The human skin that made up the book's cover. No one would have thought to tear it off and put it in their mouth. Who in their right mind would put something made from human skin, something that exuded a ghostly energy just by looking at it, into their mouth?
It was an act of pure madness.
Chew, chew!
‘Tough.’
Mok Gyeong-un chewed fiercely on the human skin in his mouth. Strangely, no matter how hard he bit, the skin was so tough that his teeth were not damaged, nor could he tear it. But it seemed this was not entirely without effect.
Hah!
The being, Blue Spirit, furrowed her fine brow and clutched at her heart. She seemed to be feeling some sort of pain. At this, Mok Gyeong-un chewed on the human skin even more intensely.
“Damned mortal!”
Paaaaah!
In that moment, the light in Blue Spirit’s eyes turned blood-red. At the same time, she swung her long pipe, and the blood of the dead Jo Il-sang that had pooled on the floor rose into the air and began to spin.
‘What is this?’
It was by no means an illusion. The sight of the blood, rising into the air and spinning drop by drop, was truly overwhelming. Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes trembled as he watched the blood.
It spun so fast it was hard to follow with the naked eye, but he managed to keep up with it somehow.
“This whelp…”
Even the being, Blue Spirit, noticed that Mok Gyeong-un was staring precisely at the drops of blood. It was surprising for a human who had not learned any occult arts or martial arts. It was no exaggeration to say that his physical body and reflexes completely surpassed those of an ordinary human.
“Still just a mortal.”
Blue Spirit pointed her long pipe at Mok Gyeong-un. In that instant, the rapidly spinning blood droplets in the cavern all rushed toward Mok Gyeong-un.
Chwachwachwachwachwa! Chwareureureuk!
It was at that very moment. Mok Gyeong-un, who had been staring at the droplets, slid across the floor the instant Blue Spirit swung her long pipe and launched himself toward her.
“Foolish.”
He was on the verge of reaching her. A rain of blood fell upon the front of Mok Gyeong-un’s upper body, digging into his flesh.
Papakpapakpapakpak!
Mok Gyeong-un frowned. He was usually unfazed by most pain. But the blood that dug into his flesh tore through his skin like sharp hidden weapons.
As if enjoying Mok Gyeong-un’s pain, a corner of Blue Spirit’s mouth lifted.
“Is it painful? If so, spit it out.”
Squeeze!
Blue Spirit made a grasping motion toward Mok Gyeong-un. The blood that had pierced his skin dug deeper into his body, stimulating his nerves.
“Keub.”
A groan escaped him for the first time. Seeing this, Blue Spirit clicked her tongue. Normally, with this level of pain, one should be writhing and begging for their life.
But this was all he did.
“Are you accustomed to pain? Or is your endurance just foolishly strong? Hsss.”
Blue Spirit took a drag from her long pipe. After exhaling a cloud of milky smoke, she extended the pipe as if to finish him off.
“Foolish mortal. Just die.”
Just then, Mok Gyeong-un, who had been in agony, muttered.
“Ah-seung.”
“What are you mumbling about?”
“Ah-seuuuuung!”
His pronunciation was off because he had the human skin in his mouth, but what Mok Gyeong-un had shouted was none other than, Seureureureuk! The Demonic Monk. The Demonic Monk appeared, passing through the ceiling.
But his condition was strangely not good. As a vengeful spirit, he was already faint, but now black spots had appeared all over his body. Seeing this, Blue Spirit chuckled and said.
“So it was you.”
At those words, the Demonic Monk knelt on one knee and bowed his head, showing respect to Blue Spirit.
‘Why?’
Watching this, Mok Gyeong-un could not understand. Was it because she was a higher-rank anomaly? But that was a rule created from the perspective of Occultists, as the author of the Yin-Yang Fundamental Scripture had said.
It wasn't perfectly accurate.
“You must have some spiritual talent, to be connected to a vengeful spirit. But unfortunately for you, this Bald monk whelp is no different from this master’s underling.”
‘Underling?’
Was it a pre-existing relationship, regardless of rank? If so, this was a disaster. The Demonic Monk was Mok Gyeong-un’s Spirit Guardian, but if he couldn't be controlled, he was utterly useless.
That meant he had to get through this situation on his own.
Squeeze!
Mok Gyeong-un once again chewed on the human skin in his mouth.
“Hauk! You!”
At that, Blue Spirit once again clutched her heart, and her eyes, filled with rage, glared with killing intent as she swung her long pipe.
Papakpapakpapakpak!
As she swung the pipe, the blood droplets that had burrowed into his body pulled back out. It looked like she was letting him off, but that wasn't it.
Chwareureureureu!
The blood droplets that came out of his body merged into a single sharp thorn. When Blue Spirit made a motion of tapping her pipe downward, ‘This is bad!’
Paaaaak!
The sharp thorn aimed for Mok Gyeong-un’s heart. In response, Mok Gyeong-un rolled to the side to avoid it.
“Hmph!”
Blue Spirit snorted, and as if to say he couldn't escape, she swung her pipe again. The bloody thorn that had been embedded in the floor turned toward Mok Gyeong-un.
Paaaaaang!
Its speed was so fast that it was impossible to dodge. But then, Pak!
‘Huh?’
He thought it would pierce his heart for sure, but something appeared and pushed Mok Gyeong-un away. It was the Demonic Monk.
“How dare you, you Bald monk!”
“…”
The Demonic Monk waved his hands, not knowing what to do. Mok Gyeong-un was also puzzled by this situation. The Demonic Monk, who had been kneeling with his head bowed just a moment ago, had suddenly helped him evade Blue Spirit's attack.
‘Why?’
As he wondered, Blue Spirit clicked her tongue and said.
