Myst, Might, Mayhem - Chapter 59

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Episode 16: Corpse-Blood Valley (4)

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Mok GyeongUn tentatively extended a hand toward the empty air in the direction the deathly aura was flowing from and recited a verse formula in his head.

It was the movement of Adhesion.

[Do you feel it? That is the principle behind the movement of Adhesion. It can draw in and make anything adhere. Even ki is no exception.]

Blue Spirit had definitely said that.

Though it was far away, so many boys had died that deathly energy filled the surroundings.

It might be possible with this much.

‘Mu Jeolmang Ryeoseo Ihyeong Wisimyang Muo Jeongeosang Musang Hyeongwijeon Maga Ryanghaegeo Yeokhae Mugeukhyeol.’

Though the Golden Gate Locks had sealed his ki gateways, the movement of Adhesion was not something performed through internal energy.

It was a special power that came solely from the verse formula itself.

His hand remained extended toward the empty air.

As Mok GyeongUn concentrated, the corners of his lips twitched.

Whoooosh!

It had begun as a casual test, thinking there was nothing to be done if it failed.

Fortunately, it worked.

The deathly aura surging all around began to be drawn into Mok GyeongUn's hand.

It was an enormous amount of deathly aura.

‘It's being absorbed.’

He had thought only the deathly aura nearby would be drawn in.

But something fortunate happened.

As the deathly aura around Mok GyeongUn was absorbed, it created a distinctive current. The deathly aura spreading in every direction rode that current.

He might obtain even more deathly aura than he had at Yeonmok Sword Manor.

Watching the boys still locked in a bloody struggle, Mok GyeongUn thought to himself.

‘Kill each other. Keep killing.’

The more they killed one another, the more he gained.

One figure watched Mok GyeongUn with puzzled eyes.

It was the Evil Spirit Mask.

‘.......What is he doing?’

Most eyes were fixed on the valley where the struggle was taking place.

But the Evil Spirit Mask happened to glance toward the censer and spotted Mok GyeongUn, alone, extending a hand slightly toward the valley.

‘Hmm.’

The Evil Spirit Mask had no idea what he was doing.

So the Evil Spirit Mask heightened their Ki sense and observed Mok GyeongUn.

But the Evil Spirit Mask could sense nothing.

‘Am I overreacting?’

His ki gateways were sealed by the Golden Gate Locks. There was no way he could do anything.

He could not even circulate ki.

Still, his actions could not help but draw attention.

Then a warrior beside the Evil Spirit Mask spoke.

“The incense stick is nearly burned down.”

Time was almost up.

Just over four hundred boys had entered in the meantime.

Nearly two hundred boys had already died fighting among themselves, while the remaining two hundred or so were still locked in a bloody battle.

Sizzle...!

The incense stick was burning down to the line below.

The Evil Spirit Mask raised a hand.

At that, the warriors with red sashes waiting around the edge of the valley simultaneously drew the weapons at their waists.

Shing! Shing!

The boys fighting over the iron beads grew more desperate at the sight.

If they did not hurry, they would die.

It awakened the grit sleeping within them and their fierce desire to live.

“Die! Die!”

Crunch! Crunch!

“Move!”

Chomp!

“Aah! Y-you bastard, you bit me?”

They smashed each other's heads with rocks, and if that did not work, they even bit down and refused to let go.

It was utterly desperate.

Those watching had also fought fiercely to earn a seat before the censer, so they could not watch as though it were someone else's problem.

This was only the beginning.

Then one boy among them stood out.

“Aaaaargh!”

Crack!

“Urk!”

As though he had awakened, the boy who had gone unnoticed until then began slaughtering the boys around him indiscriminately.

It was Mok YuCheon.

Mok YuCheon could not accept killing people who held no grudge against him. He had only wanted to find an iron bead and stand before the censer somehow.

But the situation had pushed even Mok YuCheon to the edge.

Pant... Pant...

From the moment he found an iron bead, boys had tried to kill him and take it away. The incense stick was nearly burned down as well.

That situation eventually turned Mok YuCheon into one of them.

‘Damn it! Damn it!’

He did not know how many he had killed, but Mok YuCheon eventually drove back every boy after his iron bead and reached the censer.

He raised the bloodstained ball overhead.

“Passed!”

The moment he heard that cry, all the tension drained from him and he collapsed to the ground.

As Mok YuCheon sat there, his first thought was this.

‘I lived... I survived.’

The relief was almost chilling.

He had somehow survived that hellish moment.

The fear that he might die had driven him to fight desperately to live.

But then, as he looked at his bloodstained palms, self-loathing rose within him.

‘.......What... did I... do?’

He had done it to survive, but what was this?

For a moment, he felt as though he had become a beast rather than a human.

Then the Evil Spirit Mask shouted.

“The incense stick has completely burned down. Kill them.”

“Yes!”

The order had barely been given when screams began to erupt endlessly from the stream area of the valley.

The boys whose dantians had been restricted could not offer any resistance.

* * *

The warriors counted the boys seated in five rows before the censer.

