When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 190
Chapter 190
Sizzle…
“…Ugh…”
A searing pain, like burning flesh, shot through him as the medicine touched his wound.
His nails dug into his palms.
The Mystic Ruler’s face contorted as he gritted his teeth, enduring the pain.
“Mystic Ruler, the wound… it’s not healing…” the First Corps Commander said anxiously, worried about being blamed.
“That bitch’s spiritual power…”
The Mystic Ruler looked at his wound.
The wound, inflicted by the five-colored spiritual power, wasn’t healing, no matter how much medicine he applied.
It was the same as what had happened to his original body.
“She knew about her brothers, yet she had Kyunghyun cripple me like this?! And then she just ran away, worried about her own life, forgetting about the hostages?!”
He thought of Ju Sehwa, who had caused the chaos and disappeared, his anger flaring.
She possessed such immense power, yet she hadn’t even tried to fight the Corrupt Dragon, just run away.
And on top of that, she had blinded the Corrupt Dragon, making things even worse.
Why?! If she was going to fight, she should have fought properly, if she was going to kill him, she should have finished the job. Why?!
He wanted to take her brothers to the border and torture them to death, carving their flesh piece by piece.
But he was also afraid.
‘What if my soul gets trapped in this body, like last time? Then I won’t be able to switch bodies anymore…’
It was a terrifying thought, a very real possibility.
‘I should have had another son…’
His clenched hand trembled.
His bloodline ended with this body.
If he switched bodies now, he might lose his position as Mystic Ruler.
‘Who else is there…? Someone with strong spiritual power… someone I can make the Mystic Ruler, even if they’re not of pure blood…’
His gaze naturally shifted to the First Corps Commander, who was tending to his wound.
The First Corps Commander, sensing his gaze, looked up.
“!”
He quickly lowered his gaze, noticing the Mystic Ruler’s sharp, predatory stare.
But his hands trembled, knowing what that gaze meant.
‘…So it’s finally my turn… No… It can’t be… After all this time…’
As he carefully applied medicine to the wound, his mind raced. He had to divert his master's attention.
“Mystic Ruler, the wound isn’t healing… perhaps you should entrust Elder Sanghyun with your duties until the Corrupt Dragon can heal you.”
“Sanghyun?”
“Yes. He possesses the most spiritual power after you and Elder Myoungyoon.”
“......”
“His bloodline might not be as pure as the Mystic Ruler’s, but he’s still one of the purest in the Ju Clan. He should be able to act as your proxy.”
“Ju Sanghyun… Right… I forgot about him…”
“The Mystic Ruler’s health is paramount. It would be best for you to focus on your recovery while someone else handles your duties.”
As the Mystic Ruler’s eyes narrowed, the First Corps Commander quickly lowered his gaze, hiding his fear and relief.
‘This should divert his attention to Elder Sanghyun for a while…’
But was he safe?
‘If Elder Sanghyun proves unsuitable, his attention might turn back to me…’
But he couldn’t just abandon everything and run.
He glanced at his hands. They were old, his body worn.
If he had to run, he wanted to switch to a younger body first.
‘He’s interested in Elder Sanghyun now, so I should be safe for a while. And my master will also need a new body soon, so if I ask him then, he might grant me another body switch…’
His gaze darted around, his mind racing.
‘I need a young body. Someone who just completed their transformation, someone with a strong capacity for spiritual power… Who’s there…?’
Then he remembered Ju Myoungyoon’s sons.
‘There! They’re perfect!’
His master had threatened to torture and kill them, but…
‘If I pretend to be their older brother after the switch… If I offer to kill Ju Sehwa… it would be a perfect excuse. He might even allow it…’
But his excitement was short-lived. He suddenly felt worried about them, wondering if the collapsed buildings had crushed the hidden chamber they were in.
‘I have to check! Now!’
“Mystic Ruler, this medicine isn’t working… perhaps there’s something else… I’ll go and get a different one. Please wait.”
“Go ahead.”
As soon as he received permission, he rushed out of the room and ran through the hallways, past the burning buildings and those that had miraculously survived.
The gardens between the buildings, which should have been lush and green, were now barren and desolate, the Corrupt Dragon’s energy poisoning the air, making it hard to breathe.
But the First Corps Commander, excited about the prospect of switching bodies, didn’t care and ran towards the hidden chamber.
He was so relieved to see that the building was intact.
