Chapter 665

Drip. Drop.

The faint sound of water echoed through the silence. I sidestepped the liquid dripping from the cracked ceiling of the dungeon and looked up into the empty air.

【Turtle Escape】

You have been imprisoned in the underground dungeon of the Beast Miao Palace.
This dark, damp, and silent place mirrors your uncertain future.
However, it is too soon to abandon your life.

Time until execution: Two days.

You must escape the dungeon within the given time limit.
Whether you survive alone or together depends entirely on your choice.
Failure means only death.

But remember: if you possess strong [willpower] and even a single thread of [goodwill], a path to life will open.

Difficulty: Transcendent
Restriction: Jin Taekyung
Objective: Escape the dungeon before execution (Incomplete)
Reward: ???
Linked Quest
Failure: Death

I stared at the familiar holographic window again and again, but the final line never changed.

‘Failure equals death.’

Not the first time I’d seen those words.

Since the day I stepped into Murim, I’d been cursed with quests like this. And back then, I had been utterly devastated.

‘I really thought I’d die like a dog back then.’

Even though I’d fought countless battles as a hunter, death had always terrified me.

Not the act of dying itself—but the fear of leaving everything behind.

At least if I died in a Gate, my family would get a life insurance payout. But dying here in Murim meant leaving nothing behind.

Of course, there’s a vast gap between who I was then and who I am now.

Every crisis had injected a metaphorical dose of botox into my guts, making my nerves tougher and my body and mind stronger.

But still…

‘I’ve never been in a situation like this before.’

I’d survived countless life-or-death battles for one simple reason—there was always someone fighting beside me, and when I was alone, I was ready to fight with everything I had.

I’d survived by struggling until the end.

Clang.

At least I’d never been shackled in heavy iron restraints and had my inner energy sealed before.

“…Damn it.”

I muttered softly and closed my eyes. The text from the quest window floated vividly in the darkness.

[If you possess strong willpower and even a single thread of goodwill, a path to life will open.]

Sometimes the system would give me messages—unclear whether they were hints or nonsense.

Was this one just encouragement? Or a clue about how to escape this dungeon?

As I pondered in silence, something fell from above and splashed across the back of my hand.

Drip. Splash.

It was too sticky to be groundwater, and unpleasantly warm.

I opened my eyes but didn’t look up.

“…You crazy bastard. I told you to stop drooling.”

A slurping sound followed, then Taesan’s voice came from above.

“Sorry. Taesan hungry. Too hungry.”

“Then why the hell are you putting your mouth to the hole in the floor? Just sit still.”

“But licking helps. Tastes kinda salty.”

“…Licking what?”

“Rock. This rock tastes good.”

“Oh, for crying out loud.”

“Crying out loud? That a kind of sauce?”

This insane idiot.

I swallowed my curses. Getting angry would only waste energy. Besides, his situation wasn’t much better than mine.

No one knew how that creature was made—his meridians were too thick to block, but his internal energy was sealed, and his entire body was restrained.

Even for someone as strong as Taesan, there was no way out like this.

“Taesan hungry. Wants to leave soon.”

Hearing his pitiful whine, a thought suddenly struck me.

That this was all my fault. A faint, gnawing sense of guilt.

“…Hey, Taesan.”

“Yes, Captain?”

“Sorry.”

“Huh?”

“I said I’m sorry. Truly.”

When I looked up, his big, clear eyes peeked through the hole above.

He looked confused, not understanding.

Taesan always had a pure heart that didn’t match his size or age—like a blank sheet of paper.

I sighed.

“I should’ve judged better. I made a mistake.”

A painful mistake. A bad move in a game of Go.

I’d thrown myself into prison to fix it, but… damn it, maybe it wasn’t the right call after all.

Then Taesan, who had been watching me curiously, spoke softly.

“Taesan’s fine.”

“…Fine?”

“Yes. Taesan really fine.”

I lowered my head without replying. He probably didn’t even understand the situation we were in.

To him, the only truth was that he was hungry, and there was no food.

‘Maybe that’s better for him.’

But then, his next words stopped me cold.

