novelraw Chapter 123 : Chapter 123
Chapter 123 : Chapter 123
Chapter 123: Master of the Mountain (1)
There is a saying that pain that does not kill me makes me stronger.
I pray that saying is true. Because I pride myself on having suffered more than anyone else.
Soon, new pain will rush into this body already filled with pain.
‘……Still, it’s amazing.’
Before my eyes, the body of the Guardian Colossus in the shape of a wooden gargoyle was splitting in half.
The massive body being cut away along a straight line carved precisely in the center.
Deep inside that gap, in the spot where the Guardian Colossus’s core used to be, black flames flickered roughly.
Flames rising intensely with a roar, as if condensed energy had exploded.
It was an unrealistic sight.
Both the process of the body splitting and the flames rising from within that deep fissure.
It didn't feel real that this was something I had done.
When I suddenly looked down at the sword, the sharp blade flashed.
And at the same time, a single word filled my mind.
‘Settlement.’
Thoughts stopped.
The Guardian Colossus guarding the Altar of the Sanctuary split in half and died.
To cut something of that level in the game, one had to be already a hardcore player.
What if it's reality?
Tremendous strength, talent, and training are required.
A realm possible only after years, or decades of training if one lacks talent.
But that event was just realized by my sword.
The problem is that this power I use is not wholly mine.
A price had to be paid.
DING-!
[‘Settlement’ begins.]
Silence wrapped the surroundings.
And within the silence, a sound reminiscent of television static was heard.
That roughly crackling sound was vibrating inside my eardrums, or perhaps even deeper.
‘Wait.’
Pain rushed in like a wave.
Tremors that started twitching below the spine soon spread to the entire body.
Breath was blocked. Cold chill and burning heat surged simultaneously from the solar plexus.
It felt like boiling lava and ultra-low temperature liquid nitrogen were being poured onto the body consecutively.
Nerves all over the body screamed in different languages.
DRIP-
Blood flowed onto the floor.
‘…….’
Thoughts were erased.
Overwhelming pain where even complaints didn't come out.
Vision blurred red and focus scattered.
Heart beat violently and blood gushed up from the mouth.
It’s bursting.
Internal organs and bones, muscles and skin.
The sensation that all of it was being crushed from inside and about to burst.
I tightly gripped the Moonlight Stone kept in my embrace.
Hoping somehow the pain would subside even a little.
But it was useless.
Unceasing pressure crushed the body without a shred of mercy.
Inhaling caused burning pain, and exhaling froze the nose with terrible chill.
The moment it stopped, intense vibration shook the heart.
“Cough!”
Red liquid drenched the floor fully.
My head was dizzy.
‘At this rate, I’ll die.’
It seems such a realization passed by for an instant.
Strictly speaking, it was closer to unconscious judgment.
Not long after, my body slowly hardened solidly.
Skin hardened, rough texture rose on the surface, and heavy weight settled between joints.
[Mimicking ‘Rock’.]
[Body Transformation: 100%]
Shouldn't shed any more blood than this.
It was a manifestation of such unconscious judgment.
Because mimicking a rock made at least hemostasis possible.
Just like how I barely overcame the restroom crisis before.
[Natural State: Entrust oneself to the natural flow to maintain a detached and indifferent state.]
The passive of the rock was overlaid.
Instantly, the mind calmed down quietly.
But not everything was resolved.
‘……The pain is still the same.’
Originally, stones have no sensation.
Complete mimicry meant a state where pain sensation literally disappears.
But even so, I was still feeling the settlement pain.
As if this pain operates on a dimension beyond the simple physical body.
It was persistent, to the point of being dirty.
‘Beyond terrible, it’s malicious, damn it.’
Still, thanks to mimicry, I saw a definite effect.
At least I became able to think.
Just until a moment ago, my thinking was completely stopped as if my mind had snapped.
At least now I could hold onto my consciousness.
‘Like this…… I’ll really die.’
Is it even possible that pure ‘pain’ can burst blood vessels?
It’s not like I was actually hit or actually burned.
Does it make sense for the body to become like this just from pain?
Since I remained a stone and couldn't shift my gaze, I couldn't see the Mimic.
I wanted to argue properly for once.
Cut it out. Shouldn’t there be a line drawn?
Of course, it would be meaningless since he’s a guy who wouldn't listen even with the back of his ear.
Probably floating around lost in his own world even now.
With his tongue sticking out grotesquely as always.
‘More than that, what to do now is…… Ugh, the problem.’
The feeling of heated awls stabbing various parts of the body continued, but.
Suppressing the pain as much as possible, I reviewed the situation.
First, the original goal was achieved.
I obtained the Moonlight Stone.
With just this, worries regarding surviving and becoming stronger in the future can be greatly alleviated.
On top of that, I dealt with the Guardian Colossus guarding the altar. Soon the door of this altar will open.
If that happens, other guardian entities will flock in.
It’s natural since I caused this chaos.
Plus, I even killed the Guardian Colossus.
In the end, the question is how to slip through them and throw my body into the portal.
It was just when such worry was about to begin.
‘Wait.’
I suddenly felt that the scenery unfolding before my eyes was strange.
A subtle heterogeneity permeated the space.
The identity of the heterogeneity was soon captured.
A ‘line’ was engraved inside.
Long and deep from the ceiling, riding down the wall to the floor.
‘This trajectory is…….’
It was familiar. Soon I realized the identity of the line.
It was the line I saw when unleashing Heavenly Demon’s Night Slash.
But what’s still questionable is…….
‘Did I draw it this big?’
CRACK-
A small rupture sound rang from the floor.
A minute crack spread along the line.
The crack drawn with a snap subtly widened.
‘Huh?’
RUMBLE-
Then a heavier resonance echoed deep underground.
