Chapter 125 - The Black Flame Dragon Who Gives an Opportunity (5)

Seeing the space where everything in all directions was entirely white, Eun Seollan let out a small sigh.

They said it was a deadly array that drove people mad and killed them with nothingness (虛無), but she never expected to experience those words firsthand.

"How... did it end up like this?"

Her sect, which had established its foundation in the North Sea, had no reason to install complex arrays, and she, who would no longer be active in Jianghu once her mandatory service ended, had no reason to ever be trapped in an array. Yet, the reason she had specifically applied for this event was out of a small hope that she might gain at least something, as she had nowhere to lean on in Jianghu.

"I shouldn't have entered this place."

If she had to pinpoint an indirect cause, it was because of Hong Saryeon, who had entered with her. And if she had to pinpoint the direct cause, it was herself, who had gotten distracted by the floral scent coming from Hong Saryeon's body and taken a step backward.

Upon entering a space where neither objects nor smells could be felt, body odors she normally couldn't smell were strongly perceived. Unlike Saryeon, she had been startled by the smell of sweat coming from her own body and had merely taken one step back, only for the people standing in front and behind her to vanish without a trace.

"Haa..."

Originally, her relationship with Saryeon had not been this uncomfortable.

Her sect, the Ice Palace, was a sect located at the very bottom of the 108 Peaks, just like the Taiyi Sect.

In the past, a legendary expert known as the Sosu Divine Maiden was their founding ancestor, and her signature supreme art, the Sosu Divine Art, had been passed down through the generations. However, in reality, no one after the Sosu Divine Maiden had ever learned the Sosu Divine Art beyond the fourth stage.

The absence of an expert had caused the sect to decline, and nowadays, they were frequently mocked with remarks like, 'They live in an Ice Cave instead of an Ice Palace.'

Because of that, she might have been able to quickly become friends with Saryeon out of a shared feeling of commiseration.

'But too much has changed.'

The reason their relationship became strained...

To be exact, Eun Seollan began to distance herself from Saryeon ever since the name of Saryeon's Eldest Senior Brother, the 'Black Flame Dragon', started making waves in Jianghu.

While he saved thousands of people at the Demonic Spirit Plateau, received acknowledgment from the Wind God Breaking Sword at the Dragon-Phoenix Summit, and stormed through the standard exam like a hurricane, Eun Seollan felt a growing distance from Saryeon.

The academy students who used to look at Saryeon and herself with indifference gradually began to take an interest in Saryeon.

The Black Flame Dragon was practically an object of admiration for the disciples belonging to the 108 Peaks.

It wasn't that she didn't admire the Black Flame Dragon either. However, the fact that he was Saryeon's reliable senior brother...

And the fact that a senior brother like the Black Flame Dragon did not exist for Eun Seollan caused her to pull away from Saryeon.

"An ugly wretch always ends up doing ugly things on her own."

Hong Saryeon remained the same as before, even as the names of the Black Flame Dragon and the Taiyi Sect were on everyone's lips.

No, she had actually even offered to introduce the Black Flame Dragon to Eun Seollan.

Saying that the Black Flame Dragon had heard Eun Seollan's story and wanted to meet her.

However, to Eun Seollan, whose vision was already clouded by a twisted sense of inferiority, even that did not sound good.

Why would a grand rising star shaking up the Murim want to meet Eun Seollan when there was nothing special to see?

It was all just Saryeon being considerate.

"Huu."

And those numerous feelings of inferiority had created this current situation.

A desperate situation where she couldn't even resent anyone.

"So I'm going to die like this in the end..."

Eun Seollan let out a sigh as she put her hand into her empty fasting pill pouch.

When she first entered the Soul-Extinguishing Array, she wondered why they had given her a day and a night's worth of fasting pills and water, but if she hadn't had them, Eun Seollan would have starved to death long ago.

But now, even those were completely gone, and she couldn't even remember how long it had been since she last put any food in her mouth.