“Captain doesn’t need to say sorry to Taesan.”

Startled, I looked up. Taesan’s large eyes met mine, and his voice came clearly.

“Taesan knows he’s dumb.”

“…What?”

“Since Taesan was little, people called him dumb. They hit him for fun. If Taesan hadn’t met Master… he’d still be getting hit and crying every day. Life was hard.”

His tone and demeanor were unlike his usual self. I could only listen as his calm voice continued to flow down.

“But Master was different. Even when Taesan spoke wrong, Master understood. When Taesan ate too much, Master patted his back and told him to eat slowly. So Taesan made a promise—to give his life for Master.”

“You…”

“And a while ago, Master said something. He said to trust Captain. Said Captain’s different from other orthodox people. And now Taesan knows Master was right. When the stupid Taesan was in danger, Captain saved Master instead.”

Taesan smiled faintly.

“Taesan likes Fire Dragon Pavillion. Likes little Nam Ho, annoying Hyuk Mu-jin, scary Song Ilseom, and pretty Ju Hwaran. And after Master, Taesan likes Captain the most.”

His eyes softened gently through the hole above.

“Taesan trusts Master. Master trusts Captain. So Captain should trust himself. Captain will find a way. Always has.”

I stared up at him, stunned.

It felt like getting hit over the head with a hammer.

Of all people, I never thought Taesan would say something like that.

And yet, his words were exactly what I needed most right now.

‘Yeah. The path has always been there.’

In Murim, I’ve lived a life constantly brushing against death.

Jo Pil. The Great Elder. The Roaring Sword Guest. The Blood Lord. The Western Demon Army…

Everywhere I went, danger followed. And each time, I clutched the thought of death in my heart and made a vow—

I will not die here. Never.

‘Strong willpower.’

Was that what the quest meant? Or maybe… something deeper.

‘Something that connects with willpower itself.’

And then, like a flash of lightning, a voice from months ago struck me.

‘Hah. You really opened your Middle Dantian, huh? Now you can truly wield your energy.’

That assassin in Hubei. I had asked him,

‘But I already know how to use energy. Don’t you see how much I have?’

He had only smiled faintly, shaking his head before vanishing.

“You wouldn’t understand yet,” he’d said.

But now… I think I finally do.

Why he said those words.

To him, a kid bragging about how much energy he had must’ve looked laughable.

‘Three Dantian.’

The three great energy centers of the body.

The Lower Dantian stores and releases energy, nothing more.

Until now, I hadn’t even scratched the surface of the Middle Dantian’s true essence.

But now, I understood—at least a little.

The Middle Dantian is moved not by power, but by will.

‘An unshakable, resolute will.’

It wasn’t a vessel of energy—it was the realm of realization.

A land for those who surpass power itself, stepping half a stride ahead of all others.

A sanctuary that must be reached by anyone who seeks to ascend from human to divine.

Countless warriors through history must have faced triumph or ruin on this very path.

Some crumbled like dry leaves.
Others became legends carved into the endless chronicle of martial history.

And today… I took one small step toward the giants.

Swaaa—

As my hand reached out, the air itself stirred. The hidden flow of energy within the world rippled faintly.

—

Baek Sang stopped just before entering his quarters. Someone had arrived before him—an uninvited guest.

‘This presence…’

Faint, but familiar.

He recognized it instantly—and perhaps the visitor had wanted that.

“You may all leave.”

The guards who were about to open the door hesitated. The half-grey captain, who had served him for thirty years, spoke up.

“My lord, still—”

“That’s enough. Just guard the perimeter.”

At his cold tone, the captain exchanged a look with his men before retreating to secure the area.

Baek Sang watched them go, then gripped the door handle and pushed it open.

Creak—

The night outside was dark, but the room inside was brightly lit.

It was large yet sparsely furnished—befitting the residence of a grand chieftain. And within it, one person awaited him.

“You’re late. Where have you been?”

Baek Sang replied calmly.

“You already know, don’t you, Palace Lord?”

The Beast Miao King’s lips curved into a faint, bitter smile.