Chapter 635
‘Ding.’
[Wraith of Mount Aino] has appeared!
The Wraith of Mount Aino.
A name and presence I had never heard of or seen before.
But before I could even process the new system alert, the gigantic black tiger—labeled by the system as the Wraith of Mount Aino—unleashed a thunderous roar.
‘KRAAAAAAAHH!’
The roar tore through the darkness, shaking the entire mountain. The air rippled like water, and grass and branches shattered around us.
This wasn’t just the howl of a beast.
It was something far more primal—an instinctive force that stirred the deepest corners of fear within the heart. It even reached into the soul.
And I, more than anyone in this world, understood this power.
‘Fear.’
I recognized it the moment our eyes met—those eerie, pale blue eyes.
This enormous black tiger was no mere beast. It couldn’t be defined by that word.
And I knew exactly why this feeling wasn’t unfamiliar.
Because months ago in Hubei, I had encountered a creature just like it.
‘The Water Dragon.’
The lord of Dongting Lake, driven mad and berserk by Dark Heaven, transformed into a monster that surpassed the realm of myth.
From this towering black tiger, I sensed the same energy as that dragon.
And I wasn’t the only one.
‘Grrr…?’
Though it would be considered a divine beast by normal standards, the white tiger couldn’t withstand the immense fear.
It whimpered like a frightened pup.
But unlike the trembling white tiger, someone else took a bold step forward—without hesitation.
“Is this your doing?!”
‘Boom!’
The Beast Miao King launched forward with a roar filled with rage.
In the blink of an eye, he crossed dozens of feet and shot toward the black tiger.
His fist, clenched tightly, burst with radiant energy.
‘Fwoooosh!’
A devastating wave of destructive energy spiraled around his punch, tearing through everything in its path.
And at the end of that punch—
‘Whoosh…’
There was nothing but empty air.
“!”
It dodged.
It had evaded a blow from a transcendent expert ranked among the Ten Kings.
All in the blink of an eye.
Moving like smoke in the darkness, the black tiger easily avoided the attack and swept a paw the size of a boulder.
‘Shhhk—’
Incredibly fast.
Brutally powerful.
‘BOOM! Crackkk!’
The shockwave exploded, sweeping across the area.
The Beast Miao King, unable to withstand the sheer force, was knocked back.
“What the—!”
But he had no time to be shocked.
A starving beast facing prey does not hesitate.
‘KRAAAAAHH!’
The black tiger roared once more, shaking all of Mount Aino.
Maybe in a world where gates and monsters were commonplace, this would be normal.
But not in this one.
The warriors of this Murim world weren’t used to “fear.”
Especially not when it was something so far beyond comprehension.
“Kh!”
Just a brief hesitation.
But in high-level battles, even the smallest gap can mean life or death.
Even if your opponent is a beast, the rule doesn’t change.
‘Shhiiing!’
As the black tiger’s claws slashed the air like hooked blades—
A spear left my hand, slicing through the air like a flash of light.
‘Screeeech!’
‘BOOM!’
The sky cracked with sound. The air around us trembled violently.
Aura versus aura.
Force versus force.
And in that brief exchange—the victor was me.
‘CRASH!’
The black tiger, struck by my spear, was hurled back into the forest, vanishing into the darkness.
Dozens of giant trees shook and toppled in the distance.
Birds that had been silently watching all this from their perches took flight, and leaves and branches rained down like a storm.
‘Thud. Crackle.’
This was the perfect time to go after it.
But just as I tried to chase, I had to stop almost immediately.
‘Why… why can’t I sense it?’
There was no trace. No aura. No sound. Nothing.
Only shattered debris and a broken spear lay in its wake—no footprints, no blood.
‘It escaped my sensing range? That fast?’
While I was scanning the area, the Beast Miao King ran up with a mix of rage and shame on his face.
“Where did it go?”
“I think it got away. I can’t find it.”
“…Damn it. What a disgrace.”
“I understand. I mean it.”
Even Moon Kyung and Jeok Cheon-Gang had faltered when faced with the Water Dragon’s fear.
The Beast Miao King was undeniably powerful, but even he wasn’t at their level.
If anything, the fact that he recovered from it so quickly was impressive.
Maybe it was because he’d grown up in the Southern Region, where poisonous beasts and monsters were a part of life.
But the important thing right now…
“That thing is still alive. And judging by the lack of blood, it doesn’t even seem injured.”
The Beast Miao King nodded grimly.
“I thought so. Right before it hit, it bit the spearhead. That spear was infused with aura. I’ve lived in the Southern Region all my life, but I’ve never seen a creature like that.”
“I think you’re wrong.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I meant your last statement.”
Before he could reply, I spoke calmly.
