Chapter 74 – Purgatory (3)

I couldn’t understand how I had come to feel this way.

In the past, I would have berated myself, asking, “Why would I feel this way toward someone like that?”

An unattractive appearance and a flippant manner of speaking – these factors would have been reasons for me to dislike someone in the past.

But now that I had let go of everything, it didn’t matter.

– Hnng, huff. *hic*

She cried out louder than she ever thought she could, surprising even herself. She sobbed, and that description would be accurate. Questions arose about the unfamiliar experience of pouring out her emotions to someone else.

Why did her emotions become so turbulent in front of that man? Why did the tears she had managed to suppress so well burst forth in his presence? Upon reflection, the answer had already revealed itself.

After pouring out her somber emotions just once, her complaints came forth more naturally the next time.

Her current situation.

The situation was that people who had been brainwashed were returning, one by one. The fact that it was causing stress.

All the surging emotions were unleashed upon him.
The man didn’t shy away from becoming an emotional dumping ground.

On the contrary, he unabashedly performed awkward and embarrassing acts he’d never done before, as if attempting to awaken a precarious state of mind.

It was the first time since her father that someone had gone to such lengths for her.
Only then did she realize she was clinging to something.

Their encounter had transpired throughout the entire dawn.
After bidding him farewell and returning to the dormitory, Azalea sat on the bed and caressed her pounding chest.

– Thump, thump, thump, thump.

A heart that wouldn’t calm down.
Cheeks that still retained warmth.
As she swept her hand down her burning cheeks, Azalea closed her eyes and smiled.

She, who had deceived even herself, now had one emotion she could be certain of.

* * * * *

Azalea: Thank you for yesterday.
Azalea: (An emoticon with shyly greeting petals)
Azalea: I’ll take good care of Shiba, so please train hard!

After checking the text message on my phone, I sent an emoticon with an OK sign to Azalea.

Me: OK!

That should be enough.
I was a little hesitant to leave because Azalea seemed to have had a hard time yesterday.

‘Can’t be helped.’

I stayed with her even while ignoring Heaven’s words to come back quickly. I think any further interference would be nosy. As a result, Heaven hit me on the head with a smoking pipe, and one more lump formed on my forehead, but that was a story worth telling.

“So, sister, how do I get to that place called Purgatory?”

I glanced at Zodiac, who was still sitting on the dormitory bed, biting into a chocolate bar.

Hwangdo, who had the arms of a large Gonryongpo tightly bound around her waist, gazed intently at me and then smirked before pulling me into a warm embrace.

“Dongsang, Purgatory isn’t a place you can just waltz into. Since it’s managed by the World Hunter Association, there’s no legal way to get there.”
“Then how did you manage to go?”
“Who are we, Dongsang?”

Suddenly? Even as I thought this, I humored Hwangdo’s playful jest.

“Peach friends.”
“Then who am I?”
“A cute older sister?”
“Hehe, Dongsang, you’re funny. It’s not me who’s cute—it’s you!”

Hwangdo laughed cheerfully, rose from her seat, and made a sound by snapping her middle finger and thumb together. In that instant, a staff crafted from a massive boksanamu tree materialized in her grip. Enormous mana converged at the tip of Hwangdo’s staff, and a resounding knock echoed forth.

“The person Dongsang chose as his sister…”

Zodiac wrapped her free arm around my shoulders, giving them a triumphant shrug.

– Ugh!

“A grand sorceress indeed!”

Teleport.
A circular pattern of runes enveloped the entire dormitory room.

I had known this for a while, but her casting abilities were undoubtedly top-notch. I squinted at the dazzling red light.

– Flash!

In an instant, my vision flickered, and the space around us shifted.

“We’ve arrived.”

Upon hearing Zodiac’s spirited words, I opened my eyes. Her exceptional magical prowess prevented me from experiencing the inherent dizziness that usually came with teleportation.

We found ourselves in a place resembling a medieval temple, with towering columns. A row of flawless magical-engineered marble lined the floor, and before it floated an opaque magical circle that seemed on the verge of erupting. The pungent smell of lime was striking.

“Where is this?”

“Entrance to the Abyss”

As the tone of her voice shifted, Heaven gracefully approached with her hair intricately braided.

“A dungeon for those seeking trials, a nexus of fate; call it what you will, but it holds few pleasant memories for me.”

Following Heaven, I tread upon the cold, hard marble, assailed by a pungent, musty odor.

“It’s more akin to a medieval mosque… some sort of cultural heritage site, really.”
“As you say, there are whispers that it was once a castle that housed a king. The truth, though, is known only to the one who constructed this dungeon.”

Heaven retrieved my shoes from her bag and handed them to me. I put them on and donned a thick, protective suit.

‘Suddenly faced with the task, the nerves set in.’

I fastened several layered belts and tightened them securely.
All of this top-tier equipment had been supplied by Heaven herself. The protective suit alone could withstand a single deadly blow that would otherwise spell doom.

The distance to the magical circle was not far, allowing for a swift arrival.

Cheondo extended her hand toward the magic circle without instructing me to prepare.

“Are you nervous?”
“Yes… With the Master saying that, who wouldn’t be nervous?”

The magic circle began to activate. Due to its inactivity for some time, the accumulated sand and dust around it soared upwards.

