Chapter 83: What Lies Hidden in the Demonic Mist (2)

“We’ve arrived.”

Go Geonho spoke.

It had been 30 minutes since they left the coastline and ventured into the forest. Perhaps due to the effects of erosion-induced Otherworldification, the interior of the island felt far more vast than it appeared from the outside.

“Though it’s rather humble…”

As I emerged from the undergrowth and took in Go Geonho’s dwelling, I spoke with firm resolve:

“The word ‘humble’ doesn’t quite fit.”

I, Lee Taejun, was a man who always spoke his mind, regardless of who he was addressing.

The Nine Heavens Bone King’s residence was a grand mansion located in the heart of Daehwa Island, a place of luxury and opulence. Despite being shrouded in the demonic mist that permeates the eroded land, the mansion boasted a stately iron gate in an old-fashioned style. Beyond the gate lay a garden adorned with exotic flowers and trees, while the buildings themselves were constructed of clean marble and brick. Even a rough visual estimate suggested the grounds covered over 10,000 pyeong (approximately 33,000 square meters).

When Go Geonho snapped his fingers, the massive iron gate creaked open. As I crossed the garden and entered the mansion, I was surprised once more. Inside, I spotted servants—skeletons, to be precise. One was trimming the garden with shears, another sweeping the path leading to the mansion with a broom. Various other skeletons were busily working within the mansion itself.

Seeing this, it was clear why Go Geonho was hailed as an unparalleled necromancer.

To entrust even the simplest tasks to skeletons, who couldn’t use items beyond their basic equipment and struggled to understand even simple commands…

Clack.

As they entered the mansion, three slightly smaller skeletons approached.

“That skeleton will guide each of you to your rooms. Rest for a while. You must be exhausted after hunting monsters on the boat for several hours.”

Clack.

The skeleton servants led the way up the mansion’s stairs. Following them, they ascended the stairs, stepped onto the crimson carpet, and walked down the spacious hallway.

“I never imagined I’d meet the Nine Heavens Bone King himself here,” Yoo Se-rin said, her expression somewhat calmer. “Now I understand why Yeonha warned us not to reveal what we saw here to anyone.”

“You seem quite shaken,” the Nine Heavens Bone King observed.

“Absolutely! He completely revolutionized people’s perception of Necromancers. Despite the nature of Undead-related skills, which often require solo work, he was the one who saved the most people during the early days of the Great Change. Plus, he’s the only Blood Mage in Korea!”

Yoo Se-rin chattered excitedly, her face flushed.

“And did you see what he did earlier? He built a Siren King using just Blood Magic! Even Yeonha would have trouble dealing with that so easily.”

It was as if they were in the presence of a living legend.

About five minutes later, Yoo Se-rin finally stopped listing Go Geonho’s achievements.

Clack.

The Skeleton escorting her had stopped in front of a door.

“Ah, I suppose this is my room.”

“Please go in and rest. You’ve worked hard today, Hunter Serine.”

“Yes, and Hunter Taejun as well.”

However, Yoo Se-rin suddenly stopped as she was about to enter the room.

“By the way… that.”

“Yes?”

Turning back with a puzzled expression, she hesitated as if she wanted to say something, then lowered her head.

“No, it’s nothing. You worked hard today!”

She muttered this as she nonchalantly entered the room.

“Nine Heavens Bone King… would he really give me his autograph if I asked?”

I let out a bitter laugh.

Seeing this, I realized she was still just a child at heart.

Click.

Not long after, the Skeleton leading me stopped in front of another room.

“Quite spacious,” I remarked, closing the door and surveying the room.

The room was carpeted with an ornate rug, featuring a mana fireplace and a veiled bed. Exotic tables and chairs were scattered throughout.

I slowly approached the window.

Through the hazy mist, I gazed at the mansion’s garden, obscured by the demonic fog.

“Why are you still here?”

Yoo Se-rin’s face lit up with excitement and joy. Seeing her like this made me ponder again.

Even now, the hero of the Great Change still receives such high social status. Even rookies who hadn’t been born thirty years ago still respect her.

That’s why it puzzled me.

If she simply wanted to distance herself from the media, she could have settled in a peaceful resort in a foreign country.

There was no need to live alone on a deserted island teeming with monsters.

A few years later, she told me she would completely leave Korea.

That’s why Ko Youngmin’s words were still echoing in my mind.

Just then—

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

I initially thought it might be a servant, but I quickly dismissed that thought.

A skeleton couldn’t possibly move with such refined grace.

Therefore, the one who opened the door at the knock was…

“Do you like the room?”

Of course, it was the master of this mansion.

“Yes, it’s more than sufficient for me.”

“Good.”

As the crackling of the mana fireplace filled the room…

“Then follow me,” the Nine Heavens Bone King said quietly.

“I’ll give you your inauguration gift first.”

“I’ve heard the story. You did a remarkable job stopping the dungeon rampage at Macheon.”

As we walked through the mansion’s hallway, Go Geonho, who was leading the way, murmured these words.

“Anyway, now that you’re a member of the Hwiryong Guild, I’m truly proud of you.”

“I was just lucky. It wasn’t anything particularly special.”

“Haha, reserve your humility for the media. You don’t need to be so modest in front of an old man like me.”

