Chapter 154
Chapter 154: The Secret of the Murim Tower
[Entering the 40th Floor of the Murim Tower (Republic of Korea).]
Upon breaking into the 40th floor, everything around me was pitch black.
‘Just like I'd heard—nothing visible at all.’
According to the materials received from President Park Jae-yeol—
The report on the 40th floor was simple.
'Darkness. No signs of life whatsoever.'
I strained my eyes, but it was as though the space before me had been painted over with ink—nothing was visible.
I groped around with my hands and confirmed only that the medicine chest I'd brought was still there.
‘Originally, every 10 floors you'd be sent somewhere completely random, but…’
This place was more random than any of them.
‘Not a single sound either.’
The American climbers would have simply waited it out and gone back—but not me.
‘There must be a way to conquer this floor.’
The Silver Key obtained after conquering the 20th floor last time.
If I conquer this 40th floor as well, I'll be given the Jade Key.
Since I'd gotten considerable use out of the Silver Key, the Jade Key shouldn't be any less valuable.
‘Let me walk around a bit.’
Whoosh—.
I attached the Yama's Life-Chasing Threads to the medicine chest and slowly moved forward.
I walked for quite a while, yet found nothing.
I traced concentric circles around the medicine chest and carefully swept the area—
But just as the report stated, there was no reaction whatsoever.
‘How can this be.’
The 40th floor—even sound seemed to have been swallowed whole.
If even my own voice were gone, it would feel as though my very existence was vanishing too, and a suffocating weight pressed down on me.
‘Is this a matter of finding something hidden?’
Like Wunbo Trading House?
There is nothing visible to the eye, nothing tangible to the hand, nothing underfoot.
In that case—
Thud.
I crossed my legs and circulated my internal energy.
‘The spiritual energy is faint too. This doesn't feel like an ordinary tower floor.’
A strange chill at the back of my neck, a tingling in my hands and feet.
Flash—!
I scattered my energy sense in every direction.
After a long while of remaining still—
—■■.
‘...!’
A faint flowing energy sense reached me.
I immediately focused on that energy sense.
The extreme latter half of Transcendent Peak.
The internal energy that had begun touching the edge of the natural order seized hold of that energy sense.
—How many souls have you gathered ■?
A transmission of voice!
It was a faint, garbled transmission of voice mixed with murky energy.
One would barely catch it properly without concentrating all five senses to the fullest.
—About ■■ ten thousand remain■.
—Still far too little.
—It's because you used so much. You burned through nearly all of it building that barrier ■■ outside, didn't you.
—A spiritual body? More like a spiritual vessel, I'd say.
—You'd call those vermin outside a spiritual vessel?
—Don't be so dismissive. It was one of those vermin who told us about 'Africa'.
—And that's why you sent a revelation containing the profundity of martial arts?
—It was a trifling thing. Some scraps from the Lofty Tomb Sect and a slapdash set of martial arts I made for amusement.
—That's a strange thing to say given how much soul energy you spent on it!
—Because that one is different from the other vermin.
—Sounds like you're raising a disciple.
—There is talent, certainly. Passion too. Already at the extreme of Transcendent Peak.
—Already? I thought you only sent a heap of spirit medicines—seems you grabbed them by the collar and crammed enlightenment into them as well.
—Why the surprise. You yourself have been reaching your hand out to the outside world, haven't you.
—Those are my little birds. I listened to their chirping and found the next barrier to break.
—I'm rooting for you. So you wouldn't mind lending a bit more strength to my spiritual vessel as well.
—I won't romanize a nickname.
—Before, you also sent people outside! They all ■■■■ and there were no results.
—■■ alone is not enough. I intend to send someone at the extreme of Transcendent Peak.
—Who?
—How about the disciple of the one who still wanders in Oblivion?
—The Eight Commanders... If that one awakens, it will likely come to great blows.
—The early bird catches ■■ first.
—The Eight Commanders number 8. Which ■■?
—First... The pale-faced one.
—Is that not excessive?
—■■ never spared himself—poured everything out without regard for his own life. We must do the same.
—There will be a rain of blood outside the barrier.
Heh heh heh—.
An unpleasant laugh rang out.
—By the way, when do you plan to catch this little rat?
—Now.
—Who's there?!
[■■ ■■ turns their gaze upon you. −1 Happiness]
* * *
[Kim Tae-yang shouts loudly. +1 Happiness]
[Get up!]
[Snap out of it!]
[Open your eyes, Poison Demon!]
Haah, haah.
The moment I opened my eyes, I shot upright and reached for the sword at my waist first.
No.
I tried to.
Ro-dam, which I had tied at my waist, was nowhere to be seen.
"...!"
Urk.
My energy and blood surged in reverse and I vomited up a fistful of blood.
Dark crimson clots of blood.
Even though my eyes were open, everything before them was distant and hazy.
