tore the gorilla’s hide with her bare hands, shoving her hand into its insides. It was a gruesome sight.
‘A beautiful face and actions that don’t match… Hmm. That difference turns me on.’
Of course, I knew what her purpose was. She was looking for the gorilla yokai’s core.
Hwangbo Ga-hye picked up the core and sighed as if dissatisfied. It must have been because the core was too small. Still, she didn’t throw it on the ground or consume it right away, but carefully put it in her pouch.
“Miss Hwangbo.”
“Young Master Seong. You’ve arrived. I’ve shown you a rather unsightly sight.”
“Unsightful? Miss Hwangbo was magnificent as a martial artist.”
“Is that so.”
A smile appeared on Hwangbo Ga-hye’s lips. She preferred to be called strong and martial artist-like rather than beautiful or pretty.
‘Her boobs are perfect for breastfeeding, and her butt is perfect for giving birth! I want to praise her like that… but she’d try to kill me.’
I held back the urge to say it.
“Miss Hwangbo. Please accept this.”
“What is this…?”
“It’s a hundred-year-old wild ginseng.”
“Is it okay for me to receive such a precious thing?”
“I just happened to find it. When I saw the ginseng, I thought of Miss Hwangbo. Please don’t make me feel awkward and accept my goodwill.”
“……Thank you, Young Master.”
Hwangbo Ga-hye, looking touched, accepted the ginseng and put it in her pouch. I smiled contentedly as I looked at the pouch hanging from her waist.
It wasn’t actually something I just happened to find, but something I received as an attendance reward from the Cheongang Seong system fifteen days ago.
“Miss Hwangbo. What should we do now?”
“The first thing we need to do is collect the orbs. After collecting a total of ten orbs, including yours and mine, we’ll focus on finding the elixir.”
“I have no objections. I’ll follow your plan.”
After that, we wandered around the island together. We killed yokai, fought martial artists we encountered, and struggled to pick elixirs that bloomed on cliffs.
It was the perfect situation to gradually win over Hwangbo Ga-hye.
We spent about 30 days together without anyone else interfering. This one month was more meaningful than the past few years.
Stagger.
Hwangbo Ga-hye’s body swayed greatly as she walked. I quickly approached her and grabbed her waist and shoulder. As I got closer, I could feel her scent. It was something I had only recently learned, but Hwangbo Ga-hye had a stronger scent than other people.
Water was scarce on this island, so we couldn’t wash properly. Washing with seawater? It would only make it more unpleasant.
“Are you alright, Miss?”
“…I’m fine. I just felt a little dizzy.”
“Since the 17th floor trial started, we haven’t had a proper rest even once. Miss, even if it’s just for today. Let’s rest today. There are still about 70 days left in the trial. We need to manage our stamina.”
“You’re right, Young Master. We can’t be held back here because of our stamina. Let’s rest.”
“I know a place that’s perfect for relieving our fatigue.”
I led Hwangbo Ga-hye and slowly walked to a cave. It was a place filled with the smell of sulfur and hazy steam.
“This is… a hot spring.”
“Yes. It’s a natural hot spring. I’ll be outside, so please enjoy the hot spring first.”
“That’s….”
“I swear on my name that I will never peek. As Miss Hwangbo knows, I am already married. The reputation of the Namgung family is on my shoulders. I swear I will never do anything that would tarnish the reputation of the Namgung family.”
“I’m tired, so I want to go into the hot spring. …I’ll trust you, Young Master Seong.”
I knew she wouldn’t refuse. She must know that she smells.
“I’ll wait outside the cave.”
I went out of the cave without any intention of secretly peeking or attacking. I needed to build her trust now.
‘Should I just peek at Hwangbo Ga-hye’s chest with the Heavenly Eye? …No. Let’s save it for the pleasure of seeing it when she’s naked.’
I sat on a rock in front of the cave. I imagined Hwangbo Ga-hye’s naked body in my head. Her waist and butt were easy to imagine, but her sealed chest was hard to picture.
‘Ah, I want to peek.’
Thirty minutes had passed.
A roar echoed from the volcano. The volcanic ash shot up higher than before, and an explosion occurred. Red lava flowed from the crater.
‘Why is it exploding now? The cycle is off. It should have exploded around the day after tomorrow.’
It was disconcerting, but fortunately, this place was far from the volcano. I could hear the sound of waves if I listened carefully.
Thump. Thump. Thump!
Something was approaching from the volcano. I narrowed my eyes and looked into the distance.
It was a giant with red skin and a height of over 10 meters.
‘It’s a fire giant.’
