Chapter 75

The morning sun rose, and Hyuk-min’s party once again stood before the Great Buddha Temple.

“You’ve come again?”

The two monks guarding the main gate of the Great Buddha Temple scowled fiercely.

“Should we inform the head monk?”

But the monks’ tone had changed slightly.

Matching the formal speech and conduct of the gatekeeper monks, Hyuk-min gave a small nod and cupped his fist in his palm.

“We would appreciate it.”

“We will pass on the message, but he may not come out.”

The great gates of the Great Buddha Temple opened, and one of the gatekeeper monks went inside.

Just then, No Death leaned in and asked quietly.

“Their tone changed, didn’t it? Are we actually getting in this time?”

“You know Chinese too?”

“I lived in China for a while. A long time ago. To die, of course.”

At his casual mention of trying to die, Hyun-jung—who had been quiet—asked,

“Why are you trying to die? It’s great to have an ability where you can’t die.”

That was the kind of question only someone who knew nothing about No Death’s life would ask.

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later when we have time. Hey. He’s coming out.”

No sooner had No Death finished speaking than the closed gates of the Great Buddha Temple opened again, and Chang-kyung appeared with the gatekeeper monk.

Chang-kyung stood with his hands clasped behind his back, exuding a heavy presence.

“Aish, he’s damn scary.”

Seeing Chang-kyung, No Death furrowed his brow and grimaced.

Just yesterday, No Death had thought of him as just some neighborhood old man.

But after seeing him send Hyuk-min in [Regression Mode] flying, that thought had vanished completely.

“Hyuk-min, you could beat that old guy now, right? You’re a monster right now.”

“Shh.”

After hushing No Death—who was still chattering despite Chang-kyung standing right there—Hyuk-min looked at Chang-kyung and raised his voice.

“We wish to enter the Great Buddha Temple! Please, accept us!”

“…..”

Despite Hyuk-min’s plea, Chang-kyung kept his hands behind his back and looked down at the party in silence.

After sweeping his gaze over all of them, Chang-kyung spoke.

“You. The one who knows the Cloud Flow Sword Method. What is your name?”

“My name is Bang Hyuk-min.”

“Bang Hyuk-min… It seems you gained something from our match last night.”

He hadn’t intended to hide anything in the first place, but seeing Chang-kyung read it at a glance confirmed he’d come to the right place.

“It is as you’ve discerned.”

“But why do you wish to learn from me? You, who have perfectly mastered the Cloud Flow Sword Method, have nothing to gain from me but the ultimate technique—Flowing Strike. Is that what you seek?”

Hyuk-min shook his head.

Then he rose and met Chang-kyung’s eyes head-on.

“Monk Chang-kyung, I know the eyes you possess are special.”

“Special, you say? I am merely making educated guesses because I know many martial arts.”

“The eyes of a Potential Awakener.”

Chang-kyung’s eyebrow twitched.

A deep line formed between his brows.

Even so, Chang-kyung did not admit it.

The class known as a Potential Awakener was a secret among secrets, known only to Chang-kyung and those closest to him.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“What we want to learn is how to manifest what you, Chang-kyung, see through us.”

In his past life, Chang-kyung had once said this.

That when the eyes of a Potential Awakener were infused with mana, they could see something within a target.

He couldn’t directly touch it or move it, but he could find the words—or the method—to bring it out.

“That, too, I have already told you.”

“[UNLIMIT].”

At the command, the [UNLIMIT System Window] opened in midair.

A strange glint passed through Chang-kyung’s eyes.

“Hoho. You’ve already obtained it. That strange, murky energy.”

“I have not obtained it completely.”

“Great greed often brings disaster.”

“What I meant by not having obtained it is not the murky energy you have awakened. It is something else hidden within that energy.”

“Something else?”

In an instant, internal energy seeped into Chang-kyung’s eyes, making them shimmer.

Then his brows knit deeply.

“Everything you possess is strange. To think it’s Demonic Energy as red as blood.”

Until now, No Death and Hyun-jung had no idea what Chang-kyung and Hyuk-min were talking about.

But this time was different.

At the phrase “Demonic Energy as red as blood,” a single name flashed through both their minds.

The Hidden martial art Hyuk-min had said he would one day learn.

‘[Immortal Demon Art]!’

No Death and Hyun-jung glanced at each other and nodded, stunned.

It was at that moment.

Thud.

In the middle of the conversation, Hyuk-min suddenly stepped forward and dropped to both knees before Chang-kyung.

Then he shouted loudly.

