Chapter 14
“Are you really trying to threaten the Mountain Lord who once ruled the Taebaek Mountains?”
Hyerim replied coldly.
She glanced at Zhuhan’s arm, which was covered in red, blistering burns, and spoke as if it were nothing.
“So, judging by your arm, it really is what I thought it was. I wonder—which will happen first? Me breaking free from the ring’s restraint, or your arm rotting away?”
Hyerim twisted her body deliberately.
The invisible force restraining her began to weaken little by little. She glared at Zhuhan with sharp eyes.
“The moment I break free, I’ll tear you apart and feed you to the crows.”
Wenling, who had just arrived, also pressed Zhuhan.
“Hey, idiot. Just surrender. You’ve lost!”
“No way!”
Zhuhan let out a cackling laugh and raised the hand wearing the ring.
The ring glowed red, and intricate patterns flickered across its surface.
“Come!”
With a crazed expression, Zhuhan shouted.
Suddenly, the surroundings rustled, and massive chimeras began to emerge.
They were the same creatures that had attacked Wenling and Yunseol that night.
“Th-that’s…!”
Wenling immediately recognized them. Yunseol glared at Zhuhan and asked,
“So it really was you who attacked us that night.”
“Who else would it be? Did you think there was anyone else in Jeju who could see through my idiot little brother’s pathetic script magic?”
As he spoke, Zhuhan pulled out a rifle from his pocket.
It was long and sharp—clearly designed for sniping.
“I was going to finish my brother off with this, but I got unlucky.”
“So you’ve given up on being human now.”
Wenling clenched his teeth.
It had been Zhuhan who shot at him that night as well.
“Given up on being human? Hahaha. Little brother, is that something you should be saying while surrounded by monsters?”
Zhuhan smirked, aiming the gun forward.
The chimeras growled as they surrounded him, ready to pounce at any moment.
And now, he even had a gun in his hand.
“Don’t worry. He’s at his limit.”
Wenling said quietly, then added quickly,
“It looks like he’s controlling those chimeras using the ring’s power. But he doesn’t have the strength to handle it properly. And he’s already lost a lot of blood. If we just hold out a little longer, he’ll collapse on his own.”
As Wenling predicted, Zhuhan’s arm trembled faintly.
Even so, Zhuhan panted heavily and sneered,
“They call this the Land of Morning Calm, but why are there so many things that aren’t human? So much for it being a famous vacation spot.”
Hearing this, Yunseol suddenly called out to him.
“Mr. Zhuhan!”
Startled, Zhuhan pointed the gun at her and shouted,
“Don’t come any closer!”
Ignoring him, Yunseol continued,
“Mr. Zhuhan, you remember the effect of my blood, don’t you?”
A flicker of hesitation crossed Zhuhan’s face.
Yunseol quickly continued,
“You’ve lost a lot of blood, right? If this keeps up, you’ll die.”
“No. I won’t die. Who says I’ll die?!”
Zhuhan shook his head, but it was obvious he was wavering.
Yunseol calmly persuaded him,
“I’m not sure if it can heal divine punishment, but if you cooperate, I’ll give you my blood.”
The blood of a mermaid that heals all wounds.
Zhuhan knew its effect well.
Just a few drops were enough to instantly heal his arm before.
With Yunseol’s blood, even his neck wound and broken ribs could recover.
“What are you planning?”
Zhuhan glared at her suspiciously.
But Yunseol shook her head immediately.
“Nothing. I just don’t want to watch someone die in front of me. Please believe me. I’m a curator, not a murderer.”
She looked at him steadily, her expression calm, as if to prove her sincerity.
Zhuhan stared at her in silence for a long moment, then nodded.
“F-fine. Come here.”
With his permission, Yunseol slowly stepped forward.
The chimeras still growled at Zhuhan’s feet, but she showed no fear as she extended her bloodied finger toward him.
“Give me the blood. Hurry!”
Zhuhan opened his mouth, his face twisted in pain.
“Here, take it.”
Yunseol held her finger out.
Zhuhan leaned in eagerly—
And in that instant, she pulled out a gas gun from her pocket and fired it at full force.
“AAAAARGH!”
Hit directly, Zhuhan clutched his eyes and fell backward.
“Move!”
