Chapter 317
"Fortunately, you understand the nickname 'Meteor King' easily."
"Are you really the Meteor King?"
"To be precise, it would be correct to say that I am a fragment of the consciousness left by the Meteor King, not the Meteor King himself. My body has long since rotted away, and my soul has also been shattered into pieces, with this being the only fragment that barely remains..."
To be honest, I'm still confused as to whether this situation is actually happening.
I am someone who has just been tormented by the illusion of my senior brothers dying and Mok Hwashin appearing.
So I can't be sure if the old man in front of me is an illusion, or a ghost as he claims.
Although I don't know which of the two I should hope for.
"Huhu... I'm a little different from the Fear Illusion Formation. It's a real event, so there's no need to look at me with such suspicious eyes."
"Fear Illusion Formation... you mentioned that just now. You said it was the Fear Illusion Formation."
"The Fear Illusion Formation is a formation that breaks a person's spirit by using two things from their memories. One is the most terrifying situation from the past, and the other is the worst-case scenario that I can imagine for the future."
"The past and the future..."
The moment I heard that story, I felt like I understood why I had seen such an illusion earlier.
The most frightening and terrifying memory I have ever experienced is, of course, the result of my last battle in my past life, the battle with Mok Hwashin.
Because I lost my life in that battle.
To be more precise, it's not that it was a terrifying memory because I died then.
Rather, it was the words that Mok Hwashin said as he was dying.
The Demonic Cult's world has already been completed, and the Demonic Cult's leader has already taken over the Central Plains.
Those words themselves were so terrifying.
Because at the same time as all the things I had done until then were denied, I felt a sense of despair that I could not change the future with my death.
'And... I think I care about my senior brothers more than I thought.'
To think that I considered the death of my senior brothers as my worst-case scenario.
During the few years I spent in the Wudang Sect, I have grown very fond of my senior brothers.
Although I have no siblings in my past life or this one... I feel that if I had siblings, it would be like this.
"The disadvantage of the Fear Illusion Formation is that it cannot create something new that you don't know. Have you ever seen me in your life?"
"No."
"So I am not an illusion created by the Fear Illusion Formation."
"I see. I'll believe you. You're not an illusion, you're a ghost."
"Ha! A ghost?"
Although the spirit of the Meteor King seemed to be dumbfounded, he didn't seem to be in a bad mood.
Perhaps it's because, even if it's just a fragment of a soul, it's been a really long time since he's had a conversation with a person like this.
"But... I didn't mean to peek at your memories, but... to be honest, there's a part I don't quite understand."
"That's understandable."
"What on earth is your identity?"
"I am Unhwi of the Wudang Sect."
"No. Not your superficial identity. Your real identity."
Although it's a situation where it's hard to understand why a ghost is asking me for my identity, I still thought about it seriously.
What on earth is my identity?
In fact, I have never thought so seriously about my identity until now.
I have rarely thought about why I was reborn in this body.
I have always been like that.
Rather than trying to understand why something happened, I first do what I can in the current situation.
I grasp what I can do now and immerse myself in it.
That was the way I had lived until now.
"My real identity is... still Unhwi of the Wudang Sect. It doesn't matter what happened in the past, or who I was in the past. The me of now thinks about what actions can save the martial world... and just does them."
"You... have you seen the destruction of the martial world once?"
I, after contemplating for a moment how to answer, nodded my head vigorously.
"Yes. I am living my second life."
This is the very first time I have said this with my own mouth.
Even though the other person is not a person but a fragment of consciousness, I even felt a strange sense of liberation.
"To think that such a thing could happen!"
"Actually, if you think about it that way, isn't it also ridiculous that you, the great hero Meteor King, are having a conversation with me like this?"
"Well. That's true."
The Meteor King, as if he were surprisingly easily convinced, chuckled and agreed with my words.
"But, great hero Meteor King."
"What is it?"
"First, I will ask you one thing. Where are my senior brothers now? Are they safe? I'm curious if I was the only one who fell into that thing called the Fear Illusion Formation, or if my senior brothers also fell in with me."
"What if you all fell in together?"
"I have to save my senior brothers. This formation called the Fear Illusion Formation... because I was in a special situation, I was able to easily realize that this was not real but an illusion. If I hadn't realized that, my heart would have been broken, or I would have lost my reason in anger and wandered around this place, and I might have been seriously hurt by a trap or another formation."
"That's right. That would have happened. In the first place, it's a formation designed to make it that way."
"So. Did my senior brothers also fall into the Fear Illusion Formation?"
"They did."
"Then can't you send me quickly? Is this, by any chance, also a kind of test? If so..."
U-u-ung—
The Red Dragon Sword, into which I had momentarily poured my energy, trembles.
I said in a solemn voice, "I have no choice but to break through and go to save my senior brothers."
"......"
He, after staring at me, opened his mouth slightly and spoke.
"Do you not trust your senior brothers that much?"
"Yes?"
"You don't even think that they might have overcome the Fear Illusion Formation by joining forces."
"Ah. That's not it..."
"It's not that. You only see your senior brothers as beings that you have to take care of. As weak beings that you have to save when danger arises."
I couldn't answer.
To be honest, what he was saying was true.
It's the Fear Illusion Formation that even I, for a moment, couldn't distinguish between reality and illusion and my mind was shaken.
I was thinking that my senior brothers would naturally not be able to get out.
"Your senior brothers' mental strength is more outstanding than you think. Don't worry too much."
"What you're saying is...?"
