C 404
The world he saw was all blurry.
At times, it felt as if a fog had settled in his mind, making it impossible to think clearly. Despite this, he never forgot his purpose for existing.
To return.
To the place where he was born.
He spent his whole life wandering.
Those who didn't know his situation called him immortal, but the truth was different.
The body is nothing more than a vessel to contain the soul. If the soul is too powerful, a mismatched body is bound to collapse.
That was the Ghost King's situation.
His body had reached its limit, and he no longer had the energy to maintain it.
So he switched to Do Yeonsan's body.
A younger, fresher body.
The ghost king himself didn't know how it was possible.
He simply did it because he could, without any doubt in his actions.
That's just the kind of being he was.
He looked at Pyo Wol with blurry eyes.
Originally, he was wary of powerful beings that threatened him.
Powerful people and experts who coveted his abilities always targeted his life. But for some reason, he didn't feel that wariness towards Pyo Wol.
Someone inside him was whispering.
That he could trust this person.
So he was confused.
This had never happened before.
A being that showed no signs of shrinking back from him.
The aura he felt from him was like an invisible razor, sharp and piercing.
It seemed as if the moment the razor swung, everything in the world would be mercilessly cut away.
Pyo Wol, with that razor-like aura, kept a close watch on Hong Ye-seol.
From a considerable distance, on top of a tree, he could see Hong Ye-seol's face clearly.
On the first day, there was no change.
She was still pale, and her breathing was barely noticeable.
It seemed so precarious, as if her breath would be cut off with just a gust of wind.
Still, Pyo Wol endured and watched.
The change occurred on the second day.
Hiss!
Suddenly, the trees and grasses around the black earth lost their vitality and withered away in an instant.
On the contrary, color gradually returned to Hong Ye-seol's face.
Pyo Wol furrowed his brow at the unbelievable sight.
There was a big difference between hearing it through the ghost king and seeing it with his own eyes.
'Is it absorbing the vitality of the nearby area and transferring it?'
He didn't know how this was possible. However, since it was happening right in front of his eyes, he had no choice but to believe it.
Even Pyo Wol, who was full of doubts, couldn't deny the sight he witnessed firsthand.
It was evident that Hong Ye-seol was getting better.
The ghost king told Pyo Wol.
"Let's step back a little more."
The tree they were standing on had already started to wither.
The black earth had eroded up to where they were.
The two of them stepped back further.
Pyo Wol carefully watched the phenomenon happening before his eyes.
It was fortunate that Hong Ye-seol's life was being saved, but if the erosion continued like this, a disaster might strike.
As if reading Pyo Wol's mind, the ghost king said.
"There's no need to worry too much."
"Why?"
"Because once it grows to a certain size, it disappears entirely."
"How do you know?"
"I saw it with my own eyes. One of the three vanished like that. Although the place where it disappeared became completely barren and no living creature could survive, it no longer affects the world."
"Are you sure?"
"Didn't I say? I saw it with my own eyes. I can't explain any more than that."
With that, the ghost king closed his eyes.
It was a gesture that he had nothing more to say.
Pyo Wol didn't ask any further questions either.
Although he felt somewhat uneasy, it was a relief if things ended like this.
Pyo Wol was reminded of how vast the world was.
He thought he knew a lot, but there were many things happening in the world that he was unaware of.
It was amazing that the world continued to run peacefully despite such mysterious events happening everywhere.
That's when it happened.
Hiss!
A strange sound suddenly reached their ears.
It was a faint sound that only someone like Pyo Wol or the ghost king, who had reached such a level, could hear.
The Ghost King's expression changed in an instant.
Focus returned to his previously blurry eyes, and a hostile look appeared on his face.
"It seems he's followed us."
"Who?"
"Gyeon... musaeng."
"Are you talking about the master of Life and Death?"
"Yes! That's him."
Pyo Wol lifted his head to catch the scent of the wind.
A familiar smell reached him.
The musty odor and the anger of a suppressed being were mixed in the scent.
Pyo Wol knew the owner of this smell.
'The Imoogi!'
It was a dragon that failed to ascend and was subjugated by the master of Life and Death, Gyeongmusaeng.
The ghost king murmured.
"He's followed us all the way here."
Anger filled his eyes.
The ghost king had never had a chance to rest his mind in peace.
It was because of the master of Life and Death, who somehow knew where he was and pursued him.
The ghost king and The master of life and death had been chasing each other for decades.
He didn't know if he was still wandering and unable to find the path he should take because of Gyeongmusaeng's interference.
The ghost king said.
"You stay here."
Without waiting for Pyo Wol's response, he took off into the air.
The ghost king plummeted into the deep forest, leaving behind a long tail like a shooting star.
Bang!
Immediately afterwards, a loud explosion erupted.
Kie-e-e!
The entire forest shook with a chilling roar.
It was the roar of the Imoogi, which shook the souls of the listeners and caused the animals in the forest to flee in terror.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
As a result, the shaking of the forest became even more intense.
Crack!
The forest trees were breaking.
The scene of the ghost king and the master of life and death fighting was vividly visible in a corner of the forest.
Both the ghost king and the master of life and death were monsters that transcended human limits.
Their collision was like a natural disaster.
The forest, which had been standing firm for thousands and tens of thousands of years, was being destroyed by their collision.
And the Imoogi played a significant role in this.
The Imoogi's huge body was a weapon in itself.
Every time the Imoogi twisted its body, its tail alone would shatter beautiful trees and smash large rocks to pieces.
Quaaa!
The powerful strike of the ghost king hit the body of the Imoogi.
The Imoogi suffered in pain, but it still blocked all of the ghost king's attacks in place of the master of life and death .
