Chapter 146

After sealing Kang Ha-neul inside the Tentacle of Purgatory—a Gate created from my tentacles—I tossed an empty bottle into the pit. A fragrant aroma of grapes, tinged with a bitter aftertaste, lingered in my mouth. I had intended to drink it after it aged more, but since Mala-nim refused to grant me a Star-Scar, I had no choice but to use the wine to manifest the single-digit rank tentacles.

‘Only two bottles left…’

I turned away without regret and sought a path out of the cave. A stark white tentacle emerged from my sleeve to question me.

『Fear not?』

“Why did I trap Kang Ha-neul in there? It’s simple. I saw potential in him.”

The reason I had pestered Mala-nim for a Star Scar was that I judged it the fastest way to elevate one’s rank. Though uncertain and highly risky, success would grant a level of strength comparable to inheriting the Thunder Immortal’s power with relative ease. Having watched him closely, I knew Kang Ha-neul had it—not necessarily the right to power itself, but the right to seize the opportunity for power.

“Ideally, I hoped the Necropolis alone would make him as strong as the other team members, but since his talent clearly has its limits, I have to pull from something else.”

『Fear?』

“What am I pulling from? Well… if I had to name it, I’d say desperation.”

The Tentacle of Purgatory was a type of Gate. It used the same single-digit tentacles I had deployed during the battle with Flauros to prevent her from detonating the dimensional core. While it didn’t have a lightning cage narrowing over time like Thunder Rain Valley, the other phenomena were identical. For instance, I could manipulate the time ratio as I pleased, or summon a never-ending stream of mutated monsters. Naturally, the “monsters” appearing inside were my own tentacles. That fact alone served as a minimum safety net.

“He won’t have to worry about starving to death. Whether he can get out on his own, however, is another matter.”

『Fear not?』

“Raising his rank? That won’t be enough. You know this.”

These tentacles, deployed using a Star Scar, were technically a Special-grade Gate. Unless Kang Ha-neul reached the realm of the Thunder Immortal, escape was a distant dream. Of course, it was impossible for a Middle Level Awakened to become that strong simply by entering a Gate. Therefore, what I expected from him was something slightly different.

『Fear not!?』

“You said that no one but me could learn it, Mala-nim, but I disagree. Theory isn’t that important when it comes to Extreme Magic.”

In fact, I questioned if it even fell under the category of magic. If no other mage could use it but me, it meant I possessed something they lacked. And I saw that crucial element in Kang Ha-neul: a tiny possibility blooming from sheer desperation.

“He’ll be able to realize it. Just as I did when I fell into the Demon Realm.”

Provided he survived, of course. It was a choice I could make because I knew his goal wasn’t the power of the Thunder Immortal for his own sake, but the strength to stop being a burden to his siblings. Praying that I wouldn’t be clearing out his corpse the next time I opened the Tentacle of Purgatory, I turned and left the pit.

The exit was on the opposite side of where we had entered. With a single gesture, I slid open the Tentacle of Barrier like an automatic door. The first thing I saw was the barrier of Thunder Rain Valley, which had closed in to a near distance. Loud, boisterous laughter struck my ears.

“Hahaha! Grandfather, why don’t you just get in the coffin already! Returning because you couldn’t entrust your will to the next generation isn’t the teaching of a sage—it’s just the ugly greed of an old man!”

Kang Cho-won. At the peak of the canyon his spear pointed toward stood an old man clad in a black robe. He appeared to be around the same age as the Sword Immortal, but his frame was nearly two spans larger. His beard was short, and his hands held nothing. However, the moment those hands tore through one of the lightning bars forming the cage of Thunder Rain Valley, it was easy to recognize him as the Thunder Immortal.

—I have failed.

Strictly speaking, the Thunder Immortal’s body, resurrected through the White Immortal’s Black Magic, was not alive. Yet, when he spoke, the sky of Thunder Rain Valley trembled as if he were the master of the very space itself.

—All that remained for this old man at the end of his life was the legacy to leave to you…

—But since the vessels are all cracked, what use is there in trying to distinguish jade from stone?

Just as Kang Nabi had said, the Thunder Immortal deemed all three of them unworthy of inheriting his power. His plan was to slaughter everyone here except for one to carry on the bloodline, and then wait for the next tournament. Sensing this intent, he paid little attention to Kang Nabi, even though she was nearby.

—This is all due to the negligence of those who managed the kiln and the lukewarm temperature of the flames.

“Hmph, I don’t understand a word of that high-and-mighty talk! Here I come!”

Instead, he unleashed a bolt of lightning like a death sentence toward Kang Cho-won, who was the first to charge him. The flash split the entire canyon, reaching the other side in an instant and erupting into a blinding light. Not to be outdone, Kang Cho-won also surged his mana, calling down sporadic strikes of lightning.

Taking advantage of the noisy chaos, I approached Kang Nabi, who was perched in a nearby tree. Focused on the battle, she jumped in shock when she saw me slithering up.

“What the—!? I thought I told you to keep Kang Ha-neul away from Grandfather!”

“Oh, our deal was certainly that. I am fulfilling it faithfully.”

“Are you even listening to yourself? Then why are you here…?”

“You told me to keep Senior Kang Ha-neul away, but you never said I couldn’t come near you, Miss Kang Nabi.”

Besides, in an area that had already shrunk to the size of a few dozen football fields, how could we possibly avoid running into each other?

I watched Kang Nabi as she sighed and glanced around. I asked her, “By the way, what are you doing here? You look bored.”

