Absolute Regression

Chapter 552: A Black Hole in My Heart Too

Under the blazing sunlight, the Dark King shimmered precariously, as though she might vanish at any moment.

But Geom Mugeuk knew. She wasn’t someone who would simply disappear into nothingness.

“It took a fortune to save that man. What a waste.”

Even in this situation, she remained calm.

Geom Mugeuk looked at the Evil Smiling Demon and said,

“I should’ve sent him back with only half his head blown off. So that reviving him would bankrupt you.”

As he joked, Geom Mugeuk’s hand naturally touched the back of the Evil Smiling Demon.

Uuuuuu.

His internal energy began to flow discreetly into the Evil Smiling Demon. He was sharing a portion of his remaining energy with him.

The Evil Smiling Demon did not refuse and accepted the internal energy. The Dark King might target him, now that he had lost his power. If so, Geom Mugeuk would surely try to protect him.

If the energy was going to be expended anyway, it was better to be passed on to him. As always, he trusted in the Young Cult Leader's decisions.

“He wouldn’t have been saved a second time. Even that one time, there had been disagreement.”

“Which side were you on? Ah, you must’ve been on the side that wanted to save him.”

The wavering shadow shook her head. Though she had come with the Battle King, it seemed she hadn’t wanted to save him.

“You were the one who rescued him, weren’t you?”

“I was only following orders.”

It was likely not a lie. For someone who lived in the world of night, those who lived in the daylight held no meaning.

Was the one who gave the order Hwa Moogi? Or someone else?

Geom Mugeuk wanted to ask directly about Hwa Moogi. What he was doing now. Whether he still led them even in this time. What he was thinking.

But he had resolved never to mention Hwa Moogi. Many things had already changed in this life, but that was one thing he would never touch.

He wished for Hwa Moogi to appear at that destined moment in the future. The one to face him should not be the present them, but the future them.

Instead of indulging his curiosity about him, he asked about the Dark King.

“If you disappear from here, what happens to your real body? Do you die in the palanquin?”

Geom Mugeuk assumed her true body was inside the palanquin.

“Why do you assume I will lose to the Young Cult Leader?”

“Well, because we don’t intend to lose.”

“The Demon Supreme’s internal energy must be depleted, and surely the Young Cult Leader has little left to maintain this Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique?”

Indeed, the once-blazing sunlight was slowly losing its brilliance. Unable to maintain the scorching sun, they were now letting time flow normally in this place.

“Honestly, even this much is truly astonishing. No matter how much one is the successor to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, how on earth did you accumulate such energy at that age?”

Geom Mugeuk truly displayed an endless and profound depth of internal power.

“I am the incarnation of greed. So I once thought this much would be enough, but now I intend to gather even more. Meeting you made me decide. When it comes to internal energy and martial arts, I must become not just the incarnation of greed, but greed itself. Only then can I face you all.”

In the meantime, all of his energy had been transferred to the Evil Smiling Demon. Even while conversing, Geom Mugeuk had demonstrated divine skill, transmitting his energy without the opponent realizing.

Geom Mugeuk drew the Black Demon Sword. As if it had been tempered in the Battle King’s fists, a sharper and fiercer energy flowed along the blade.

“Well then, let’s finish this. I have a banquet with my friends to attend.”

He remained unruffled.

The Evil Smiling Demon, too, stood calmly with his arms relaxed, gazing at the Dark King.

The Dark King’s eyes moved from the two of them to the sun behind them. It had already descended quite a bit.

The moment her gaze turned fierce, black smoke swirled around her and rose into the air.

When the smoke cleared, a woman stood there. Shockingly, the Dark King hadn’t been in the palanquin—she had been here all along.

“It won’t be a banquet—it’ll be your death day.”

A woman in black martial attire.

Her appearance stood in stark contrast to her voice. Her features were distorted, unbalanced, and broken—when she had been a mere wavering shadow, she had seemed far more beautiful.

Her voice was different too. A grating, tearing sound that irritated the ears.

“You filthy Young Cult bastard!”

As if this had always been her true personality, her eyes burned only with deep hatred.

