Chapter 34

 

As I left Immogi’s nest, a completely different space appeared before me. The floor was full of moss and I heard drops of water falling from somewhere. It was a different place, as if we had teleported into this space.

 

I looked around in a strange mood and breathed in.

 

I guess this is the child’s cafeteria. Skeletons were scattered around sparsely.

 

“Wait a minute. Let’s get some water and go. I’m so thirsty.”

 

I was so nervous after inhaling a lot of dust that my throat was almost torn apart.

I went to the sound of water trying to ignore the white skeletons.

 

It wasn’t a stream of water, but more sporadic drops, but it would be enough to moisten my throat.

 

“……Huh?”

 

But no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t see the water. I heard a drop of water…… did I mishear it?

 

I looked back at the child waiting for me and asked.

 

“Is there any water here?”

 

“None.”

 

“That’s weird….I think I heard the sound of water. “

 

“Thirsty?”

 

The child stared at me. I answered quickly, wondering if there was any water that had been hidden away.

 

“Yes, your master is very thirsty. Give me something to drink.”

 

The child tried to bite my wrist like it was the natural thing to do. I was startled and snatched back my wrist

 

“Hey! What are you doing?”

 

“Huh? You said you were thirsty.”

“That doesn’t mean give me blood!”

 

“You won’t become tall if you’re picky like this.”

 

Imoogi returned what I had said before.

 

‘Did he just pretend to be a fool before?’

 

I approached the child and straightened my back.

 

When I tapped on the top of the child’s head about half an arm’s length below me, the child looked up at me.

 

“I’m taller than you!”

 

“I’m taller.”

 

“What?. . . huk!”

 

I swallowed my saliva looking at the long, thick body that filled the space.It’s the first time I’ve seen a snake right in front of me! I put on a nonchalant look so as not to look frightened.

 

“That’s cheating. I’m not a snake.”

 

-Chik

 

At the sound of a tongue clucking, Immogi turned back into a child.

 

Hanging something between the child’s legs was something that should never be there.

TL note: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

“……!”

 

I opened my eyes wide. It was even more shocking than when the child turned into a snake.

 

“You…You were a male?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

 

“You didn’t ask.”

 

That’s true, but….….

 

It was my fault that I believed that he was a girl because he was so pretty.

 

As the child transformed, I picked up the rags that had been ripped off and wrapped them around his body. Of course, with my head turned, the child tilted his head in wonder about my behavior.

 

“Your face is red.”

 

“… it’s because I’m thirsty.”

 

“I have something to drink.”

 

“I won’t drink your blood.”

 

“Something other than my blood.”

 

“What is it?”

 

The child went to one corner, removed moss that was tangled like a vine, and looked back at me.

 

“Here.”

 

I watched with a wary eye and came closer. Beneath the moss that stretched like a tent, a huge rock was hidden. I could see a finger-deep groove in the middle, and there was a thin pool of water in it, like a clear soup.

 

Was this the sound of the water?

 

‘Well, it looks like I’m  going to have a stomach ache if I drink this.’

 

“Have you tried this?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You didn’t have a stomachache, did you?”

 

“Nope I had one.”

 

Are you kidding me? I tried to turn around coldly, but I stopped.

 

It was because Lee Moo-ki’s words were not unusual.

“But now that I’m better, I’m stronger than when I ate humans and I can talk.”

 

“Becoming stronger…You were able to talk? Ever since you drank this?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Wait a minute.”

 

This… is not Life Saving Elixir, is it?

 

“Come on, no way that’s true.”

 

Life Saving Elixir was an elixir found only in areas where spiritual energy had concentrated into a milky-like liquid.

 

“Since it’s so hidden in the rocks that it would be trying to find a needle in a haystack… there’s no way I actually fou-“’

 

I turned my head and looked at Immogi exuding qi .Then I turned away and saw a small amount of milky liquid that had solidified on the rock.

 

The words of Lee Moo-ki in my ear kept repeating.

 

“I became stronger and able to speak.”

“I became stronger and able to speak.”

“I became stronger and able to speak.”

 

“….”

 

Gulp.

 

The sound of drooling from my throat rang throughout the cave.

 

I poked at the white liquid with my trembling hands.

 

With just the liquid that coated a finger, I closed my eyes and licked at it.

 

At that moment, the half-full supply of qi quickly filled up. No, it was more than just saying I got some qi. My qi supply quickly swelled up to bursting.

 

“Uh….”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Now, wait a minute……hold on.”

 

I quickly sat cross-legged and captured the overflowing qi.

 

My whole body was full of energy. My body was so light that I could fly in the sky.

Opening my eyes wide open, I suddenly stood up.

 

This is the Life Saving Elixir!

 

I had only taken one drop, but for sure the only thing that could increase my qi like that was the Life Saving Elixir.

 

I took out the empty bottle from my pocket and put the rest of the elixir in.