“At the end of December, a great war will break out in the southern part of South Korea.”

“Did you not say that yesterday as well? I do not believe you.”

“I have a faint ability to sense the future.”

Once again, blue internal energy gathered in Chang-kyung’s eyes, making them glint.

“Thousands of innocent people will die, and hundreds of weak elderly, women, and children who could not accept defeat and failed to escape will form a sea of corpses and a river of blood.”

Twitch.

Chang-kyung’s eyebrow twitched as he stared at Hyuk-min.

This time, Hyuk-min bowed until his forehead touched the ground.

“I want to protect them. I want to protect my family, to protect the land of South Korea! I beg you! Please, draw out our abilities!”

= = =

「In my past life, a war had broken out on Korean soil.

On a cold, snowy winter night.

A sudden war that began on Ulleungdo Island.

Because of it, an incident occurred where all the residents of Ulleungdo who couldn’t escape died that day.

The sudden start of the war, the day after Christmas, came as an even greater shock to people’s hearts.」

===

“So, tell me about this future war you saw.”

Sitting on the cushion laid out for him, Hyuk-min looked around with a sense of relief.

The Great Buddha Temple.

A place where, in his past life, he had eaten, slept, and trained every day.

In the end, Chang-kyung—trusting his own eyes—had concluded that Hyuk-min’s words were the truth and allowed the party inside.

“You believe me.”

“I do not believe you. I believe my own eyes.”

Chang-kyung’s gaze slid to No Death, who was blankly looking around, and hardened.

Hyuk-min let out a snort.

“You rejected him because he’s an assassin, right?”

“As I said before, I tend to believe my eyes. There should be no one among my disciples who walks a path of blood. I cannot allow what I teach and awaken to create even more paths of blood, can I?”

“That’s so like you, Chang-kyung. Ah. My mistake.”

Chang-kyung’s brow furrowed.

But as if it didn’t matter, he fixed his eyes on Hyuk-min.

“Hurry up and tell me about that future war. Your talk of war, and that earnest heart devoid of falsehood, is what brought you here. You must take responsibility for it, must you not?”

However, Chang-kyung wasn’t the only one curious.

Noticing No Death and Hyun-jung listening as well, Chang-kyung gave a small laugh.

“Are you tight-lipped? Or do you have the talent to speak falsehoods as if they were truth?”

“That’s not all, is it?”

“Not all?”

“There’s someone among us you want to awaken, isn’t there?”

“Hmm.”

To Chang-kyung, who possessed the eyes of a Potential Awakener, No Death, Hyun-jung, and even Hyuk-min himself must all look like exceptional “materials.”

He was likely weighing whether those materials leaned toward good or evil.

‘Time will tell. Chang-kyung will see it.’

Before that, Hyuk-min needed to make one thing unmistakably clear.

“December 26th.”

At Hyuk-min naming the exact date, Chang-kyung’s movements stopped.

Then Hyuk-min pinned down the exact place.

“People will die on Ulleungdo Island, South Korea.”

“Die, you say…”

“Everyone will die.”

At the word “everyone,” Chang-kyung froze again.

“If what you say is true, we must save them. We have half a year.”

“We will learn everything here within three months and leave.”

“Is that possible? Three months is a very short time. So for the remaining three months, do you intend to try and prevent the war?”

“We can’t prevent it.”

“What do you mean you can’t prevent it? What is there that cannot be stopped when you know it’s coming?”

“That war is….”

After a brief pause, Hyuk-min looked at Chang-kyung and said quietly,

“Because it is a war created by the greed of one person, whose identity is unknown.”

= = =

At that same time.

In front of the Wind Cave on Ulleungdo Island, seven people dressed as tour guides were peering inside.

“This is really strange.”

“Right!? It’s not just me, is it?”

“It’s definitely gotten deeper.”

In an attempt to revitalize it as a tourist spot, Ulleungdo had set up a sign explaining the Wind Cave and was also selling various accessories in front of it.

Although the sign clearly stated it was a small cave and had a photo of the entire cave interior plastered on it, if you actually went inside, a cave that was by no means small stretched out before you—nothing like the photo.

“Shouldn’t we report this? Find the cause, and until it’s figured out, it’s dangerous, so shouldn’t we temporarily ban tourism?”

“By whose authority!”

A man in a suit approached the chattering guides and shouted.

Startled, the guides immediately bowed their heads.

“Oh, Manager, you’re here.”

A neat-looking man in a suit.

He was the manager of the tourism promotion department, in charge of managing the assembled guides.

