Chapter 249

Crunch!

Gang Si-chan, who had turned his back on Park Chan-woo and Chiwoo, ground his teeth.

‘It should have been a simple matter.’

When he descended the mountain, he had been brimming with confidence.

Managing someone like Anton.

It was his duty to ensure the secrets hidden within the Mystic Tower didn’t leak—or to stop them if they did.

It should have been as easy as breathing.

But everything was unfolding in the exact opposite direction of what he expected.

‘The Black Dragon Prison. A prison capable of confining even a dragon, as its name suggests. A hell where only the most grievously offending demon heads are carefully selected and imprisoned.’

The Tower’s secret had leaked, and Anton had disappeared.

The problem was where Anton had been held.

From within the Black Dragon Prison, said to be a prison for black dragons, Anton had vanished without a trace.

Without leaving even a single clue behind.

Who did it, when he disappeared, why Anton was taken… he couldn’t ascertain anything.

‘Even for me, entering the Black Dragon Prison and abducting Anton is impossible.’

He had mobilized everything and investigated again and again, yet not a single speck of dust turned up.

Something like this couldn’t happen unless someone possessed a stealth technique that had reached Ultimate Mastery.

…Who could it be?

Who could have mastered such a stealth technique?

Was there someone like that on this mountain?

‘A secret weapon hidden by another family?’

That was possible.

Just as the Undead Sect used a Demon Lord to create a Jiangshi, other families were also secretly accumulating some kind of power.

After all, a pervasive tension hung over the Hall of all Gods.

All the families were implicitly hiding daggers in their hearts, glaring at one another.

They had never been on good terms to begin with, but now it had reached an extreme.

The reason was singular.

‘…It has already been 50 years since Godslayer Taebaek disappeared.’

It had already been 50 years since Godslayer Taebaek entered the mountain’s deepest recesses under the pretext of secluded training and never emerged.

With the mountain’s master absent for half a century, the Nine Families began to entertain other thoughts.

The thought of sitting in that empty seat themselves.

It would have been unimaginable before.

Godslayer Taebaek.

The power of that Absolute Being was so complete that even if an entire family rushed him, they could do nothing.

But over the past 50 years, the Nine Families had rapidly grown in power.

A mountain without a master.

If they could overwhelm the other families, they could surely become the master.

‘One should not feed the prey…’

That was why.

He had to proceed with as little commotion as possible, so as not to become a target.

If they gave other families a pretext and became the focus of concentrated fire, even the mighty Undead Sect wouldn’t have the means to endure it.

‘At least that bastard has the research journal, so Anton alone won’t be enough.’

To target the Undead Sect, they would need both Anton and the research journal.

But Park Chan-woo had the journal.

A swindler-like bastard who demanded two [Great Revival Pills] just to keep quiet about the journal.

…Come to think of it, there was a curious coincidence.

Hadn’t Anton disappeared the day after meeting Park Chan-woo?

Could it really be a coincidence?

‘No matter how much he has the Hidden Realm backing him, it’s impossible.’

Gang Si-chan shook his head inwardly.

The Black Dragon Prison wasn’t something the Hidden Realm could handle.

Moreover, there was no one in the Hidden Realm who had mastered a stealth technique at the level of Ultimate Mastery.

With the martial arts of those lowly bastards, reaching Ultimate Mastery was absolutely impossible.

However…

‘Park Chan-woo, Chiwoo…’

The level of their martial prowess was considerable.

Especially Chiwoo’s background was beyond imagination.

Even though Arisa had testified to their origins—

“Il-ho, I-ho.”

“Give us your command, Young Master.”

Two masters emerged from the shadows.

Among the subordinates Gang Si-chan commanded, they were the most reliable.

The kind who would jump off a thousand-foot cliff if he ordered it.

Above all, they handled tasks without fail.

“Il-ho, go down to the Hidden Realm immediately and find out about those two.”

“I receive your command.”

“I-ho, find the Librarian of the Hall of all Gods and ascertain everything related to the name ‘Chiwoo.’”

“Yes.”

Whoosh!

The two vanished into the darkness at once.

It was impossible that the family’s investigation into the Hidden Realm had been thorough.

He had no choice but to dig into the deeper layers himself.

Moreover—

‘Chiwoo. It’s a name that feels familiar.’

He was sure he had heard it before.

So long ago that he couldn’t even remember from whom.

The Librarian of the Hall of all Gods, who knew everything about the mountain, might know that name.

“And Sam-ho.”

“Yes!”

A large man revealed himself.

Sam-ho.

Unlike Il-ho or I-ho, he was a master who assisted Gang Si-chan at his side.

As such, his martial prowess alone was on a different level.

“You, keep watch and guard Park Chan-woo and Chiwoo. Make sure other families don’t try anything.”

“Understood.”

As Sam-ho left, Gang Si-chan let out a sigh.

Gang Si-chan, the mighty, had been reduced to playing babysitter.

Other families probably wouldn’t act openly, but the family that took Anton might make a move against those two.

‘I must retrieve the journal as quietly as possible. And I must find out which bastards abducted Anton.’

But Park Chan-woo didn’t look like someone who would hand over the journal easily.