"Haha... Haha."

As she felt death approaching, an awkward laugh slipped out. However, that laugh could not spread far. It was quickly buried within the silence and emptiness (空虛).

The perfect silence she had never experienced in her entire life was enough to make Eun Seollan feel an unfamiliar terror.

VWOOM.

As she drew upon the Sosu Divine Art, white steam flowed from her two hands.

Only after placing those hands against both of her cheeks did Eun Seollan feel that she was still alive.

'In the end, I couldn't even uncover the secret of the Sosu Divine Art.'

She hadn't thought she would be able to solve a secret that no one had been able to uncover for hundreds of years.

However, the reason regrets still lingered despite that...

...was the fact that she was dying without even being able to attempt solving the secret by being active in the Murim Alliance and meeting experts of ice arts and fire arts.

To feel that she was alive one last time right before dying, Eun Seollan used the Sosu Divine Art over and over again. Her faint internal energy quickly hit bottom, and the cold energy gradually began to weaken.

As all the internal energy in her Dantian disappeared, the strength drained completely from her body.

Because the only sensation of life (生) she could feel right now was the Sosu Divine Art, she forcibly squeezed her empty Dantian.

As if desperately clinging to life.

CRACKLE.

Startled by the sound coming from her own hand, she pulled her hands away from her cheeks.

"What... is this..."

Instead of white steam flowing out, a thin layer of ice had formed on her palms.

"..."

Stopping the Sosu Divine Art, she slowly brought her palms together and melted the ice with her hands.

The ice that had formed in her hands quickly turned into a mouthful of water.

"Ah... Ah..."

Reviving the sensation from just moments ago, Eun Seollan circulated the Sosu Divine Art.

CRACKLE.

Ice formed as if modeling the shape of her palms.

Without even thinking to wet her already parched lips, Eun Seollan began to shed salty tears.

After the Sosu Divine Maiden died without passing down her teachings, no one had properly mastered the Sosu Divine Art.

After a whopping four hundred years, Eun Seollan, who was dying in the Boundless Indestructible Soul-Extinguishing Array, had uncovered the secret of the Sosu Divine Art.

"Sob... Sob..."

How happy would the people of the Ice Palace be if they knew this fact, how overjoyed would her father and mother, who led the Ice Palace, be?

At the same time, her own predicament of having to die here without being able to pass on this enlightenment was incredibly lamentable.

"Damn it... *sob sob* this damn world!"

Eun Seollan spat out a curse she had never once uttered in her entire life.

The ice crystals that flowed from her palms and were haphazardly scattered dispersed in all directions and vanished.

"It would have been better if the enlightenment never came at all... *sob*."

Rather than the death immediately facing her, the fact that she could not deliver the secret upset her even more.

Just as she was indignantly spitting out curses at the absurdity of the world.

"Shouldn't you be happy that enlightenment came?"

"!!!!"

At the sudden voice, Eun Seollan's eyes went wide like a rabbit's.

Turning her head so fast her neck nearly broke, she looked to see a man, dressed entirely in black with a black sword, tilting his head with a bewildered expression.

"B-Black Flame Dragon... G-Great Warrior?"

"You're Eun Seollan, right?"

"Y-You know me?"

The moment her name was mentioned from his mouth, Eun Seollan's heart began to beat like crazy.

"I heard a lot about you from Saryeon. But did I take away an important moment?"

The Black Flame Dragon looked at the ice crystals gripped in Eun Seollan's hand.

"N-No. I already got the feel for it and finished organizing my thoughts."

"Then shall we get out of here now?"

"O-Out of here?"

The man looked like a black dot situated in the middle of a giant blank sheet of paper. Eun Seollan couldn't gather her wits at his words.

"I understand your greed to gain more enlightenment, but I'm quite worried about your physical condition. It seems you've finished all your food and water too. Aren't you tired?"

