C192
It really hurts a lot. I literally feel like my head is going to explode.
"Grr!"
Even though he didn't want to groan, tears flowed involuntarily. Tears fell endlessly.
'What's happening?'
At this moment, it was difficult for Cale to understand the situation. The pain was severe and sharp. It reminded him of the first time he used "Instant" when he was Kim Rok Soo.
'It's not the same.'
No, this was different. Unlike the time when his whole body was covered in wounds, this didn't seem to be a wound. However, the intensity of the pain was the most extreme.
'...It's wrong.'
It's not that the pain is the most intense.
'I can't bear it.'
There's nothing to compare it to, but this pain is unbearable.
Just... Why...?
"Kugh."
He didn't understand. Cale couldn't think because this was happening to him.
"Young Master!"
"Cale-nim!"
Although he heard voices around him, he didn't understand what they were saying.
-Cale? Should we stop?
Cale shook his head. He had to endure. Even though he didn't know why this intense pain came, if he stopped now, everything would end.
Kwaaaah---
Kwaaaah---
He couldn't even clearly hear the roaring, and it was difficult to understand the current situation. Although he was trying to open his eyes with effort, tears blinded him, and he couldn't see well. But he could feel that his strength wasn't fading, that the Sky Eating Water was holding back the Tsunami with difficulty.
How could he leave it like this?
Were there only about 4 minutes left?
'No, now is it 3 minutes left? No, maybe 2 minutes?'
Even measuring the flow of time was difficult. Every second, an unrelenting headache flowed relentlessly, and it seemed like time was passing extremely slowly. And that intensity was gradually increasing.
'Damn!'
It was maddening. Cale simply closed his eyes tightly. Just endure. After all, wasn't it something he did quite well? Pain will become familiar if you endure it long enough. Like everything in life. Cale resisted, giving as much strength as he could to his trembling body.
-Ah, it's still not the limit!
Vitality of the Heart. A surprised voice mixed with Crybaby's could be heard.
-It's strange! Why isn't the limit coming? It seems like the strength in the body keeps increasing more and more.
-Hey, little brother! Are you checking properly?
-Yes, I am! Older brother, I'm definitely checking properly!
-But, why is this happening? It doesn't seem like the Plate is breaking. This is driving me crazy!"
"…A little... shut up…".
Only then did Cheapskate and Crybaby shut up. In their place, the Sky Eating Water spoke with a rather majestic tone.
-Cale, don't increase the strength anymore for now. Let's stop here. At this rate, you can endure it.
It was a rather comforting word. Although it didn't sound pleasant at all due to the pain.
-Of course, your pain must be considerable. Still, let's endure a little more. We can't collapse here.
Yes.
Endure.
Cale resisted.
So he didn't know...
How chaotic his surroundings were.
When Cale stepped forward for the first time, and Beacrox, who had been supporting him, saw Cale trembling in pain, his mind turned completely white. He didn't think of anything at all. Then he lifted his head. The frozen expression of Choi Han was engraved in his eyes. The looks of the two met, and only then did Beacrox lower his head again.
"Young Master!"
Choi Han approached, sat beside him, and opened his mouth.
"Cale-nim!"
Choi Han forgot to call Cale, Kim Haeil, in his confusion. Beacrox didn't even have the mind to point this out.
It couldn't be helped.
Until now, Cale had experienced many situations that were horrible and painful for others. However, every time that happened, he himself said that he was fine and that everything was fine. You couldn't believe all those words, but still, it was somewhat reassuring to see the lack of hesitation in Cale's expression. Of course, Choi Han had seen Cale tremble in pain a few times, but that was fleeting. He quickly returned to his original appearance without crumbling.
"Why-"
But why is he in this situation now? For a moment, Choi Han didn't understand. But at the same time, he partly understood.
'There's no way it wouldn't hurt!'
Facing the immense nature alone.
"Kugh."
Cale couldn't contain a groan due to the intense pain. He was seen clenching his lips to keep from screaming.
'What should I do?'
What should they do in this situation? The environment became noisy. The surrounding Martial Artists were scared and approached shouting.
It was then...
"…A little... shut up…".
Cale's faint voice made the surroundings quiet. No one opened their mouth. General Commander Jegal Miryeo closed her mouth so hard that she almost bit her lips.
'Now that I think about it, he-'
Despite vomiting blood, despite suffering pain. Until now, he had gone through a lot. The image of him vomiting blood while breaking the seal on himself, and the blood he shed to purify the Heavenly Demon that she heard from the reports.
Even in those moments, he was unflappable. So, how much must it hurt now?
Jegal Miryeo felt an intense emotion that went beyond shock throughout her body.
‘How should I express this feeling?’
Admiration?
