Chapter 277

【Thousand Transformation Specter】

▶Level 60

It wasn’t Sophia.

As I had feared, she was merely taking Sophia’s form—nothing more than a completely separate entity.

“So, you really existed. That person’s companions… More importantly, you must leave this place at once!”

“I can’t believe…”

Only then could I grasp the true nature of the unease I had been feeling and comprehend the situation unfolding.

It wasn’t something like memory loss. Sophia had never been here from the start; what had drawn our gaze was merely her substitute.

And what that implied was simple.

Someone had set a trap. Using Sophia’s form, to lure us—beings from the outside world—in.

‘One of the Great Specters is here!’

Among the remaining three, excluding Hongrim and Soul Enchantress, one of them was undoubtedly hiding here.

It was the worst-case assumption, but simultaneously, it was the only conclusion the circumstances allowed.

“What’s going on with you all? What’s happening right now?”

“It’s a trap. The Divine Maiden’s true identity is a Specter; she is not the companion we were looking for.”

Geumsahyang frowned in confusion and panic. Arietta, seemingly preparing to deal with the fake Sophia—the Thousand Transformation Specter—first, gathered her strength and asked me.

“…Junior, what should we do?”

“P-please spare me! I was just being threatened! If anything, I’m on your side!”

“…How can we believe that? You deceived us just now.”

“W-well, you see… Aren’t you curious why I was taking Sophia-nim’s form? My relationship with her isn’t vague. If you spare me, I’ll tell you everything I know!”

It was true that we needed to hear the Thousand Transformation Specter’s story, but this wasn’t a situation where we had that kind of leisure.

“We’ll escape first.”

While restraining the Thousand Transformation Specter’s movements with a Binding Art, I summoned the Giant Strength Specter and ordered it to carry her.

Whatever the case, gathering our companions and getting out of here was the priority.

However, upon stepping outside, I could clearly realize that even that was already too late.

“Oppa…”

The companions who had been outside were now facing off against a newly appeared group of individuals. Even at a glance, the aura emanating from each one of them was nothing to scoff at.

“…Junior, I remember the one on the far right.”

The Specter that Arietta and Han Seoa had mentioned encountering before reaching Jinyeonsan.

Kyeongkang, said to reside somewhere on the mountain peak that reached the clouds, sustaining itself by absorbing the Natural Qi of the heavens.

It was a famous Specter whose name I had also heard from Cheolwoong, a Taoist Master of Daehwarim.

‘The one next to it… is it Gong Master?’

Its actual name was Twin-Headed Primordial Master, and it too was a powerful Specter whose Level exceeded 70.

These two alone were formidable foes, and to make matters worse, it didn’t end there.

“Jegalyun, Seonpyowang, Heopyeongsu! Those beings are Specters who sought to manipulate the entire clan with wicked intentions! Will you still aid them knowing that?”

“Hmph, Ha Sadam. It seems you still know nothing. Such things have all lost their meaning now.”

“What?”

Ha Sadam was indignant, but the Great Generals of the One Origin Faction paid him no heed and began gathering their momentum.

Seeing this, Geumsahyang, seemingly trying to buy time, redirected the conversation.

“Hey! Where’s Nachal? Does that single-minded fellow share your views?”

“Unfortunately, Nachal refused to bend his will. Thus, we had no choice but to deal with him.”

As Heopyeongsu threw the sack he was holding, something that appeared to be Nachal’s severed head fell out and rolled on the ground.

At this utterly heartless act, Geumsahyang’s body trembled uncontrollably.

“A-are you insane? Nachal devoted himself to the One Origin Faction more than anyone!”

“…That’s irrelevant. Didn’t I say? Both the Faction and the Clan are now utterly meaningless.”

From their attitude, I could recall a single ominous premonition.

‘Don’t tell me… they know?’

Otherwise, the sense of resignation and despair I felt from them now was inexplicable.

Clearly, someone had informed them of the truth of this fabricated world.

Similarly sensing this, Yoo Haon gathered his Spiritual Power and demanded.

“You are not all of them. Who is the true mastermind?”

“Fufu, no need to be impatient. They have already arrived here.”

The immense presence felt at that moment.

It certainly bore some resemblance to the overwhelming power I had felt from Soul Enchantress within that Mindscape.

Where everyone turned their gaze, there stood a man whose entire body was tightly wrapped in bandages.

“Welcome. Outsiders. Kkulkul.”

“You are…”

“I’ve waited so long for this moment, I feel like staying up all night just to explain.”

A chilling Spectral Energy is felt.

It’s incomparable to that of an ordinary Specter.

A feeling that merely approaching would lead to being eroded by it.

Clicking my tongue, I used the Appraisal function to check his information.

Ding!

【Bloodrot】

▶Level 77

As expected, my prediction was correct.

His identity was Bloodrot, one of the five Great Specters Hongrim had mentioned.

A being said to have been born from a renowned Taoist Master sacrificing himself to a Forbidden Technique, and also the master whom Daehwarim’s Leader Yeongwan had requested to be vanquished.

‘…Troublesome.’

I’m not entirely sure, but it seemed Bloodrot had, through some means, discerned that Sophia was one of our companions and used her form to lure us in.

