Chapter 184

Chapter 184. If You Knew, Then Why the Hell…

I decided to pause and reflect.

‘Right, Yeokcheon (逆天) is definitely the answer.’

This wasn’t merely a baseless assumption.

As I considered it, the only unique assets I possessed compared to anyone else were a heart more compassionate than most and the power of Yeokcheon (逆天)—just those two things.

If the spirits trapped within the ruins sensed something extraordinary, it had to be Yeokcheon (逆天).

‘Of course, there is one detail that bothers me…’

Deep in thought, I lifted my gaze from the ground toward Myserln sunbae.

At some point, Myserln sunbae had shifted toward the iron door and was inspecting it alongside Demian and Chenbi, and I observed his expression with great care.

What I meant by my unease was this:

‘If the spirits in the ruins truly perceived my uniqueness, and that quality was Yeokcheon (逆天)… then why didn’t Myserln sunbae notice it?’

Even if it were unrealistic to expect him to deduce that I carried Yeokcheon (逆天) or a grimoire, it felt like he should have sensed something peculiar.

However, after watching him closely these past few days, it didn’t seem as though Myserln sunbae had noticed a single thing.

That left two possibilities.

‘Either the spirits in the ruins possess some unique quality… or Myserln sunbae knows and is pretending otherwise.’

As that thought crossed my mind, I quickly shook my head.

Before suspicion toward Myserln sunbae could take root, I shifted my focus.

Now that I had traveled this far, even if Myserln sunbae harbored hidden agendas, there was little I could do about it regardless.

Let possibilities remain just that.

Regardless.

‘For the moment, it is safer to assume the spirits in the ruins are the ones who are special.’

That left only one thing for me to contemplate.

If the spirits in the ruins were significant enough to recognize Yeokcheon (逆天), and they believed Yeokcheon (逆天) was the solution to unlocking the door… could I, in my current state, actually manage to open it?

There was one technique worth attempting.

‘Blink (Blink).’

A spatial leap.

If one cannot open a door from the exterior, assaulting it from the interior might be a viable alternative.

Often, barriers are resilient against external force yet vulnerable to internal disruption.

My internal struggle began there.

First: if Blink (Blink) was the solution to opening that gate—

Second: could I truly demonstrate such power in front of Myserln sunbae?

Honestly, there were many minor concerns beyond that.

If the spirits regarded Yeokcheon (逆天) as the Key that would grant them salvation, then—unless they had foreseen a future where I rescued them—it suggested they had encountered Yeokcheon (逆天) previously.

Could these ruins be connected to Yeokcheon (逆天) in some way? And if that were the case, could something like Destrow be lying in wait here?

Things of that nature…

‘Honestly, the probability is low.’

If that were the case, based on my past experiences, Yeokcheon (逆天) would have reacted much earlier.

So, setting those doubts aside, the primary question remained:

Was it appropriate to display this ability in front of others?

Regarding that, two conflicting thoughts emerged.

The first was—

‘You learned it to utilize it, so what is the point of fretting?’

—an entirely logical perspective.

And the second was this:

‘Still, spatial magic… well, I don’t use mana, so it isn’t magic. Either way, tearing through space is quite extreme, isn’t it? Could it invite trouble?’

It was the type of apprehension one might label as timid.

But that is acceptable.

Because I am timid.

My heart is simply expansive, that is all.

Anyway, as I grappled with those two opposing viewpoints… truthfully, the decision had already been made.

“Myserln sunbae.”

“……?”

“I am going to attempt to open this iron door.”

“……Did you have a realization?”

It had “come to me” since before I went to sleep last night. I simply hadn’t committed to taking the first step.

Regardless, I nodded with determination and motioned for Demian and Chenbi to step away from the portal, shooing them back.

And then, I faced the iron door alone.

I concentrated my mind.

Soon, the sensation I refer to as “spatial sense” awakened and enveloped everything around me. The “space” I had previously only perceived through sight now pressed firmly against my skin.

