Chapter 174

Chapter 174: Spirit Root Stone (3)

Rumble, rumble, rumble—.

The Conceptual Space belonging to Na Hang began to break apart.

The massive peaks disintegrated like a fortress made of sand.

Soil and stone crumbled into fine dust and drifted away.

The rushing river reversed its course, leaping toward the heavens before evaporating completely.

The surrounding trees withered in a heartbeat, transforming into ash.

Every element of the world was dissolving in reverse.

Fractures spread across the bedrock beneath his feet.

It burst into countless fragments.

Even so, he did not plummet.

The fundamental laws of nature in this realm had ceased to function.

The firmament crashed down onto the earth.

The boundary separating sky and ground dissolved.

Every shade blended together, shifting to gray, and then returning to pure white.

An absolute, blinding whiteness.

The realm had reverted to its primordial state.

A tiny speck of crimson light, no larger than a fingernail, drifted in the void.

The absolute last remnant of Na Hang.

That speck of light was drawn directly into his chest.

A burning, intense heat surged throughout his physical form.

The Fire Spirit Root had been entirely integrated.

Shortly after, even the blank white expanse and the radiant glow began to recede.

It was not a descent into darkness, but rather a shift into an alternate reality.

His physical awareness was returning.

Initially, the sense of touch.

The sensation of a rigid wooden floor.

The chilly surface of the planks pressing against his back.

Following that, the sense of smell.

The distinct stale and timber-like fragrance common to a tavern inn.

Along with the scent of charred flesh radiating from his own form.

His hearing also reactivated.

The distant hum of conversation from the inn’s patrons.

The rhythmic thump of footsteps moving down the corridor.

The early morning songs of sparrows echoing outside.

The sense of taste.

A lingering bitterness on his tongue, the residual flavor of consuming the Spirit Root Stone.

At last, his sight.

His eyelids felt incredibly heavy.

He dragged them open by degrees.

The overhead structure came into view.

A gentle beam of morning light filtered through a crack in the aged wooden ceiling.

With all his faculties restored, Dong Bongsu gradually raised himself to a sitting position.

His musculature felt completely locked up.

As though he had remained utterly motionless for a span of several days.

In truth, of course, a mere heartbeat had likely transpired in the waking world.

It was precisely the same phenomenon he experienced with Kaiji.

He cast his internal awareness down to his Dantian.

A crimson current was revolving within.

The Fire Spirit Root had fully rooted itself.

The consciousness of Na Hang was gone, yet the core essence had been gained.

[The firewall has erased the mode map.]

A solitary, brief notification from the system confirmed the conclusion of the transformation.

Naturally, the statement itself was flawed.

The aforementioned mode map had not been wiped out; it had simply been claimed by him.

Lifting his hand, he willed a flame into existence.

Fwoosh—.

A minor ember flickered across his palm.

It lacked the overwhelming magnitude of Na Hang’s blazes, but it sufficed.

Is that not the way all journeys commence?

He cast his gaze over the remaining Spirit Root Stones.

Five items.

Each possessing a unique hue, a distinct element, a separate consciousness.

He intended to assimilate them one after another.

Even if it demanded a significant duration.

He gathered all the scattered belongings he had strewn across the floor back into his Inventory, then assumed a meditative posture.

He initiated a Qi Circulation Art to replenish his internal reserves.

After roughly fifteen minutes had drifted by in this quiet state.

The sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the corridor.

Knock, knock.

Dong Bongsu smoothly brought his Qi Circulation Art to a halt.

Knock, knock, the sound repeated.

A voice accompanied the second knock.

“Are you inside?”

The speaker was Jeon Rahwa.

“Enter.”

The latch turned, and Jeon Rahwa stepped inside holding a food tray.

Upon it rested a bowl of morning porridge alongside several small dishes.

“This is your morning meal. Since you have yet to eat anything.”

Her words trailed off mid-sentence.

“What occurred here? Your entire body looks blackened.”

“Just training.”

“Yet your garments are completely unscathed? And you chose to train inside this tiny room?”

“Correct.”

Jeon Rahwa swept her gaze across the quarters with deep skepticism.

The walls bore no scorch marks, but the odor of burnt material was incredibly potent.

“What variety of training could possibly…”

“It matters little.”

“Sigh, you always hide behind a lack of memory whenever questions arise. Do you truly possess no recollection?”

“None. I do not.”

“Conveniently only during moments like this?”

“Memory functions in that manner. It acts out of self-interest. It retains only the precise data required.”

“A highly accommodating faculty, that memory of yours.”

