It was their initial promise that Envirus would process the dragon heart for Lee Sungmin, that led them to this place after all.
When Envirus couldn’t figure out what was going on in the square by himself, Envirus needed Lee Sungmin’s help to investigate.
Lee Sungmin demanded that Envirus should process the Dragon heart he had, in return for helping Envirus since he pleaded Lee Sungmin so fervently.
Not only that, Lee Sungmin made Envirus take an Oath on it.
If he broke the oath, Envirus’ death would be incredibly painful as the mana inside his body would rip him to shreds from the inside out.
“I……will have to apologize but I can’t.”
He knew what Lee Sungmin and him had agreed to beforehand, but Envirus refused.
His life would soon end anyways as he had already made the Life and Death exchange for a great surge of Mana. Wouldn’t it be the same result no matter what, as he was doomed to die?
Lee Sungmin’s face froze coldly at the words.
This old wizard bastard said he would process the Dragon Heart in his possession for him, only if agreed to help him here. But now he was going to screw him over like this after nearly getting him killed and dragging Lee Sungmin into his mess?
“Didn’t you make an Oath?”, Lee Sungmin questioned Envirus coldly.
“I did.”, Envirus nodded truthfully.
“I’m not a wizard, but I know what happens when someone makes an Oath and doesn’t fulfill the conditions.”, Lee Sungmin stared blankly at Envirus while speaking so.
“If you don’t keep an Oath’s contents, you’ll die. I know it well. But… …What does it matter now anyways? I’m going to die soon no matter what.”, Envirus grinned as he spoke.
Even though he made the Oath, it was pretty much futile no matter what at this point. Although he was still alive, Envirus didn’t feel that he could possibly kill Lee Sungmin in that short amount of time.
In his eyes, Envirus thought even for someone whose casualty was twisted like himself, Lee Sungmin was odd and unusual.
Up until earlier, Lee Sungmin’s internal energy was nowhere to be seen, and his monstrous yokai power was running rampant. But suddenly, all of it had disappeared like a lie, and he had reached a total equilibrium once more and stabilized his consciousness.
Of course that was only how Envirus could see it. Internally, within Lee Sungmin, it was a very dangerous and uneasy place to be in right now, as he knew the monster inside of him was only dormant, waiting for the opportunity to strike back at Lee Sungmin’s consciousness once more.
Meaning that put simply, he could lose himself at any time an unusual circumstance came up, or the monster within him decided to attack.
Lee Sungmin knew Envirus’ condition as well and that he would die, but he would rather just be ignorant about it.
“Why are you dying?”, Lee Sungmin spoke, feigning ignorance.
“I exchanged my life for the amount of mana needed to kill you. But… haha.. I’ve completely failed!”, Envirus laughed out with a melancholy laughter.
He knew his fate would be a horrible death. But he really didn’t expect himself to die by traveling with Lee Sungmin for only one day.
Envirus had a look of resignation on his face, as he was just a bit upset his life would end so futilely.
“You won’t die.”, a voice spoke out suddenly.It was Kim Jonghyun who abruptly spoke and interrupted the two.
Lee Sungmin and Envirus jerked their heads suddenly at the sudden voice. When Envirus opened his mouth to ask Kim Jonghyun what he meant, suddenly his face started to turn completely pale as his body started to collapse immediately from the oath’s consequences.
“Urgh!”, Envirus grunted and fell to one knee.
“I’m sorry to break our promise…….”, Envirus managed to speak in between bouts of coughing out black blood.
“No.”, Kim Jonghyun spoke once again firmly denying Envirus’ will to die.
“You’re not going to die.”, Kim Jonghyun spoke again, cryptically.
It was something even Envirus didn’t know of, and couldn’t feel with his senses. Kim Jonghyun’s eyes were looking at the time and space around them fluctuating. There was something coming it seemed.
Kim Jonghyun stepped back a little more out of fear that he might get caught up in the distortions in time and space, and Lee Sungmin, who had yet to grasp Kim Jonghyun’s identity, tilted his head.
[…… Can’t be…….]
Beyond his blurred gaze from his eyesight growing worse, Envirus noticed something odd. He hurriedly looked up into the sky and Lee Sungmin noticed as well.
Quaaaaaa!
A glare of bright light burst from the tips of the sky and blinded the onlookers.
“Good luck.”, Kim Jonghyun burst into laughter.
Kim Jonghyun honestly didn’t think that in all his life, he would be able to see such an existence that stood atop all of Eria, with his own two eyes.
Pillars of light shot out from the sky, and seemed to almost create a throne of blinding light, as the three of them who were conscious fixed their eyesight to see the existence in front of them.
The light suddenly scattered in multiple directions and came back together to form a silhouette. The silhouette’s body came into view as the light dimmed and a beautiful woman appeared.
