Chapter 268

Chapter 268

Raise...

Entranced, Seol reached his hand out to the door.

However...

All he did was flail his arms. He failed to get any closer.

‘Damn it... Even though I can see it, I can’t get any closer to it!’

No matter how much Seol swung his arms, the door remained out of reach.

‘I finally managed to see it, why can’t I reach it?!’

All Seol had to do was open that door to see everyone again.

Even though those on the other side were waiting for him to open the door.

“Kang Seol!” shouted Chi Woo, wildly. “Dodgeeee!”

Snapping back to his senses, Seol quickly arched backward, forming a bridge with his body.

Fwooosh!

The stone statue’s club completely whiffed Seol.

Fssss...

And instantaneously, the Void Door began to go away.

Did he rush himself due to his desire to open the Void Door? Seol had no choice but to refocus on the present.

‘I have to deal with the trial first.’

Seol resolved not to let something as absurd as being knocked out by a stone statue due to a distraction happen.

“There are more stone statues!” shouted Seol. “Focus your senses!”

“More statues? No wonder!”

Seol confirmed Chi Woo and Hye Myeong’s suspicions. They quickly leaped to his side.

Fwoosh...

Baam!

Fwooooosh...

[Chi Woo used Gust Sweep.]

[For a short while, elemental damage is transformed into physical damage.]

Chi Woo wrapped his arms with fierce winds.

Baaaaaaaaam!

Like a gunshot, Chi Woo slammed his palms onto the stone statue’s chest, imprinting his handprint onto it.

Cruuuush!

The stone statue began to crumble from Chi Woo’s attacks.

“I still can’t see it! So leave me to take care of the stone statues!”

“Got it!”

[Hye Myeong used Miscommunication.]

[For a short while, all attacks cause a shove effect.]

Fwirl!

Hye Myeong quickly spun his staff, striking the stone statues.

Bam!

Bam, bam, bam!

Hye Myeong pushed back the stone statues trying to surround them, and Chi Woo finished them off.

Cruuuush!

Meanwhile, Seol slowly brought down the number of invisible stone monkey statues.

Craaaash!

Baaaam!

“I feel like I’m going insane. Even though I can’t see them, I can hear them...”

“I’m getting the hang of it, though. I think I’ll be able to see them soon.”

“Y-Yeah, me too!”

- Chi Woo is 100% lying.

- Chi Woo’s definitely lying LMFAO

However, something unexpected happened.

Rumble, rumble...

The rubble from the broken statues began to gather and reassemble, returning them to their original forms.

‘This can’t be it then...’

Seol got the sense that they wouldn’t be able to clear the trial by just destroying the invisible monkey statues.

After all...

Rumble, rumble...

The monkey statues he worked so hard to destroy were also reassembled.

“Damn it, their numbers aren’t going down at all!”

“What the... monkeys? Why are there so many of them?”

It seemed that Hye Myeong could see them now as well, and he was also surprised by their numbers.

‘There are more than when we first started. Why? And why are they all monkeys...?’

Glance...

Seol recalled the eerie decorations he had seen when he first arrived in the room.

He looked up at the chains hanging from the ceiling.

Countless monkey statues hung from the chains. While they were indeed horrifying, Seol discovered a more important truth.

Among them was a particularly unique-looking statue.

The moment Seol saw it, he realized it was the true key to this trial.

‘A golden monkey!’

The golden monkey was being protected by the stone monkeys hanging from the chains.

Fwoooosh!

Crush!

“Krgh... Is there no way to clear this trial?” Chi Woo asked, struggling to defend against all the attacks.

“The ceiling!” shouted Seol. “The ceiling!”

Hearing that, Hye Myeong immediately looked up.

“I see it too.”

“Me too,” said Chi Woo. “This time, for real.”

Baaaam!

Cruuuush!

Chi Woo then crushed a monkey statue’s head as if to prove his words.

While they were all now capable of seeing the monkey statues, that did not improve the situation at all.

During the hesitation, the monkey statues had completely surrounded them.

“We’re going to the ceiling. At once.”

Clench...

Chi Woo grit his teeth as he gathered the wind.

Fwoooooosh...

His body then began to glow gold.

[Chi Woo used Whirlwind Kick.]

[There is a high chance that the target will be knocked over if the attack is successful.]

[Create a gust of rising wind.]

Fwoooosh!

Chi Woo began to spin, but the attack landed on no one.

However, it wasn’t as if he used this skill to strike anyone.

Fwooooosh...

A large gust of wind formed with him at the center.

Chi Woo then stopped before shouting, “Now!”

Immediately, Seol and Hye Myeong leaped toward his hands, placing their weight on them.

“Ahhhhh!”

[Chi Woo used Link: Ascending Dragon.]

[A storm based on elemental damage strikes all enemies within a certain radius.]

Fwooooosh!

Seol and Hye Myeong were both sent flying.

While it seemed like they were about to reach the ceiling quickly, an issue occurred.

“I recover quickly,” responded Seol.

“Hahaha! I guess we’re alike in that way.”

The two then shared stories by the fire.

After clearing the second trial, they walked up the stairs through the ceiling.

But there was nothing there. Absolutely nothing.

Due to the strangely long tunnel, Seol’s party was forced into a march.

And with that, it felt like their second day in the ruin had finally come to an end.