“I think I understand why you descended into that man’s body to fight.”

A flicker of killing intent passed through the Dark King’s gaze. She expected mockery about her appearance, but Geom Mugeuk had seen something else.

“You’re someone with a powerful will to live.”

She did not deny it. When she possessed someone, even if that person died, she herself wouldn’t perish. But now that she had revealed her physical body, it was different. She could truly die.

“Even if I die, I won’t die in this filthy world of yours!”

The Dark King launched a sudden double-palm strike.

Shreeeeek.

She had expected Geom Mugeuk to evade it, but not the Evil Smiling Demon—he had no internal energy, after all.

Yet the Evil Smiling Demon not only dodged the attack but countered it as well.

Shuk!

She barely avoided the flying Blood Disaster Finger.

She had initiated the ambush but found herself more surprised than her targets. The Dark King shrieked in frustration.

“You monstrous bastards! Where the hell is all this energy coming from?!”

Shreeeeeeeeek!

Her palm strike tore the ground apart. The cliff they stood on shook violently, as if it would collapse at any moment.

However, the martial arts she wielded outside the darkness were neither more nor less than simply “impressive.” That level of power was not enough to restrain Geom Mugeuk and the Evil Smiling Demon.

Lacking in skill, she compensated with internal energy, managing to maintain a tense battle.

And finally, the moment she had been waiting for since the beginning of the fight arrived.

As Geom Mugeuk approached her, she suddenly looked down at her hand. A reddish tint had begun to seep through. The sunset had begun to fade in the distance—this was the time of the dog and the wolf, when day and night intertwined.

And this moment belonged to the wolf.

In that fleeting instant, a white outline seemed to form again in her eyes—

Her body transformed once more into a shadow of darkness.

Sssrrrrk.

She vanished from sight in an instant.

Geom Mugeuk was taken aback. He had never seen movement this fast.

“She used the Dark Path Return Technique!”

They thought it couldn’t be used here!

As Geom Mugeuk turned toward the Evil Smiling Demon, his expression stiffened.

His gaze turned cold. It hadn’t been the Dark Path Return Technique.

Over the Evil Smiling Demon’s mask, the Dark King’s face flickered.

The Dark King had descended into the Evil Smiling Demon’s body.

From the beginning of the battle, she had aimed for this one moment only. This moment when the light had faded, when she could use the Dark Descent Technique.

If possible, it would’ve been better to descend into Geom Mugeuk’s body. But with his mastery of the Nine Calamities Demon Art and the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique, she could not possess him.

With a stunned heart, Geom Mugeuk looked at the Evil Smiling Demon. His eyes too showed surprise. She had taken over his body, but not his mind. Just like with the Battle King before, the two remained separate.

“You can’t use the Dark Descent Technique twice in one day.”

Her voice once again turned enchanting and beautiful.

“If you do, a curse befalls you. What kind of curse, you ask?”

Her next words were shocking.

“It’s the curse of never being able to leave the possessed body. I’ll be with the Evil Smiling Demon forever.”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

Geom Mugeuk didn’t believe her. If such a curse existed, she wouldn’t have used the descent technique.

Her sharp laughter rang out. She laughed like a madwoman.

“That’s right, it is nonsense. I just can’t leave this body for the next three days. Until then, we’re bound in symbiosis. Plenty of time to kill all of you.”

Under her flickering gaze, Geom Mugeuk looked into the eyes of the Evil Smiling Demon. Strangely, the person concerned looked calm.

But it was undeniable—his body was under the control of the Dark King.

Shuk!

From the Evil Smiling Demon’s fingers, the Blood Disaster Finger shot forward. His hand and the flickering shadow of the Dark King overlapped as they moved. The Evil Smiling Demon could not control his own body. The internal energy of the descended Dark King was greater than his own.

Geom Mugeuk hurled his body to evade the Blood Disaster Finger. He had never imagined he would one day have to dodge an attack from the Evil Smiling Demon like this.

Shuk! Shuk!

He moved again. One of the flying Blood Disaster Fingers grazed his side.

“No!”

Despite the Evil Smiling Demon’s desperate cry, the Blood Disaster Finger only split further and targeted Geom Mugeuk again.

