Absolute Regression

Chapter 586: Never Met a Villain Like This Before

As the door opened, a gust of old air burst forth.

It felt as if the space was finally exhaling a breath it had been holding in for a long time.

Just the stale scent of the years was enough to reveal that no one had stepped inside for a very long time.

A long corridor faintly visible in the darkness.

Using the New Eye Technique, Geom Mugeuk peered into it and saw that the walls on both sides of the corridor were also engraved with various patterns, letters, and paintings, just like those on the door.

As though inscribed upon intestines, the darkness consumed it all and emanated an unknowable energy, enticing those who looked.

Come in, hurry and come in.

It was difficult to express the energy in words, but one thing was certain—it was a strange energy never before felt by anyone alive in the current world of martial arts.

Enter, and you die.

Yet despite the instinctive warning, Geom Mugeuk felt that he must step inside.

It wasn't a sense of defiance or a thrill in facing the fear of the unknown.

Having arrived at the Golden Dragon Martial Hall, having met the Sword King, and remembering how the Sword King had told him to descend here—Geom Mugeuk felt it had all been the pull of destiny.

Geom Mugeuk turned to the Sword King standing beside him and asked,

"Do you feel it?"

At Geom Mugeuk’s question, the Sword King nodded.

Just then, one of the officials began walking forward as if entranced. He passed by Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King, attempting to step inside, but Hong In rushed in and grabbed him.

"Snap out of it!"

Smack!

Hong In slapped him across the face without mercy. Only then did the man come to his senses.

The darkness had tempted him inward. He was the weakest in internal energy and mental strength among the officials, and thus the first to fall for the lure.

Soon after, another official also began to move forward, but the one next to him managed to grab hold, snapping him out of it.

Geom Mugeuk sent a sound transmission to the Sword King.

―It seems it’s time to send the officials back.

He had a strong sense that if these people entered, they would not survive.

―Shall we go in alone?

He thought the Sword King would readily agree, but the decision did not come immediately.

Geom Mugeuk did not try to provoke him with words like—

Were you lying when you said you'd spare these people?

He believed the Sword King's hesitation wasn’t because he was planning to lead them to their deaths, but for another reason.

After all, he could feel the man’s care for them. If that weren’t the case, he wouldn’t have shown them the stars.

Indeed, the Sword King's hesitation was for the officials.

―I wanted to show them that final place.

They had endured near-death suffering to come this far. It seemed he wanted to show them what it was they had risked their lives for, regardless of the money.

Geom Mugeuk, however, did not believe that taking them into that ominous darkness was the right choice.

―What they’ll see in there won’t help them live their lives going forward. Unless you intend to share the treasure with them. Will you?

The Sword King shook his head.

When the Sword King gave a sound transmission command to the mechanical device specialist, the man ran off somewhere.

Then the Sword King turned to face the officials standing behind him.

“Your mission ends here.”

The officials were startled at those words. They had sensed that the excavation was nearing its end, but they hadn’t expected it to conclude with the opening of that door. They thought they would still have to go in and dismantle more mechanisms.

Yet they could feel it—the danger lurking beyond that door’s darkness. Just watching their comrades walk forward as if hypnotized was enough to tell them. If the temptation at the entrance was already this strong, what horrors awaited inside?

Now that it was truly ending, a rush of emotions swept over them. Shock gave way to relief. But in the end, what dominated their hearts was fear.

Though they had followed the Sword King with unwavering trust, standing by him in formation, a sense of dread that they might be silenced in this final moment was unavoidable. They would now discover whether their trust had been rightly placed.

At that moment, the mechanical specialist who had received the order returned and handed out envelopes to everyone. Inside were the promised money exchange slips.

Originally, the officials had received their pay monthly. If someone needed it sent elsewhere, it would be sent on their behalf. They had collected the money diligently, fearing they might not get paid later—but since they couldn't leave anyway, holding on to it had lost meaning.

That was why the officials had asked the Sword King to give them their payment upon departure—and now, he had truly delivered on that promise.

The moment they saw the money, all the officials were overcome with emotion. After all, this was what they had endured everything for—to earn that money.

“You’ve all worked hard.”

At the Sword King's words, tears welled up in several of the officials’ eyes. This long and dreadful ordeal was finally coming to an end.

Of course, many still harbored a desire to go all the way past that door. What kind of treasure must be hidden in there to warrant such elaborate mechanisms?

And beyond that, there was a faint hope. Could they perhaps get just a small piece of that treasure?

But seeing their fellow officials succumb to the seduction of the darkness, those thoughts vanished. All they wanted now was to leave this dreadful place behind.

They wanted to go out, deposit their money at a money exchange, have a drink at a tavern, and sleep the entire day away at an inn. One of them even thought of disappearing to a place where no one knew him. Everyone had different wishes.