It wasn’t humility; it was the truth.

The Macheon dungeon rampage was the result of someone trying to restore a single item by summoning an Archmage from another dimension in the first place.

When you look at the details, it was essentially me cleaning up my own mess.

And I even dumped the rest of the annoying aftermath onto the innocent Ko Youngmin and the Hwiryong Guild.

“The Hwiryong Guild Leader suffered far more than I did,” I said, my words tinged with a hint of guilt.

“We should be grateful to that man.”

“Is that so?”

“For the past three years since my nephew took over the Guild, Hwiryong had practically vanished from the world. He’d occasionally be mentioned in internet articles or news, but usually it was about wage arrears due to worsening finances, or being cited as a guild that had rapidly declined in just a few years.”

”…”

“But now, Hwiryong has become the hero who stopped the dungeon rampage, featured in a knight’s tale.”

Thud.

Go Geonho stopped walking and stared at me for a moment. The moonlight streaming through the window illuminated the wrinkles etched into his face, framed by a faint smile.

“I’m grateful. I know why you chose Hwiryong, but still…”

Thank you for protecting my legacy.

The hero of the Great Change spoke, his words carrying the weight of sincerity.

Perhaps that was why.

It was because of the sincerity in his smile and tone.

“May I ask why you made such a decision?” I asked quietly.

“You must have known that Guild Leader Ko Youngmin wasn’t ready. Why did you entrust Hwiryong to him and step back?”

Of course, the Hunters who played a role during the Great Change…

None of them remained active on the front lines.

The ‘Heroes of the Great Change,’ including Cha Taesu and Ma Daechun, had handed over their achievements to their disciples or trustworthy talents and retired.

But that was only after…

The successors had grown sufficiently.

Che Soohyun was an unparalleled genius who obtained an S-Rank license in his early twenties.

Che Yerim founded a Hunter-related item company with her bare hands and achieved annual sales of 500 billion won in just three years, proving her business acumen.

Matthew only became the Hwarang Commander after achieving a stalemate against Ma Daechun, the founder of the Soaring Dragon Divine Fist, in a one-on-one duel.

But as for Ko Youngmin…

“I wasn’t prepared for anything,” the First Hwiryong Guild Leader spat, his face bitter. “And I don’t know if I’ll ever be strong enough to bear the weight of this responsibility. That’s why I feel a little guilty. I’ve dumped a burden on him that he can’t possibly handle.”

“But why?”

“Because I’ve grown weak.”

Grown weak?

“Because I no longer have the strength to lead Hwiryong.”

”…”

I fell silent.

Awakened beings are still human.

As they age, their physical abilities decline, and they can no longer properly wield their Skills.

In the end, they become no different from ordinary people.

But at least the Nine Heavens Bone King.

This Necromancer Hero was different.

I was certain.

That was the problem.

The notification flashed before my eyes.

This message had only appeared twice before when I used the QR code function.

The first time was when I first acquired the QR code function and tried to check the Status Windows of Matthew and Seo Yeon-hwa.

In other words, Go Geonho still possessed the ability to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Korea’s top hunters.

This was also strange.

At Go Geonho’s age, a decline in ability should be normal.

”…I see.”

The mystery only deepened.

There was no way to explain the reason for my doubts.

It also seemed that Go Geonho had no intention of revealing the real reason he had passed the torch and retired.

In that case, it was best not to pry too deeply.

“In any case, you can now rest assured about Guild Leader Ko Youngmin. Although I recruited him for my own gain, that’s precisely why I won’t let Hwiryong fall into ruin.”

“Haha, are you saying you’ll beat some sense into that nephew of mine?”

“If the first Guild Leader permits it.”

“I don’t care if you beat him black and blue. Just make sure to give him a slap that’ll leave a mark when you return.”

“Your share, Nine Heavens Bone King?”

“Right. He’ll understand when I tell him.”

Go Geonho smiled warmly. “And if you ever need my help again, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll do my utmost to assist you.”

I paused, lost in thought.

Yes, this is the right moment.

“Actually, I didn’t come to Daehwa Island solely because of the inauguration gift you prepared.”

“Hmm.”

“Would you be willing to teach me about Blood Magic?”

“Blood Magic, you say?”

“Yes.”

Go Geonho maintained a moment of silence before speaking. “Indeed, I am the only officially sanctioned Blood Mage in the country.”

“I understand.”

“You’ve come to the right place. If I register you as my apprentice with the International Federation Headquarters, you too can legally wield Blood Magic.”

“That’s correct.”

Go Geonho, lost in thought, shook his head.

“I’m sorry.”

I gazed at him with a serious expression.

Though he had immediately rejected me, I persisted, voicing my request once more.

“I understand that Blood Magic is a dangerous power that can even take the life of the caster if mishandled. Even so, I desperately want to learn it from the Nine Heavens Bone King.”

”…Can you explain your reason?”

Reason.

I couldn’t reveal that it was due to the Synchronization value.

“I want to become stronger.”

“You are already strong enough. Though I haven’t witnessed your prowess firsthand, I’m certain of it. Yet you still insist?”

“Yes.”

My response was firm.

“I need to become far stronger than I am now.”