A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 411

411. The Black Demon

The party’s footsteps echoed through the vast corridor.

“W-where is this place?”

Hwang Bang-ju asked, looking around with an uneasy expression. The place Sun Bin and his group had entered was a massive stone structure. Like their initial impression, it resembled an ancient temple, or perhaps the interior of a grand palace. The ceiling was too high to see properly, and the vast space before them was incredibly expansive. If not for the huge stone pillars that lined the corridor at regular intervals, they wouldn’t have known they were indoors. But since they had come underground anyway, did it matter whether it was indoors or outdoors?

“Well, at least it wasn’t formed naturally.”

Hwang Bang-ju gave a wry smile at No-gun’s words. This wide corridor, made of smooth stone floors and large stone pillars, could not have formed on its own.

“What is that light?”

Hwang Bang-ju asked, looking up. Faint light filtered through large, ancient windows located high above.

“Who knows what kind of light it is.”

No-gun said gruffly. It was neither sunlight, moonlight, nor lamplight, but a dim and eerie light like twilight. It even made one wonder if the windows themselves were glowing, rather than light entering from outside.

“More importantly, stop asking so many questions. We’re all here for the first time, so why do you keep asking me?”

No-gun said, frowning. It was understandable that he was on edge, as everyone was already tense.

“Well, I thought you might know something since you have more insight than I do…”

“All I’ve done my whole life is fight. What insight would I have?”

No-gun said with a mix of annoyance.

“Living a long life just makes you realize how many awful and disgusting things there are in the world. Don’t talk about insight. Just keep an eye out for anything that might pop out.”

“Yes.”

Hwang Bang-ju, slightly subdued, made an effort to look around. But all he saw was the vast corridor and the darkness beyond. Besides, it was obvious that a master like No-gun could see farther than he could.

Thud, thud.

In the silence, the group moved forward. The sound of their footsteps echoing in the darkness felt even more eerie. Suddenly, Hwang Bang-ju spoke again.

“Speaking of things popping out…”

Hwang Bang-ju said absentmindedly.

“Could there be traps?”

Thud.

No-gun’s feet stopped. Hwang Bang-ju, who was following right behind, almost bumped into No-gun’s back. Sa Su-yeon, Dang Wol-ah, Seo-rin, and Geom-hui also stopped.

“Now that you mention it…”

No-gun frowned. He could sense movements easily enough, but mechanical traps could only be detected after they were triggered.

“No.”

Sun Bin’s gentle voice echoed. He, who had been walking at the front, turned to face the group.

“This place isn’t a maze or an underground prison that needs traps. I don’t know exactly, but…”

Sun Bin looked up at the large stone pillars. The majestic pillars soared upwards, reaching the distant ceiling. It seemed impossible that they could support their own weight, yet none of the endless rows of pillars or ancient windows were broken or collapsed. They had simply been abandoned a long time ago, in the distant past.

“Perhaps this place was used as a temple or a royal palace.”

“A temple or a royal palace?”

Sun Bin nodded at No-gun’s question.

“This place was built to openly display majesty and authority, and even to evoke a sense of holiness. Structures with such a purpose can only be religious or political.”

No-gun and Hwang Bang-ju both nodded.

“So, there probably aren’t any traps in a place like this.”

Sun Bin’s words were quite persuasive. But No-gun suddenly thought of another possibility.

“What if this is a tomb?”

The group flinched at those words. They had already felt like this place was a giant tomb.

“They create all sorts of traps to stop grave robbers, right? Touch something, and the floor opens, the ceiling collapses, or a huge stone rolls down…”

“W-well, of course, but…”

Sun Bin was momentarily flustered. Religious buildings, as he had said, certainly included the tombs of emperors and kings. And such burial chambers were bound to have numerous traps to prevent looting. The group all looked at Sun Bin with suspicion.

“Ahem.”

Sun Bin cleared his throat and continued.

“Even if that’s the case, we should be fine as long as we don’t enter the burial chamber directly. Of course, temples and royal palaces would also have defenses to repel intruders, but those wouldn’t be traps, but…”

—Kieaaaaaa.

A chilling shriek echoed. Everyone’s faces instantly hardened, and Sun Bin, who had been speaking, turned to look ahead.

“…Guardians, like the imperial guards or the royal palace’s Golden Wings. Just like that thing over there.”

“Let’s go!”

No sooner had No-gun’s words left his mouth than the group leaped into action. No-gun grabbed Sun Bin with one arm and sprinted forward, while Seo-rin grabbed Hwang Bang-ju from behind with both arms. Sa Su-yeon, Dang Wol-ah, and Geom-hui, clutching her sword, also ran forward quickly.

Whoosh, whoosh.

How far had they run with the pale-faced Hwang Bang-ju? Sun Bin and his group arrived at a wide plaza-like area. Unlike the corridor they had just passed through, this place was beautiful, with blue light sources glowing here and there. However, the group had no time to admire the magnificent sight.