Only now, after arriving at the safe zone right before the next trial, were they finally allowed a break.

While Seol Hong was somewhat fine despite not having slept for two days, it had been practically hell for Mi Ah.

Seol, Hye Myeong, and Chi Woo were warriors.

Seol Hong had received some training and managed relatively well, but Mi Ah, still a young child, had come down with a fever and ached all over.

That was why they had taken a break—so Mi Ah could rest and recover, at least somewhat.

However, Seol and Hye Myeong stayed vigilant and awake. They recognized that the situation could change at a moment’s notice.

“Haah...” Hye Myeong sighed, watching the fire.

“...Sounds like you have something on your mind,” said Seol.

“Stop trying to read my mind like that. Watala’s powers aren’t meant to—”

“No, you just let out a long sigh,” Seol interrupted.

“...My bad.”

Hye Myeong then turned around to see Mi Ah sleeping.

‘It must be that worry,’ thought Seol.

It was an option that never ceased to come up while Seol controlled Hye Myeong.

A problem Seol eventually had to address, as it continued to arise after meeting Mi Ah.

“Could you listen to what I have to say?” asked Hye Myeong.

“...Of course.”

“It’s about Mi Ah. Well, I guess it’s about me?”

“I think you mentioned it before.”

Despite knowing what was gnawing at Hye Myeong, Seol feigned ignorance.

“It’s different from that. Have I ever mentioned Mi Ah’s powers to you before?”

“...No. You only told us she had been kicked out of her tribe.”

Hye Myeong stiffened his expression before continuing.

“Mi Ah’s drawings are dangerous.”

“......”

“They have the power to change the past. Leaves you at a loss for words, doesn’t it?”

“I see why the Soul Eyes Tribe kicked her out. Her powers are too strong for even her tribe to protect her.”

“Yeah, it’s just that dangerous.”

Hye Myeong seemed like he lacked energy, as if he wasn’t sure of what to do.

“To Mi Ah, drawings are everything. She says that she has the most fun when drawing, that she was glad to have been born... haha...”

His face then began to contort.

“I... don’t want Mi Ah to draw ever again.”

“......”

“I even went against my precepts to kill everyone who knew where she was. But... I...”

“You plan to leave, right?”

“...Yes. One day, I will have to leave her.”

And he would.

Hye Myeong was incapable of protecting Mi Ah forever. The younger Seol also believed this was the right decision.

Hye Myeong was destined to leave Mi Ah someday.

‘But that decision... might have been wrong.’

In the present, Seol had reunited with the Mi Ah, who had been left alone. After Hye Myeong’s departure, she had given up drawing and was clearly struggling with something.

This was the future that Hye Myeong—no, he—had given Mi Ah.

‘We’re alike.’

In some ways, Seol and Hye Myeong were in the same situation.

Hye Myeong would leave Mi Ah, and Seol would leave Seol Hong. There would come a time when they would both have to make an important decision.

“If Mi Ah no longer draws... the world will be safe,” said Seol.

“...Yeah.”

“But at the same time... her own world will be destroyed.”

Seol spoke as if he knew what would happen, causing Hye Myeong to quickly face him.

“Why... are you saying that as if you know?”

“That’s...”

Would giving this advice to Hye Myeong now be able to change his decision in the past?

Seol wasn’t sure either.

If Hye Myeong had been a piece who followed Seol’s commands exactly, this would have been a waste of time. However, he was never a piece that moved according to Seol's orders.

‘He was stubborn.’

Hye Myeong shook his head, as if he was snapping out of something.

“Well, I guess that just makes sense at a second thought. Tha—”

Hye Myeong wasn’t allowed to finish those words.

Seol cut him off.

“Oh my god... Quickly, we have to wake everyone up...”

“...What?” asked Hye Myeong. “What are you saying all of a sudden...”

Crackle, crackle...

Seol trembled as he got to his feet.

The immense ghost energy he sensed from afar woke up his senses.

‘Shade... How?!’

There should have been at least another day before the doors to the ruin opened.

‘Don’t tell me...? Did he just force the doors open?’

Seol only had more questions with each second that passed.

Judging by how he didn’t sense any other ghost energy, there was a good chance that it was only Shade who made it through those doors.

‘Damn it...’

Seol then looked at the direction of the energy.

“He... forced his way through the doors,” said Seol.

“He...?” asked Hye Myeong, shocked. “Is that the thing that chased...”

“...Yes.”

“How?! We should have had another day! Did he force his way in...? Is that even possible?”

Seol then turned his gaze once more, toward the direction of the Luminous Bell.

Acquiring the Luminous Bell was no longer Seol’s main concern. His primary focus had shifted to escaping the ruin alive.

Too many things had changed.

Time only served to trap them ever further.

Rumble, rumble...

The ruin began shaking as if Shade were breaking down the doors.

Suddenly, Seol’s vision shifted.

He found himself surrounded by darkness, as if a large curtain had been drawn over him.

He looked down and saw the darkness creeping up to his ankles.

Thud...

Thud...

Thud...

The large door began to shake, as if legendary monsters were charging at it, trying to break free.

Seol then heard a voice from beyond the door.

- I see that your hesitant personality hasn’t changed at all.

“You...”

- Do you need me to break it down again?

He then heard an eerie laugh coming from behind the door.

Rumble, rumble, rumble...

The laughter caused the door to shake violently.