Because of the Imoogi, the ghost king could not deal a significant blow to the master of life and death .
The master of life and death left the defense to the Imoogi and continued to mutter something under his breath.
It seemed like he was reciting a mantra.
The longer the master of life and death 's mantra became, the darker the look in the ghost king's eyes became.
"Uh!"
The ghost king groaned in agony.
"Stop!"
The ghost king shouted, attacking the master of life and death . But once again, his attack was blocked by the huge body of the Imoogi
.
Clang!
The Imoogi's massive body shook.
No matter how powerful a creature it was, the Imoogi was still a living being. It could not help but suffer from a strong shock. Nevertheless, the master of life and death completely disregarded Imoogi's pain.
To him, the Imoogi was just an extension of his limbs, not a companion or an empathic being.
The master of life and death did not know the pain that the Imoogi was feeling.
For the Imoogi, suppressing the ghost king was the most important thing, no matter what sacrifice it had to make.
"Your soul belongs to me. You are my creation, and it is only fitting that you return to me. Om Sarani, Om Sarani......."
A red glow appeared in the master of life and death 's eyes.
"Kreeee!"
At the same time, the ghost king's pain intensified.
The ghost king's sanity gradually faded from his eyes.
An extreme pain was taking away his sanity.
A smile appeared on the master of life and death 's lips.
"This time, you will never escape. ghost king! Your soul is bound by my soul-binding technique. Breaking that bond is impossible."
In preparation for today, the master of life and death had made thorough preparations.
The golden bracelet on his arm was a specially crafted talisman.
This talisman momentarily amplified his magical power. Although it had the drawback of not being able to be used for a full year after one use, its effectiveness was certain.
The pain that the ghost king was experiencing right now was evidence of that.
In the past, the ghost king was somewhat able to resist the master of life and death’s magic, but now he was being pressured to the point of losing his mind.
It was only because he was at the level of a ghost king that he hadn't yet succumbed; anyone else would have already given in.
"Ugh!"
The ghost king roared and launched an attack. However, this time too, his attack was blocked by the giant body of the Imoogi.
Kwoo-ah!
The Imoogi's scream echoed through the forest.
Despite the horrifying attack of the ghost king, the Imoogi had become bloodied. Yet, the master of life and death was ruthless.
"Endure it! Just a little more, and we can subdue the ghost king."
The Imoogi couldn't defy the master of life and death's command.
After being forcibly subjugated at its weakest point following its failed ascension, The Imoogi's soul became subservient to the master of life and death.
The bond connecting the two couldn't be broken until one of them died.
The Imoogi was furious.
It was angry at itself for being controlled by the master of life and death and at the ghost king for causing it pain. It was also frustrating that it couldn't resist the master of life and death .
Kwa-aang!
The Imoogi's fury brought down the forest.
The forest, which had endured for countless years, was powerless in the face of Imoogi's anger.
The forest collapsed as it was broken, crumbled, and trampled. However, the black earth was right where the Imoogi was heading.
The moment the Imoogi writhed on the black earth, it will mark the end of Hong Ye-seol's life.
There was no more time to waste.
Pyo Wol lunged towards the master of life and death.
In an instant, Pyo Wol closed the distance and revealed himself in front of the master of life and death.
"Ugh!"
The master of life and death gasped at the sudden appearance of Pyo Wol, as if he had torn through space.
"Who are you?"
"Step back."
"Why are you here?"
"I told you to step back."
"Are you working with the ghost king?"
The master of life and death's eyes were filled with suspicion.
It was a critical moment.
If he could push the ghost king just a little more, he could subdue him. If he missed this moment, there was no telling when another opportunity like this would come again.
In fact, as Pyo Wol scattered the master of life and death's focus, the ghost king's eyes seemed to lighten a little.
The master of life and death was furious at Pyo Wol for interfering at this crucial moment.
"How dare you!"
Without a second thought, the master of life and death ordered the Imoogi.
"Devour him."
He entrusted Pyo Wol's disposal to the Imoogi.
He wanted to focus on subduing the ghost king.
The master of life and death leaped off Imoogi's head. Then, The Imoogi's massive jaws lunged towards Pyo Wol.
Snap!
The countless teeth filling its massive jaws tore through the space where Pyo Wol had been. But by then, Pyo Wol had already disappeared.
Pyo Wol had somehow moved behind The Imoogi.
Swoosh!
The Imoogi's enormous body slid like a serpent, rotating to face where Pyo Wol was.
The Imoogi had lived for a long time and gained wisdom in the process.
Its intelligence was in no way inferior to a human's.
Moreover, it possessed mysterious senses that humans could not fathom. With its unique senses, the Imoogi detected Pyo Wol's movements in an instant and pursued him.
Snap! Snap!
the Imoogi repeatedly bit at the space where Pyo Wol had been.
Pyo Wol dodged the Imoogi's attacks while staring intently at its eyes.
The eyes of the giant Imoogi, as big as an adult human, seemed devoid of any emotion. However, Pyo Wol could sense it.
He knew what the Imoogi truly desired.
"Alright."
Pyo Wol responded to Imoogi's wish.
He knew that helping the Imoogi break free from the master of life and death's control would not only save the creature but also prevent the master of life and death from capturing the ghost king. Pyo Wol focused all his strength and prepared for a decisive battle.
As the Imoogi and Pyo Wol continued to clash, the master of life and death's control over the creature began to weaken. Sensing this, the ghost king slowly regained his strength and was able to fight back against the master of life and death.
The battle between the four powerful beings raged on, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
Each of them fought for their own reasons, but in the end, it would be the strength of their wills that determined the outcome of this epic confrontation.