< Chapter 22. Shadow Walkers (3) Was it said that when a person is consumed by extreme fear, they lose control of their sphincter and bladder? With her eyes rolled back and foaming at the mouth, the fainted Ling Hwa-yang had even wet herself. -Trickle! Watching this, Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue.
“Hmm. It seems that not feeling pain and feeling fear are two different things.”
As Mok Gyeong-un smacked his lips in disappointment, the voice of Blue Spirit entered his ears. -Mortal, I think I know your true calling.
“What?” -You seem perfectly suited to be a torturer.
Frightening someone like that, anyone would break. No. They would confess everything before the torture even began.
“You think so?” -You are very good at instilling fear.
In any case, you've mastered such things.
“I wasn't just trying to scare her.”
Mok Gyeong-un shrugged his shoulders and said nonchalantly. -…What? Did he really intend to show me the sight of him peeling off all her skin? If so, that's truly a foul hobby.
At this, Blue Spirit clicked her tongue, dumbfounded. -In any case, you're not in your right mind. To her reaction, Mok Gyeong-un laughed and said.
“It's a joke. A joke.” -As if.
“No. As much as I enjoy the sight of blood, there's no way I would do something so inefficient.” -Inefficient?
“Yes. Should I say it's a waste of time? It takes too long. And if she dies while I'm peeling off her skin, it would be such a letdown.” -…Why do I get the feeling you would do it if you had the chance?
Doubt arises.
In this man's eyes, is there any difference between a human being and an animal, an insect, or an object? This mortal's perception of death was completely different from others. Just then, Mok Gyeong-un spoke.
“Still, I learned one thing.” -What is that?
“It seems that even if there is no pain, fear cannot be controlled.”
Since she had confidently said she felt no pain, he had tested whether she would also be free of fear or terror. If that were truly possible, it would have been quite interesting. However, contrary to Mok Gyeong-un's hopes, Ling Hwa-yang could not overcome her fear and fainted.
To this, Blue Spirit said. -For a living being, emotion is a realm that cannot be controlled, no matter how much one trains.
“That might be so.”
He could not deny it. Even if it wasn't just about fear. After his grandfather's death, the rage lurking in his heart had not diminished in the slightest with the passage of time, but only grew larger.
It was like seething lava. At this rate, he could not predict what he might do, or when.
“Aah. By the way, why did this person come to my room and try to do this?” -What?
You mean trying to perform the act of reproduction with you, mortal?
“... That's a very direct and interesting way to put it.” -Why are you acting so innocent all of a sudden?
Mok Gyeong-un shrugged at Blue Spirit's words. At that, she said mockingly. -In any case, whether it was an act of reproduction or whatever, if she was trying a seduction ploy, it was truly a waste of effort. The mortal she had observed so far was not a man who would fall for such a thing.
He never accepts anything at face value. Even if it was goodwill with no ulterior motives whatsoever, Mok Gyeong-un would harbor deep suspicion. In a way, he was a type that was quite difficult to deceive.
“Anyway, I should wake her up and ask why she did this. For some reason, I doubt she would do something like this without a motive.” -I agree with that.
Approaching him knowing his name already implied a purpose. That purpose was definitely not a physical conversation. -Thump! Mok Gyeong-un pressed his foot firmly into the center of her chest.
“Now. It's time to wake up.”
At that, the fainted woman soon began to cough and woke up.
“Cough, cough!”
Upon waking, she stared blankly ahead for a moment, then her eyes met Mok Gyeong-un's, and she flinched in surprise, averting her gaze. The fear, once sown, seemed to be lodged deep in her heart and did not disappear in an instant. She hurriedly touched her own skin with her hands.
And then she felt relieved.
‘Haa.’
If she had opened her eyes to find the skin of her entire body peeled off, she truly wouldn't have been able to bear it. Fortunately, that was not yet the case. Looking down at her, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said.
“Do you feel relieved?” -Flinch!
“You have to be awake for me to see the expression you make when I peel off your skin.”
‘Th-this madman...’
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, goosebumps covered her entire body. After her body became unable to feel pain, she thought that fear had disappeared. But this man was truly beyond the bounds of normalcy.
His way of thinking was completely different. -Thump!
Thump! Thump!