A giant that lived near the Fire Mountain. I fought it one-on-one about 20 days ago. As soon as I realized that its massive size was a cheat, I ran away immediately. Even now, I would likely lose if I fought it alone.
I turned my face towards the cave and shouted loudly.
“Miss Hwangbo! A fire giant is coming this way! It seems we need to move!”
“……Understood! Please wait a moment! I’m getting dressed quickly!”
Soon, Hwangbo Ga-hye came out. I could see her moist skin, wet hair, and sleeves. She had come out in a hurry, so her chest area was loose. Her chest was bigger than when I saw it earlier.
‘If it’s that big, it’s at least an H cup. Considering that the seal hasn’t been fully released, the real size is….’
I tried my best to turn my head away. Now was the time to run.
“Miss. Let’s run to the right. It’s not too late now.”
“…No. Let’s fight.”
Hwangbo Ga-hye was burning with fighting spirit. Normally, she wouldn’t try to take such a risk. I followed her gaze and looked at the fire giant.
‘…What’s that on its side? That’s… a solar flower?’
A blazing red flower on the fire giant’s side. It was definitely a solar flower, known as a top-tier elixir. Hwangbo Ga-hye had become greedy.
“If it’s the two of us, Young Master Seong and I… we can defeat the fire giant, even if it’s difficult.”
I thought for a moment, then decided to pluck that solar flower, give it to Hwangbo Ga-hye, and confess.
‘Hwangbo Ga-hye must know my feelings. Let’s confess to Hwangbo Ga-hye with the solar flower as an opportunity.’
Having made a plan, I drew my Fire Lotus Dagger.
“Miss. If we combine our strength, we can defeat even a fire giant.”
“Thank you, Young Master Seong.”
We charged at the fire giant. We had already fought together before, so we were fearless. I aimed for the right, and she aimed for the left. The fire giant rolled its eyes and swung its hands like whips. Trees were smashed, and the surrounding ground shook as if it were being turned upside down. It was a terrifying power.
‘Take it slow! Take it slow!’
Four hours passed while fighting the fire giant. I, with a metallic taste in my mouth, plunged the Fire Lotus Dagger into the fire giant’s forehead as it collapsed.
“We won…!”
In the middle of the fight, Hwangbo Ga-hye, whose condition was not good due to accumulated fatigue, was knocked away by a blow from the fire giant, and I ended up fighting the fire giant almost alone.
I lured the fire giant to the cliff while fighting. The waves crashing against the cliff created openings in the fire giant’s movements. I even thought about dropping the fire giant into the sea below the cliff if necessary.
‘We won, so it’s fine! Let’s collect the solar flower blooming on its side!’
I drew the Fire Lotus Dagger and reached out for the blazing solar flower. It was at that moment. A sword pierced my stomach from behind.
“Ugh?!”
I turned around. Oh Ji-mu was about 30 meters away. Seeing his face with a rotten smile made me feel terrible.
Hwangbo Ga-hye ran to my side.
“Miss Hwangbo…! Oh Ji-mu ambushed us…?”
Hwangbo Ga-hye’s eyes were very cold. She grabbed my arm and twisted it in the opposite direction. Crack, my left arm was completely destroyed. The pain was secondary, and I couldn’t even use my strength.
“Miss Hwangbo?!”
“Young Master Seong. Thank you for everything so far. I will take the solar flower.”
“Why, why are you doing this? I was going to give the solar flower to Miss Hwangbo anyway…!”
“You would have demanded my body in return. I knew your intentions all along, Young Master Seong.”
“…….”
“However, that’s not the only reason. Young Master Seong is too strong among the entrants. There’s a possibility that you will become an enemy on the next floor, or the floor after that. If that time comes, I won’t be able to win… so it’s wiser to eliminate you here.”
“……Did you join hands with Oh Ji-mu from the beginning?”
“Yes. I don’t like it… but it’s a matter of our families. Please die here, Young Master Seong. Was it called the Fire Lotus Dagger? That sword doesn’t seem like an ordinary treasure, so I’ll take it. And your spatial storage as well.”
Hwangbo Ga-hye, with a blank expression, took the Fire Lotus Dagger from my hand and stabbed it into my heart, then took out my smartphone from my pouch.
“……!!”
The blade I cherished pierced my heart. It was a chilling sensation.
[Death Resistance has been activated. You will not die for the next 15 seconds.]
Hwangbo Ga-hye, who had killed me, grabbed my neck and twisted it. Crack. This was a confirmation kill. Hwangbo Ga-hye didn’t stop there and threw my body into the crashing waves of the sea outside the cliff.
‘That bitch! I was so good to her!’