Pah-pahk!

Blood sprayed from Geom Mugeuk’s shoulder. With the Dark King now descended into the Evil Smiling Demon, the Blood Disaster Finger had become even faster and more powerful. With his internal energy depleted, dodging them was nothing short of a disaster.

“Don’t worry, Soma-nim! I’ll find a way!”

Even while evading the attacks, Geom Mugeuk tried to reassure the Evil Smiling Demon. But no solution came to mind.

He couldn’t dispel the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique.

He had no idea what was happening outside, and even if Jin Hagun and Bih Sa-in were waiting for him out there—he couldn’t attack the Evil Smiling Demon.

Most of all, what he feared was that she might vanish with the Evil Smiling Demon using the Dark Path Return Technique.

If the Evil Smiling Demon were taken by them like this…

They would kill him horribly. And if they kept him alive, it would be a fate worse than death.

Puhk!

Another splintered Blood Disaster Finger struck Geom Mugeuk’s body, drawing more blood.

The Evil Smiling Demon shouted.

“Release the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique, Young Cult Leader!”

He meant to combine forces with their allies outside.

‘At this rate, the Young Cult Leader will die.’

But Geom Mugeuk didn’t release it.

The Evil Smiling Demon believed there was only one way to resolve this situation.

“Young Cult Leader, you must kill me.”

The Dark King laughed and said,

“I know how much the Young Cult Leader cherishes you. He could never kill you.”

Geom Mugeuk nodded in agreement.

“I would rather die than do that. Just wait—I’ll find a way!”

Of course, the Evil Smiling Demon trusted Geom Mugeuk.

But they had no time left. And he had no energy.

At this rate, he would die here. The killing intent of the Dark King within his body was unmistakable. And Geom Mugeuk would never attack him.

A decisive light grew in the Evil Smiling Demon’s eyes.

Shuk-shuk-shuk!

Puhk! Puhk!

Because Geom Mugeuk was using his remaining internal energy to maintain the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique, he continued to be wounded. Though he avoided fatal strikes, his entire body was soaked in blood.

Hwiriririk—

Black smoke coiled up like vines from beneath Geom Mugeuk’s feet, wrapping around his body. Wounded and exhausted, he couldn’t shake off the energy. Even in this state, he didn’t release the technique.

“Well then, let’s end this with the same strike you used to blow off that man’s head.”

She raised her hand to unleash the Frantic Demonic Palm—

In that moment, the Dark King’s eyes widened in shock.

“!”

Only her flickering arm extended forward.

The Evil Smiling Demon’s arm had not moved. His body had rejected her.

‘He’s resisting the command of descent? How is this possible?!’

It was something the Dark King had never experienced before.

Once again, the Dark King tried to control him and move his body. But the Evil Smiling Demon didn’t budge. Crimson veins burst from the eyes behind the mask.

And that wasn’t all.

The Evil Smiling Demon’s arm began to rise slowly. It wasn’t mere resistance—he was moving on his own.

In the Evil Smiling Demon’s mind, there was only pure white. He was now standing in his own room. From there, he stared at the long line drawn on the wall. The power of darkness could not intrude upon the mind of the Evil Smiling Demon, who stood within that field of pure white.

His hand did not rise toward Geom Mugeuk. It was lifting toward his own head. Since she had said she couldn’t leave his body for three days, he intended to die along with the Dark King.

“No! Soma-nim! You mustn’t!”

Despite Geom Mugeuk’s cry, the Evil Smiling Demon’s arm continued to rise.

“Soma-nim! Soma, don’t!”

Even as Geom Mugeuk shouted, the arm kept lifting.

The Dark King, too, grew desperate. If the Evil Smiling Demon died, so would she.

She released black energy to stop him, but it couldn’t overcome the will of the Evil Smiling Demon.

The strength he displayed now exceeded human will.

“Release me! Now!”

The Dark King, without hesitation, undid the energy binding Geom Mugeuk. Her survival came first.

The very moment his palm was about to reach the white mask—

Kwaaaak!