What did he want?

A guy who demanded a [Great Revival Pill] just to ‘keep a secret.’

‘I’ll have to enter the Ten Thousand Treasure Vault.’

He clicked his tongue and shook his head.

That place was full of things more useful than a [Great Revival Pill].

Though the thought of having to ask the master of the Ten Thousand Treasure Vault left a bad taste in his mouth.

Crack!

He clenched his fist tightly.

‘…My patience isn’t that great, so don’t test it.’

===

After three days, a significant change swept across the mountainside as well.

“I hear the Undead Sect is pulling out all the stops to recruit those two?”

“Arisa from the Hidden Realm visits them daily too, they say.”

“Other families are the same.”

A recruitment war had erupted over Park Chan-woo and Chiwoo.

It began with Gang Si-chan’s visit.

When the Young Master of the Undead Sect showed his face openly day after day, rumors were bound to spread.

“But aren’t they just from the Hidden Realm?”

“If they were just ordinary Arahan from the Hidden Realm, would Gang Si-chan personally move?”

“Maybe reaching the 150th floor wasn’t just luck?”

“Whatever it is, there’s clearly something we don’t know.”

“I heard the Undead Sect even gifted a [Great Revival Pill] to recruit them?”

“Crazy. They gave a [Great Revival Pill]?”

The Arahan’s attention converged.

The value of the two skyrocketed.

Especially at the mention of ‘gifting a [Great Revival Pill],’ everyone couldn’t hide their shock.

‘He said to keep quiet about the journal, but there was no clause about keeping quiet about receiving the [Great Revival Pill].’

Of course, that rumor was deliberately spread by Park Chan-woo.

He had asked Arisa to let it leak little by little.

Thanks to that, Park Chan-woo became an instant star on the mountainside.

It became an established fact that to recruit him, one had to bring a treasure at least on par with a [Great Revival Pill].

‘This should be enough preparation.’

Park Chan-woo smiled faintly.

Raising their ‘value’ had gone far enough.

By thoroughly using Gang Si-chan, they drew more attention than expected.

Now it was time to move.

“What business brings you to our Sanctuary…?”

The Sanctuary of Sound.

When they arrived at the place where strange melodies drifted through the air, Arahan blocked the entrance.

Chiwoo stepped forward and spoke.

“We wish to look around the Sanctuary.”

“…! Please wait a moment.”

One Arahan hurriedly left his post.

Soon, another Arahan appeared at a run.

“Oh oh, aren’t you the heroes and stalwarts of the mountainside! Are you interested in our Sanctuary?”

A man appeared with an instrument on his back.

He asked with shining eyes.

This place had originally been hostile toward the Hidden Realm and the Sanctum of the Sword.

But by now, Park Chan-woo and Chiwoo’s value had made people forget their origins.

Rather, recruiting them was a perfect chance to prove superiority over the Undead Sect.

“Our successor wishes to study here for a while.”

“Ah! If that’s the case, you’re welcome anytime. Please come in. I’ll guide you!”

The man readily agreed and led them inside.

It didn’t take long to see why it was called a ‘Sanctuary.’

‘A rock?’

At the center was a single massive rock, and melodies flowed from it.

The man spoke with pride.

“That rock is the Chalice of Sound. Only those who have received our permission—those qualified—can take a test before the Chalice of Sound.”

“That’s the Chalice…?”

Chiwoo tilted his head.

A simple rock being called a chalice.

But that wasn’t the only reason.

‘That is not a chalice.’

He was certain.

Park Chan-woo felt the same.

Because—

‘Black star.’

That was a Creation Abyss that had fallen from a perished world.

‘It’s an entrance leading to the Creation Abyss of a perished world.’

And it was an entrance that only those who met the conditions could enter.

That ‘condition’ was likely the permission of those who possessed this rock.

‘Similar to the Fox Den.’

Park Chan-woo nodded.

“May I take the test of the Chalice?”

“…That will be difficult, but.”

“If I fail, both of us will join this Sanctuary of Sound.”

“…!!”

The man’s eyes widened.

It meant that if Park Chan-woo failed, they could recruit Park Chan-woo and Chiwoo for free.

All they had to do was let him take the challenge.

Without needing to offer gifts like a [Great Revival Pill].

After a moment’s thought, the man nodded.

In truth, there was nothing to deliberate.

Without an explanation, the test was extremely difficult to pass.

“…Alright. I hope you keep that promise.”

===

The next day.

I-ho, who had gone to find the Librarian, returned and reported to Gang Si-chan.

It was about asking the Librarian of the Hall of all Gods about ‘Chiwoo.’

Hearing it, Gang Si-chan frowned.

“No access permission? Me?”

It meant permission was required even to inquire about the name Chiwoo itself.

But Gang Si-chan was the Young Master of the Undead Sect, one of the Nine Families.

If even he lacked access permission, then who had it?

‘Chiwoo… he’s definitely someone with something.’

His curiosity only deepened.

And at that moment—

Arisa was receiving a similar shock.

“Heavenly Demon… you’re saying he is an Absolute Being surpassing Godslayer Taebaek, Father?”