Her heart began to pound like mad again. At that, Mok Gyeong-un snickered and spoke again.
“It would be troublesome if you fainted again.”
At these words, she unwittingly let out words she should not have said.
“P-please!”
‘Huh?’
What did I just say? Did I just beg? In the process of becoming an agent of the Shadow Walkers, she had received so much training.
If captured by the enemy, one must never open their mouth, no matter the torture, and in the worst-case scenario, take one's own life. That was the basic guideline for all agents of the Shadow Walkers, regardless of rank. -Grit! Ling Hwa-yang bit her lip hard.
It was shameful. After her body became unable to feel pain, her emotions had withered, and she had filled that void with the pleasure derived from the pain or death of others. Even so, she had believed she was not afraid of pain or death.
But it seemed that wasn't the case. It seemed the emotion of fear had been hiding in a corner of her heart.
‘In the end, I was no different.’
She too was an ordinary human, nothing special. Her expression dazed, she soon looked at Mok Gyeong-un and spoke as if she had composed herself.
“Just kill me.”
“That might be difficult. The restriction for this gate is 'no killing'.”
“...”
“However, I can make you one promise.”
“A promise?”
“If you just answer my questions, I will skip this enjoyable process and let you go.”
A tone as if bestowing a great favor. It was a proposal that seemed tempting for a moment. However, Ling Hwa-yang did not answer.
At her attitude, Mok Gyeong-un snickered and asked.
“The question is simple. Did you come of your own will? Or did someone send you?”
“...”
“Your lips have suddenly become heavy.”
“...”
Having just overcome her fear and composed her mind, did he think she would open her mouth so easily? An agent of the Shadow Walkers does not divulge information, even if it means death. She spoke with eyes full of venom.
“I'll be waiting for you in hell.”
With those words, she opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. And tried to bite it.
However, -Clang!
“Ump!”
Something hard wrapped between her teeth, preventing her from biting her tongue.
‘Wh-what is this?’
She couldn't see anything. But this thing clamped between her teeth was incredibly hard. What in the world is it?
While she was bewildered, Mok Gyeong-un said something incomprehensible.
“So-ha. You said you wanted a body, right?”
‘!?’
What is he talking about? Is there someone else here besides them? She couldn't feel any presence. -Shudder!
Just then, a sudden chill ran down her spine. Something cold and creepy seemed to be stroking her hair, making her seize up. In that moment, Ling Hwa-yang doubted her own eyes. -Creep, creep!
A blurry form of something appeared upside down before her eyes. It was a girl with half-white hair, and the pupils of her eyes, which looked completely white, were terrifyingly eerie. The girl descended upside down, getting closer and closer, but no matter how she looked at her, she did not feel human.
‘Gh... gho...’
“Mmph, mmph!”
Ling Hwa-yang twisted her body, trying to get up. But Mok Gyeong-un's foot was pinning her down, and something was restraining her entire body, so she could not move at all.
‘Don't come! Don't coooome!’
Her fear was so extreme that the capillaries in her eyes burst, staining the whites red. -Sliiiide! Finally, for the first time in her life, she experienced something entering her body. It was on a completely different level from the sensations felt by the five senses.
“Ughk... ugh-ghk.”
Before long, the veins all over her body bulged out darkly, and her whole body convulsed violently.
Two people were walking quickly down the corridor. They were Mok Yu-cheon and Ma-sang, a spy from the Righteous Alliance's Shadow Walkers. The place they were hurrying to was none other than Mok Gyeong-un's room.
“Damn it. I hope we're not too late.”
Ma-sang muttered in an annoyed tone. To his words, Mok Yu-cheon gave no reply. That was because he had finally confessed to Ma-sang that Mok Gyeong-un was his half-brother.
If it were up to him, he wouldn't have wanted to tell him. However, he couldn't just stand by and watch the man die, unable to do anything, with his tendons and dantian destroyed. So, he had prostrated himself and apologized to Ma-sang as he confessed the truth.
At first, Ma-sang could not contain his anger.
[That madman is the third young master of the Lotuswood Sword Manor?]
He was even dumbfounded. However, at Mok Yu-cheon's repeated apologies, he barely managed to suppress those feelings. Who would have known that the one who drove the agents of the Shadow Walkers to their deaths was a child from a prestigious righteous path family.