They gathered before the Sword King for a final farewell. Among them were those whose lives he had saved more than once.

Speaking on behalf of everyone, Hong In addressed the Sword King.

“Thank you truly for everything.”

The officials behind him raised their voices in unison, expressing their gratitude.

As the Sword King brushed the dust off Hong In’s clothes, he said,

“Be happy. I hope the day comes when I can visit the martial arts hall you’ll run.”

The Sword King had not forgotten that his dream was to open a martial arts hall.

Hong In bowed respectfully.

“I will never forget the grace you’ve shown me.”

The Sword King looked around at the officials and gave them one final piece of advice.

“What happened here—keep it a secret. If not by my hand, you’ll end up dead at the hands of some greedy bastard. Just say the money was left to you as inheritance.”

They all understood exactly what he meant by those words, and so they nodded.

A sound transmission from Geom Mugeuk flew toward the Sword King.

―Never met a villain like this before.

Geom Mugeuk still couldn’t understand. In his life before regression, why were there no rumors about this place?

Was it because the officials had entered through that door and all died? Or was it that they had been allowed to leave, and, surprisingly, had all survived while keeping the secret? Or was there yet another reason?

Whatever the case, in this lifetime, they had all survived. Some might belittle them, saying they risked their lives for money, but Geom Mugeuk didn’t see it that way. They were courageous survivors.

Before leaving, Hong In turned to look once more at Geom Mugeuk—the one who had saved them from the trap mechanisms. Was it because he believed the night under the stars and warm quilt had been possible thanks to this newcomer? Perhaps it was this newcomer’s presence that made their safe return possible.

Hong In bowed respectfully to Geom Mugeuk. When he raised his head, he tossed out one final joke. It was originally meant for the Sword King, but he hadn’t dared to say it then.

“Please be sure to visit my martial hall. I’ll teach your youngest disciples for free—three months, no charge!”

At his final joke, the surrounding officials laughed with him.

And so, Hong In and the officials left the place.

Following what must have been the Sword King’s order, the mechanical specialist also went out after them.

Now only Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King remained inside.

“Now I can finally throw my shoes at you without worry.”

At the Sword King’s joke, Geom Mugeuk replied with a smile,

“It’s dark in there, so please throw carefully.”

The Sword King gazed quietly at Geom Mugeuk and asked,

“Why aren’t you seeing them off? What if I have my subordinates kill them?”

“Someone truly planning to kill wouldn’t say something like that.”

Of course, that wasn’t the real reason. The true reason was this—

“What meaning is there in letting them go safely from here? If you had truly decided to kill them, you could do it any time after they left this martial hall.”

He knew better than anyone just how large and far-reaching their organization was.

“Maybe they survived because of you.”

“If so, then it’s not because of me—it’s thanks to you, instructor.”

In response to the questioning look, Geom Mugeuk replied,

“Have you already forgotten? When I asked why you brought me underground, didn’t you say it was because you wanted to save them? I only followed that intention, so in the end, it’s you who saved them. That means I helped those officials, but you deserve to take pride in it.”

The Sword King stared silently at Geom Mugeuk. With no expression on his face, it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes, just a moment.”

Geom Mugeuk fetched a rope from the toolbox.

He tied it around his own waist and handed the other end to the Sword King.

“Tie it around your waist. They might try to separate us using some technique.”

It was a precaution to avoid being separated. The Sword King, surprised, asked,

“Why are you doing this?”

“You need to protect me, instructor.”

The Sword King looked at Geom Mugeuk and said,

“Isn’t it the other way around?”

He had begun to wonder if this Young Cult Leader might be tying the rope to protect him instead.

And what surprised him even more was this part—

“You don’t seem greedy. Most would try anything to enter alone and claim whatever’s inside.”

He had expected Geom Mugeuk to try to separate from him, but instead, the man was extending a rope to bind them together.

“They say every treasure in the martial world already has its rightful owner, don’t they? If it’s destined to be mine, it’ll come to me without greed.”

Geom Mugeuk had already learned this lesson well in his previous life. When striving to achieve something, only a single drop of greed was needed.

It was will and effort that carried one through the first step taken out of desire. Greed beyond that only served to trip you and bring you down.

The Sword King tied the rope around his waist. He allowed enough slack for the two to move freely.

“Well then, shall we?”

The two walked slowly into the dark corridor. They sharpened their senses to the extreme. Step by cautious step, they advanced—yet nothing happened.

Then, just as they reached the middle of the corridor—

Sssssssssss...

From the letters and patterns engraved on both walls, light began to emerge.

Shk-shk-shk-shk-shk!

As if descending from the heavens, martial artists holding spears appeared before them.

The warriors formed a line across the corridor and pointed their spears in unison.

Chak-chak-chak-chak-chak!

The total number—five!