Geom Mugeuk seized his arm, redirecting the palm toward himself. The Frantic Demonic Palm did not fire—just barely.

Their eyes locked in midair. In that gaze, the two exchanged a question and answer.

Are you really going to go through with this?

Yes. If I can save you, I will.

Yes, he would. Just as Geom Mugeuk refused to give up on him, so too would the Evil Smiling Demon never give up on him. That’s why another way had to be found.

Geom Mugeuk’s eyes turned to the flickering shadow of the Dark King.

‘If only I can catch that…!’

He grabbed for the arm.

But like grasping smoke, it slipped from his hand.

He reached again and again, but the shadow could not be caught.

‘Please! Please!’

At the height of that desperation, his body responded.

Uuuuuung!

With a deep tremor, something that had been slumbering within him until now awakened.

The energy absorbed by the Secret Box began to stir. Among it, the one that moved now was the energy of Black Eye.

As the energy of Black Eye surged into both of Geom Mugeuk’s hands, black energy began to ripple around them.

Kwak.

The next moment, Geom Mugeuk’s hand caught the Dark King’s wrist.

Both the Dark King and Geom Mugeuk were shocked. Her horrified expression rippled over the white mask. Beneath it, through the eye sockets, the Evil Smiling Demon also revealed a stunned gaze.

“I caught you!”

Geom Mugeuk gripped the Dark King's hand tightly. She tried to break free, but there was no way Geom Mugeuk would let go. He pulled with the determination to hold on even if it meant losing his arm.

Jiiiiiiiiiik—

Her body began to be dragged out of the Evil Smiling Demon.

“Soma-nim! Back away!”

The Evil Smiling Demon pushed in the opposite direction, trying to force her out.

“...This is impossible!”

The Dark King, horrified, lashed out with dark energy that tore at Geom Mugeuk’s arm.

Pak! Pak!

Blood sprayed from his arm, but Geom Mugeuk did not release his grip. Fortunately, the Supreme-Grade Silkworm Thread wrapped around his arm kept it from being severed.

All that filled Geom Mugeuk’s mind was that if he let go now, the Evil Smiling Demon would die.

“Just a little more! A little more! Uaaaaaah!”

Jiiiiiiiiiiik—

Bit by bit, she was being pulled out.

The moment the Dark King was fully forced out of the Evil Smiling Demon’s body—

Fwaaaaaah! Sshraak!

The energy of Black Eye surged up and devoured the dark energy in an instant, as if swallowing it whole.

“Aaaaagh!”

At the same time, her true form appeared.

“You! What are you?!”

Even Geom Mugeuk was just as shocked. Her dark energy had been wholly absorbed by the power of Black Eye, vanishing without a trace, as if it had merely fallen asleep inside him.

“...No!”

Stripped of her darkness, her face suddenly turned pitch black.

Fassssssss—

She crumbled into black ash and scattered into the air.

Geom Mugeuk, who had been staring blankly at the sight, collapsed onto his back.

The Evil Smiling Demon also collapsed where he stood.

“Haa… haa…”

Only their ragged breathing echoed in that place.

When this fight began, neither of them could’ve imagined it would end this way.

As the sound of their breathing settled, the Evil Smiling Demon asked,

“What… happened?”

“There’s a black hole in my heart, too. I think it might’ve devoured her.”

It was half true, but the Evil Smiling Demon took it as a joke.

“Are you alright?”

“No. I feel like I’m dying.”

The Evil Smiling Demon sat up first.

Blood streamed from Geom Mugeuk’s arm. He recalled the moment Geom Mugeuk had pulled with that injured arm to save him. If not for the Supreme-Grade Silkworm Thread, it would have been severed.

Without a word, the Evil Smiling Demon pressed on the acupoint of his arm to stop the bleeding. Geom Mugeuk made a fuss, saying it hurt.

Now Geom Mugeuk asked,

“Soma-nim, are you alright?”

The Evil Smiling Demon’s gaze deepened as he looked at Geom Mugeuk. He felt it was time to do something he had resolved to do quite a while ago.

“Whether I’m alright or not… please see for yourself.”

The Evil Smiling Demon slowly began to remove his mask.