NOVPUBThe light source inside the Garden was extremely faint, but the furnace was a different story.
The flames inside the furnace emitted such an intense light that it was almost blinding.
Each time, energy from the furnace spread out in waves across the floor, extending into the Garden.
‘The power of the Garden is connected to that furnace.’
There was no doubt about it.
The furnace I saw in my left eye, where the Shaman was, could not have been mistaken.
I had seen the flames in the furnace through the Life and Death Vision, but seeing it in person gave me a heavy, disheartening feeling.
The dark forces seemed to have chosen heat to suppress the shapeless power of the clouds.
‘It’s the same principle as how the storm was suppressed by the energy of water and iron chains.’
For the storm, it was only after using the Gwanglim of the City of Hu that it could be contained.
This meant that the furnace likely contained the combined power of those forces, if not more.
It would have been impossible to trap a mythic tribe, who had left their name in history, with ordinary flames, so such a furnace was necessary.
“...Is it inside that furnace?”
Hwang Ji-ho’s golden eyes reflected the flames of the furnace.
He probably already knew, but it seemed that confirmation was still necessary.
When I nodded, Hwang Ji-ho looked at the furnace and said softly.
“I have arrived, Shaman.”
Whoosh.
The flames inside the furnace flared up as if in response.
The flames were wildly flickering, almost like they were screaming, flaring up and dying down in waves. It could be mere coincidence.
Though there was no evidence, it really seemed like those two were having a conversation.
“Wait just a little longer. I will be there soon.”
When Hwang Ji-ho spoke, the flames in the furnace visibly calmed.
Jeon Moo-young, who had been skeptical about whether the Shaman was truly there or if communication was possible, sighed.
The Shaman would be overwhelmed by both physical and mental exhaustion, just trying to maintain their burning form, so they were waiting for Hwang Ji-ho’s words.
‘If Hwang Ji-ho had rushed directly toward the furnace, he would have had to come up with a new plan, but now, it seems unnecessary.’
Instead of rushing in, Hwang Ji-ho chose to calm the Shaman and prepare for battle.
When he spoke to the Shaman, his voice had no warmth, cold and distant.
“I know you are here.”
This was not a message for the Shaman but for someone else.
Hwang Ji-ho’s gaze turned toward the dark clouds surrounding the furnace.
At first glance, it appeared there was no one there.
Fwoosh!
Golden particles began to rise around Hwang Ji-ho’s body.
He transformed these particles into magical energy and spread them around, preparing to form a barrier in any shape he wished.
The amount of energy, the concentration needed to control such vast power, the knowledge of handling magic, and the confidence that he wouldn’t lose even if his tactics were revealed—all of these had to be in place to pull this off.
“Do not think you can deceive my eyes. An ambush is meaningless.”
When they split paths, I expected the fewer forces to set traps or attempt an ambush.
The enemy still ruled the Garden and held the Shaman hostage, so they could exploit that.
Seeing the enemy’s silence now, they seemed to have hidden their form within the clouds.
Despite Hwang Ji-ho’s provocation, the enemy remained silent.
Meanwhile, the golden particles around Hwang Ji-ho continued to grow.
‘They are coming.’
Perhaps the enemy thought Hwang Ji-ho was bluffing, for they attempted an ambush.
Hwang Ji-ho, who seemed to notice it before I did, sneered.
“Didn’t I tell you? It’s meaningless.”
Crash!
The place where Hwang Ji-ho had been standing just moments ago was scattered with remnants of a barrier spell.
Through the debris, I saw something wrapped in clouds quickly dissolve into the wall.
Hwang Ji-ho instantly manipulated his magic to form a new barrier and withdrew.
In the blink of an eye, the enemy and Hwang Ji-ho exchanged blows.
On top of that, Hwang Ji-ho was observing the enemy charging toward the barrier, setting up his moves to uncover their identity.
Boom!
When Hwang Ji-ho snapped his fingers, the remains of the shattered barrier reassembled.
If he wanted, he could make the barrier durable enough not to break under such an attack, but it seemed he deliberately reduced its strength.
To replicate something, one needs to use a soft material, so Hwang Ji-ho must have adjusted the barrier’s integrity.
The broken remnants took on the shape of something that had attacked the barrier.
It was in the shape of a fang.
‘I thought I might have seen it wrong with one eye, but I saw it correctly. Through the clouds, I could see the teeth. They were shaped like tiger fangs.’
It was clear that the enemy had some significant strength.
In the Korean Peninsula, any creature associated with tigers carries immense power, so if they had those teeth, they could boast about their strength anywhere.
The fact that this opponent happened to be the Tiger King, Hwang Ji-ho, made little difference.
And because I saw that shape, I gained more clues about the enemy’s identity.
‘A creature that avoids battles with large numbers, has tiger fangs, and has legends linked to consumption. A creature of the beast tribes that would follow the dark forces.’
The third clue also came through Hwang Ji-ho’s barrier technique.
Part of the barrier had been eaten away.
When the enemy tried to ambush and fought with Hwang Ji-ho, I briefly saw the scene where the teeth in the clouds tried to bite and consume the barrier.
‘Such conditions would make it a suitable subordinate to the dark forces.’
With these thoughts, the answer became clear.
Hwang Ji-ho glanced over at me, likely noticing I had figured it out.
“You seem to have found the answer.”