As the guides forced customer-service smiles and scratched the backs of their heads, the manager strode up with an angry face and looked down at them.

“Who gave you the authority to ban tourism! And guides, of all people—who are supposed to commercialize tourism!”

“Well, it’s just that…”

“Sales are already so bad we’re on the brink, and you’re trying to ban the one tourist product people actually come to see?!”

“Manager, that’s not it…”

“Then what is it! It better be a damn good reason. If not, I’ll speak to the president right now and have you fired.”

“Ugh…”

Under the manager’s nagging, the guides went quiet as mice.

“I said speak up! Which one of you bastards started this nonsense!? If you don’t come forward now, I’ll cut off meal subsidies for everyone here for a week. Step forward. Now.”

Sensing it wouldn’t end cleanly, the guide who had spoken first pointed at the Wind Cave and spoke.

“It’s because the cave is strange.”

“The Wind Cave is?”

“Yes… well… you’ll know if you go inside yourself.”

“Oh-ho~ This had better not be nothing.”

The manager let out a huff, rolled up his sleeves, and marched into the Wind Cave.

Then he came back out.

And with an even angrier expression, he glared at the guides and shouted.

“What’s the problem! It’s a sturdy and beautiful cave!”

“It’s just that… the Wind Cave wasn’t originally this big. It’s as if someone is secretly digging it out, making it deeper and deeper, so we were worried there might be a problem…”

“Wait a minute.”

The manager, listening, raised his index finger.

“Getting deeper?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. We go through it almost every day, and it’s not just me—everyone feels like it’s getting deeper…”

“Wait… deeper… deeper? Getting deeper and deeper? Deeper… a deepening cave… the cave is getting deeper…”

Then, as if something struck him, the corners of the manager’s mouth slowly lifted.

Seeing that smile, the guides flinched.

Their manager—who had been fuming just a moment ago—was suddenly smiling.

At the sight of their psycho-like manager, the guides shrank back and exchanged uneasy looks.

It was at that moment.

“Yes! That’s it!”

Had he really snapped?

As if he’d never been angry at all, his smile bloomed.

“Manager, what…”

“The ever-lengthening cave!”

“Yes…?”

“If we pitch this to TV stations or YouTubers for advertising…?”

“Wa-wait a minute, Manager? If you let people in without knowing the cause, and what if something goes wrong—”

“Excellent! Absolutely excellent! I’m going to go see the president. Please take good care of the customers today~ You’re doing great~ Well then.”

The guides’ worried words never reached the manager.

In a sudden burst of cheer, he even patted their shoulders as he ran off like he was escaping.

“Manager! Manager!? I’m telling you it’s dangerous! At least find out the cause—”

“Let him be. That guy isn’t listening right now.”

“Shouldn’t we stop him? If there’s an accident—”

“Sigh, what can we do? We’re powerless. All we can do is pray nothing happens and that people don’t flock here. Let’s all go eat. Customers will be here soon.”

At one guide’s urging, the others hurried off to eat.

“This is not good…”

However, one guide—who had kept insisting “no” until the end—stared into the Wind Cave with growing anxiety.

More precisely, he was staring at the dried blue slime near the entrance.

“This is strange… really strange…”

He’d had a bad feeling about it for a while.

Whenever he saw that unnatural blue slime, ominous thoughts surfaced for no reason.

“Hey, Supervisor Lee! Aren’t you coming!? The car is leaving~”

“This is not good… this is really not good…”

The guide, who knew the faintly glowing blue slime was the remains of some dead bug, couldn’t bring himself to leave, even as the others called him.

“You’re not eating? We’re really leaving~”

“Aish… I don’t know anymore.”

In the end, the last remaining guide squeezed his eyes shut and chose to look away.

“What could possibly happen? I’m coming! I’ll be right down~”

And so the last guide went down.

Inside the Wind Cave, where all human presence had vanished, a strange sound began to echo once more.

Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape.

A sound as if something was gnawing away inside the cave.

A creepy sound that always appeared when no one was around.

“Let’s go~”

Tragically, unaware of what was happening inside the Wind Cave, the car engine started with a cheerful shout.

Through the wide-open window, the everyday conversation of the oblivious guides drifted out.

“I feel so drained these days for some reason.”

“That’s why I told you to take it easy with your wife. Your bones are going to wear out.”

“Hahahahaha.”

Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape.

The strange sound, and the ordinary daily conversation.

Slowly and secretly…

The seeds of war were quietly growing larger.

Without anyone knowing.