"I-I want to leave! I want to get out of this place!"

The Black Flame Dragon smiled as warmly as a painting.

"Then let's go."

As the Black Flame Dragon walked past her and took the lead, Eun Seollan tried to walk swiftly this time so as not to lose him.

"Ouch."

However, her already exhausted body refused to listen.

"Would it be okay if I carried you on my back? If you take another wrong step this time, I don't know when I'll be able to find you again."

Being held by a man—wasn't that something she had only seen in books? Before a flustered Eun Seollan could even answer, the Black Flame Dragon hoisted her onto his back.

Unlike how it appeared from the outside, his back was broad, firm... and warm.

"Hold on just a little bit, we'll be able to get out soon."

"... Um, by the way, Great Warrior..."

"Calling me Great Warrior is a bit ticklish, you know?"

"Ah. I-I'm sorry. Then what should I call you. Senior?"

"We're in the same class. Senior is awkward too. Since you're Saryeon's friend, how about just calling me brother?"

"W-Would that really be okay?"

Eun Seollan felt as if a rush of heat was rising to her face.

"If you're Saryeon's friend, you're practically my younger sister too. But why did you call out to me?"

Eun Seollan completely forgot what question she had intended to ask in the first place.

Because the words 'my younger sister' and 'brother' wildly multiplied in her head, causing her thoughts to come to a halt.

"I-I forgot."

"Alright, let's think about the question after we get out."

In the complete silence (寂寞) and empty space, Eun Seollan was no longer lonely, isolated, or despairing.

* * *

"Thanks to you, I can take a breather."

At Zhuge Somyeong's words, the eyes of the White-Handed Divine Sword, Hyuk Mugang, widened.

"Haha, it seems that boy Jin Sowoon truly is special."

"Because even I had absolutely no way to deal with it."

Zhuge Somyeong wore a complicated expression, but the faint smile lingering on his lips did not disappear.

To Hyuk Mugang, that sight itself was nothing short of astonishing.

Was Zhuge Somyeong the type of person to express gratitude? From the start, he was someone who gave to others; he wasn't someone who ever lacked anything enough to ask for a favor.

"It was the first time I've ever seen a report with such perfect justification regarding budget allocation."

Because he was someone who strictly adhered to principles and rules, following his ironclad rules paradoxically made the impossible possible.

"Anyway, thanks to the Alliance Leader's Pavilion lending us the budget, I can finally take a breather."

"The Manager of the Alliance Leader's Pavilion was already foaming at the mouth. Asking what they're supposed to do now."

As Hyuk Mugang subtly let out a complaint, Zhuge Somyeong nodded.

"I will draw up a budget and return it to you as quickly as possible. And it would be best to create a separate reserve fund starting next year."

"That boy Jin Sowoon is truly changing a lot of things about the Chief Strategist."

At Hyuk Mugang's teasing, Zhuge Somyeong nodded.

"It can't be helped, can it? Although he didn't write it directly, he tied it to the entity that appeared in the Puyang Plains as a metaphor for the 'Demonic Cult,' so I had absolutely no justification to refuse."

"But thanks to that, you're already seeing unexpected results?"

"I heard a layer of the seal on the Sosu Divine Art has been undone."

"Hoh... That is a joyous occasion. The Ice Palace will surely be pleased as well."

After briefly matching the rhythm of the conversation, Zhuge Somyeong drained a cup of tea and brought up the main topic.

"By the way, I heard the Alliance Leader is also attending the Soul-Extinguishing Array demonstration tomorrow?"

"Yes, for some reason I found myself growing curious as well. Just what kind of array it could be."

Nodding as if to say that was understandable, Zhuge Somyeong's eyes flashed as he spoke.

"Then I suppose I'll have to stick right by your side and assist you."

At Zhuge Somyeong's words, Hyuk Mugang's brow furrowed faintly.

"I heard the Chief... Strategist was too busy to go..."