“I’m hiding and waiting for an opening so I don’t interfere with Brother Cho-won’s battle. At the same time, I’m eliminating any remaining participants nearby to secure a victory through a stroke of luck.”

“Ho, I didn’t know such wicked people existed. I’ll help too.”

“Up until now, you’ve been the number one target on my elimination list.”

Even as she said that, Kang Nabi eliminated a participant who had been hiding behind a nearby rock instead of attacking me. The spear that left her hand lightly seemed to possess a will of its own, sweeping through the surroundings with a sound like rolling thunder.

Recovering her spear with a graceful flick that sent her hair fluttering, Kang Nabi lightly poked my shoulder with the tip of her blade.

“So, where is Kang Ha-neul?”

“Well, actually, he was struck by a stray bolt of lightning just a moment ago and met an untimely end. I’m just coming back from performing his funeral rites.”

“……”

“Regrettably, his journey ends here—Ow, that stings.”

Static electricity shot through me, causing a sharp sting. However, what stung even more was Kang Nabi’s gaze, which looked as if it were about to devour me whole. I’d received similar looks from other women before, but while those usually triggered a primal fear embedded in my soul, this time I felt only pure rage radiating from her.

Are these siblings so close they can’t live without each other? I made a mental note to tell Kang Ha-neul about her reaction if he made it out alive, and then replied:

“He’s looking for an opportunity from a safe place. Just like you, Miss Kang Nabi.”

“Looking for an opportunity? Hmph. My second brother doesn’t have the strength to pierce through Grandfather’s lightning.”

It was a battle between those with the supernatural power of lightning, where dozens of exchanges occurred in a single second. Even though he had lost the strength of his prime, the power of the Thunder Immortal, Kang Si-hyun, was overwhelming. Even the lightning of Thunder Rain Valley, which struck terror into the hearts of the participants, was nothing more than a stream of water providing him a full-body massage.

Every time Kang Cho-won’s spear flashed, large holes were torn into his head and heart, but his body—having reached a realm beyond human flesh—was instantly restored with a brilliant light. On the other hand, Kang Cho-won’s entire body was suffering gradual burns every time he was struck by the Immortal’s lightning. Though he was dodging as best he could with superhuman reflexes, there was no telling how much longer he could hold out. There was a reason Kang Nabi was staying low instead of engaging.

“How can he achieve something that is impossible even for me?”

“Well… maybe it is possible.”

“What are you looking at?”

“The time.”

I had been periodically checking my smartwatch since leaving the cave. I was timing how long Kang Ha-neul had been inside the Tentacle of Purgatory. Though I had maximized the time dilation within the Gate, I myself had stayed in the Demon Realm for a staggering fifteen years. Perhaps he needed even more time.

The canyon was nearly collapsed and the forests were entirely scorched; the movable area was shrinking rapidly, so a countermeasure was needed. I offered a suggestion to Kang Nabi.

“If things continue like this, Kang Cho-won will undoubtedly lose. So, how about attacking the caster directly?”

If the caster takes a hit, the summoned entity cannot draw out its full power. Even if it was dangerous, if Kang Nabi could take care of the White Immortal (Baek-seon), we could buy more time.

“Are you talking about the White Immortal?”

“Exactly. She must be inside here somewhere.”

“How could we possibly find her? At the very least, my senses haven’t picked up a trace…”

The problem was that she hadn’t shown herself once so far. However, I had a place in mind. There was only one thing the White Immortal feared:

Me.

She cannot operate outside of Thunder Rain Valley like the Thunder Immortal. And since she has no greed for victory herself, she wouldn’t be on the surface. In other words, she would be hiding underground at a location as far away from me as possible.

Coincidentally, the entrance to the cave I just exited aligned perfectly with her expected path. I spread out a map, examined the locations where she might be hiding, and eventually pointed to a specific spot.

“If you search centered around here, you’ll find her. If you run into some Awakened stuck in a wall like a row of sausages along the way, ask them if a white-haired woman has passed by.”

“Is this information certain?”

“Yes. However, I cannot move from this spot, so you must go alone, Nabi.”

“Don’t get too casual and drop the honorifics; it’s unpleasant. Still, you’re more helpful than you look.”

“Thanks—”

I turned my head, but Kang Nabi had already vanished. I hoped she could buy some time, but her opponent was an Immortal-grade Awakened. To tie her down without any support troops was a tall order.

“I think I’ll need at least thirty minutes.”

『Fear not?』

“It’s practically the same as having to wait until Thunder Rain Valley closes completely.”

Either Kang Ha-neul breaks out of his shell from within, or his brother and sister fall at the hands of two Immortal-grade Awakened before that happens. Currently, the latter was overwhelmingly more likely. In that case, I needed one more entity to buy time at the very end.

Naturally, that entity could not be a Middle Level mage who just joined the Special Unit this year. I sighed and stood up.

“It can’t be helped. I really didn’t want to use this…”

What I pulled from my robe was a now-familiar swirl-patterned mask. Perhaps because it hadn’t been used in a long time, it was covered in dust here and there.

“I intended never to take this out again.”

『Fear?』

“Why? Isn’t it obvious?! This time, I’ll really be hauled away by Flauros!”

I’ve been avoiding the Council’s summons ever since our last meeting. The moment I show my face, I’ll be dragged away by her and forced into a blood contract. But the situation was urgent, so there was no choice.

“It’s been a while—this cold, heavy sensation.”

I slipped the mask over my face.

It was time to return as the Black Mage, Patel.