Seizing the moment, Wenling rushed in and struck Zhuhan’s arm.
Unable to withstand the blow, Zhuhan dropped the gun.
“You’ve lost your weapon now!”
Hyerim shouted triumphantly.
Freed from the ring’s restraint, she stepped forward.
“Grr! Grr!”
Several chimeras blocked her path.
They barked ferociously, but Hyerim glared at them and roared,
“Move aside!”
Her roar as the Mountain Lord echoed through the area.
Sensing her overwhelming power, the chimeras tucked their tails and quickly parted.
“Breaking the ring’s restraint this easily… I can already tell your level.”
Hyerim grabbed Zhuhan by the collar and lifted him up.
“Now choose. Want to get beaten and then hand it over? Or hand it over and then get beaten?”
No matter the choice, the outcome was obvious.
Zhuhan coughed and spat curses,
“You disgusting things.”
“And who do you think you’re calling disgusting?”
Hyerim shot back immediately.
“I’m not dying alone.”
With that, Zhuhan opened the box he was holding.
Inside was the artifact they had been searching for.
“How about this!”
He threw the entire box.
It traced a long arc before hitting the ground, and the artifact inside tumbled out.
An imperfect Philosopher’s Stone—created from failed alchemy.
“No!”
Yunseol screamed.
The moment it touched the ground, the area began to bubble and blacken.
Thick, murky smoke rose from it.
At this rate, everything nearby would be destroyed.
“You shouldn’t leave something this dangerous lying around.”
A stranger’s voice interrupted.
A man at least two meters tall approached from afar.
As if it were nothing, he picked up the artifact with his bare hand.
“I’m not too late, am I?”
Hyerim tilted her head.
“And what about my shop? Why are you here, Branch Manager of Seoul?”
The man laughed heartily.
“Don’t worry. I wrapped things up properly before coming.”
He glanced at Zhuhan and greeted him lightly.
“You must be Heo Zhuhan. I’ve heard quite a bit about your reputation. I’m Kim Euldong, the Seoul branch manager of the Great Museum.”
“What…?”
Zhuhan was startled.
Euldong had unnaturally pale skin, gray hair, and gray eyes—giving him an eerie yet mysterious presence.
“Thanks to your careful ‘management,’ the stolen artifact is completely intact. You seem badly injured—are you alright? Korean curators tend to be a bit extreme. Every time something happens, someone almost dies. Hahaha.”
He joked lightly despite Zhuhan’s near-death state.
“You’re holding that with your bare hands?”
Zhuhan asked in disbelief.
“I’m sturdier than I look.”
Clicking his tongue, Zhuhan realized this was no ordinary opponent.
“Fine. If monsters keep appearing, then I’ll become one too!”
Grabbing his wounded neck, dark blood began to drip down—
Transforming into grotesque characters.
“What is that?!”
Startled, Hyerim released him.
The characters wriggled like insects, emitting a sinister glow.
“Zhuhan, you lunatic! Those are forbidden scripts!”
Wenling shouted in horror.
Zhuhan sneered.
“What else am I supposed to do against monsters? I’ll use everything I’ve got.”
The blood-written characters pulsed with an ominous energy.
“Haven’t seen these in a while. Didn’t expect anyone could still use them.”
Euldong said with interest.
“Stay back! Or I’ll use this on you!”
Zhuhan shouted.
“Hm… I doubt Cangjie created writing for this purpose.”
Euldong clapped lightly.
“So I suppose it’s fine if I erase it.”
A brilliant light burst from his hand.
The characters vanished instantly upon contact, as if erased by a white brush.
“What the hell?!”
Zhuhan screamed in despair.
Smiling gently, Euldong extended his hand.
“Will you come with us now? I can’t just leave you in this condition.”
His tone was calm—but firm.
“Like hell I will!”
Even now, Zhuhan refused to give up.
Forcing out more blood, he shouted,
“‘An illusion born from the shell beneath the sea—a fleeting mirage that fades away!’”
His body began to blur.
He was trying to escape.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
Wenling rushed forward.
Zhuhan snapped at him,
“Idiot brother, you’re not the only one with allies. Who do you think gave me this gun and those chimeras?”
Then he glared at the curators.
“Well then, curators, this is goodbye for now. I’ll be back soon. Let’s meet again then!”
