When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 208
Chapter 208
Sehwa, despite the chaos, focused on the First Consort.
The Corrupt Dragon, his eyes blazing with fury, lunged at her. His massive body moved with surprising speed, circling behind her in a flash, and then, a barrage of black strands of miasma shot out, the air crackling with sinister energy.
Crack!
Sehwa, her gaze cold and calm, met the attack head-on, her hand moving in a swift, diagonal slash.
KABOOM—!!
A powerful shockwave exploded outwards, scattering the miasma, her own spiritual power flaring up, blazing like fire, a bright light engulfing her.
A gust of wind, far stronger than before, tore through the Corrupt Dragon’s miasma.
KWA-KWA-KWA-BOOM!
Arrows of light, like a torrential downpour, rained down on the Corrupt Dragon.
—!!
But he didn't seem to feel the pain.
Having tasted the power of a Divine Beast, only to have it snatched away, he was enraged, his massive body writhing in frustration and agony.
He couldn't accept this, this loss of power, this despair he had never known before. A burning rage, a feeling of being torn apart, consumed him.
In contrast, the First Consort’s face was filled with joy.
The wound on her abdomen had healed instantly.
A surge of power, filling her body, made her tremble with excitement.
BOOM-!
And finally, a pillar of five-colored light, just like the one that had surrounded the Corrupt Dragon earlier, connected the heavens and the earth.
Sehwa, seeing this, turned her head.
Amidst the chaos of the battle, Choi Jangmyung was standing motionless, his gaze fixed on her.
“Go,” she said.
Flash!
He transformed into a giant hawk, bathed in a five-colored light.
“Send the signal.”
“Screech—!!” A deafening cry, like tearing cloth, ripped through the air as the hawk, channeling all its spiritual power, soared towards the sky, a trail of light marking its path.
The Corrupt Dragon, writhing in agony, roared. He should have killed her sooner! He should have used any means necessary to eliminate her!!
But no matter how hard he tried, the flow of spiritual power, once severed, wouldn't return. Now that his anchor was becoming a Divine Beast, he had no chance.
His anchor… a Divine Beast…? Not him, but her…?
“You’re nothing without becoming a Divine Beast! You're just a worthless worm, destined to be discarded like trash!”
She, who had judged him so harshly, who had made his existence solely dependent on becoming a Divine Beast, was now becoming one herself?
He was already going insane from being denied his transformation, and now, she was becoming a Divine Beast?! How could he accept that?!
He couldn’t! It was impossible!
Fortunately, the connection with his anchor hadn’t been completely severed yet.
His eyes, bloodshot, blazed with a murderous rage as he unleashed his power.
KABOOM—!!
The black miasma that had covered the Ju Clan territory now surged towards the riverside, draining the color from everything it touched.
“Gasp…!” “Wh-What’s…!”
Warriors, clutching their throats and chests, collapsed to the ground, their faces turning black as their life force was drained away. The warriors who had exhausted their spiritual power were the first to succumb, the others, their faces pale and contorted in pain, falling to their knees.
And at the same time, far away, in the Ju Clan residence, five women died simultaneously.
The Second, Third, Fourth, Sixth, and Eighth Consorts, who had been sharing the burden of the curse as supporting anchors.
To strengthen his connection with the First Consort, his main anchor, the Corrupt Dragon had severed his connection with the others.
The women, who had been enduring the agonizing pain, now died instantly, their souls extinguished like puppets with their strings cut.
And the backlash struck the First Consort immediately.
“!!”
She screamed, her body convulsing as if struck by lightning, an excruciating pain, like being torn apart, tearing through her.
“Aaargh!!”
The divine light that had surrounded her vanished, replaced by a dark, viscous miasma as she writhed on the ground.
Every muscle, every vein in her body felt like it was being torn apart.
She was now bearing the full brunt of the curse alone, without the other anchors to share the burden.
She couldn’t breathe, her organs twisting and burning.
She slammed her head against the ground, moaning in agony, then, lifting her head with difficulty, she gasped, her voice barely a whisper, begging Sehwa for help.
Help… me…
Even though her words were lost in her gasps of pain, her desperate plea, her hand clawing at the earth, was clear.