"It might be because the four of them were together... but your senior brothers have already escaped from the Fear Illusion Formation. In fact, they were faster than you."
"Is that really true?"
"Why would I lie about something like that?"
"That's... a relief!"
I have a feeling that it might have been me who didn't trust my senior brothers.
Although I already know well how strong my senior brothers have become, and I even thought they were reliable, when a situation like this arose, I was only thinking that I had to save them again.
"Ah... but to be honest, you have already helped them get out of the Fear Illusion Formation."
"Me? I haven't done anything here."
"Hut..."
The Meteor King, with a deep smile, let out a laugh and continued, "The most terrifying memory from your senior brothers' past was when you were educating them. And the most terrifying situation in the future is your death. When those two things try to happen at the same time, a conflict is bound to arise. So they were able to get rid of the Fear Illusion Formation faster than expected. Just like you, the Fear Illusion Formation disappears when you realize that it is an illusion."
"No... how scary could I have been..."
I thought about the past for a moment... and a thought flashed through my mind that my senior brothers could have been terrified.
But come to think of it, isn't it because I pushed them like this at that time that they were able to easily get out of the Fear Illusion Formation? Although it wasn't intentional, I decided to think that it was all according to my plan.
"So, Meteor King."
"Hmm?"
"Since I've overcome the Fear Illusion Formation and met you, is the test over now? It seems there's still a long way to go to get to the end of the cave."
"That's right. That's why I appeared before you, but because of your special past, I was distracted and haven't even properly told you that story yet."
He, as if he were dumbfounded by his own thoughts, chuckled and continued, "I came out because I wanted to give you a choice."
"A choice?"
"The first is to receive the relic I give you here and go back. And the second is to go to the end of the cave as it is."
"If you give me the relic, isn't there no need to go any further?"
"Usually, people would say they want to try until the end because of their challenging spirit or something like that... you are indeed peculiar."
"Because there's no need to waste my strength. But I'm curious. First, is the relic the same as the one I can get if I go to the end of the cave? And why are you suddenly making such a suggestion?"
Then the Meteor King smiled broadly.
"You are indeed smart. Of course, there is a slight difference between the relic I give you here and the relic at the end of the cave. But it's not that big of a difference. My relic is originally two kinds. The one I can give you directly and the one I can't. The reason I can't give it to you directly is because I don't have a physical body, so I can't bring it myself."
"The one at the end of the cave must be some kind of object, right?"
"It's nothing special. Gold and a precious sword..."
"I'll go to the end!"
"What?"
He, as if he were dumbfounded that his words were cut off in the middle, looked at me with a blank eye.
"I have to go to the end! You said there's gold, right? If I receive the relic of the Meteor King here and go back, won't that gold and precious sword be buried in a deep mountain cave like this without anyone ever finding them?"
"That would be the case."
"How can I leave that behind when I know it's there? I have to take it."
"Are you serious? The Wudang Sect Taoists I know... all of them have no greed for money."
"I don't know who you've met, but these days, all the Wudang Sect Taoists like money."
For a moment, the faces of the Yeongeun Palace Lord and the Sect Leader, who would be overjoyed if I brought back a large donation from somewhere, flash through my mind.
"So I'll go to the end. If you feel so sorry, why don't you teach me how to get to the end easily?"
"Heh heh..."
He burst out laughing as if he were dumbfounded.
But I'm not joking, I'm being serious.
Because if the Meteor King doesn't guide me directly, the probability of getting hurt or dying will be significantly lower.
"And I haven't told you the second reason yet, have I? You, from the entrance, have been thoroughly destroying all the formations and traps to get here... I came out in advance because I thought you might even dismantle the formation that is holding my soul. If that happens, I won't be able to give you the real relic, will I?"
"Then are you saying that from now on, I should not dismantle the formations and go down to the end of the cave? By breaking through everything with my body?"
I said in a slightly excited voice.
I don't know about the Meteor King, but for me and my senior brothers, each and every one of these is a matter of life and death.
Of course, I don't know how amazing that relic is, but if I have to exchange my life for it, it might be better not to have it.
"Agh. Then I won't do it. I won't. Do you think I cut down hundreds of trees for this? I'd rather not do it than do something dangerous."
"W-Wait. You cut down hundreds of trees?"
"Yes. Because of the Cheonhwamok Formation or something."
"Then did you, by any chance, break through the Cheonhwamok Formation by cutting down all the trees, just like you dismantled the traps and formations in the cave?"
"Yes. Because that was the only way."
"My god...!"
He, while being a ghost himself, looked at me with a face as if he had seen a ghost, and continued, "That means that from now on, no one but you can challenge this cave again, do you know that?"
"Yes. I knew that, so I was trying to go to the end somehow. But as I said before, if it's this dangerous, I'd rather not do it."
I put my sword back into its scabbard at my waist and looked around.
With an attitude as if I would leave at any moment.
"W-Wait."
"Why are you calling me?"
"If you are the last challenger, then the story changes... I will help you. So let's go to the end."
"I don't want to. If the spirit of the Meteor King disappears while doing that, won't I just have suffered for nothing and gained nothing?"
"Then for now, receive the relic I can give you here first."
"Receive it here first? I'll think about it."
"Yes. Thank you."
He, after suddenly saying thank you, let out a deep sigh and muttered, "Haa... how did I end up in a position where I have to beg someone to accept my relic..."
I, with an innocent expression as if I knew nothing, smiled brightly at him.
He, seeing that, sighed once more.
(End of Chapter)