 

“Master, what are you doing?”

 

The child asked, tilting his head to his side.

 

I licked the rest of the elixir from the rock and answered politely.

 

“You’ll be punished if don’t eat everything on your plate.”

 

“The white water is gone. Master is just licking a rock.”

 

The amount of elixir was too little.

 

I smacked my lips and put the sealed bottle in my pocket. Making sure to secure the cap, Igrabbed onto it tightly.

 

3,000-year-old Imoogi and Life Saving Elixir,

 

And I had my first enlightenment!

 

My heart was beating like crazy at my great fortune.

 

I couldn’t wait to get out and let Cheonma know how much I’ve grown.

 

“How much further do we have to go from here?”

 

“Half a day with your stride.”

 

“That far? What about you?”

 

“It’s similar in this form.”

“Well, how about your other form……?”

 

“In an instant.”

 

Great!

 

I don’t like worms, but I can’t help it.

 

I ordered in a haughty manner.

 

“Let’s ride a pet snake. Transform.”

 

* * *

 

Boom! Boom!

 

There was a roar inside the closed training center.

 

The elders who were waiting for the child in the forest popped out in unison.

 

“The closed-door training ground has collapsed!”

 

“Well, then, my lady….”

 

“Child!”

 

The elders screamed and ran in front of the closed-door training center.

In the aftermath of the shock, the area around the training camp was devastated.

 

The trees in a certain area were pulled out and had flown away, and the land was divided like a dry canyon.

 

Despairing, the elders looked at the large rock blocking the entrance to the closed training center instead of the door.

 

“Uh, how could this be happening…….”

 

“Explosive magic?”

 

“There isn’t the unique smell of explosive magic, is there? This is a suicide bombing!”

 

“What? Then it makes even more sense?”

 

The only way to cause such a huge explosion was to release the power at once.

 

To do that, one had to consolidate their qi first, and the elders couldn’t have missed that.

But no one noticed anything. Not even the slightest movement of qi. It was hard to believe.

 

The Xi King raised his hand, who was only looking at the closed-door training center in a daze.

 

“Get everyone together. Young Miss is alright!”

 

Only then did the elders concentrate.

 

As the Xi King  said, a cold chill that was unique to the child was detected faintly.

 

“Oh, oh, I knew it! I knew she would be okay!”

 

Starting with the exclamation of the Enemy King, the elders’ expressions were relaxed.

 

At that time, with a raging wind, someone stepped down in front of the training center.

 

The elders bowed their heads in unison.

 

“Sect Master!”

 

Cheonma stared silently at the closed-door training ground.

 

He didn’t even ask what happened. He just quietly searched for the child’s energy.

 

Cheonma, who detected the child’s energy without difficulty, opened his mouth without turning his head.

 

“Eunyeong.”

 

Eunyouneg appeared seemingly embarrassed. His eyes, which had always been calm, were bloodshot red.

 

“Why didn’t you stop it?”

 

“Life force …… qi……wasn’t there.”

 

It meant that he could not feel the movement of life force or qi.

 

What really happened?

 

Is it possible to use a technique sophisticated enough to deceive Eunyeoung?

 

Even when thinking about who knew how to use this kind of technique, there was no one suitable.

 

However, since a decade had passed since he had been in the Central Region, it was not strange for a rising master to appear.

 

“Go.”

 

Eunyeong disappeared with his head shaking. He, whose mission was to protect the child, wanted to bite off his tongue and die.

 

It was such a disgraceful mistake.

 

“I’ll open the entrance.”

 

It was possible to open the entrance without destroying the cave if it was a masterpiece of explosive magic.

 

“Young Miss could get caught. She needs to take refuge outside of a certain distance before we can proceed.”

 

Explosive magic was an extreme magic that instantly melted everything that existed within the range.

 

Even a child with ice powers could not survive it.

 

Unlike the Xi King, the Enemy King, who seemed perplexed, raised his voice.

 

“But where is she going to flee to? We don’t know what it looks like in there!”

 

“And the more you go inside, the more dizzy you feel, and the more difficult it is to recover your energy!”

 

“That’s right! If we don’t find her at all…”

 

The faces of the elders were blackened with worry.

 

To save the child, you have to use explosive magic, but to do so, the child needs to enter the labyrinth.

 

They were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 

Listening to their conversation, Aku Ryun bit his lips with impatience.

 

Boom! Boom! Boom!

 

His heart beat like crazy and he felt that he couldn’t breathe.

 

His face turned black thinking of the possibility that she might die.

 

Aku Ryun unwittingly pulled on the hem of Cheonma’s robe.

 

“Teacher!”

 

He couldn’t think of anything at this moment.

 

How important to him were the words he was about to say, and what would be consequences after he uttered these words.

 

Aku Ryun opened his mouth.

 

“I know the way.”

****