“That is enough, let us partake of the food.”

Dong Bongsu gathered the tray toward himself and began consuming the porridge.

His belly was entirely hollow.

Practically his whole reservoir of energy had been depleted to process a single Spirit Root Stone.

Jeon Rahwa observed his movements intently before offering a question.

“What is your next course of action?”

Tak.

Dong Bongsu rested his utensil against the dish and stared at her silently.

“Did I not explain my intentions yesterday?”

“You do not truly intend to follow through, do you?”

“I maintain that refuse must be cleared away.”

“But for what reason? Why go to such lengths for someone of my status?”

“What is amiss with your status?”

“No, it is not as though you sought me out intentionally, we merely crossed paths… I am naught but a slave.”

“You were.”

“Pardon?”

“Not ‘am’, but ‘were’. Do you consider yourself a slave at this moment?”

“…”

“The instant you bound your path to mine, your bondage ceased. If you remain a slave, does that make me one as well?”

“…Yes.”

Sensing a bizarre turn in the logic, Jeon Rahwa, who had been staring downward, snapped her gaze upward to meet Dong Bongsu’s eyes.

“Yes?!”

“Precisely as you are liberated from that title, so am I.”

“…”

“A sovereign individual ought to possess the freedom to act as they please. Particularly within a realm devoid of order like this one.”

“Be it a matter of vengeance or anything else.”

“I… I harbor no desire for vengeance…”

“You hold no resentment?”

“…”

“…It is not that, it is just.”

“Then the matter is decided. Your resentment is shared by me. From the very moment you initiated conversation with me.”

“…”

Thud.

A volume dropped squarely before Jeon Rahwa, who remained frozen in confusion.

《Twin Snow Yin Cold Art》

“You possess the literacy to read this, correct?”

“The Twin Snow Yin Cold Art…?”

“So you can comprehend the text. That suffices.”

“What suffices?”

“Commence your study of it starting today.”

“Pardon?”

“Is ‘Pardon?’ the singular phrase you are capable of uttering?”

“What?”

“…”

“Save your breath and simply master it.”

“…”

“Master it to the degree that no individual can ever claim ownership over you again.”

“What exactly is this text?”

“A martial technique.”

It represented one of the confidential manuals he had pilfered from the Floating Island.

He had selected this specific manual because Jeon Rahwa was a female, and he estimated that the nature of this martial discipline aligned perfectly with her inherent constitution.

“You will fail to grasp its meaning upon an initial reading. Therefore, simply commit the words to memory for now. I shall evaluate your progress upon my return.”

With those words, he rose to his feet.

“Where do you intend to wander now?”

“A brief walk.”

“But you only recently returned from outside?”

“I caught sight of a location that triggered a sense of familiarity, so I mean to revisit it to see if it aids my recollection.”

That was the reality of his condition.

On occasion, the act of ending lives brought forth recollections that had previously remained hidden.

“I shall return shortly.”

“I will accompany you.”

“Did you not hear my prior statement?”

“No, I comprehended it. However, did you not designate me as your guidepost?”

“…”

“Do you intend to stray about without the aid of your guidepost?”

“My destination is the latrine.”

“You claimed you were departing for a walk?”

“I am walking my way to the latrine. To indulge in some contemplation as well.”

“Sigh… your return will be swift, correct?”

“Indeed. It is an insignificant piece of business.”

[Linked] The Wronged Merchant:

In the process of aiding the aggrieved, you may face unforeseen complications.

It is hoped you navigate those complications successfully.

Earnestly.

A state of hostility has been established with the Iron God Gang.

Eradicate the Iron God Gang.

Current Advancement: 1.7%

Compensation: Hero History +5

A matter of this scale qualifies as an insignificant piece of business.

“…”

Dong Bongsu came to an abrupt halt.

It dawned on him that his internal processing had undergone a minor shift.

Was this an effect of integrating Kim Rae-won’s Karma Root?

Was it a consequence of assimilating Na Hang’s Spirit Root?

Or perhaps…

Ultimately, it was of no consequence.

I remain myself regardless.

What did it matter if changes occurred? If adaptation came through assimilation, could that not be viewed as a desirable progression?

Tak.

Dong Bongsu stepped beyond the threshold of the inn.

He navigated a direct path toward the western thoroughfare.

It marked the subtle stride of a ‘hero’ that went entirely unnoticed by the criminals occupying River Capital.

The subterranean pens beneath the Assorted Antique Shop.

A female figure stood amidst a crimson torrent.

