novelraw Chapter 124 : Chapter 124
Chapter 124 : Chapter 124
Chapter 124: Master of the Mountain (2)
There are beings in this world about whom instinct warns first.
Absolute transcendent beings that engrave the difference in rank down to the bone the moment you face them.
The one who appeared before my eyes right now was such a being.
Master of the Mountain, White Deer.
It was a form as if molded from moonlight.
The antlers exuding a strange radiance were like transparent crystals.
Over the perfectly pure white fur that was blindingly bright, bluish-white pupils sparkled.
Chill spreading around its body was swirling like thin frost.
Cold intimidation was felt starting from my ankles.
‘……The pressure.’
I swallowed my breath without realizing.
Instinct, sharpened to the limit, sent warnings.
Cold sweat slowly trickled down my spine, and my skin tightened tautly.
My knees bent on their own and my head lowered diagonally.
As if I had to.
The White Deer moved its steps slowly.
The direction it headed was the Sacred Tree.
That point where the black flames of Flame Annihilation Night Light were spreading fiercely.
Black flames were squirming greedily along the wood grain and trunk.
Before that, the White Deer raised its head.
At the moment the frost surrounding the White Deer thickened.
HOOO-
He blew his breath towards the Sacred Tree.
The flames went out smoothly.
The spreading black flames evaporated in an instant without even resistance.
Only black traces cast over the surface of the Sacred Tree proved the flames that burned until just before, and even that was being covered by frost and erased.
‘…….’
I let out a small breath.
Because I could say the worst was avoided for now.
What if the flames had spread further?
What if the base of the Sacred Tree had been severely damaged before the Master of the Mountain appeared?
Furthermore, what if the entire Sanctuary had collapsed?
Cold sweat trickled down just thinking about it.
If that happened, it would have been literally over.
But the fact that I avoided the worst doesn't solve everything.
Just what had already happened was a huge accident.
Slowly, the White Deer turned its body.
Its gaze turned towards me.
No emotion could be read from that appearance.
Even though the Eye of Deception was looking straight at the White Deer, nothing came up.
‘I’d feel at ease if something showed up at least.’
It seemed impossible to read the mind of a transcendent being even with the Eye of Deception.
It was when the anxious feeling was growing its bulk.
Something started to ring from within me.
[What an interesting child.]
A mysterious voice.
Strictly speaking, it couldn't be called a sound.
It was different from normal speech.
A chilly vibration that seemed to be imprinted directly onto the soul instead of passing through the air.
The voice rang inside my head, or perhaps somewhere deeper.
[Originally, it is an energy that should have vanished without a trace with just one breath of mine.]
The White Deer’s bluish-white pupils sparkled bizarrely.
‘Damn it.’
Emotions are still unreadable.
Yet just by standing facing him, my breath was suppressed and my bones felt numb.
Is saying I'm interesting a positive signal?
I don’t know.
Can the fact that he spoke to me be interpreted favorably?
I don’t know that either.
In the meantime, his words spread once again.
[Feeble, but its origin is a flame that burns even gods. Intriguing.]
‘What?’
Flame that burns even gods?
The black flames of Flame Annihilation Night Light?
Nonsense.
I don't remember seeing such lore even in the game.
In the first place, the keyword ‘god’ was virtually never used.
There was never a case where it was openly stated to work on gods.
But the being spitting out those words right now is none other than the White Deer.
A transcendent being close to divinity was speaking directly.
[Human child. Where did you steal this power from?]
Immense pressure tightened my breath.
The White Deer took a step.
Every time a footprint was made, the surrounding air seemed to crack thinly.
Cold and white frost rose around the White Deer’s hooves.
That thin frost extended straight and finally touched me.
‘Ugh.’
Frozen from the feet up.
Frost climbed up my body just like that and covered up to my fingertips and crown in an instant.
My body, stiffened upright before I knew it, faced the White Deer.
‘I can’t move…….’
A situation where there is absolutely nothing I can do.
On top of the settlement pain crushing my body and mind, the White Deer’s overwhelming authority was overlaid as is.
The world seems to ask, what are you doing not dying quickly?
‘If it becomes like this, I can’t even make excuses. Damn it. At least listen to me.’
My mouth was stuck fast and wouldn't open.
Meaningless groans of ugh rose from my throat. Without leaking outside.
The White Deer didn't stop walking.
Frost cast over the path he passed, and ice flowers bloomed quietly.
It was dreamlike and beautiful as if the winter scenery of Baengnokdam was moved here, but.
To me right now, all of it looked only horrifying.
Because my body looked like it was about to become an ice sculpture while trapped in snow frost right now.
Can’t run away either.
Body doesn't move either.
Actually, even if my body was fine, nothing would change.
After all, this place is Hallasan, the White Deer’s domain.
Unless I completely escape the mountain, the option of fleeing was blocked.
I want to at least make an excuse, but I can’t even do that.
No, excuses themselves wouldn't work.
‘I’ll pay the price in some way.’
I damaged the Sacred Tree.
Intentions or whatnot probably won't matter.
I almost burned down the central tree, so it was clearly a grave sin.
.
In the midst of that, I was caught red-handed by the absolute judge.
The White Deer’s giant body approached right in front of my nose.
His shadow cast over me, and I barely raised only my pupils upward.
From that high place, bluish-white pupils holding moonlight were looking down at me.
[What shall I do with you.]
Voice ringing inside my head.
Simple words, but somewhat chilly.
[Shall I imprison you, or throw you as nutrients to the children of this forest.]
It finally came.
Imprison, throw as nutrients.
The conclusion for both was the same.