It was the descent of the Spirit Queen.
“Oh no…”, Envirus looked at the Spirit Queen with despair written across his face.
The Spirit Queen should not be in the mortal world. The very air of mortals was like a poison to her existence.
“Why… …why would you……!”, Envirus stammered in disbelief and worry.
[Because I can’t allow your death.], the Spirit Queen uttered with a sigh.It was the first time she had seen Envirus in 100 years, and she wanted to talk with him. However, it wasn’t as if she was unaware that she did not have long to be here in the mortal world, as it would be dangerous if she stayed for too long.
[Human.], the queen turned her head and looked at Lee Sungmin.
The queen’s eyes were filled with affection when she saw Envirus, but when she looked at Lee Sungmin, she had an unsympathetic and haughty look on her face as if she was looking at a piece of trash.
[Let me carry out the contract signed by Cain, no, Envirus on my behalf.], she spoke with her arrogant demeanor.
“What do you mean? You don’t have to do that, anyway, I…….”, Envirus sputtered with embarrassment.
[You should already know when you signed a contract with me. Your life is mine and mine alone. No person, entity, curse, or oath can take it unless I say so.], the Spirit Queen quickly changed expressions when talking to Envirus, making one question whether Arbeth was two-faced or this woman was more two-faced.
“Already my mana and now my life…….”, Envirus muttered to himself, looking downcast.
[Why does it matter?], the Queen gave out a shrill cry.
[Even if you did the exchange of life and death for mana, I will never let something as trivial like mana take your life!], she continued to scold Envirus like a poor puppy, and then turned her gaze fiercely, towards Lee Sungmin.
Lee Sungmin inwardly was thinking just how disgusting this woman’s personality was.
[Tell me the contents of the contract.]
To be honest, Lee Sungmin liked the idea of a greater existence processing a Dragon’s Heart for him. It didn’t really matter who did it, as long as they could get it done, he was happy.
Lee Sungmin took out a wooden box from his spatial pocket. When he opened it, the queen’s eyebrows furrowed.
[It’s a Dragon Heart. Do you already have enough power to even use that?], the Queen asked in a mocking tone.
“Will it be possible or not?”, Lee Sungmin replied bluntly, standing his ground.
[That’s not even worth discussing.], the Queen said scoffingly.
The queen raised her hand slowly.Even though Envirus was a Grand Wizard, he said it would take even him some time to handle and process it correctly. However, the Queen of Spirits was a completely different kind of existence than a Grand Wizard.
“Please, stop. That man is a danger to all of Eria. If that guy goes crazy with something like the Dragon Heart in tow…….”, Envirus quivered while speaking in a low voice.
[Don’t act like you suddenly care about the fate of this world now. The reason you left was because you didn’t want to get involved with the fate of the world in the first place. What happens to this world or not is not your concern. And you shouldn’t have that kind of speech with the person who saved your life.], the Queen berated Envirus ruthlessly.
“But!-”
[Stop.], the Spirit Queen cut off Envirus then and there, as she did not want to listen to his quibbling any longer.
As she swung her hand, Envirus’ body was wrapped in a bright light and disappeared before everyone’s eyes.
No matter the consequences of losing one’s life through an exchange with the will of the world, the Spirit Queen dismissed it like it was a bothersome fly.
“Bringing humans into the world of the spirits? I didn’t know the Queen was allowed to do so.”, Kim Jonghyun interjected with a slightly snarky remark.
At the words, the Spirit Queen glared at Kim Jonghyun and spoke, [Shut up you filthy beast who sold his soul to the king.]
“That’s what every Dark Wizard does.”, Kim Jonghyun replied matter-of-factly.
[The spirit realm is my territory. I am the Queen and I am the rules. Who would dare to defy my word when I say that I will bring a mortal to be treated.]
“If you say so…….”, Kim Jonghyun shrugged nonchalantly.
Kim Jonghyun honestly didn’t believe something that broke the Spirit Realms traditions from before the Queen was born, would be solved so easily, but he let it go and smirked.
Kim Jonghyun’s attention was ultimately focused on Lee Sungmin. Lee Sungmin had a body that was not complete but very close to becoming a monster.
Nevertheless, his humanity has not been abandoned, and his total strength was at times beyond his cultivation level of being at the very pinnacle of the Peak Realm.
‘No, maybe he’s already stepping into transcendence. What if he adds the Dragon Heart to that?’, Kim Jonghyun was internally going round in circles with excitement.
A brilliant light glistened at the Spirit Queen’s fingertips. The light wrapped around the wooden box held by Lee Sungmin, and the Dragon Heart trembled as it soaked and bathed in the light emitted from the Spirit Queen.
The floating Dragon Heart changed its form before Lee Sungmin’s eyes. The dragon heart, liquefied into a superfluous red liquid, approached Lee Sungmin.
