"Ugh!"
Namgung Tae Wi's groan became louder.
His body jerked back.
As the Sword Saint's body was about to stagger as well since Namgung Tae Wi was holding his hands…
"Oh my, senior. You need to snap out of it."
It was a tired yet oddly rushed voice.
"!"
The Sword Saint snapped back to his senses after feeling that pull.
He saw the pained Namgung Tae Wi as well as one other man.
"You are finally back to your senses?"
Sui Khan. He walked past the Sword Saint and approached Namgung Tae Wi.
As the Sword Saint subconsciously flinched and tried to reach his hand toward Sui Khan…
"It's not good if you get in the way."
The Sword Saint flinched after hearing the tired yet sharp voice.
Sui Khan grabbed one of Namgung Tae Wi's arms as that happened.
Pat.
The Sword Saint then felt a large hand patting his shoulder.
"Take one deep breath. That should be enough."
The Fist King grabbed Namgung Tae Wi's other arm.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The Sword Saint heard Namgung Tae Wi scream like an animal.
This scream that sounded inhumane…
Was this really the child he knew?
As he was about to have that thought…
He took a breath.
"Ah."
This was not subconscious but a conscious breath that he took.
The Sword Saint's gaze changed.
This clear aura that was filling his whole body…
It had the presence of fire, making him feel warm.
Furthermore, it was purer than the internal ki that the Sword Saint had been gathering for decades, clear enough to purify his body.
"...."
He could see red smoke.
Furthermore, something gold was sparkling within that red smoke.
It was as if a golden milky way was sewn into the red night sky.
Was this really something that could be created in this world?
It felt as if he was in a place out of this world, a place where immortals were said to reside.
"…I was foolish."
The Sword Saint started moving.
He did not release any internal ki.
However, he helped the Fist King and Sui Khan.
"Sword Saint. It's effective."
The Sword Saint bit down on his lips at the Fist King's comment.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh—!"
Namgung Tae Wi's voice was slowly getting louder.
His black heart…
Red smoke was seeping into that grotesque thing.
Siiiiiiizzle-!
The red smoke was burning the black heart.
The black threads that had risen all over his body like veins were quickly decreasing.
"I didn't really think he would be purified!"
The Sword Saint focused his eyes after hearing Elder Ho comment in amazement.
The old man focused on his pupils that were now shaking for a different reason and looked at someone.
This red smoke with golden light…
The person who created it…
He was looking at where young master Kim was standing.
"!"
The Sword Saint flinched at that moment.
Young master Kim, who had been standing firm, staggered.
"Do I need to go support him?'
As he was about to move there in shock…
"You don't need to help him."
Sui Khan commented in a laughing voice.
"He already has a reliable guard next to him."
Choi Han grabbed Cale's shoulder.
– Human, no!
Raon used his two chubby front paws and head to support Cale's back.
The two of them, who had remembered Cale staggering like this in Xiaolen while using the heater, had placed themselves near Cale from the beginning.
"Raon."
Choi Han called out to Raon in a low voice.
"It's dead mana, isn't it?"
– That's right!
The black thing covering Namgung Tae Wi's body was definitely dead mana.
– However, it does not seem like pure dead mana.
"What does that mean?"
– It seems like there is something else mixed in with dead mana. It is an extremely evil aura!
"…Does Cale-nim know too?"
– I just told him a few moments ago! But I don't think the human can respond right now!
Choi Han turned toward Cale.
– Something is weird! It's different from last time!
'I know, right?'
When Cale had used the heater in Xiaolen… The heater had left his hand and floated in the air. However, it was different this time.
The heater looked as if it was stuck to Cale's hand and did not want to get away.
'He looks pale.'
Furthermore, he looked much paler than at Xiaolen.
'He also has cold sweats.'
Was it okay like this?
Choi Han contemplated whether he should stop Cale, who was standing there holding the heater with his mouth clenched shut.
However, he could not easily do that.
"Aaaaaah–!"
Namgung Tae Wi's body was quickly being purified.
Furthermore, different from in Xiaolen, this refreshing red smoke was slowly gathering around Namgung Tae Wi like a cocoon.
'We won't be able to see Namgung Tae Wi at all in a bit.'
