Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 209

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Episode 209

My aunt looked like she was about to cry as she wandered around the ruins, while Valerie and I went down to the underground facility separately.

“It was recently made. 100 years at most? Maybe only 20 or 30 years ago.”

Valerie said, looking around with her magic eye.

I could tell that much without having to use a magic eye.

‘How could such a facility exist?’

Thick pipes and tubes, like blood vessels, were intertwined and stretched out along the walls.

Moreover, there were unidentified amulets and charms attached in between.

‘It’s stretching towards the ceiling.’

The ceiling, that is, the ground directly above this place, held an open space where the fragment of the Bulgasari [a mythical, metal-eating creature] was sealed.

‘What crazy bastards built such a facility here?’

In the first place, Area B-1 hasn’t been around for very long.

But there are traces of human hands.

A bad feeling came over me, and I couldn’t help but click my tongue.

“Is that a gold thread?”

“That’s right. It’s already broken, though. It seems to have been used as a seal to prevent something from coming out from the inside.”

At the end of the passage, we could see the broken gold thread lying there.

“Let’s just go over it. It’s already lost its effect. It looks like something jumped out from the inside.”

“Yes, let’s go.”

I checked with my magic eye, but there was nothing dangerous in this facility anymore.

Only the remnants of a very ominous energy were floating around.

I nonchalantly stretched out my leg and stepped over the gold thread.

And…

Throb!

Suddenly, a sharp headache flashed through my head.

Dugun, dugun…….

My heart started beating fast.

I stopped without realizing it.

There was no apparent reason to feel unpleasant, but my body was reacting negatively.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, nothing…….”

Throb!

My head hurt like it was going to break.

I pressed my temples and frowned.

‘Is it the influence of the Black Knight?’

No, it’s not that.

It was closer to the feeling of suddenly remembering a forgotten memory.

Unfamiliar images repeatedly flashed through my mind and disappeared.

“Are you really okay? What’s wrong? Is it a problem with internal injuries?”

Valerie asked with worried eyes.

I waved my hand lightly.

“……It’s nothing. I’m just a little tired.”

Someday…

Have I ever been to a place like this?

A nasty sense of déjà vu flashed through my mind.

A feeling as if I were recalling something from a long, long time ago, beyond description.

“Hoo, I’m fine now.”

I exhaled, shook my head, and shook off the headache.

‘The aftermath of the battle must still be lingering.’

I should get a thorough checkup when I get back.

“You have to tell me right away if it’s hard.”

“I’m really okay. Let’s go ahead now.”

I lightly tapped both cheeks to clear my head and hurried on.

And the appearance of this underground facility came into our sight.

Both Valerie and I couldn’t close our mouths at the sight before us.

“Wh, what is this…….”

A place where gloomy darkness had settled.

There, countless test tubes were filled.

All sorts of ominous patterns were drawn in blood on the floor, and rows of test tubes lined both walls.

As I looked at the scene, certain names came to mind.

‘Six Nights…….’

Instinctively, I knew that this facility was the work of Six Nights.

Behemoth, Kabbalah, I don’t know which one.

They were the only ones who could do such a thing under this sky.

“Those mutant monsters, could it be…….”

“It seems they’ve drawn on the power of the sealed monster and done something here.”

I stared at the corpse of a monster, a mixture of dragonkin and demonkin, that was dead in the test tube.

There were still test tubes with moisture remaining.

This was the space where the mutant monsters of Area B-1 appeared.

* * *

A man was standing above a space filled with gloomy darkness.

In that space, the corpses of unknown people were everywhere.

The pale light of the wall lamps falling on the corpses filled the space with crimson light.

“As always, it’s pathetic.”

The man muttered in a cold voice.

The man was none other than Lee Tae-shin, the current head of the Soongmoo Lee family.

Lee Tae-shin was in a clean state, without a single drop of blood on his clothes.

“The cleanup of the outer Beomyeon [Outer Mask] and Baekmyeon [White Mask] is complete.”

“We have destroyed 384 spare masks, including the inner altar and magic circles.”

“Hmm.”

Behind Lee Tae-shin, several men continued to report in indifferent voices.

Beomyeon, Baekmyeon. These were the terms used when referring to Behemoth’s organizational system.

Lee Tae-shin, who was heading to the northern frontier, had infiltrated Behemoth’s cult with only ten swordsmen.

“I understand. Finish the cleanup.”

Lee Tae-shin nodded silently and turned his body.

“Keuk! Th, this cursed…… mortal…… you’re, you’re doing this again…….”

In front of Lee Tae-shin, a man wearing a mask modeled after a monster was groaning and lying on the ground.

“……Don’t open your dirty mouth. It smells.”

“Kuaaak!”

Hoo-wook! Kwajik!

As Lee Tae-shin flicked the tip of his sword, the masked man was thrown out at an incredible speed and crashed into the wall.

“It’s about time you started talking. If you’re at least one of the Four Apostles, you can’t not know.”

Lee Tae-shin walked through the space dotted with blood.

But Lee Tae-shin’s feet were never stained with blood.

The blood that touched his feet evaporated on contact.

“Khehehe! Do you think I’ll talk? Cursed being. The time is coming. You don’t know me. And you guys don’t know anything. Nothing……!”

“You’re less polite than the previous U-myeonju (Ox-Mask Master) [a high-ranking member of Behemoth].”

A tone as if he had met him before.

At Lee Tae-shin’s words, the Four Apostles burst into laughter.

“Khehehe! You pretend to know about ‘us’. You’re just a mortal!”

“How many times do you think I’ve broken that mask?”

Lee Tae-shin waved his hand as if he was amused.

Crack!