Ma-sang said in a hushed voice.
“Mok Yu-cheon. Can you keep your word?”
“... I'll do my best.”
“Doing your best is not enough. If the situation weren't like this, I would have deemed him a hindrance to the mission and eliminated him, regardless of your request.”
This was the truth. Whether he was from the righteous path or not, they had suffered too much because of Mok Gyeong-un. The man was extremely dangerous, and for the sake of the future, it was right to eliminate him.
However, only four agents of the Shadow Walkers remained. The probability of accomplishing the mission had become far too low.
“You must persuade that man, Mok Gyeong-un. If only to ensure that the deaths of those who were sacrificed at his hands were not in vain.”
“I understand.”
Mok Yu-cheon vowed in a firm voice. What Ma-sang, no, the spy from the Shadow Walkers, wanted was just one thing. It wasn't a sincere apology from Mok Gyeong-un, but for the two brothers to become temporary agents of the Shadow Walkers and complete the mission with them.
‘Can I persuade him?’
To be honest, it wasn't a matter of being half-convinced; he had no confidence at all. But he had to succeed. Even if the man had changed from before, he didn't think his rational judgment would have become clouded.
If it had, he wouldn't have survived this place.
‘Even if he's changed, he's still a man of the righteous path.’
I don't think he would have forgotten his roots. Mok Yu-cheon thought he should emphasize this point to persuade him. Perhaps this was an opportunity.
If they helped the Shadow Walkers, the spies of the Righteous Alliance, and played a crucial role in the downfall of the Heaven and Earth Society, they might be able to erase the shame of the Lotuswood Sword Manor sealing its gates.
‘Yes. He'll want that too.’
Mok Yu-cheon organized in his mind how he would steer the conversation. In the meantime, they arrived in front of Mok Gyeong-un's room.
But, ‘Huh?’
The two men standing before the door looked at each other, puzzled. No presence could be felt from inside the room. At this, Mok Yu-cheon asked.
“... Didn't you say one of the agents had already made a move?”
“She did. That's why we hurried, wasn't it?”
They had hurried with quick steps, afraid that using their light body technique in the hallway would draw too much attention. Puzzled, they opened the door.
‘Oh?’
As expected, there was no one inside. However, the bed in the room was broken, and the place was a considerable mess. They could tell at a glance that something had happened inside.
Seeing this, Mok Yu-cheon said with a darkened face.
“Don't tell me we're too late?”
“...”
To that question, Ma-sang surveyed the room before answering.
“I don't know for sure yet. If that woman had completed her mission, that man Mok Gyeong-un should be half-crippled on the bed.”
“But they're both gone.”
“... Perhaps she took him to the captain.”
“Captain?”
“Yes.”
Among the surviving spies of the Shadow Walkers, there was a captain who led them. He was the one who had ordered them to deal with Mok Gyeong-un. Ma-sang spoke in a slightly apologetic tone.
“We don't know yet, so just be patient. Let's go see the captain.”
“... Alright.”
They closed the door to Mok Gyeong-un's room and went downstairs. He said the captain of the infiltrated Shadow Walkers spies was staying in the room at the far right end of the second floor. They were on the fourth floor.
As they were heading down, -Murmur, murmur! Down on a lower floor, a group of boys had gathered in the central area, and there was some kind of commotion. Wondering what was happening, Ma-sang froze, unable to go down, his face flustered.
“What's wrong?”
“This is damn...”
“What?”
The red-belted guards were dragging out a blood-soaked boy. And that wasn't all; another boy, with one leg cut off, was also being held by both arms by the red-belted guards. Ma-sang looked at them, at a loss for what to do.
At this, Mok Yu-cheon whispered.
“What in the world?”
To that question, Ma-sang gritted his teeth and whispered.
“... Both of them are our agents.”
‘!?’
Those two were none other than agents of the Shadow Walkers. What in the world was going on? As he wondered, “Hahahahahahat!
To find the spies, this is all your achievement!” The red-belted guards who had captured them were laughing heartily, patting someone on the back and praising them. That person was, ‘Mok Gyeong-un?’
Mok Yu-cheon's face froze in an instant.