"If the Alliance Leader is going, how could I not go?"

"No, since when have you ever..."

"It seems the Alliance Leader is uncomfortable with me going?"

"That's... not it, but..."

"As expected, is it more convenient for you if I'm not there so you can meet Jin Sowoon?"

"..."

Hyuk Mugang was rendered speechless by Zhuge Somyeong's sudden, probing question, as if he had eaten honey, and Zhuge Somyeong raised an eyebrow as he looked at such a Hyuk Mugang.

"I, I...! I knew it would be like this! Trying to climb up onto the stove first like a quiet cat!"

Hyuk Mugang also felt quite displeased at Zhuge Somyeong's words. Wasn't he the one who pushed forward a whopping thirty thousand nyang of gold when an emergency budget was needed this time?

Did it make sense that someone like him couldn't even have a private meeting with Jin Sowoon?

"Aren't you being a bit too harsh, Chief Strategist? It's not like I'm trying to steal him away..."

"They say human psychology dictates that if you see something, you want to touch it, and if you touch it, you want to possess it. Absolutely not."

"... Ahem. Goodness. I just said I want to meet him..."

Hyuk Mugang simply couldn't hold back his curiosity about the skills that had managed to captivate even Zhuge Somyeong.

This time, he had no intention of backing down easily either.

"If you're going to be like that... then I will also step down from my position as Chief Strategist."

"What! Where is this coming from all of a sudden!"

"This old servant is already exhausted, and the days until I become a lonely ghost are numbered. It is about time I return to my hometown. I was trying to discover and nurture a talent suitable for the Mantong Bureau and Simhyeon Pavilion before returning, but since you are interfering like this, it must mean you can do without me."

"Wow..."

If Zhuge Somyeong disappeared from the Murim Alliance right this instant, it was certain that countless political struggles would surface and explode, and it was clear that the Murim Alliance would be torn to pieces.

It was absolutely imperative that he remained.

"I understand. I understand. I will not harbor even the slightest thought of taking Jin Sowoon to the Alliance Leader's Pavilion, so please don't say such terrible things."

"You are bestowing such vast grace, like the boundless sea, upon this insignificant one, so I do not know how I should ever repay you."

Watching Zhuge Somyeong express his gratitude with an even more deeply moved expression than when he thanked him for lending the thirty thousand nyang earlier, Hyuk Mugang could only think, *'Dirty and petty.' *

* * *

"Huu..."

A sigh leaked out.

I had told her so many times, so why wouldn't she listen?

"Please put it on."

The head maid held out the silk robes as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Why did you embroider this useless pattern again?"

Countless characters for 'Top Student' were embroidered along the edges of the sleeves, hiding while 'pretending' to be a pattern.

"Didn't you say the higher-ups from the Alliance are coming today?"

"What does that have to do with this? This isn't even an official event."

After Eun Seollan, who was in the third group entering the Soul-Extinguishing Array, gained enlightenment inside the array and solved the secret of the Sosu Divine Art that no one had been able to solve until now.

The hundred spots, which seemed like they would never be filled, were all taken in just one day.

'In addition, I also established a connection with the Sosu Jade Maiden.'

If there was one greatest achievement, it was unquestionably that I was able to build a relationship with the Sosu Jade Maiden.

Wasn't she the Sosu Jade Maiden, the one who would change the Ice Palace into the North Sea Ice Palace and display such invincible divine might that the Demonic Cult wouldn't be able to invade the North Sea?

'Since she says she's close with Saryeon, maybe I should try coaxing her into joining the White Wolf Pavilion later.'

Of course, it wouldn't be easy, but it was definitely worth a try.

Anyway, this incident sparked heightened interest in the Soul-Extinguishing Array within the Alliance as well, and the academy wanted to invite the Elder's Hall and the Pavilion Masters to hold a demonstration.

"If high-ranking figures are coming, the one who should naturally stand out is you, Young Master. If you do not catch their eye during an opportunity like this, your future advancement will also be difficult."