With such a hint, it was time to provide an answer.
Before I could speak, Jeon Moo-young, having taken up a combat stance, stood behind me.
He probably thought that once I answered, the target would shift from Hwang Ji-ho to me.
I held my breath in this space, as if speaking directly to the unseen presence watching me.
“In ancient Chinese mythology, there was a monster with such fangs. That monster followed evil beings, was weak against the strong, and strong against the weak. It also had an insatiable appetite, devouring everything in its path, just like it tried to devour the barrier.”
I hadn’t even finished speaking before a murderous intent so strong that it made my missing left eye ache poured out.
Seeing that such energy was aimed at me, I must have been speaking the truth.
“That monster is said to avoid crowds. It lacks the courage and strength to face many opponents, doesn’t it?”
Goooohhh...
When I chose to provoke the enemy with those words, the murderous intent rose even further.
The murderous energy, which had been focused on me, now spread to the surroundings, making Jeon Moo-young tense.
Hwang Ji-ho remained unfazed and began using his magic again.
The golden particles, which had spread widely, began to weave into a net-like shape.
‘I’ve been thinking about this type of creature, a beast tribe that might serve the dark forces, since before I came to this world. The number of beast tribes that follow evil and hate the righteous isn’t as small as people think.’
In myths and legends, it is often the good, great beings who are the protagonists, but there are just as many stories about the opposite.
The epics that describe hell and demons, the tales of beasts that shook entire eras, are still passed down.
Among the many candidates, one creature matched these conditions.
I spoke the name of that creature.
“The weakest of the Four Horrors has a curved horn. If you see it in person, it’ll be unmistakable. Am I wrong, Do-cheol?”
Crack!
The moment I mentioned Do-cheol’s name, a flash of light struck before me.
My right eye was blocked by a golden barrier, and there were scratch marks from sharp fangs on the barrier.
Do-cheol seemed to have aimed for my remaining eye, and Hwang Ji-ho had anticipated and blocked it.
Seeing the enemy so agitated, I knew my answer was correct.
‘Perhaps he’s pretending to be agitated to conceal his identity, but this murderous intent doesn’t feel like a feint. He almost got caught by Hwang Ji-ho just now.’
Hwang Ji-ho was still unfolding his barrier.
Do-cheol seemed to have narrowly escaped.
“I was planning to capture you this time, but you're quite fast. If you’re so frustrated, why not just show yourself and fight?”
Once Hwang Ji-ho figured out the enemy’s identity, he moved more decisively.
“Do-cheol, I will drag you out of those clouds.”
Whoosh!
When Hwang Ji-ho waved his hand, a huge net encased the entire space.
From a distance, it felt like being inside a space made of gold.
The net-like barrier, when examined closely, had high-purity magical energy arranged in a precise form that made one question their vision.
Kaaang! Kaaang!
A fierce sound rang out from one side of the golden net barrier.
Do-cheol was resisting, trying to hide behind the clouds, repeatedly trying to escape the net.
“The resistance of the Floor Masters is quite fierce. Fighting them all at once makes it difficult to manage the power.”
Once Hwang Ji-ho roughly pinpointed Do-cheol’s location, the balance shifted in an instant.
The creature that had been attacking to kill was now fleeing for its life.
The fangs that had been used for offense had now become a shield for survival.
The power difference between Hwang Ji-ho and Do-cheol was glaringly obvious.
Without even using intellect, Hwang Ji-ho was playing with Do-cheol, who had the power of the Shaman.
“Be careful. If you mismanage the power, I might kill you.”
Hwang Ji-ho had no intention of killing Do-cheol.
Though he must have wanted to bring great pain and end him, especially after what had happened to the Shaman, he was holding back for the sake of his friend.
To unravel the secrets of the deceased Fong Baek, Woo Sa, and the Shaman, he needed information, and to do that, he needed to capture a living member of the dark forces.
‘I thought capturing him alive would be difficult, but with such a power difference, it shouldn’t be a problem.’
With Hwang Ji-ho’s power, capturing Do-cheol alive would be possible, but right now, he couldn’t do so because he was managing several clones simultaneously.
However, it was only a matter of time.
As the subjugation of the Floor Masters neared its end, Hwang Ji-ho was handling his power with increasing precision.
For the first time, a voice came from beyond the cloud walls.
[...I have something to say!]
“You can speak of it in the Abyss of the Ho Clan.”
Hwang Ji-ho reached his hand toward the direction of the voice and grabbed at the air.
The golden barrier split the clouds, creating an opening through which something was being pulled out.
Though not completely extracted, I could see a curved horn and a boar-like head through the gap between the barrier and the clouds.
Do-cheol cried out in a panic.
“I have discerned the ones who stepped into this Garden by borrowing the power of Chaos. Including you, there are three groups!”
Three groups?
According to my plan, Maeng Hyo-don’s group, Teacher Ham Geun-hyung, and the dark forces should have joined by now.
I had no idea how they had split, but it seemed likely that Maeng Hyo-don or his master had been left behind.
After considering all possibilities, Do-cheol spoke.
“Of the three groups, one of the weakest is heading toward us.”
A bitter smile twisted Do-cheol’s face, contorted by humiliation and pain.
“Do you think that two mere humans can take on the weakest of the Four Horrors?”
Do-cheol seemed to be planning to capture a hostage and make a deal.