[Are you going to drink it all at once?], the Queen asked Lee Sungmin.
Lee Sungmin nodded slowly at the question in response.
The Queen swished her fingers with a stoic face as the red liquid came closer to Lee Sungmin’s mouth.
[Drink up.]
Lee Sungmin carefully opened his mouth. When he first sipped the liquid, the Dragon’s Heart liquor was completely tasteless.
Lee Sungmin reluctantly sipped a bit more and expected a strong bitter taste of blood to enter his mouth soon, but the liquid remained tasteless. He started to chug the liquid down more and more in bigger gulps.
He could feel the sticky liquid roll around in his mouth down his throat as he downed the substance quickly.
The Queen who had turned around and ignored Lee Sungmin, suddenly turned her gaze back to Lee Sungmin skeptically.
She expected him to turn crazy and explode his mortal body from the powerful mana of the Dragon, but he was lasting longer than expected. The Spirit Queen’s eyebrows wriggled with annoyance as she turned back around deciding she had no need to see a mortal’s body explode into a bloody pulp from his own foolishness.
Quang!
The pillar of light surrounded the Spirit Queen as she soared high into the sky and pierced the clouds, returning back to her Spirit Realm.
*burp*
Lee Sungmin covered his mouth with his hands in embarrassment. He then noticed something start to churn around inside his stomach.
Utter pain. He wanted to vomit right there. Lee Sungmin crouched down in the intense pain felt inside his dantian.
His heart beat fiercely and contracted in focus. Although the black heart would definitely subdue the power from leaking out and help digest it, the Dragon’s Heart was indeed an incredibly strong substance.
Although Kim Jonghyun wanted to see it until the end, Kim Jonghyun knew that now was his only chance to get out here without any problems.
Arbeth’s magical knowledge and mana were taken and stripped cleanly from the soul, but knowing such complicated and advanced magical theories and spells, was different than actually being able to put it to use.
He still needed more time to learn and experiment with his newfounds gains. Not only that, he did not want to be in a hostile relationship with Lee Sungmin and Lee Sungmin still did not know of his identity here yet.
Aine, who had lost her soul completely due to Envirus’ magic, was lying helplessly on the ground. Kim Jonghyun glanced at the unconscious child as a mild curiosity arose within him.
Lee Sungmin regained his consciousness during Envirus’ magic, but what about the child? Aine was still alive, and Kim Jonghyun had no intention of killing Aine.
Not only that, Lee Sungmin was struggling on the floor writhing in pain as he was digesting the Dragon’s Heart.
“Hmm.” Kim Jonghyun stroked his chin while pondering to himself, and then made a hand sign.
Aine’s body floated up into the air and Kim Jonghyun recalled what Arbeth had been trying to do. Though the purpose of Aine’s body to Arbeth was to use it as a host to create the ultimate Massacre of Predator, the top existence that was only a myth, and gain that power for himself. Kim Jonghyun wasn’t as foolish as Arbeth to be so careless and half-assed with his plans.
‘Well you should do the same.’ , Kim Jonghyun glanced over to Lee Sungmin, hoping the next time he would see him, Lee Sungmin might be a bit more careful.
Writhing in pain, and lying on the floor, Lee Sungmin did not even notice Kim Jonghyun leaving with Aine.
What would he be like the next time he met with Lee Sungmin? How strong would Lee Sungmin be then? Thinking of the mysterious existence and man known as Lee Sungmin, Kim Jonghyun smiled with curiosity and happiness, looking forward to their next encounter.
Kim Jonghyun left, leaving his worries behind him, and his plans in front. The events in the square had finished thoroughly for him.
—
The Crazy Heavenly Demon was trying his hardest to hold onto his hazy consciousness. His eyesight was blurred and he was unsure if he was still dead or alive.
‘Not yet.’
The Crazy Heavenly Demon shook his head and wiped the blood from his eyes that were obstructing his vision.
The agitated, and enraged Crazy Heavenly Demon stood up and glared at the bright flame burning brightly around the monster that was responsible for many innocent deaths.
The Crazy Heavenly Demon who had mastered the breathing technique to maintain his sanity of his soul, was not bothered by the heat physically, but the heat being emitted from Chusung was enough to harm his soul. Byuk Won-Pae took off his bloodied coat that was limiting his movements.
“Stop it!”, Rubia shrieked hiding behind his back.
The Crazy Heavenly Demon told her to run away and smiled a solemn and bitter smile as he put her arms behind her and hid her from the bloody and bright flame in front of them.
Byuk Won-Pae was flung back and his palm thrust attack completely deflected, but his arm wasn’t broken luckily. That was enough for him.
“Silly bastard.”, Chusung laughed mockingly and his eyes glistened brightly against the blood-scarlet flames in the dark night.