“You may not have seen one. But I’m sure you’ve heard of it.”
Though we couldn’t sense it now, there was no telling when the beast might return.
The Beast Miao King instinctively stood back-to-back with me, alert.
“You mean…”
“I think you already know the answer. Something similar happened in Hubei.”
“…That serpent? The one from the report?”
He muttered under his breath.
“I remember reading it in the letter from the Murim Alliance. But honestly, I thought it was just a fairy tale.”
“Seriously? You’re the Beast Palace Lord of the Southern Region, and you don’t believe it? Even your own son rides a white tiger.”
“Yeah, well, he rides a tiger—not a mythical serpent.”
“…Fair point.”
Hard to argue with that.
Even if it was from the Murim Alliance, it ‘did’ sound like something out of legend.
While I was at a loss for words, the Beast Miao King suddenly asked,
“Then… was that thing we saw connected to the Southern Demon Empress?”
“I’m not sure. But I’d say it’s very likely.”
There were too many suspicious elements.
That Mount Aino—once the Five Venoms’ home—suddenly erupted after a hundred years of silence.
That this black tiger resembled the Water Dragon.
It was too much to ignore.
‘The Wraith of Mount Aino.’
What ‘was’ its true identity?
Even aside from the corpses around us, there were still 200 warriors and their beasts unaccounted for.
As I swept my gaze across the area—
‘Grrr…’
The white tiger, having finally shaken off its fear, suddenly crouched low and raised its tail.
Realizing what that meant, the Beast Miao King and I whipped our heads around.
Off in the distance, the shadows stirred again.
‘That…!’
We had been too distracted talking.
But tigers have much sharper senses than humans—especially at night.
Which meant…
‘Its nose picks up what I can’t sense with aura detection.’
Realizing this, the two of us kicked off the ground in unison.
—
During the chase, I understood exactly why people call tigers the lords of the mountain.
‘Damn it… that bastard.’
I bit my tongue as I glared at the black blur darting through the fog.
No matter how far we ran through twisted mountain paths—
no matter how many fog-shrouded peaks we scaled—
we couldn’t catch up.
It had overwhelming strength, endless stamina, and unbelievable agility.
Even the white tiger, hailed as a sacred beast, was falling behind.
No—he was starting to get nervous.
‘Can’t blame him. This isn’t a normal tiger.’
The term ‘Mountain Lord’ not only refers to a tiger—but also to a mountain spirit.
But this thing wasn’t a spirit.
It was a ‘wraith’.
No—perhaps something even worse…
an ‘evil spirit’.
And when I saw what it had done along the way, that belief only grew stronger.
“You bastard…!”
The Beast Miao King’s furious voice shook like molten lava.
Where his eyes landed, bodies were strewn across the path—limbs dangling, twisted.
Dark valleys and cliffs, once pristine, now stained black with venom.
The corpses of Southern warriors lay scattered like trail markers.
The air stank of blood and poison.
“To think you dared do something like this!”
Fury exploded from the Beast Miao King’s entire body like a hurricane.
More than ever before, he was enraged.
His movements became more and more reckless.
“You bastard!”
‘CRACK! SCREECH!’
With explosive force, he lunged toward the black tiger again.
But this was the Wraith of Mount Aino.
In a straight fight, maybe.
But in terms of raw speed and physical prowess—no chance.
‘Pop!’
Just as I expected.
It widened the distance instead, vanishing into a deep, dark ravine.
Its eyes said it all—“Come find me, if you dare.”
‘What the hell is this?’
I finally slowed my steps and looked around.
The area was overgrown with ancient trees and vines, the air hot and thick with mist and poison.
I didn’t know the exact location, but it was clear.
We’d reached the heart of Mount Aino.
‘This… doesn’t feel right.’
Really, it didn’t.
Still, while I stopped, the Beast Miao King charged into the ravine without the slightest hesitation.
“Lord Yal! Wait—!”
‘CRACK!’
Too late.
And even if I had said something sooner, he wouldn’t have listened.
Anger sharpens the mind—
But too much of it dulls it instead.
“Damn it…”
I muttered, looking at the white tiger.
It was pacing nervously, tail twitching, staring at the ravine.
When our eyes met, it shook its head like a human.
“That means it’s dangerous, huh?”
‘Grrr…’
“Damn, you’re smart. First time we’ve agreed on something. But this time… I don’t have a choice.”
‘Grrr…?’
“You don’t have to follow me. Turn back here. If you see your master or anyone else—tell them we’re in here.”
You’re smart enough for that.
I knew you’d understand.
Just like Yal Mok did before, I gently stroked the white tiger’s forehead and turned toward the ravine.
I walked forward.
With not an ounce of fear.
With absolute resolve.
‘Will I make it back alive?’