It was at that moment.
"C… lose-"
Choi Han heard Cale's voice.
He urgently turned toward him to see Cale, who had his eyes slightly open, open toward Namgung Tae Wi with his eyes.
"Yes, Cale-nim."
Choi Han and Raon…
– I'll make him float!
Raon's magic and Choi Han's support slowly moved Cale toward Namgung Tae Wi.
"T, tell them to move..."
Cale watched as Choi Han had the team leader, Sword Saint, and Fist King move away, having understood what he had barely managed to say.
'Fuck!'
Cale checked this and closed his eyes again.
'The efficiency is too low!'
The heater was sucking in the power of Cale's Fire of Destruction nonstop.
The problem was that the amount of Fire of Destruction Cale could release was much weaker than what was being sucked in.
'Hey, hey!'
He called to the Fire of Destruction but there was no response.
The Super Rock was quiet as well.
Same with the water and wind. Everybody was quiet.
It was probably because the sealing had progressed a lot.
'Ah-, I feel a bit better now.'
The amount of power the heater was sucking in decreased a bit as he approached the red fog that had wrapped around Namgung Tae Wi.
Cale could finally stand up straight again.
'The purification will end soon.'
He did purify quite a lot of jiangshis in Xiaolen last time.
Even if this was a living jiangshi, it was only Namgung Tae Wi alone.
That was why it should be enough using just this much of the sealed Fire of Destruction.
'Yes. I've already used basically up to the limit of the seal.'
If he used any more power… It would really be up to the limit.
'That's not good.'
Ooooooooong-
The heater stopped shaking.
Cale slowly opened his eyes.
'It's ending now.'
He had that thought.
"D, did it go well?"
He heard the Sword Saint's shaking voice.
Cale turned toward Namgung Tae Wi, who was not visible because he was surrounded by red smoke.
'Well, I'm sure it'll be fine.'
Even Cale had no idea about the results.
As he debated what he should say…
"Ohhhh!! As expected...!"
Durst stopped pinching his nose and opened up his arms.
"Huff, huff!"
He then started taking deep breaths.
"This refreshing air! The rotten stench is slowly decreasing!"
"Oh, he is being purified!"
It was rare to see Chief Eunuch Wi raise his voice like this to react to Durst.
– Human, that priest gramps really has a dog's nose. His nose is amazing. You need to applaud something of that level.
Cale agreed with Raon but started speaking after seeing everybody relax and start to get excited.
"It is not over yet."
Yes, it was not over yet.
"So wait for n-"
Cale's eyes opened wide.
Ooooooooong-
The heater started shaking again.
It was shaking even more intensely than before.
'What is going on?'
As he thought about what it might be…
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh—!"
Namgung Tae Wi, who was wrapped inside the red smoke as if it was a cocoon, released a desperate scream
"Y, young master Kim!"
"Young master-nim, what is going on?"
The red smoke was shaking.
The tightly wrapped cocoon looked as if it would scatter.
Black aura started rising through it.
It was dead mana.
"Please move back! Hold your breath! You can't let that touch you!"
Choi Han shouted.
Cale looked at the dead mana and started thinking.
'Perhaps-'
When fighting a boss monster, when it looked as if you defeated it… They sometimes had a final something.
''Is that it?'
As Cale blankly had such a thought…
"Ugh!"
Both of Cale's hands were wrapped around the heater as he clutched forward.
It could not be helped.
'Fuck!'
The heater had started pulling Cale's power into it again.
Cale clenched his eyes shut.
He got chills on his back.
'This might be bad?'
The Fire of Destruction.
There was only a little bit until the limits of that power.
But it kept taking more of it.
Red smoke came out of the heater.
The rose gold smoke was even more radiant than before.
"Ah-"
Elder Ho gasped at that smoke but Cale did not hear him.
– Human, human! Are you okay?
'No! I'm not okay!'
Cale had an ominous feeling that something bad might happen to the point that he wished he could respond that way to Raon.
Boom. Boom.
His heart was beating wildly.
– H, human! Are you okay? Your face is very pale! It is the whitest I have ever seen it!
His hands were shaking while holding the heater.