Game Over.
‘Greed kills people indeed.’
To end up like this just for aiming for one item.
There are only a few items I can utilize without magic power anyway.
To end up like this while trying to obtain one of them.
‘It wasn’t even a big greed…….’
It’s unfair. Unfair.
If I die in this spot, the cause of death is injustice.
Everything else is secondary.
It was when I was whining like crazy inwardly.
[However.]
With a short word, without warning, the White Deer lowered its head deeply.
The White Deer’s head and antlers approached close to my face.
‘W-What?’
Chilly breath touched me.
Momentum to freeze everything with even a simple exhalation.
While the impression that it was nonsense passed briefly, he examined my body.
Inside my mouth that wouldn't open, I was screaming.
SIZZLE-
Pain as if burning flesh, intense sensation tearing flesh.
Settlement pain persistently ravaged my body.
With the pressure the White Deer exerted tightening my breath on top of that, it felt like the shadow of death swooped in.
[Judging by the look, you are already paying a huge price.]
In the midst of that, the White Deer’s voice rang low.
Paying a huge price?
What does that mean again.
‘Is he talking about settlement pain?’
Without time to harbor doubts, the White Deer lowered his head and rubbed his forehead against my chest.
At the same time, crystal antlers grazed my face, and chill cut my skin.
I wondered what on earth this was.
‘……Huh?’
Pain stopped. In an instant.
Settlement pain.
The pain that was wrapping around me as if to drive me crazy just until a moment ago vanished without a trace.
Only a mysterious sense of emptiness remained where something that must exist disappeared.
Because it was so sudden, I literally became dazed.
But the bizarre change didn't end there.
HISS-!
Cracks began to appear on the White Deer’s body.
Black cracks rose thinly and soon gradually expanded their territory.
Black traces cast over the pure white body that emitted cold and white light.
It squirmed with static noise as if the system was causing an error.
[What an interesting child. Twisting causality in a bizarre way.]
Looking down at the cracks engraved on his body, the White Deer let out a low laugh.
When those words ended, frost settled around the black cracks.
Smoke rose as frost covered them.
Soon everything scattered cleanly.
As if nothing had happened.
Both the pain tormenting my body and the cracks that appeared on the White Deer’s body.
The White Deer’s gaze returned to me again.
[Do you know that you might commit the sin of profanity and annihilation.]
It was a cold and meaningful statement.
‘……Did he take the pain away?’
The pain of settlement was not felt.
Only the pressure given by the White Deer remained.
Something like this was possible?
It was fascinating.
On the one hand, the White Deer’s words weighed on my mind.
‘Profanity? Annihilation? Is he saying it’s toxic and dirty?’
The White Deer is close to divinity.
An existence molded by the transcendent will of this mountain, Hallasan.
Such a being is telling me to be careful of what sin.
‘I vaguely knew I received something similar to a curse, but.’
To think it was enough for the Master of Baengnokdam to express it like that.
Moreover, although erased quickly, it caused cracks on the White Deer’s body.
‘Is this really okay……?’
Breathing became easier.
Body also became ridiculously light.
Felt like coming back to life from death.
But one corner of my heart stung.
Feeling like someone officially certified it.
That the power I wield is truly dangerous.
The White Deer’s eyes narrowed.
[I have decided your disposal.]
At those words, I held my breath.
With a stiff neck, I looked at him unable to even lift my head.
And then, the White Deer’s form slowly scattered.
At first I thought I was seeing wrong.
But it was clearly changing in reality.
The massive body of the white deer shrunk and the form changed.
Pure white fur turned into white hair, and antlers turned into a crystal crown.
Soon, a human form stood before my eyes.
Pure white hair, white eyebrows, and skin white enough to be pale.
Everything was dazzlingly white.
Like a cold and noble aristocrat.
However, even in that impressive beauty, there was absolutely no human warmth.
The only things with color were the eyes.
Even those gave off a disparate impression with vertical pupils.
White hem fluttered.
A small crown made of crystal was placed on the head.
The woman quietly raised her hand in front of me.
Cold fingertips touched my chest.
“Ugh!”
Chill as if dry ice stuck to bare skin dug in.
Deeply and sharply enough to choke my breath.
When she removed her hand, a blue stigma in the shape of a snow crystal was engraved on my chest.
Beautiful at a glance, but sent chills down my spine.
[I will be watching.]
The White Deer’s voice rang inside my head.
The voice was calm, but the content was not at all.
[Whether you will be eaten by that cursedness and die, or swallow it to open a new world. I will see that ending myself.]
With those words, the White Deer turned her head as if her business was done.
Looking at the messed-up altar, she clicked her tongue briefly.
[Thanks to what you committed, it seems I have to spend a whole night repairing the Sanctuary.]
“Ah, I, that…….”
Towards me trying to explain, the White Deer waved her hand.
[Leave.]
WHOOSH!
Strong gust burst out.
My body flew into the air as if being ripped away whole.
“W-Wait, what are you…….”
Before finishing my words, when I closed and opened my eyes, I was in the middle of the sky.
A mountain was visible below.
Mountain surrounded by fog.
Only the central part was pierced open with fog cleared.
There was a huge lake there.
It was Baengnokdam.
‘Wait. Am I in the air right now……?’
Before the thought ended, my body fell straight down.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
SPLASH-!
Heaven and earth swallowed me, splashing water noisily.
A water pillar soared into the sky.
DING-!
[Tactical Manual]
[You have completed ‘Mandatory Task: Towards Baengnokdam’.]
[Obtained 50,000SP as objective fulfillment reward.]