The butchered remnants of carnivorous swine were littered across the entire space.

The scene gave the impression that someone had systematically executed them one by one.

Viscera littered the floor, skulls were pulverized, and the scent of iron and blood filled the atmosphere to an suffocating degree.

The female was garbed in stealth attire crafted from dark silk.

The clothing was tailored precisely to her form, accentuating sleek contours with every stride she took.

A distinctive pair of metallic mitts rested at her hip.

The Iron Hand Gauntlets.

It was a terrifying implement outfitted with jagged spikes atop every knuckle joint.

She nudged the midsection of a slaughtered swine using the tip of her boot.

Thwack—.

The flesh of the belly split open, releasing a deluge of partially dissolved human remains.

Amidst the gore, a portion of a human skull became visible.

The remains belonged to Ak Bul-jin.

Though the facial features were heavily degraded by digestion, his distinctively narrow eyelids remained identifiable.

Hwik—.

She hoisted the fragment of the skull to perform a final verification before casting it back down to the stones, posing a question.

“The operatives dispatched to extract funds from the 7th District yesteryear have failed to report back as well?”

“Indeed. That statement is accurate.”

The silver-haired elder positioned beside her offered the confirmation.

This was Elder Do of the Iron God Gang.

Though his age exceeded seventy years, the aura of slaughter radiating from his presence was immense.

“Young Mistress.”

This was the formal honorific designated for Cheol So-ah, the sole daughter of the patriarch of the Iron God Gang.

By the age of twenty, she was reputed to have already attained the pinnacle of the Peak Realm, the Supreme Peak.

True to her moniker, the Cold-Faced Iron Hand, she had established a formidable reputation through her expressionless demeanor and savage tactics.

She functioned, for all intents and purposes, as the second-in-command within the Iron God Gang, a figure of such martial prowess that rumors claimed her skills were unmatched.

“So the devastation was not restricted to the Assorted Antique Shop; the 7th District was targeted simultaneously.”

Despite their wretched nature, those operatives were invariably meticulous regarding schedules.

They understood with absolute certainty that failing to deliver the collected funds on schedule would result in their execution by her hand.

Cheol So-ah rubbed her right earlobe between her fingers.

It was a characteristic gesture she displayed whenever she was engaged in deep calculation.

“What prompts that scoundrel Bukgung Ri to suddenly initiate such actions?”

Unrefined profanities drifted seamlessly from her elegant lips.

“The proof remains inconclusive regarding whether Society Leader Bukgung orchestrated this, Young Mistress.”

“Society Leader, ridiculous. The man is merely a bastard, a complete bastard.”

Cheol So-ah twisted her features into a deep scowl.

Elder Do maintained his silence.

The point was impossible to counter.

“Perhaps I should offer myself to him once to bring that bastard to heel?”

“Th-that course of action is somewhat…”

“For what reason? Do you presume me incapable of accomplishing it?”

“…N-no, that is far from the truth.”

“Then are you implying I would find success in the endeavor?”

“…”

“Regardless, dismiss the thought. For the present, dispatch personnel to the 7th District.”

“Understood, I shall order the White Iron Squad to initiate an inspection immediately.”

The White Iron Squad represented the third unit of the Iron God Gang’s elite scouting division.

Though limited to a mere ten operatives, every single member was classified as a First-rate Master, possessing the capability to withstand a multitude of foes.

However, Cheol So-ah gestured in refusal.

“Negative. Deploy the Black Iron Squad and the Yellow Iron Squad alongside them.”

“Pardon? Doing so will leave the internal security forces of the Gang entirely depleted.”

The White, Black, and Yellow operational divisions.

They constituted a specialized branch of combatants within the Iron God Gang dedicated to wetwork and intelligence gathering.

The White Iron Squad handled tracking and territorial scouting.

Their expertise lay in traversing terrain as silently as phantoms to uncover hidden clues.

The Black Iron Squad focused primarily on target elimination.

Their role was to neutralize threats from the cover of total darkness.

The Yellow Iron Squad served as the heavy assault unit.

They demonstrated devastating martial power in open warfare.

Calling upon all three units simultaneously was equivalent to initiating a total mobilization for war.

Cheol So-ah surveyed the bloody depths of the subterranean pen once more before altering her directives.

“Hold on, hold on.”

“Understood, then we shall restrict the deployment to the White Iron Squad…”

“…”

“No, that will not do. I shall personally oversee the investigation.”

“…What? You intend to depart personally, Young Mistress?”

“Order the entire scouting division to muster immediately. And ensure this matter remains hidden from my father.”