Then the count was confirmed.

A total of 468 boys had survived.

Nearly forty percent had died.

‘Sixty percent... Not bad.’

But the Evil Spirit Mask held little interest in the dead.

If around sixty percent had survived the First Gate, the Evil Spirit Mask considered that a decent result for the first culling.

After the count was finished, the Evil Spirit Mask addressed the boys before the censer.

“I sincerely congratulate those who have passed the First Gate.”

“.........”

The boys merely listened in silence.

It had only been half an hour, but they had done everything imaginable to survive, and they were exhausted.

Watching them, the Evil Spirit Mask continued.

“Now that you have obtained iron beads, you must have noticed. The numbers written on the iron beads are all different. Remember them well. That will be your designation here.”

“........”

“Then we will begin the Second Gate immediately.”

Murmur, murmur!

The boys, who had been catching their breath, stirred at the Evil Spirit Mask's words.

They had thought they would finally get to rest.

But the First Gate had just ended, and the Second Gate would begin immediately?

Those who had passed late, especially when the incense stick was nearly burned down, could not help but feel miserable.

‘Damn it.’

Mok YuCheon felt the same.

Setting aside his self-loathing, he had not even recovered his strength. If he had to do this again, how long could he last?

Ignoring their reactions, the Evil Spirit Mask pointed toward a mountain beyond the valley.

“The Second Gate is to endure on that mountain from now until dawn.”

‘Until dawn?’

It was late at night.

The sun had been setting when they set out for this place.

They had walked nonstop for around three two-hour periods, then undergone the First Gate for half an hour.

Considering that, around three two-hour periods remained until dawn.

‘This time, do we only have to endure?’

If that was all, it would be easier than finding iron beads.

Although some were obsessed with competing, they could preserve their strength and rest if they simply found a suitable spot to hide.

Their ki gateways were still sealed, so they could not use Ki sense. It seemed entirely possible.

Most of them appeared to have the same thought, their eyes showing relief.

But it could not possibly be that simple.

The Evil Spirit Mask spoke.

“I will explain the restrictions.”

‘Restrictions?’

What did that mean?

“There are forty flags planted on the mountain. A flag may have no more than eight people. Exactly eight people must remain at each location until dawn.”

Murmur, murmur!

Everyone stirred again at those words.

Just as expected.

There was no way it would be easy.

“There may not be more or fewer than eight. If that happens, you will die.”

“.........”

Silence fell.

Having heard the restrictions, everyone considered the point of this gate.

Mok YuCheon did the same.

‘There are nearly five hundred people here. But with forty flags, that means only 320 can survive.’

Another bloody competition was being foretold.

Still, there was one difference.

Once they found a flag, eight people would have to cooperate for around three two-hour periods to defend it.

‘Group cooperation!’

Everyone understood the point of this gate.

There would naturally be many variables, but depending on how they cooperated, they could create favorable conditions to endure efficiently.

Swish.

Everyone's eyes naturally shifted from the Evil Spirit Mask to one another.

There was no need to find a flag first and form a group there.

If they gathered the strongest and most useful teammates here, they might be able to clear this gate easily.

‘Then...’

Their gazes turned toward those seated at the very front before the censer.

They had passed the First Gate first and had strength to spare.

Coming under their command or recruiting them was the most advantageous way to gain the upper hand.

‘Hmm.’

It was not only those who had passed late that were thinking this way.

Those who had passed early were also making their own calculations.

The boy from Scarlet Slaughter Valley, who had passed second, looked around and considered his options.

‘I've passed the First Gate quickly and managed my strength well, but the Second Gate follows immediately. Under these restrictions, I cannot let down my guard for even a moment.’

That meant he might not rest all night.

With so few flags and the need to maintain their numbers, troublesome situations were certain to arise.

‘I'll have to stay up all night.’

But if the Third Gate began immediately after this, preserving stamina would be crucial.

That mattered greatly when he could not cultivate.

If their internal energy had not been restricted, they could have recovered their strength by taking turns circulating ki. But now, they were in an almost extreme situation.

‘.......I may need to avoid needless fights.’

That was the only way to preserve his strength completely.

From that perspective, it was better to side with the most capable boys.

The boy from Scarlet Slaughter Valley looked to either side.

Mok GyeongUn and the muscular boy from the Matching Vista Sect.

‘Hmm.’

They were the boys who had passed the First Gate earliest alongside him.

Rather than looking farther afield, it would be more efficient for those with the most strength remaining to band together and clear this gate easily.

‘I had planned to deal with him first in the Second Gate, but...’

This time, it seemed better to join hands.

The boy from Scarlet Slaughter Valley discreetly looked at Mok GyeongUn on his left.

He intended to extend his hand first and establish a cooperative relationship.

Then,

‘!?’

He saw Mok GyeongUn's lips twitch.

That interested look in his eyes made it seem as though he were enjoying this situation.

It was enough to make him uncomfortable.

‘.......No.’

He absolutely did not want to extend a hand to this bastard.

His instincts were telling him something.