Please…
Please help me…
Just a little more spiritual power, and she would become a Divine Beast. Just a little more… If only Ju Sehwa would help her—!
But as her trembling hand reached towards Sehwa’s red robe, Sehwa stepped back. “Why should I?”
What?
“Why are you asking me for help? What are we to each other?”
“Y-You…”, the First Consort gasped, “…you promised… You said you would help me… because you pitied me… you promised to kill me…”
“I did help you,” Sehwa said, her voice cold, her red eyes unwavering as she walked towards the First Consort. “I gave you my spiritual power. You almost escaped the Corrupt Dragon’s grasp.”
“Wh-What are you talking about?! Look at me! I’m suffering again! I’m enduring his curse!”
“That’s your problem, I never promised to help you succeed.”
‘!!’
Sehwa’s lips curved into a cruel smile. “I’m done with you. Take care of yourself.”
“You…!”
The First Consort, her eyes narrowed in rage, reached out, her hand clawing at the air, but Sehwa pushed her away.
“!!”
Her weakened body, unable to stand because of the curse, tumbled down the hill, landing with a thud on the wet ground.
“Ugh…”
She wanted to scream, to rage, but a wave of agonizing pain washed over her, stealing her breath, her voice.
She coughed up blood and bile, her hand clawing at the earth, her nails digging into her flesh.
She would do anything, anything at all, to ease the pain.
Sehwa, watching her writhe in agony, turned away.
She had severed the Corrupt Dragon’s connection with his supporting anchors to prevent the First Consort from becoming a Divine Beast, but…
Since his connection with the First Consort wasn’t fully severed, he was also suffering from the backlash of the curse.
—To become a Divine Beast…! Is that such a wicked desire?!
The black dragon, his body rotting and decaying, roared in agony.
—Who are you?! How dare you judge me?! Who are you?!!
His voice was filled with a desperate rage.
He knew his body was deteriorating from using his power, but he didn't care. —What have I done?! What have I done to deserve this?! Why have you been sent to punish me?!
His bloodshot eyes bulged, the veins in his eyes about to burst.
He was going insane, he felt like he was about to explode.
Was his desire to become a Divine Beast that wrong?
It couldn’t be!
And what was even more maddening was that he couldn’t even transfer his soul, no matter how hard he tried! Anything would do, even a lowly insect, a dying branch… but there were so many living beings around him, yet he couldn't possess any of them, the First Consort’s soul blocking his escape.
Sehwa, looking at the writhing dragon, said, “Your desire itself isn’t wrong.”
What was so wrong with wanting to become a Divine Beast?
“But you… you’ve corrupted everything.”
From the moment he decided to do anything, use any means necessary, to achieve his goal, he had started to unravel the order of the Mystic Realm.
Would the Mystic Ruler have been able to defy the natural order for so long if it hadn't been for the Corrupt Dragon's body switching?
If he hadn’t used the First Consort as his anchor, if he hadn’t made others suffer the consequences of his actions…
…this tragedy wouldn't have happened.
And that wasn't all.
He had corrupted the Ju Clan, their belief in their own superiority, their right to do as they pleased, to trample on others.
That arrogance, that contempt, it had spread throughout the entire clan, starting from the Mystic Ruler's residence.
They were nothing.
Worthless creatures, driven only by their own desires.
‘Were they always this pathetic?’
And yet, they had brought the world to ruin.
Seeing their true nature, their past, present, and future…
…she could finally let go.
“So you have to die. Here, and now.”
It was time to end this.
Sehwa picked up the branch she had discarded, her body radiating a chilling aura, a five-colored light shielding her.
The Corrupt Dragon, also channeling his power, braced himself for her attack.
But Sehwa wasn’t aiming for him.
She flicked her wrist.
And it was the signal.
A perfect prison, made of five-colored light, enveloped the First Consort.
It was so sudden, so unexpected, that they didn't understand at first.
A barrier around the anchor’s body.
A severed connection.
And a curse, unleashed, with nowhere to go.
—!!!!!!
By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late.
The curse, like a raging torrent, tore through his massive body.
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