Yes—there was no other way to describe it than as something “pressing against my skin.”

A sixth sense that defied the traditional five senses of sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch.

And as I fully engaged that spatial sense—

At that moment, neither the massive iron door nor the barrier segmenting the space posed any obstacle to me.

‘This… will work.’

After that thought, I caught a glimpse of Myserln sunbae.

“Sunbae, I was right here, but—”

Jjjuuuung—!

A bizarre, hollow tearing noise echoed near my ear.

Staring at the altered surroundings, I finished my sentence. Or rather—I tried to.

“Now I am not—mm.”

When one traverses space in this manner, no one is left to hear the end of the sentence. I hadn’t accounted for that.

Anyway, arriving inside was successful, but…

‘How am I supposed to open the door from here?’

Do I just push it from the inside?

I scanned the pitch-black void, then summoned a luminous stone I had tucked away earlier, letting it float to illuminate the area.

And in that instant—

I saw them.

Ching… chingching.

Chingchingchingching—!

Innumerable lights flickered into existence within the darkness. Along both sides of the corridor walls, lamps ignited in a rapid, sweeping sequence.

Are they candles? Magic sensors?

No. Neither.

They were…

“Mm. Golems.”

Indeed. Golems.

Countless golems lined the walls to my left and right, their bodies pivoting toward me as the crystal spheres embedded in their heads glowed.

I pondered.

So they exist—no, that is not the point.

There were two choices.

First, fight.

Second, fight together.

The deliberation was brief.

‘Of course. Misery loves company. Isn’t that the definition of comrades?’

Setting that aside… this door. If I unlock it from within, it should open, right?

I pressed both palms against the heavy iron door and pushed with every ounce of effort. The thought, ‘Wait, isn’t this a door meant to be pulled?’ flickered in my mind.

Grrrrrgg—!

With a thunderous groan, the iron door slid aside.

Excellent.

Through the widening gap, I saw those familiar faces and smiled broadly. Then, observing three pairs of eyes widened to the size of lanterns, I flung the door completely open.

Grrrk! Bang!

With the barrier pushed wide, I stepped aside and spoke.

“Go, Demian.”

The adventure had truly begun.

…But why was it like that?

The one who reacted was not Demian.

“……I despise golems.”

Chenbi of the twisted netherworld, initiate!

In the end, the conflict concluded so anticlimactically that it felt hollow.

The moment I stepped out of the way, Myserln sunbae assessed the situation and took the lead, but could one truly call this a battle?

No. It was a one-sided slaughter.

After Myserln sunbae snapped his fingers—snap!—the time required to shatter dozens of golems was merely 7.84 seconds.

So what transpired during those 7.84 seconds?

Grrrrrgg—!

The ground shook.

Kwaduk! Kwaduk, kwajik!

Suddenly, dozens of stone pillars erupted from the walls, the floor, and the ceiling, engulfing the golems entirely. How could stone pillars consume golems like that…?

Because they were not stone pillars.

They were turtle heads.

‘Mm. Madrin.’

It was Myserln sunbae’s earth spirit, Madrin.

The spectacle was so visceral that it made me glance back, wondering if I had somehow wronged Myserln sunbae in a previous life.

Regardless, as I reflected on my past, Myserln sunbae approached me.

“This is… truly… mm, no, that is not it. How… mm. Huh.”

Was his mind in disarray? Myserln sunbae struggled to articulate his thoughts.

I could empathize with how he felt.

‘Yeah. If it were me, I would be stunned as well.’

I was standing right there—and then I was gone.

Not a single trace.

Just whoosh, vanished into thin air, as if it were impossible to tell if I had ascended into the sky or descended into the earth.

So what would one normally conclude?

‘You would assume he moved with incredible speed.’

But Myserln sunbae could not view it that simply.

His level of expertise was too high for such a convenient misinterpretation.