At that moment, a crack appeared on the mask in the shape of a cow that was covering the man’s face.

The man shouted urgently.

“St, stop it. Stop!”

“Last chance. Tell me. What are you plotting?”

“…….”

The masked man trembled, but did not speak.

Lee Tae-shin’s cold eyes stared at the man.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t tell me. I can just uproot you again like I did 40 years ago.”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“It is. Don’t think that your existence is of great significance to me. You are just annoying pests to me.”

At Lee Tae-shin’s cold words, the Four Apostles shrugged and laughed.

“Khehehe! Your time is coming to an end. Go ahead and feel the powerlessness like you did back then. We will continue to exist as long as humans live and breathe on this earth, but you won’t.”

“…….”

Lee Tae-shin didn’t intend to listen any further and drew his sword in the air.

Seu-gak! Tuk!

A very short cutting sound.

With that, the man’s neck was cut off and sticky blood splattered on the floor.

“Even at this moment, we are coming towards us…… you ignorant unbeliever. Another path has already been opened, and the successor from your…… will lead us to salvation…….”

Even though his neck was cut off, the man’s mouth continued to move.

“Lee Tae-shin. Blind human. Time is on our side. Khehehe!”

Lee Tae-shin turned his body with an emotionless face.

And with a wave of his hand as if chasing away a fly, the sound stopped with a ‘woojik!’

“Where are you going?”

A man wearing an old-fashioned black suit appeared next to Lee Tae-shin, who was moving his steps.

Rarely, he was carrying a long rifle on his back.

“What is the location of the nearest largest cult?”

“There is news that a new Yongmyeonju (Dragon-Mask Master) [another high-ranking member of Behemoth] has been discovered in northern Inner Mongolia.”

“The mask that the youngest one cut down.”

“That’s right.”

“Then let’s go there.”

Lee Tae-shin slowly moved his steps, but suddenly stopped and turned his body.

The head of the man who was muttering ominous curses on the floor full of blood puddles was visible.

After staring at the corpse for a while, Lee Tae-shin snorted and turned away.

* * *

In the underground laboratory, we took only the data we could collect and decided to return to the main unit for now.

The size of the facility was not very large, but it was a place with too many heterogeneous technologies, so we couldn’t do anything right away.

‘First, I need to return to the Spirit Sword Division and request support from the main family. If I can claim territorial rights, even if the main family’s warrior squad is deployed, other forces won’t be able to complain. After that, I need to conduct a full-scale investigation.’

I completed this mission, so I can claim the authority to investigate first.

The elders will object as usual, but I need to ignore them and come.

‘I need to bring at least the entire Cheolryeongdae [Iron Spirit Brigade]. It would be nice to get help from the researchers, but…… if not, I need the help of the Black Crow Association.’

I glanced at Valerie.

I had briefly told Valerie about Behemoth and Kabbalah down below.

She muttered for a while as if she was worried, then frowned and continued.

“I can’t believe there could be such a space. I can’t believe it. That, what was there was definitely lost ancient magic. I don’t know if I can find the original text.”

“Something will come out if you investigate.”

The upper part of the facility was heavily damaged due to the aftermath of the battle, but there were several data left inside.

“As promised, you must remain silent about what you saw down there.”

“Ah, I even made a magic oath. What are you so distrustful of?”

“My magic eye appeared in a research paper, right? Of course, I’m distrustful.”

“Th, that’s……!”

Valerie stammered and shouted.

“Hey, hey! That’s just a slight use of the name because of the Three Questions Festival effect, okay?”

“That’s a relief.”

“Anyway, trust me a little! I don’t intend to spread it outside either. Why would I go around telling people that such an experimental facility appeared in a newly discovered frontier area? So, what I mean is…….”

Valerie was muttering.

I stopped walking.

“Huh? Lee Cheol. What’s wrong?”

Valerie tilted her head in wonder.

“Something… Now…….”

I frowned and looked around.

The scenery of the quiet and deserted ruins as it is.

But something…

Something had changed.

“……!”

Hoo-wook! Seu-gak!

And the next moment, I almost instinctively slammed the Black Night [MC’s weapon] in my hand down.

‘Keuk!’

Kwaaaang!

With tremendous repulsive force, I felt my body being thrown backwards.

Kwagagang!

I flew helplessly through the air and crashed into a pile of stones.

“Lee Cheol!”

Valerie shouted in surprise.

And…

“Hmm, you blocked that? You’re amazing after all.”

A man crossed the ruins of the collapsed ruins and approached with slow steps.

Ossa! (goosebumps) [onomatopoeia for goosebumps]

Valerie felt goosebumps as soon as she saw the man.

“Wh, why are you here…….”

“Hmm? Who are you…… Ah! The tomboy from the Magic Tower?”

The man smiled softly and passed by Valerie.

“I don’t intend to do anything to you today, so please step back.”

At that moment, a barrage of sword energy was fired from the pile of stones in the distance.

Kwagagang!

The man lightly brushed his hand to block the sword energy and turned his head.

“Not bad. That much force at that age. You’re not normal after all.”

The man very leisurely gave an evaluation of Lee Cheol’s attack.

Hooduduk!

I brushed off the pile of stones that had poured on my body and got up.

‘Why is that guy here…….’

I knew that man very well.

No, there wouldn’t be many people in the world who didn’t know that person.

“Nice to meet you. Let me introduce myself. I’m Cheol Wi-seong, the Nine Dragons Lord.”

A First Class Warrior.

One of the strongest of this generation, comparable to my father.

Nine Dragons, Cheol Wi-seong appeared in this place.

Woo-oong!

He raised one hand straight up and smiled.

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to die by my hand today.”