“Oh? So, you intend to fulfill your duty as a Spirit Guardian?”
“…”
The Demonic Monk couldn't hide his troubled expression. Mok Gyeong-un couldn't help but laugh inwardly at the sight of him looking so cautious even after helping. He didn't know what their relationship was.
For some reason, the Demonic Monk was helping him against his will. This was extremely important in the current situation.
“Demonic Monk!”
Seureureureu!
At Mok Gyeong-un's cry, the Demonic Monk naturally moved to block Blue Spirit. It was clear the Demonic Monk could not refuse Mok Gyeong-un's command. If that was the case, even though her rank was high, it might be possible to make him fight Blue Spirit…
Pak!
He had just thought it might be possible, but Blue Spirit closed the distance in an instant and grabbed the Demonic Monk by the neck.
“Then I’ll kill you both.”
“…”
With his neck caught, the Demonic Monk could not budge. Seeing how he was completely helpless despite being much larger, it seemed to be due to the difference in rank. Not all vengeful spirits were the same.
Gnash, gnash!
Mok Gyeong-un chewed fiercely on the human skin to help the Demonic Monk escape. At that, “Hauk! You’re dying to die, aren’t you.”
Blue Spirit, enraged, contorted her face and brandished her long pipe. The scattered blood droplets once again rose into the air. Whirl, whirl, whirl!
The droplets transformed into sharp thorns and spun rapidly around Mok Gyeong-un. This time, she really seemed intent on finishing him. In that fleeting moment, Mok Gyeong-un’s thoughts flowed in a direction Blue Spirit could never have anticipated.
Gulp!
Mok Gyeong-un swallowed the piece of human skin he had been chewing. !? Seeing this, the blood-red light in Blue Spirit’s eyes wavered. No one had ever put that thing in their mouth and chewed on it, but this was the first time anyone had swallowed it.
“You insane mortal!”
Blue Spirit swung her long pipe toward Mok Gyeong-un. The countless blood droplets that had been surrounding him and spinning rapidly all rushed toward him at once.
Papakpapakpapakpak!
‘Kuk!’
As the sharpened blood droplets dug in, Mok Gyeong-un’s body twisted. As the blood entered his body, it seemed to paralyze not only his nerves but also his muscles, making them move uncontrollably.
“I will tear your body to shreds and pull it out…”
Blue Spirit could not finish her sentence. No, the hand holding the long pipe began to tremble, and her face contorted in agony.
“Wh-what in the…”
Blue Spirit glared at Mok Gyeong-un as if she couldn't understand what was happening. It had been painful when he chewed the human skin, but this was on another level. Her entire body, made of soul, ached as if it were cracking apart.
‘She’s in pain.’
Mok Gyeong-un didn't know the exact reason either. But one thing he knew was that after he forced himself to swallow the human skin, his stomach had become strangely hot.
‘My insides…’
The heat felt as if his five viscera and six bowels were burning up. It was a pain he hadn't felt in a long time, since the first time he had consumed poison in the past. A bitter smile formed on Mok Gyeong-un’s lips.
He was already used to pain that came from within. But it was at that very moment.
Squeeze!
The agonized Blue Spirit suddenly appeared before him and grabbed his neck.
“A mere, lowly mortal!”
Drip, drip.
A strange light appeared in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes. From the eyes of the enraged Blue Spirit, Tears of Blood were streaming down. The sight was chilling, but the depth of her resentment made the term ‘vengeful spirit’ seem fitting.
“How dare someone like you!”
Blue Spirit choked him with both hands. As his breath was cut off, Mok Gyeong-un instinctively grabbed Blue Spirit’s wrists to break free.
Grip!
It was in that very instant. A strange scene appeared in Mok Gyeong-un’s mind. An entire magnificent throne room was stained with blood, and countless people lay brutally slain.
In the center of it all, someone, drenched in blood, leaned on a sword stuck into the floor, panting. That someone was Blue Spirit.
[Hah… hah…]
Blue Spirit was a complete wreck. It wouldn’t have been strange if she had died right then and there. In that state, Blue Spirit turned her head and looked at the throne.
Someone was sitting there arrogantly. Blue Spirit glared with eyes full of hatred at the being whose face was obscured by shadow.
[……]
Blue Spirit coughed up blood and roared at the being on the throne. But strangely, her voice could not be heard. Enraged to the point of vomiting blood, Blue Spirit finally gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.
Then, she tore her clothes, wrapped them around her wrist to secure her grip, and was about to launch herself toward the one on the throne.
Pak!
[!!!!!!!]
But in the blink of an eye, the one from the throne had thrust a hand into Blue Spirit’s chest. Then, the being pulled something out from within Blue Spirit’s chest. It was, ‘A heart?’
A heart, beating thump, thump. How many times in one’s life does one get to see their own heart while still alive? And beyond that, what would it feel like to see one's own heart being crushed by someone else?
Squish!
And with that, “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” A piercing scream tore sharply at his eardrums. Then, the vision he had just seen vanished, and he saw Blue Spirit, her ceremonial crown knocked off, her hair hanging down limply, her face a mask of shock.
‘She was… a woman?’
When she wore the ceremonial crown and exuded a sharp, intimidating aura, it was hard to tell, but seeing her now, she definitely looked like a woman. But why was Blue Spirit reacting like this? As he wondered, Mok Gyeong-un realized that something like a red thread was extending from his body and connecting to her.
‘What is this?’
That wasn't all. The thread was also connected to the Demonic Monk.
‘Could it be?’
He had a rough idea of what this was, but Blue Spirit tore at her hair and shrieked.
“Aaaaaaaah! To think this master has become a Spirit Guardian!”