Crackle-
However, radiant rose gold light continued to rise from his hands.
Furthermore, the red smoke released even more gold light as it attacked Namgung Tae Wi.
"Ohhhh! Purification!"
Durst knelt down on the floor and shouted.
The black heart was covered by red smoke.
A heart's original color…
It looked as if it might be returning to that red color.
Siiiizzle—!
The black color quickly disappeared.
Grey ashes fluttered around Namgung Tae Wi.
That sight was chaotic but radiant.
"Ah."
Multiple people gasped but Cale did not hear them.
'I, I can't do anymore!'
He tried to take his hand away from the heater.
He had no power left to use.
The so-called limit was an approximate amount; it did not mean an actual limit.
However, he was truly at his limit now.
Ooooooooong!
The moment the heater shook intensely as if it understood Cale's thoughts…
Huff!
Cale took a deep breath.
'Shit!'
The heater was trying to suck it in.
It was trying to even suck the sealed power.
The tightly sealed Fire of Destruction… For Cale, the sensation of the ancient powers being sealed was like different sized rocks placed in his body.
Of course, the portions of the powers that had not turned into rocks were still flowing through Cale's body.
And one of the large rocks was the seal for the Fire of Destruction.
The heater was trying to suck that rock in.
'No!'
His gut was telling him it would be bad.
It was telling him that if this seal was sucked in or broken, something bad would happen.
'Fuck—!'
His chin stiffened.
He needed to pull the heater away.
Forget the purification, he could not let this continue.
It was at that moment.
Ooooooooong!
The heater shook intensely…
"I'm sorry, Cale-nim. It can't go on like this."
He heard Choi Han's voice, and…
– Hmm? When did I fall asleep?
He heard someone else's voice.
It was a voice he had not heard in a while.
– the heart was beating so wildly, so I was wondering what was going on. What happened to noonim?
The Indestructible Shield.
The existence that had been embraced by that glutton priestess…
The red heart that was drawn on the shield…
– What the hell? Why do you look so terrible?
The old man sounded confused before he shouted.
– Your plate is going to break at this rate!
The old man, the ancient power, must have been extremely anxious as he sounded almost teary.
– I'll deal with everything else after saving you!
He then shouted.
– Let's regenerate!
The heater stopped moving at that moment.
It was finally done.
Smack!
Someone smacked the heater away.
"I'm sorry."
It was Choi Han.
"Ah, Tae Wi, Tae Wi!"
"…My goodness, the black light has disappeared. For him to truly be purified-"
The Sword Saint's amazed voice and Elder Ho's gasp of admiration reached Cale's ears.
While that was going on, the ancient power was speaking in his mind.
– I'm going to amplify the power of the heart! The blood will flow through your body!
'Fuck.'
The Vitality of the Heart.
The moment that crybaby shouted…
Cale felt something shooting up from his heart.
– Human, human! Are you okay? Why can't you open your eyes despite the heater being smacked away?
He wanted to respond to Raon, but…
it was impossible.
He was trying to cover his mouth however he could.
He was trying everything in order to not open his mouth.
But he could not do that.
The crybaby commented.
– …You'll feel a bit better if you cough up blood.
'Damn it!'
Cale could not hold it in anymore.
"Cough!"
His body plopped down.
Cale barely managed to open his eyes.
– Your body feels better, right?
Yes, his body did feel better.
However, Cale could see blood continuing to pour out of his mouth.
Dark red blood.
"Cough, cough."
He wanted to say something but blood continued to pour out.
His inside and his body started feeling better.
– I'll work hard since noonim and the hyung-nims are all sleeping! Just trust me! I'll definitely make sure that you don't die!
The voice of the crybaby sharing his firm resolve…
Cale's heart was beating wildly in between the words.
'…Fuck.'
Cale clenched his eyes after getting an ominous feeling.
"Cale-nim!"
"Rok Soo!"
"Human!"
"Young master-nim!"
Cale wanted to say something after hearing one voice after another.
He wanted to say that he was fine.
However, blood continued to fill his mouth and flow out, making it impossible to speak.
This was the first time he had coughed up so much blood.
'Seriously.
This is driving me nuts.'
—
Translator's Comments
Here comes the blood!