"I have no interest in career advancement. If I had been interested in career advancement, I wouldn't have even considered turning the Nine Sects and One Gang or the Five Great Noble Clans into my enemies in the first place."

"Therefore, given the situation, shouldn't you make yourself stand out even more? Appearances dominate people much more than you think, Young Master. If you show a sovereign-like appearance, more people will be inspired by it and wish to join you."

While we were talking, I felt something strange. Even if she permanently resided in the academy as the head maid, how did she know the affairs among the academy students so well?

"How do you know the inside story so well?"

"... I am someone who assists you, Young Master. These are naturally things I must know."

The head maid, who parted her lips as if she had more to say, soon closed her mouth, and I didn't ask any further.

"Anyway, I'm not wearing it."

"You must put it on! Girls, close the door!"

"... Just what is your intention behind wanting to dress me up to this extent?"

At my question, the head maid let out a small sigh.

"My child had a deep ambition for martial arts (武) from a young age. Since my husband and I also made our living in the Alliance, we didn't have any major objections either. So, to give my child an opportunity, we had him take the entrance exams for renowned sects, but he failed them all."

It was a common story. As talents flocked to renowned sects, the entrance competition for places evaluated as decent sects continued to soar endlessly.

"The child who used to be so happy just learning at the martial arts hall when he was young seemed to have definitively concluded his own limits at some point. And even seeing him despair as he faced that wall, there was nothing we could do for him."

The gap that forms from the very start. And the walls that make it impossible to narrow that gap always break down the people who try to make new attempts.

"Recently, my child began diligently attending the martial arts hall again. The reason he trains every single day without rest and has come to harbor hope for the future is..."

The head maid looked at me with wavering eyes.

"It is all thanks to you, Young Master Jin."

"..."

"I sincerely hope you continue to ride a wave of success, Young Master. And I hope you become a good role model for my son. However, because you are such a humble person, it seems my wish simply cannot be fulfilled. I understand. I will have another outfit prepared."

"..."

The head maid, who sighed after finishing her story, showed an exhausted expression she never normally displayed.

I picked up the robe and examined it closely.

"Next time, I would like it if you could make these characters look a little more like a pattern."

"!"

The middle-aged maid's face brightened radiantly.

I don't know why, but I feel like I've been played a little.

"Of course, that doesn't mean I'm going to wear it all the time. Just make it less noticeable, please."

The head maid nodded repeatedly.

"Understood."

And so, in the end, I put on the 'Top Student' ceremonial robes and stepped out to the Grand Equestrian Ground.

The vicinity was packed tightly with a sea of academy students who had flocked there to catch a glimpse of the high-ranking figures from the Alliance.

As I pushed my way through them, Group 6, which had finished their theory class yesterday and was scheduled to enter the Soul-Extinguishing Array today, was waiting.

However, even though the demonstration was about to begin, the atmosphere was somehow chaotic.

Moreover, the number of people gathered was far too large to simply be onlookers.

The Nine Sects and One Gang, the Five Great Noble Clans, and the key members of the Twelve Peaks and Castles, who seemed like they would never even come near here, were all gathered.

As I entered the Grand Equestrian Ground, Yu Jiryang's group, who had been talking with the academy administrators, ran toward me.

"You've arrived."

"There are more people than I thought. Is the Murim Alliance Leader perhaps coming?"

"Yes. That is correct."

"Pardon?"

As if the news of the Murim Alliance Leader coming was no big deal, Yu Jiryang immediately brought up his next point.

"More importantly, we have a huge problem."

"... A bigger problem?"

What could possibly be a bigger problem than meeting the Murim Alliance Leader, whose face was hard to see even once in a lifetime?

"It seems... the personnel from the Nine Sects and One Gang secretly entered the Soul-Extinguishing Array and haven't been able to come out."

"... These crazy bastards."