Tremors like precursors to an earthquake shook my body simultaneously.
CREAK-!
Soon after, the wall twisted and the ceiling distorted.
What is happening?
The question was brief.
Soon even the leisure to harbor questions disappeared.
SLICE-!
The space itself began to be cut away.
The Altar of the Sanctuary, the wall of this building was cut cleanly like paper.
As if it had been divided from the start, in an instant.
‘Wait a minute, this…….’
The altar itself was cut.
By me. With this sword.
Does it make sense?
Is this possible?
Arguing was meaningless.
Because it was reality that had already happened before my eyes.
RUMBLE-
The building divided in half tilted to both sides.
My body mimicking a rock also slid according to that tilt and soon embedded itself into one wall.
‘Ack!’
A part of the stone fragment fell off.
The right knee was slightly grazed and the big toe side was slightly broken; surely I won’t sustain injuries when returning to original state like this?
The ordeal didn’t stop there.
Beyond simply tilting, I was falling down along with the half-destroyed building.
‘Damn it.’
[Releasing ‘Mimicry’.]
Let’s release it for now.
Because I don't know what will happen if I fall like this and break as a stone.
“Cough!”
Blood surged back up violently, shaking my throat.
Bleeding that had stopped burst out all at once from here and there.
Plus, the right knee and toe broken in rock state were converted into ‘wounds’ as soon as they returned to human flesh.
A part of the right toe had disappeared as if sliced off entirely.
‘To think there would be such side effects.’
Amidst dizzying pain, the thought that it was fortunate I wasn’t shattered to pieces passed by.
THUD-!
A moment later, a massive impact rang from below.
The shock spread like a landslide along the floor.
My body bounced forward while tilted, and over there the corpse of the Guardian Colossus also heaved and rolled once.
Riding that shock, black flames soared up again.
What happened came into view quickly. Because as the building was cut away, the outside scenery was clearly revealed.
The cut-away building piece fell just like that and got caught on one of the lower branches of the Sacred Tree.
Thanks to that, complete freefall was avoided.
‘Phew, I lived.’
The feeling that came first was relief.
Whatever the case, literally survived for now.
But there was another problem.
As soon as I took a step, strength drained from my whole body and I fell just like that.
‘Ah.’
Yaksha Style twice in a row, truly terrible.
Maybe I can roll somehow.
Just when I was about to go outside using the slope.
WHOOSH-
Wind rose.
The point where that flow started was not far from me.
That location where the corpse of the Guardian Colossus lay.
To be precise, it was the place where ‘Black Flames of Flame Annihilation Night Light’ were burning fiercely.
Black flames were burning even the corpse of the Guardian Colossus and growing their momentum furiously.
‘Wait.’
In the midst of that, I suddenly looked around again.
The place I am in now is the half-destroyed altar building.
As the building collapsed and broke, the outside was clearly revealed.
The surroundings were full of trees.
Because this place called Sanctuary itself was a space made of stone and trees.
There is a giant central tree ‘Sacred Tree’ in the center, and numerous giant trees soar around it.
And the place where the Altar of the Sanctuary is located is exactly the central tree, the Sacred Tree.
In other words, the tree visible right from above the half-destroyed building was exactly the Sacred Tree.
The reason I suddenly say this is simple.
Black flames growing in size by burning the corpse of the Guardian Colossus as fuel.
Near that fire, the Sacred Tree was right in front.
Towards the Sacred Tree, black flames were spreading slowly but surely.
If the flames spread straight like this?
‘The Sacred Tree… will burn.’
Shock swept down my spine.
The most important existence in this Sanctuary, engulfed in flames?
Soon that guess became reality just like that and unfolded before my eyes.
Black flames crawled up riding the tree trunk.
Slowly and creepily like a living snake.
WHEEEE-!
Whistling sounds were heard from everywhere.
Soon guardians revealed themselves.
Guys appearing as if riding down tree trunks and wall surfaces.
They approached the central tree without paying any attention to me.
SWISH-!
Guardians swung wooden spears.
Some guys poured out blue light from their bodies as if vomiting magic power.
Struggle to suppress and extinguish the black flames.
But it was useless.
FLARE!
Black flames didn't subside at all.
Rather, they raged even more fiercely and swallowed the guardians.
‘No. Block it……. Block it!’
I was sincerely cheering for the guardians.
Please hold on.
I intended to steal the Moonlight Stone and bounce, I really had no intention of damaging this Sanctuary.
But the flames didn't stop.
Black flames that gained momentum once swallowed guardians and grew their bulk even more.
‘Damn it.’
The original plan was simple.
Come quietly and leave quietly.
But that plan missed completely.
I cut the Altar of the Sanctuary in half and even committed arson on the central tree.
At this level, the ‘Master of the Mountain’ would have already noticed.
‘If I say I didn't intend this, would it work?’
Would it work? Damn it.
It was when I couldn't even grasp how to act.
WHEEEEEE-!
Guardians gathered around stopped their movements in unison.
Quiet whistling sounds like cutting wind flowed out from between the flames.
WHEE- WHEEEE-
WHEEEEEEE-
Ringing like an echo, harmonies built up.
It even sounded beautiful like a choir’s chorus.
Then all sounds ceased.
Bodies of guardians melted in unison.
Like ice melting in moonlight, softly.
‘……Don’t tell me.’
Within the heat of the flames, the sky split open.
BOOOOM!
Pure white beams of light poured towards the earth like lightning.
Intense and thick radiance as if squeezed moonlight was contained in a single beam.
Within that light, it revealed itself.
With the stature of a guardian looking down on all life under the sky like a king on a snowy mountain.
Master of the Mountain, White Deer.
The magnificent figure landed tall above the Sanctuary.