Loyalty?
Inspiration?
Shivering?
No.
Nothing can express what I feel right now.
Kim Haeil.
He is now fighting against nature and enduring pain. The emotion that can be felt when seeing a human like this...
‘Yes.’
Jegal Miryeo finally acknowledged it.
‘I want to worship him.’
I want to serve him.
Beyond praise, she wanted to bow her head to him.
For him to protect Hainan Island and the inland coast. Watching Kim Haeil sacrifice himself to protect this land and the people, Jegal Miryeo's vision blurred.
She didn't even think about wiping the tears falling down her cheeks.
This gratitude...
This admiration...
How can this intense emotion be expressed?
She simply joined her hands.
And prayed.
May Kim Haeil's wishes come true.
That was the only thing she could do.
So, when the momentary calm descended, Choi Han heard someone who hadn't opened their mouth until now, reciting quietly.
"Look at the sea."
It was Team Leader Sui Khan.
At Sui Khan's words, Choi Han turned his gaze to the sea.
Rumble---
The forgotten roar echoed again.
And...
Splash---
Once again, the sound of Cale's rain reached his ears. The sea and Cale. Both tsunamis, one created by nature and the other by a human, didn't retreat at all. Choi Han noticed Cale extending both hands toward the sea, leaning on Beacrox. Despite trembling all over his body, he didn't withdraw his strength. His determination, his heart...
'I can't make him stop.'
Choi Han, who now understood what it meant to follow his own path, couldn't stop Cale. And the Team Leader, who probably already knew, was just watching. Choi Han pretended not to notice that the Team Leader's always indolent expression, which didn't lose a bit of calmness even during fights, was now twisting like that of a jackal.
At that moment, Choi Han stopped.
'Huh?'
His gaze returned to Cale. Something was wrong. He felt that something unknown was accumulating around Cale. An immaterial/intangible energy was flowing towards him.
Chwiiing---
Finally, Choi Han realized that something was burning on Cale's shoulder. Unable to interfere while Cale was crouched, Choi Han simply watched. However, sensing a presence approaching, he shifted his gaze.
It was a person who was standing alone behind the others, beyond those who were silent.
The Heavenly Demon was approaching. His expression was full of surprise and confusion.
"Did Kim Haeil's head cover (뚜껑) just open now?"
What?
Choi Han's eyes widened, and the Team Leader stared straight at the Heavenly Demon.
Even the Heavenly Demon stopped when he saw the Team Leader's expression, and the Team Leader asked.
"What does that mean?"
His voice had no ups and downs.
"Explain."
And it was quite imperative. However, there were no complaints about it. The Heavenly Demon opened his mouth while receiving everyone's attention.
"Don't you feel the energy being absorbed towards Kim Haeil right now?"
Choi Han straightforwardly responded.
"Yes, I can feel that energy."
The Team Leader also nodded.
Only the two of them noticed it. Although Beacrox frowned slightly at the scene, no one else noticed.
"The surrounding natural energy is being absorbed towards Kim Haeil's Punto Banhui (백회혈) at the moment."
Punto Banhui (백회혈).
In the Murim World, among the hundreds of acupuncture points located in the human body, the Punto Banhui was said to be a place where a hundred types of energy flow. It was the closest place to the blue sky when a person stood upright. And, according to legends, it was said that when the Punto Banhui opened completely, one ascended to the sky, that is, became a God.
But that was considered a baseless legend. After all, even if the Punto Banhui opened, one wouldn't become a god.
"Now the Punto Banhui has completely opened to the outside."
In other words, it sounded as if the cover of Kim Haeil's head had opened, absorbing all kinds of surrounding energy.
"I don't know how this is possible."
What was happening with Kim Haeil right now was completely different from accumulating energy through deep breathing. Instead, energy was being absorbed disproportionately only through the Punto Banhui, and it wasn't going through any refining process. It was simply raw, unprocessed natural energy.
The Heavenly Demon hesitated before opening his mouth.
"...by absorbing energy in this way, it could cause a great calamity..."
There could be a great explosion.
Of course, unlike a moment ago when he was absorbing increasing amounts of energy, now he was only absorbing a constant amount, but still, that amount was staggering. Most mortals wouldn't be able to endure it.
'A burst of life energy. No, the body might explode.'
He couldn't utter those words. Because it seemed like everyone understood it, and he couldn't say: let's stop Kim Haeil.
Just a bit more.
Just a bit more, and it would be resolved.
The Heavenly Demon unconsciously prayed.
I hope this moment passes smoothly.
"Aigoo~"
And surprised himself.
From the moment he decided to become the Heavenly Demon, and since he became the Heavenly Demon, he had never prayed for something. After all, he was the Heaven of the Demon Cult.