“Ugh.”

No-gun groaned. In front of a large door at the far end of the plaza, a black mist, or rather, a dark wraith-like figure, was swirling. It looked like the form of a person swallowed by black mist, but the boundary was so blurred that it was impossible to properly distinguish what was human and what was mist.

—Kueooooh.

It groaned as if in pain. No-gun frowned at the sight.

“…That thing, it’s a demon.”

Although he couldn’t see the blue energy like Sun Bin, it was all too clear. The swirling black mist and the glowing red eyes were something No-gun had already seen once before. No-gun turned to Sun Bin.

Swish.

As Sun Bin nodded, No-gun’s gaze turned to Dang Wol-ah.

“Wol-ah, try hitting it.”

Before No-gun could finish speaking, Dang Wol-ah’s iron pellets cut through the air.

Pee-pee-peeng.

The iron pellets, carrying an excessively destructive force for just ‘hitting’ it, charged towards the black demon with a sharp momentum. However, the pellets passed right through the demon, as if passing through real mist.

Clang, clang, clang.

The iron pellets collided with the massive door behind the demon, causing sparks to fly. Dang Wol-ah stared at the black demon and quietly opened her hand.

Whooong.

Five iron pellets imbued with blue energy floated into the air above Dang Wol-ah’s palm.

Peeng.

The iron pellets, carrying a noticeably different momentum than before, surrounded the black demon in a gentle circle.

Woong, woong, woong.

The iron pellets made a sound as they rotated around the demon. However, the black mist-like demon simply flickered its red eyes. Dang Wol-ah’s red lips, watching with a sharp gaze from under her veil, twitched slightly.

“Ha!”

Pee-pee-peeng.

At the same moment Dang Wol-ah clenched her hand, the iron pellets immediately charged towards the black demon. As if already anticipating that they might pass through, the pellets drew small circles, constantly striking various parts of the black demon. But the black mist didn’t even waver. The iron pellets, imbued with venomous energy, failed to produce any results, their fierce momentum proving futile.

“I’ll try.”

Thud.

Sa Su-yeon said briefly and charged towards the black demon. Dang Wol-ah immediately pulled back her iron pellets.

Woo woong.

Sa Su-yeon’s gleaming Myeong-hwang sword [a sword with a legendary name], imbued with blue energy, manifested subtle and sharp ice blades around the sword’s edge.

“Tahaaa!”

Kwagwagwag.

The Myeong-hwang sword’s blade, imbued with blue energy, slashed at the black demon. However, her sword also had the same result.

Kaaang.

The aftermath of her sword collided with the door behind, creating a sharp sound. But it had no effect on the black mist demon.

—Kueooooeok.

It was still swirling in the same spot. This was completely different from how they were able to push back the black mist with internal energy in Seojang [previous location].

Thud.

Feeling a chilling sensation running down her spine, Sa Su-yeon immediately retreated. Landing lightly back in her original spot, she bit her lip. She had only confirmed that her and Dang Wol-ah’s attacks had no effect whatsoever.

“…Could it really be a ghost?”

No-gun muttered to himself. The other members of the group shuddered at those words. It was understandable, given the atmosphere of this place, that even the appearance of ghosts or vengeful spirits would be believable. Besides, hadn’t No-gun himself said earlier that this place was a ‘tomb’?

“Eh, that can’t be…”

No-gun frowned as he inadvertently turned to the side.

“…What are you guys doing?”

Sa Su-yeon, Dang Wol-ah, Seo-rin, Hwang Bang-ju, and even Geom-hui had retreated. Moreover, they seemed to be standing close to each other.

“Ah. W-well, that’s…”

Sa Su-yeon said with an awkward expression. Seo-rin finished the sentence she couldn’t bring herself to say.

“I don’t like ghosts.”

Seo-rin shivered. No-gun chuckled in disbelief.

“No, I can understand Seo-rin since she’s a child, but what about you guys…”

Seo-rin was still young, and Hwang Bang-ju had been terrified from the start. But seeing Sa Su-yeon, Dang Wol-ah, and even the expressionless Geom-hui retreating, No-gun was dumbfounded.

“…Our attacks had no effect,” Dang Wol-ah said quietly.

“So, standing back like this is the most logical response.”

No-gun was speechless at her clever yet pathetic excuse.

“Then try passing by it. Maybe you can’t affect each other.”

Dang Wol-ah didn’t say anything. Again, Seo-rin answered instead.

“Ugh. No way!”

Seo-rin shuddered, as if the mere thought was giving her goosebumps. No-gun clicked his tongue.

“Someone who has mastered the orthodox Taoist internal energy of the shaman clan is afraid of ghosts? How can a Taoist who should be chasing away evil spirits and establishing justice say such a thing?”

“I’m not scared, I just don’t like them. And I’m not a Taoist, okay? I’m going to be a Seowon teacher like hyung [an older brother or respected male figure].”

