Chapter 144
Chapter 144: South Korea’s First Long-Cherished Wish (3)
Whirr-.
The moment Park Je-hwang entered the tower, he looked around with an expression full of tension.
‘Ghost isn't here.’
Out of consideration for Ghost, no people had been stationed around the tower, and there were no cameras either. But there were still people watching from a distance with telephoto cameras.
However, no signal had come from any of them.
Meaning he had not yet entered the tower.
That fact left him half relieved, and the other half uneasy.
Park Je-hwang gazed at the tall walls of Poison Valley visible far in the distance.
A wall that hadn't fallen even when dozens of capable climbers attempted to conquer it simultaneously.
It was absurd to think that just two people could take it down.
"Let's wait a while."
"Yes. Murim Alliance Leader."
The two stood there in silence, staring at the wall.
Park Je-hwang asked him.
"You're with the Presidential Security Service, correct?"
"Yes. I am the Security Bureau Chief."
"Bureau Chief—doesn't that make you a Grade 2 security official?"
"That's correct. Undeservedly so."
Park Je-hwang asked again.
"Why did you stop climbing at 37th floor?"
The Security Bureau Chief answered.
"Chief Han recommended it. I had been giving it a lot of thought, but my younger sibling who was already a civil servant and my wife were strongly urging me to stop……."
"Chief Han did?"
Park Je-hwang frowned slightly.
"Yes. She told me that there's no insurance for climbers, so please quit already, and that there was a good position available for me."
"Huhu. Now that there's insurance, your wife must have been pleased."
"Absolutely. Not long ago, we even found out we're expecting our second child, a late one."
"Congratulations."
At Park Je-hwang's greeting, the Security Bureau Chief scratched his head, looking bashful.
"Thank you. But now all that's left when I get home is getting an earful."
"Why is that?"
"Going on a business trip to Paris at year's end, constantly failing to be with my family—I'm already a lacking husband. And now I've broken another promise to my wife by entering the tower."
"Ah."
"Even so, I had no choice. I have a debt to His Excellency that I must repay."
"A debt?"
The Bureau Chief has a debt to grandfather? Park Je-hwang asked again, unable to understand.
"Yes, not long ago…… I was rude to His Excellency. Fortunately, His Excellency did not reproach me, and instead gave me an opportunity like this to serve the nation further."
"I see."
"His Excellency is truly a remarkable person. My wife will understand too."
Park Je-hwang suddenly felt an emotion he couldn't quite name.
The Security Bureau Chief asked.
"What happens now?"
"As long as we don't approach, nothing changes. The gate won't open, and not so much as a rat has ever come out."
"……Is that so."
"Don't you trust me? This is already my third time entering 37th floor."
The claim of a third attempt was true, but.
In truth, Park Je-hwang himself had never approached close to Poison Valley's walls.
He had always kept his distance like this, watching as Changbai Sect warriors approached and died trying to conquer it.
"A third time, truly! How courageous!"
At the Bureau Chief's praise, Park Je-hwang said nothing.
"Aren't you afraid, Bureau Chief? It's just the two of us."
"Having two of us makes it less frightening."
Park Je-hwang tilted his head and looked at him.
The Bureau Chief answered.
"Because His Excellency sent in only the Murim Alliance Leader and myself, I figured at the very least we wouldn't be dying."
"Ah."
He was sharper than expected.
‘There's certainly a reason Chief Han specifically picked him and sent him to the Security Service.’
But.
‘He's still naive.’
Park Je-hwang smirked and stroked the armor he was wearing.
[This time is different. Put it on.]
If he had been in the Security Bureau Chief's position.
The moment he saw the President equipping his own grandson with armor like this before sending him in, he would have turned around and fled without looking back.
‘It won't be because of some emotional debt.’
If he had risked his life, he would be seeking a reward commensurate with that.
Come to think of it, wasn't the position of Deputy Director of the Security Service—Grade 1—currently vacant?
"Huhuhuh."
"Why are you laughing?"
"It's nothing."
The Security Bureau Chief asking back with an innocent face.
No feeling resembling sympathy stirred within him. In the end, a consumable piece grandfather had sent to be used.
On the off chance that grandfather had some special intention in mind, he had tried asking.
It had been nothing more than conversation to ease the tension somewhat, yet the Security Bureau Chief had given far too much information.
‘A security officer should have a tight mouth—what kind of person did he keep by his side?’
‘Could it be…… That Chief Han did it deliberately?’
Since he's a man who talks a lot, to occasionally meet an old subordinate over coffee and hear what the President is saying.