‘Where is this?’
[Kim Tae-yang says, 'It's the Poison Herb Field'. +1 Happiness]
‘Was it you who woke me?’
No answer came. It was quiet, as though asleep.
I surveyed my surroundings.
The medicine chest I had secured was beside me, and around it rolled the medicine chests and poison vial urns I'd gathered from Poison Valley.
The medicine chest I'd brought with me appeared intact, but the one made at Poison Valley was half shattered—
And some things were nowhere to be seen, seemingly lost within the tower.
On top of that, what I'd stored in the Endless Storage Pouch had vanished as well.
All of it.
I had placed the ingredients for the Seven Steps Soul-Severing Powder—obtained as a floor conquest reward—inside that Endless Storage Pouch.
‘...Damn it all.’
Looking at the long drag mark on the floor where I'd been lying—
It seemed I had been flung out from the Murim Tower entrance and lost consciousness as well.
The damp cloth that had been on my forehead tumbled down to my knee.
Omar was watching me, his face full of worry.
‘Have you come to your senses?’
I patted myself down. Arms, legs, fingers and toes—all intact.
My energy center was hollow, as though someone had emptied it entirely.
I closed my eyes briefly and circulated my energy, and it gradually began to fill again.
Good.
The protective energy I had unleashed in that moment of life and death.
Thanks to it, I had barely managed to escape.
‘Reaching that realm was what mattered most…’
Had I not attained the extreme latter half of Transcendent Peak, I might well have died.
'Who's there!'
That ferocious mass of energy carried within that transmission of voice.
A single wave of energy sense had nearly killed me.
The violent and horrific internal force still sent chills down my spine.
Those two...
‘The Murim Alliance Leader and the Heavenly Demon!’
And both of them having ascended to the absolute master realm of Transcendent Realm at that.
‘They were only at the Spiritual Realm back then…’
Just as the tower changed me, perhaps it changed them too.
‘The Murim Alliance Leader's eye that I plucked out, the Heavenly Demon's arm that I severed—both grew back, they said."
Damn it.
Even in my past life, I could barely cut them down.
In this life, it's become even harder.
‘And the Evil Path Alliance Leader was apparently trapped in that Oblivion or whatever it was.’
Most shocking of all, however—
'−1 Happiness.'
Happiness Points had been deducted.
...For the first time.
Urk—.
Blood surged up again.
I staggered to my feet and asked Omar,
"Is there water?"
Omar brought water. I rinsed my mouth once and spat it out, then drank again—my head cleared somewhat.
‘What I gained is great, but what I lost is great too.’
For one—my sworn mortal enemies.
I had learned the situation and objectives of the Murim Alliance Leader and the Heavenly Demon.
On top of that, I'd been attacked by them and nearly died—yet somehow,
After vomiting up that dark crimson blood clot, my energy and blood circulation feels smooth.
Only about 10% recovered, but it feels as though all the stagnant energy inside me was expelled by their attack.
The thought crossed my mind that I'd been too greedy—but.
‘How could I not be greedy with those two involved?’
I had no regrets. Only a few things left me wanting.
The shattered medicine chest, the lost Endless Storage Pouch, and Ro-dam—thinking of them left my heart in turmoil.
Iron Instrument God's Sword.
‘So it has left me after all, as one unworthy of it…’
Just then, Omar asked me,
"Um, sir. What should we do about the item over there in that tree?"
"Hm?"
"A sinister energy was emanating from your bag, so I haven't dared touch it for days."
I turned my head to look—at the top of a large tree growing in the Poison Herb Field, 'Ro-dam' was lodged there.
And hanging from it—the Endless Storage Pouch I thought I'd lost.
Ha!
‘Even when I try to let it go, even when it's lost—in the end, it returns to me.’
With a gift attached at that.
The words of Iron Instrument God's son came to mind.
[They say that even a sword carries a soul within it.]
‘Is that so.’
At this rate, Ro-dam is speaking to me.
'Take me.'
I pulled out the lodged sword.
The cool sensation wrapping around my hand.
Only then did I notice that the breeze sweeping past my sweat-drenched body felt refreshing.
‘Iron Instrument God.’
‘Are you permitting me now?’
‘...Thank you.’
A strangely moving moment—
Wait!
"Days?"
"The sword and bag suddenly flew in and lodged there a week ago."
"...!"
"You, sir, suddenly appeared just now with a loud crash along with those medicine chests."
A week ago?
[As promised, I will use 300,000 souls to warp the time of 1 barrier location.]
In an instant a chill settled in my chest, and I stepped out of the Poison Herb Field and searched for articles on my smartphone.
The world was in chaos.
[Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—Tower Collapse!]
[Remaining Time Vanishes Without Warning!]
[Tower Vicinity Government-Uncontrollable Zones—Cartel-Occupied Areas Suffer Catastrophic Damage!]