“Oh, really?”

This was something that would cause an uproar if heard by the shaman clan. Seo-rin, the martial nephew of the current head of the shaman clan and virtually unmatched in seniority in the martial world, had made a bombshell declaration. No-gun sighed deeply and turned to Sun Bin.

“Bin.”

No-gun said with a serious expression.

“It seems like you’re the one who has to do this.”

Sun Bin nodded and quietly stepped forward.

Thud, thud.

No-gun watched the scene with a grave expression, making an effort to ignore Seo-rin’s voice muttering from behind, ‘Grandpa doesn’t want to do it either.’

—Kieaaaaaa.

A chilling sound echoed. The expressions of everyone, including No-gun, twisted, but Sun Bin quietly stared at the black mist.

Woo woong.

The black demon’s swirling red eyes. What covered those eyes was fear and greed.

Kuluk, kululuk.

The black mist, which had shown no reaction to Dang Wol-ah and Sa Su-yeon’s attacks, began to swirl rapidly. As if it could no longer endure, or as if it was still hesitating, the black mist surged towards Sun Bin.

Sreung.

The moment Sun Bin drew Baekro [Sun Bin’s sword], the black mist flinched. The black mist-like demon was openly afraid of Sun Bin, to the point that No-gun frowned. Yet, the black demon did not run away or avoid him. Instead, it flickered its red eyes even more fiercely, revealing its greed for Sun Bin. The demonic dragon and Ma Eung, though they had degenerated into beasts, seemed better in comparison to this black mist-like demon.

Swish.

Sun Bin raised Baekro. The beautiful, straight blade of Baekro gleamed with blue light.

—Keuleuk, keuleuleuk, keuaaaaak.

A grating sound, as if something was boiling, rose from within the black mist. It was just a disgusting groan with no meaning, but the resentment and blatant desire contained within were all too clear.

“…Perhaps this is…”

Sun Bin said quietly. The eyes with which he looked at the black mist-like demon, writhing like a black mist, showed none of the pity he had shown towards other demons.

“The result of your choice.”

Whooook.

A blue flame-like energy surged from Sun Bin’s body. And Baekro’s blade emitted a blue light. It was neither sword energy nor the Hyeoncheon Grand Convergence Art [a martial art technique].

“So I too…”

Sun Bin said, looking directly at the black demon.

“Will do what I must.”

Swish.

There was no need to catch his breath, no reason to hesitate. Sun Bin took a step forward and slashed down with Baekro. It was at that moment.

Hwaaaak.

The black mist, as if flinching back, burst out in all directions and lunged towards Sun Bin. While avoiding the trajectory of Baekro’s slash, it tried to cover Sun Bin like a net. The demon’s red eyes, swirling with greed, charged towards Sun Bin like a storm.

“Bin!”

No-gun shouted in surprise. But at that moment, Baekro’s blade had already accurately cut the black mist in two.

Jjeong.

A heavy sound, as if something was breaking, rang out. With it, the black mist stopped completely.

Pasuk, pasuseuk.

As if charcoal was burning, a red light spread through the black mist that had stopped in mid-air. And soon, it turned white and began to collapse. The demon had been finished off with a single strike.

Thud.

Sun Bin sheathed Baekro. This mist-like demon was probably the ‘demon who had merged with the darkness of the abyss’ that Empress Saraswati had spoken of. That was why Sa Su-yeon and Dang Wol-ah’s attacks had been ineffective, but that also meant it was helpless before Sun Bin’s sword.

Whooong.

A river of blue flames began to surge towards Sun Bin. The blue energy pouring into Sun Bin from the remnants of the black mist-like demon. It was a scene already familiar to the other members of the group. But not to Sun Bin.

“What’s wrong?”

No-gun noticed the change. Just a moment ago, Sun Bin had clearly been surprised. And now, he was silent and lost in thought.

“No, it’s nothing.”

Sun Bin quietly opened his hand and looked down. The blue lights sparkling in his hand gradually faded and disappeared without a trace.

‘This is…’

Just now, Sun Bin had seen the memories of the black mist-like demon. He had thought they would be strange memories from another world, as always, but what Sun Bin saw was something completely unexpected. As Sun Bin slowly pondered the meaning of those memories, he suddenly heard Hwang Bang-ju’s voice.

“I-is it over now?”

Hwang Bang-ju was looking at Sun Bin with an uneasy expression. Before Sun Bin could answer, No-gun said as if scolding him.

“What do you mean over? The real thing is still left, isn’t it?”

Swish.

Following No-gun’s gaze, everyone looked up. The massive gray door, engraved with complex circles, was revealing its heavy form.

“Yes.”

Sun Bin quietly nodded.

“It’s time to face the Heavenly Demon and the gate to the abyss he opened.”

Sun Bin said with a resolute look. But no one noticed that a hint of confusion was passing through Sun Bin’s eyes.

(Author’s words)

Finally entering the final boss room.