In that case.
‘He's someone who can be allowed to die. Unlike me.’
Just as Park Je-hwang turned his body and looked up at the tall walls of Poison Valley.
"Ah!"
A hazy white shape moved near the walls and—
Wandered toward the front gate and lingered there.
"Did you see that?"
"Yes!"
The Security Bureau Chief urgently called out to Park Je-hwang.
"Who could that be? It looks like someone from Poison Valley, but I've never seen it before either."
"……."
"Is it really someone from Poison Valley? It's strange. From what I've heard, Poison Valley absolutely never comes out beyond the walls."
Perhaps because of returning to climbing after a long absence.
The Security Bureau Chief's voice grew hurried, as if excited.
"Stay still."
"Shouldn't we go handle it?"
"Just shut up and stay put!"
Park Je-hwang raised his voice in a shout.
Ghost!
That phantom-like figure visible in the distance.
It had to be Ghost, the one he'd only heard about.
He wanted to approach and speak, and at the same time absolutely did not want to approach at all.
Swept up in complicated feelings, Park Je-hwang couldn't easily reach a decision.
That was when it happened.
Click.
The front gate of Poison Valley—impenetrable—opened.
"Th-that's impossible!"
And the moment Ghost stepped through the front gate.
Fwooom-.
With a tingling sensation, a message rang out.
【Murim Tower (Republic of Korea) 37th floor Conquered!】
【Outstanding Achievement (GOLD).】
【Murim Tower's 37th floor turns golden.】
【The entire world turns its attention to Korea's tower.】
It was a success.
He couldn't understand it.
How had that impenetrable gate of Poison Valley opened?
No—just what kind of person was Ghost?!
"W-we should go check."
"Stop!"
Park Je-hwang grabbed the Security Bureau Chief who was about to run over.
He had a bad feeling.
His chest was pounding, his heart hammering as if it might burst.
Like the shadow of death was draping itself over him.
"We have to run!"
Park Je-hwang decided to move according to instinct's warning.
But.
"Where to? The exit gate hasn't opened!"
"……!"
Their position was a spot with a sweeping view of the entire Poison Valley ravine.
If the gate back to the world hadn't opened outside—
There was only one place the gate could be.
"Inside Poison Valley!"
When Park Je-hwang's face went completely white.
"Waaaah-!"
From Poison Valley's open gate.
Poison Valley's masters, poison-slickened hands spread like wings, came pouring out, and there was nowhere to flee in the ravine.
* * *
"Hmm. Quite capable?"
I crossed my arms and watched the fight.
‘Transcendent Peak is certainly something. As expected…….’
Just as Kim Tae-yang's memories said.
Exceptional in both scholarship and martial arts.
On top of that.
The bold single strikes of Park Je-hwang were growing increasingly precise.
His combat forms had become magnificent, and even his continuous sequences were growing beautiful.
‘He's growing stronger through the fight. This one.’
If only his character weren't trash, I'd want to take him as a disciple and raise him. The level of his talent.
It was a heaven-sent gift.
The life Park Je-hwang had been hoarding by hiding himself away in the back—now, at the moment of an absolute life-or-death crisis.
It was blooming brilliantly.
Kim Tae-yang.
‘I understand clearly now why you thought he was cool.’
[Kim Tae-yang, staring blankly, hurriedly asks, ‘Are you just going to stand there and let Park Je-hwang keep getting stronger?’ +1 Happiness]
That's right.
"Because it's a chance to confirm that unknown martial art."
Tzrrr-.
Intuition was ringing like a bell.
Hwangbo Geom, standing behind Park Je-hwang.
The day I clash with the one called the Greatest Sword Under Heaven.
Today's observation would be of great help.
Park Je-hwang was lashing out left and right—slashing and thrusting—while deploying that particular martial art.
I carefully burned each of his techniques and combat sequences into my mind.
The Poison Valley men were faithfully carrying out my order to bring them back alive.
Had they unleashed the lethal poisons they were so proud of, Park Je-hwang would not have been able to hold out.
But Park Je-hwang had already knocked down around twenty men by himself.
The man who had come with him was also skilled, holding his own against five.
‘Not ordinary at all. But the two of them aren't working together in harmony. Which means that man isn't from Changbai Sect.’
Just as I was pondering this.
One of the Poison Valley men who had remained inside slid quietly toward me.
He appeared to be the commanding figure who guarded Poison Valley's gate.
His martial level didn't seem particularly impressive, but the poison-craft gloves fitted inside were a deep shade of green.