And in the process, he had split the Hawon Clan—the stronghold of powerful Taoist Masters—and enticed a portion of them to build his own faction.

‘Extremely cunning and wicked. Then indeed, Bloodrot…’

It could be said that even after falling and becoming a demonic Specter, he had not lost the wisdom and intelligence from his human days.

It was the emergence of a truly formidable, genuine powerful foe.

“Kkul. Even so, facing you directly doesn’t seem easy either.”

Muttering incomprehensible words and shaking his head, Bloodrot then turned a sinister smile towards Ha Sadam, Geumsahyang, Ocheon, and Paeyong and began to speak.

“You all will find it hard to understand. Why they are taking such extreme actions. Isn’t that so?”

“Then, you know the reason?”

“Of course. It was I who originally informed them of the truth. I shall now explain it to you as well.”

Realizing what Bloodrot was aiming for, I tried to quickly stop it, but the moment had already passed.

Having heard the tales of the false world, the existence of the outside world, and the outsiders who came from there, the generals began to stir with reactions of disbelief.

“A-a lie! Such a thing can’t be possible!”

“…Even if that were true, how do you know such a fact?”

“Kkulkul. Because this body is none other than Bloodrot, one of the era’s renowned Great Specters. It would be absurd not to know that much.”

Names like Kyeongkang and Bloodrot were famous even among the Taoist Masters of this era.

Amidst the generals whose momentum was further suppressed, Ha Sadam, who had been emitting a calm gaze, spoke.

“Bloodrot, you say. However, due to the restrictions of the great pact, you should be unable to wreak havoc upon the mortal world, is that not so?”

“Hoh, so there is one here who knows of the great pact. Quite surprising.”

That was something I had also heard in passing. Surely Bihee and Hongrim had mentioned it casually.

And from the ensuing exchange, I could discern the reality of that restriction.

“The restriction has already been significantly damaged. Because they were the first to eliminate Soul Enchantress, who was one of its subjects.”

“W-what! That Soul Enchantress?”

At those words, Ha Sadam looked at us in great shock. Bloodrot continued nonchalantly.

“Since this side suffered damage first, Seo Cheonye’s restrictive power can no longer bind us. Thanks to that, I too can stop these tantalizing games and step onto the frontlines directly. Does that explain everything now?”

“……”

“And those who can so nonchalantly commit such acts are undoubtedly beings from the outside. Let me make this clear: they are akin to a different race, one that can never blend with the humans of this place.”

Once all explanations were finished, the generals of the faction, including Geumsahyang, showed considerable signs of agitation.

After all, all the traces of life they had built up until now were being denied; it must have been a tremendous shock.

‘Bloodrot is indeed a cunning existence.’

He skillfully steered the situation, making it completely follow his own pace.

With things like this, no matter what counterarguments we presented, they wouldn’t resonate much. It was a considerable crisis.

Amidst such a situation, the one who stepped forward was Shin Pyoeul.

“What are you all doing right now?”

“……”

“Pull yourselves together, lift your heads, and open your eyes. All humans die someday anyway.”

“W-what. What right do you have to say such things now…”

“Let me be clear: I am a human born and raised here. I don’t know what the outside world is like. Nevertheless, there is one thing I do know.”

Shin Pyoeul, who had constructed the Eight Trigrams Star Sky technique without a hint of hesitation, declared to Bloodrot with a dignified attitude.

“I determine the value of my own life. It cannot be swayed by the tongues of outsiders or your three-inch words. That is the sole possession of my true self. The moment I lose that is the moment I cease to be human and become a mere puppet.”

Shin Pyoeul’s words were scathing, but they carried an immeasurable sincerity.

Simultaneously, from behind the half-collapsed hall, the voice of an old man could be heard.

“Well said! Watching quietly was about to give me an ulcer, I tell you.”

A mysterious old man wearing a bamboo hat and dressed in dark, shabby clothing.

Seeing him, the generals of the One Origin Faction raised their eyes in disbelief.

“Impossible! How is Nachal you…”

“That’s right, it’s Nachal, you brat. Did you think I, who single-handedly supported the faction for decades, would crumble before the likes of you?”

At the same time, Heopyeongsu, who had thrown Nachal’s severed head, clutched his neck with both hands and collapsed to the ground.

“Kuh-heuk!”

“T-this curse! Then from the start, you anticipated we would betray you and switched bodies!”

“That’s right. What? Got a problem? Anyway, I’m siding with them. You brats playing at being generals without any backbone.”

The unexpected reinforcement and the ripple effect it brought were immense.

Combined with Shin Pyoeul’s earlier appeal, Nachal’s utterly dignified attitude awakened the resolve of the other generals.

“That’s right… Whatever it is, wrong is wrong! At my age, am I to be toyed with by such a sinister old fiend?”

“Everyone has their own circumstances. I will carry out my own sense of justice.”

Ha Sadam seemed unhesitant from the beginning, but the other three were somewhat precarious.

However, with this, the forces were balanced. Although we had fallen into a trap, it had become a fight worth having.

“Kkulkul. How foolishly roundabout…”

From Bloodrot’s eyes, which let out a sigh, a murderous blood-red light soon erupted.