It had been built during the early days of the Mystic Realm and was protected by a strong barrier, and since it was located deep within the residence, far from the inauguration hall, it had survived.
He hurriedly entered and descended the stairs, his heart pounding with anticipation, a lantern in his hand.
But…
“......”
…there was no one there.
The chamber was empty, the air cold and stale, as if it had been abandoned for a long time.
He blinked, then stumbled back.
‘W-Who… released them…?’
But did it even matter who had done it?
“That bitch… She’s so worried about her own life that she forgot about the hostages I have… she shouldn’t forget that I can always use them against her…”
His master’s words, his threats…
The First Corps Commander’s face paled.
‘Th-This is bad…’
This wasn't about a new body anymore.
‘If he finds out about this, I’m dead…’
His legs trembling, he ran back up the stairs, his mind racing, calculating what he could take with him.
The thunderous sound of hooves echoed across the plains.
Baek Giha, Sehwa, and the vanguard warriors rode without rest, arriving at the Central River two days earlier than planned.
Perhaps due to the barrier, the riverside was barren, devoid of any greenery, only withered, brown grass.
Sehwa’s eyes narrowed as she looked at a black hemisphere shimmering in the distance.
“That’s the barrier.”
The black spiritual power, like a cage, surrounded the Ju Clan territory.
“If it’s strong enough to kill even the plants on the riverside, then the situation inside must be dire. How is the Corrupt Dragon even enduring the backlash?”
“There’s no backlash?”
“There has to be. There’s always a price to pay. But I don’t understand how he’s enduring it, that excruciating pain, like his body rotting alive…”
“Let’s ride along the river and see if there are any weak points in the barrier.”
They rode side-by-side, leaving the warriors behind, surveying the area.
But the barrier was larger and stronger than they had anticipated.
They couldn't even find a place to start, let alone breach it.
It was then.
Choi Jangmyung approached them, his face urgent.
“That woman is asking for you.”
“That woman? The First Consort?”
Sehwa had brought the First Consort with them in a carriage, along with the vanguard warriors.
She didn’t completely trust her claim about needing the Red Dragon’s Spirit Orb.
But the other consorts seemed to care about her.
So, they had brought her along as a potential hostage.
“Why?”
“I don’t know, but something seems wrong. You should see her.”
“She didn’t want to come here, is she faking it to escape?”
“That’s not it.”
Choi Jangmyung shook his head firmly.
“Her body is rotting.”
Long, manicured fingernails scraped against the window frame of the carriage. Scratch.
“Agh… uh…”
Black spots appeared and disappeared on the First Consort’s face.
Similar spots, emanating a foul odor of decay, appeared and disappeared on her exposed forearms.
After a while, the affected area began to shrink ever so slightly.
The First Consort’s breathing, which she had been holding, grew ragged.
She hadn't wanted to return to the Ju Clan territory.
She had been docile when captured by the Baek Clan, but she had struggled with the warriors when being brought here.
She had dreaded returning to the Ju Clan.
And as expected, even though she hadn’t known the purpose or the nature of the Corrupt Dragon's barrier, she had started feeling the backlash from his actions as they approached the Ju Clan territory.
‘Why… me…?’
Her hand, gripping the window frame, trembled.
‘Why do I have to suffer this?! For how long?!’
Ever since she had become the Corrupt Dragon’s unwilling anchor…
‘The pain is getting worse…’
She and the seven other consorts had been sharing the burden of this pain.
But the other seven were merely supporting her, the First Consort, the true anchor.
‘To think the balance would be so disrupted by the Fifth Consort’s death…’
She had thought the burden would be shared equally among the remaining consorts, but…
The backlash had intensified, focused solely on her.
‘…Am I really doomed to endure the Corrupt Dragon’s pain and curse for eternity?’
There had been a time when she had longed for eternal life.
A time when she had been willing to do anything, even make a deal with a monster, to escape that hidden chamber.
But no one had told her about this pain.
‘What’s the difference between this and being locked up? Back then, I suffered every day. Now, I suffer occasionally?’
“I need the Red Dragon’s Spirit Orb,” she whispered, her eyes burning with a desperate longing.
“It’s the only way to end this.”
Just then, the carriage door opened.
“What’s wrong? Are you alright?”
Crimson eyes appeared in the doorway, and a clear voice called out to her. The First Consort turned her head.
‘I have to get it. Somehow.’
Her gaze, fixed on Sehwa, sharpened.
‘Even if it means killing her!’
Comments
Post a Comment