More warriors appeared from behind, also aiming their spears. The number matched those who had appeared at the front.

Geom Mugeuk understood at once.

‘They’re the warriors from the wall paintings.’

They looked exactly like the figures in the artwork, but of course, they weren’t living beings. An illusion art had been triggered to protect the place.

“I’ll take the rear.”

The Sword King took the rear, while Geom Mugeuk took the front.

Chak chak chak chak chak!

Like trained soldiers, the spear-wielding warriors began to march forward. The aura they gave off was anything but ordinary.

Shhhhhh.

Geom Mugeuk’s sword energy flew toward them.

The energy cut through the air toward the enemies—but instead of slicing through them, it simply passed through. It should have swept them aside, but instead, it went straight through, as though they were smoke—non-corporeal.

As they closed in, they thrust their spears.

Cheng cheng cheng cheng cheng!

But the spears clashed against the sword for real.

Geom Mugeuk swiftly swung his sword, attempting to sever the spears.

Whoosh.

But just like before, when he had released sword energy, his blade passed straight through the spears.

When they attacked, their spears were real. But when Geom Mugeuk attempted to cut them down, they became illusions. This was a type of illusion art he had never encountered before.

Cheng cheng cheng cheng cheng!

He parried the stabbing spears and launched surprise counterattacks, but again, his blade simply passed through their bodies, cutting only air.

Step by step, Geom Mugeuk retreated. The situation in the rear was the same. Moreover, they weren’t just dolls blindly stabbing with spears—they displayed true spear techniques.

Eventually, the two were forced back until they were standing back to back.

“And you wanted to bring the officials in here?”

Had they really brought the officials, they would all have died here. It would’ve been a massacre.

Swish swish swish swish swish!

Their combat method changed. The warriors now hurled their spears rapidly.

The two men each swung their swords swiftly to block them. The deflected spears shattered into light and vanished, only to reappear in the warriors’ hands once more.

What little fortune Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King had was that they didn’t have to worry about their backs.

‘If we don’t find a method to break this, we’ll die here from exhaustion of internal energy!’

Every illusion art or dark sorcery has a breaking method. That’s an unchanging absolute law. Which meant—the way to break it must exist somewhere in this space.

However, even using Blood Eye Essence and the New Eye Technique, he couldn’t see the method to dispel it.

While fending off their attacks, Geom Mugeuk’s gaze shifted toward the wall paintings. He activated the New Eye Technique and closely examined the artwork of the warriors holding spears.

One particular painting caught his eye at that moment.

It depicted the spear-wielding warriors standing as if guarding a specific symbol placed at the center.

‘Could it be…?’

That symbol appeared in several spots along the wall. Geom Mugeuk swiftly leapt toward one and thrust his sword into it.

Paaat!

In that instant, one of the spear-wielding warriors dissolved into a halo of light and vanished.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

As he parried the fiercely flying spears, Geom Mugeuk shouted,

“I’ve found the method to break it! Please hold them off for me!”

He thrust his sword into another symbol painted elsewhere. Again, one of the warriors vanished in a burst of light.

Spears flew at Geom Mugeuk from both the front and rear.

The Sword King hurled himself forward, striking down the spears flying toward Geom Mugeuk.

Meanwhile, Geom Mugeuk located the symbols in the murals one by one.

Each time he pierced a symbol with his sword, a warrior disappeared. But with each reduction in their numbers, their attacks grew increasingly violent.

They raged like mad beasts, but their opponents were Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King. How could dwindling numbers stop two who had already found the answer?

At last, Geom Mugeuk found the final symbol and thrust his sword into it. The last of the spear-wielding warriors dissolved into a halo of light and vanished.

At the same time, a hidden door at the end of the corridor creaked open with a metallic clunk.

“How did you figure out the breaking method?”

“The stronger an illusion art is, the simpler the method to break it tends to be. Fortunately, this was an old illusion—unlike modern ones, its method wasn’t convoluted, so I was able to deal with it easily.”

But the Sword King knew better. It hadn’t been as simple as Geom Mugeuk made it sound. Could he have deduced the breaking method from that mural if he had been alone? He wasn’t so sure.

“If I had come here alone, I wouldn’t have broken it.”

The Sword King admitted honestly, and Geom Mugeuk couldn’t help but wonder—if that was the case, then how had he made it through in his previous life? Who had he come with back then?

“So, will you give me half of the treasure stored in here?”

He asked it half in jest, half in sincerity—but unexpectedly, the Sword King nodded.

“I will.”

“Really? You’re not just being generous because you plan to kill me anyway, right?”

With that, the two cautiously stepped through the now-open door at the end of the corridor.

The moment they entered, their footsteps halted. Neither spoke a word for a time.

At last, the one to break the silence was Geom Mugeuk.

“You can’t go back on that promise just now.”