But now, unconsciously, he was praying to something unknown.
But maybe he had no other choice.
'I want to see it.'
The scene of a human resisting nature.
He wanted to see it.
Even though humans were just one of the countless tiny creatures in front of nature.
Their worth was by no means small.
He wanted to feel it.
'How much time is left?'
So, unconsciously, he found himself worrying about the time and feeling impatient.
Kwung-
It was at that moment...
Kwung---
A dense vibration transmitted from the ground. The place where that vibration flowed.
The Heavenly Demon turned his head.
Heavenward.
The moment he looked in that direction...
Kwung.
Once again, the earth shook strongly.
"Ah."
And he saw it.
Kung!
With a massive vibration, purple energy soared into the sky.
"Haeil-nim!"
Choi Han's cry echoed. The Heavenly Demon turned his head. The rising tide trying to cover the island became even larger.
"Ha..."
Sighs escaped. He realized.
"This is the final battle."
The greed of the sea was making a final effort. And that force was immense.
Urrrr---
The black sky roared, and the tide grew even larger. And Cale's tremors intensified. His face turned white and then as pale as ash.
Kwaang!
A booming sound came from the other side. The Heavenly Demon turned his head. The purple energy rising into the sky exploded. And it disappeared without a trace.
The moment he saw it.
He heard another rumble. He turned his head.
Swish~
The tide threatening the island. No, the gigantic wall of water shattered into pieces. And that was huge too. It swept everything in its path.
The sight of the tsunami and the breaking of the water wall was truly beautiful and terrifying at the same time. But the Heavenly Demon could witness the entire process without being touched.
Not a single drop of water splashed on him.
"Kkyuk!"
Thanks to a person who was resisting with groans mixed with cries.
Kim Haeil. His appearance was becoming more and more unpleasant. His back, which was always straight, was now hunched, and now even his legs couldn't maintain balance and trembled.
Moreover, he cried not only tears but also mucus and saliva.
Along with his eyes, which barely opened, he continuously released suppressed groans.
Even so.
Despite that.
His tsunami was preventing the wall from collapsing.
The Heavenly Demon, not finding a satisfactory answer in his chest, finally couldn't help but utter a word.
"I'm going crazy."
His whole body was tingling.
He couldn't help it.
Urrrr...
The roar of the sky stopped.
Zzaaa---
The sound of the rain faded.
And, finally.--
"Ha...."
Kim Haeil stopped the tsunami.
He resisted the sea and nature.
The night sky, covered by dark clouds, began to slowly reveal its appearance.
The sea calmed down.
The waves of the sea, illuminated by the stars and moonlight, were dark but twinkling.
The Heavenly Demon frowned.
Kim Haeil's wall could still be seen, standing firm. No, this wasn't just a wall.
It was a fortress.
The fortress that humans had erected to protect their territory from everything external resembled the wall that Kim Haeil had built.
Swoosh-
The wind blew.
"Ah."
The fortress that didn't bow to nature began to slowly collapse. The water wall created by Kim Haeil didn't return to the sea. Instead, the water rose into the sky. The huge wall turned into small water droplets, surrendering to the wind.
Plop. Plop.
And one by one, they fell back down. Over the trees, rocks, grass. Even on the Heavenly Demon's cheek, a water droplet descended. He wiped the drop running down his cheek with his hand and then looked down. Amidst those gathered here, the Heavenly Demon tilted his head to the lowest one, to the one at the bottom.
"Huuk. Huuk."
Cale, gasping for breath, barely managed to articulate a word.
"...I'm alive."
Now, my head doesn't hurt at all! It seems I'm going to live!
-The Plate, the body, everything is safe.
-Hurrah, we did it!
How is it possible that nothing hurts me now at all?
Cale was amazed. As soon as he stopped using the power of the Sky Eating Water, the pain disappeared without a trace. Although it was extremely painful, anyway, he didn't vomit blood or faint. Now he could go with a perfectly normal appearance before Raon. A smile bloomed on his face without him realizing. Suddenly, he saw the appearance of others in his field of vision.
Drip~
'...What?'
A tear rolled down the Heavenly Demon's cheek.
Cale felt like he was seeing something he shouldn't.
Somehow, the Heavenly Demon spoke while looking at Cale with a tight throat.
"That's right. We survived. In the end, we've managed to survive."
Uhuhuk.
Jegal Miryeo cried with her face covered by the sleeve. And Sima Pyeong, continuously looking at the sky, sobbed.
...What's going on?
Cale felt overwhelmed by the reaction of the martial arts experts. For some reason, he couldn't gather the courage to look directly at Choi Han, Beacrox, and the Team Leader. His shoulders slightly shrunk.
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