Must have been soaking in poison for quite a long time.
"Um."
"What is it?"
"What brings you here?"
Only now growing curious, it seemed.
The sudden appearance of the Eight Emperor of the Evil Path Alliance had thrown them into panic and they had followed my orders—but there was distrust in his eyes.
Not just this one, but all ten or so who had remained inside Poison Valley.
The White-Faced Scholar is always surrounded by beautiful women everywhere he goes—appearing alone without a single woman or attendant must have raised suspicion.
"Must I report to the likes of you one by one?"
"N-no…… That's not what I meant."
The man waved his hands in flustered denial, but clearly couldn't make sense of it no matter how he thought about it.
On top of that, his gaze kept creeping toward my waist.
He was obviously checking whether I was wearing the White-Faced Scholar's signature weapon.
‘White Blood Fan.’
If they were growing suspicious.
There was only one answer I could give.
Crack!
As I extended my hand, Telekinesis yanked the man's body through the air, and I caught him by the throat.
"Kh-keugh!"
"Insolent wretch. How dare you roll your eyes in my presence?"
"Kh-! I, I was wrong—."
Crunch-.
I twisted and snapped the commander's neck.
I let out a long, shrill laugh.
"Kki-hohothothothot!"
……That's right, isn't it?
It was the White-Faced Scholar's laugh as I remembered it.
I glanced over and saw the Poison Valley men shrink back all at once.
Ugh, my throat hurts.
Why does that white-faced one laugh in such a strange way.
My sub-mission was already complete.
There was no longer any need to keep the Poison Valley men alive.
I looked around.
"Tedious."
"Eek!"
The Poison Valley men reacted with horror.
Because they knew the White-Faced Scholar delighted in seeing blood.
"Bring all of them here."
"W-we receive your command!"
Everyone swarmed forward, and—
A short while later.
The limp forms of Park Je-hwang and the man were dragged before me and tossed down.
Both unconscious.
The two blood-soaked figures were in terrible shape.
Park Je-hwang in particular had taken it especially bad, likely because the Poison Valley men had built-up grievances against him.
And seeing that the blood vessels in his face had turned violet—he appeared to be poisoned.
Because Park Je-hwang was so formidable, they'd been forced to resort to poison in the end.
[Kim Tae-yang says, ‘Looking at that face, he seems like he'll sleep well tonight’ +5,000,000 Happiness]
The Poison Valley warriors who returned numbered twenty in total.
"Slashing down thirty—I should praise you. Park Je-hwang."
When I spoke while looking at them, the Poison Valley men reacted with visible surprise.
"D-do the Eight Emperor know this person?"
Of course I do.
……He even shows up in my dreams.
The Poison Valley men began speaking over one another.
"Strange fellows indeed!"
"They were saying things we absolutely could not understand!"
"Their clothes are utterly bizarre too. They don't seem like people from Gangho."
One of them even rummaged through the unconscious man's waist, pulled out an Artificial Dantian, and held it out to me.
"Look at this too! They had this peculiar thing strapped to their abdomen, and it's as sinister as it gets. Their fighting methods were vicious beyond all words—."
"Wretched as you all are."
"……What?"
Tztztzt!
I activated the Heavenly Poison Blood Divine Art.
Boom-boom-boom!
The poison vials hanging at the Poison Valley men's waists all shattered at once, and the poison energy surged toward me.
"Ei-Eight Emperor!"
"You people who dissect living captives and drain their blood drop by drop! Who squeeze living bodies in a press just to get a fistful of blood—that is what you are!"
The poisons they were so proud of coiled around them like serpents.
In an instant it was as though all color had drained from the world.
"Krraaaagh-!"
The men, screaming in absolute terror, couldn't even take a few steps before—
Thud- Thud.
They collapsed dead to the ground.
The ones farther away moved their feet swiftly—but the moment my silhouette blurred, crash-crash-crash!
Like a thunderbolt, my striking fist exploded, and five grown men were shattered to dust in an instant.
I had never intended to let them live in the first place.
Where else would I find such excellent provisions?
I gathered the poison-craft gloves from the fallen men into a pile, and absorbed all of the poison energy from the shattered vials.
[The Great Law of Reversal is applied. Poison becomes medicine.]
[The concentrated poison energy transforms and greatly increases internal energy.]
Feeling my energy center fill to the brim, I looked down at Park Je-hwang.
Now then, Kim Tae-yang.
What shall I do with him?
[Kim Tae-yang curls the corners of his mouth up long and wide. +5,000,000 Happiness]