Anyway, Myserln sunbae moved his mouth as if he couldn’t grasp what he had witnessed, and around that time, I felt I needed to organize my thoughts.

‘How should I explain this?’

First, let’s handle the simplest one.

“Demian, I yield the floor to you.”

“Thank you. Then, first question. A moment ago, did you traverse space?”

“Correct. But there is no reward.”

If you really desire one, I can offer it. Though it will be the sound of a “bang”—not bread, but the kind of “BANG!” that follows an explosion.

“Then, second question. How do you perform it?”

That was a sharp inquiry.

So I responded.

“Concentrate your mind. Close your eyes and perceive the space around you. Then, relax your entire body, suspend your breathing, and exert a powerful squeeze in your lower abdomen. The most effective posture for this is a crouch.”

“Wait. Repeat that. First, crouch down—”

Demian dropped into a crouch on the floor, attempting to replicate exactly what I had described.

“Now, relax your whole body.”

“Yes, relax and—”

“Now cease your breathing while applying that squeeze to your lower belly. No, hold your breath while your lower abdomen—”

That was when Chenbi intervened.

“Are you insane? Do you plan to clean up his remains?”

“No, there is no way he would actually follow through—”

“Then?”

“Even if he attempted it, the chance of a disaster is—”

“And if it does occur?”

“……If it happens?”

I imagined the result.

If Demian faithfully executed my instructions, could I survive the catastrophe that would surely follow?

Considering that, my head bowed instinctively.

“……I apologize, Chenbi.”

“Even if the chance is one in a million, the probability is not zero. And if that one in a million happens, are you claiming you won’t take responsibility?”

“I am very, very sorry.”

I was in the wrong.

There was no debating it.

As I lowered my head, Chenbi of the twisted netherworld released a heavy sigh, shook his head, and remarked.

“Aster, let’s be cautious. Agreed?”

“Yes.”

Ah. So this is the true combat power of Chenbi of the twisted netherworld.

Regardless, the teasing of Demian ends here.

I provided Demian—who was staring blankly at me—with the honest answer.

“What I said just now was a jest.”

“I know.”

“……You know?”

If you knew, then why the hell did you follow—no, wait.

“You… you bastard, don’t tell me…?”

“Friend, let’s keep uncomfortable truths between us. Nothing occurred. And it won’t happen in the future, either.”

“…….”

Demian… this individual might be even more dangerous than I initially suspected.

As that thought solidified, Demian posed another question.

“So how do you actually use it? I felt no mana displacement.”

“How do I use it… honestly, I don’t truly know that myself.”

“Were you born with it?”

“No. It is more like… at some point, I simply realized it. It is rather complicated to explain.”

We continued the conversation for a while.

Fortunately, Demian did not pressure me with further questions; he simply nodded and accepted the explanation.

Chenbi of the twisted netherworld was the same.

“I was startled, but I will not ask more. If it were something you could openly discuss, I believe you would have mentioned it.”

As expected—twisted or not, Chenbi remains Chenbi.

A remarkably broad mind.

Regardless, once the two of them settled down, I returned my gaze to Myserln sunbae.

Unexpectedly, Myserln sunbae seemed to have recovered his composure quickly, and the atmosphere remained calmer than ever.

“I will not pry. From what I can observe… it does not appear to be something you would explain simply because I requested it.”

“Well, if that is the case, it makes things easier for me.”

Anyway, with that, the matter of Blink (Blink) was put to rest.

And now, it was time to focus on the ancient ruins once more.

“Then… shall we enter?”

“Mm. Let us.”

We stepped inside the ancient ruins.

Grrrrk—thunk!

Even though no one touched it, the iron door moved of its own accord and slammed shut.

In the space where darkness reclaimed its territory, Demian’s voice rang out.

“Time to trouble(Time to trouble)!”

“Yeah, that isn’t—ah?”

Wait a moment.

Why is the door locked?