As the swirling sandstorm gradually intensified, our vision became obstructed. Yet, the spot where Cheondo and I stood remained as tranquil as if we were caught in the eye of a typhoon.

…Such a peculiar power.

I observed Cheondo channeling her mana for a considerable period. A bead of sweat trickled down her cheek, revealing her serious expression in a brief glimpse.

The surrounding space started to crack and distort, with the surging magical energy writhing within. Were we entering a dungeon? Cheondo, who briefly managed to withdraw her hand from the magic circle, looked at me with a dizzying gaze.

“I’ll say it again, it will be difficult.”

Again, a warning approaches me.
I think I cannot comprehend the tribulations I will face going forward, as I have yet to experience this dungeon.

My body floated momentarily.

* * * * * *

Trials.

At some point, people began to believe that overcoming trials was an inherent hardship.

A grand heroic epic.
The marvelous tales born from legends that dwell and breathe within it.

Many have been intoxicated by these stories, eagerly plunging into trials.
Masquerading as heroes, they harbor foolish and futile dreams.
Despite the reality being quite different, these dim-witted souls charge forth as though they were characters in a film.

The reason for such folly surely lies in the fact that no one remembers those who failed to triumph.
Humans did not label only those challenges that could be surmounted as trials.

Purgatory had thwarted many, mercilessly snuffing out the breath of those who had lost their dreams.

The world had branded the dungeon called Purgatory as a place never to be challenged recklessly again.

The dead were sublimated into works imbued with divine pathos. The purpose, of course, was to ensure that many hunters could no longer dream.

Heaven, too, had scoffed at the foolishness of those who dared to face the trials of Purgatory. Hearing this, I thought:

If it’s foolish to confront the trials of Purgatory, wouldn’t Heaven herself be the most foolish for casting her very own disciple into those trials?

*Plonk.*

The sound of water dripping could be heard.

A pristine white room – an expansive space that was brightly lit, void of any traces of human civilization.

“Are you awake?”

As I rose, pressing my throbbing forehead, I heard Heaven’s voice nearby. It was the ever-kind and incomparable voice of my mentor.

“…What about the trial?”

Cheondo sat about a hand’s breadth away from me and began to remove various items from her artifact pouch. Starting with furniture, a variety of food, water, cigarettes, and so on. Her preparation was so thorough that nothing seemed to be missing.

Cheondo gestured with her chin toward the center of the pristine white room.

“If you pass through the gate over there, the trial begins. If you can’t break through, you won’t be able to leave this place. It’s easier to think of it that way.”

Could this place be a sanctuary? I couldn’t fully comprehend it, as I didn’t yet know the inner workings of the dungeon. I tightened the seams of my protective suit once more and reached for the central gate, but Cheondo spoke from a distance.

“There’s no need to rush, is there? Have a cup of tea here before you go.”
“…Yes.”

I returned to my original spot and sat down next to her. After all, I had never suffered a loss by heeding Cheondo’swords.

*Slurp.*

Soon, as I sipped the tea Cheondo offered, something caught my eye.

Something peculiar had grown on the nape of Cheondo, who sat gracefully.
A branch imbued with an odd magical power was growing upon her neck.

“Can you see it?”

As I stared at it intently, Cheondo asked with a smile. I nodded, feeling awkward.

“They call it mistletoe. I never knew that mistletoe, which parasitizes the body of a tree spirit, actually existed.”

Mistletoe. A parasitic plant that clings to trees, siphoning their lifeblood.
But why did it suddenly attach itself to Cheondo?
I felt my cheeks twitch.

“You have a puzzled expression. Well, I had no intention of hiding it, so I should tell you.”

Cheondo set down the tea she was drinking.

“By nature, those who face trials must have certain constraints.”

She began to recite the reality, calmly yet coldly.

“Do you know why I came here?”

“…No.”

“I staked my life as a constraint on your trial. If you fail, it is I who will die, not you.”

My eyes twitch.
The smile on Cheondo’s lips still appears devoid of any emotion.

“Thus, proceed with your trial without worry.”

I doubted my ears.
If I fail, who dies?

– Clatter.

The fallen teacup rolls endlessly across the floor. The spilled water gradually spreads out. Cheondo makes no move to catch the teacup.

“Seeing your shocked expression, it seems you consider me a significant connection.”

Rather, upon seeing my astonished face, Cheondo appears pleased and murmurs.

“Wait, just a moment. Are you saying that you, my master, have staked your life on my trial?”
“What’s the big deal? It’s not unusual for a master to risk their life for a disciple.”
“It’s strange enough. Why are you doing this?”

At my bewildering question, Cheondo wore a puzzled expression.

“Of course it is.”
“No… Sigh.”

I couldn’t help but heave a deep sigh. No matter how much of a disciple she was, I couldn’t comprehend risking my life for someone I’d only known for a few months. Did she not even understand the value of her own life? I couldn’t understand why I was going to such lengths for her. As much as I found it absurd, I also couldn’t help but feel worried.

“Purgatory will provide trials befitting its constraints. There will be rewards as well. Don’t worry, if you overcome it, there will be no issues. Or, are you lacking confidence?”

Insane. It wasn’t a matter of confidence or lack thereof. Perhaps in an attempt to alleviate my tension, Cheondo sat before me, incessantly grinning.

My eyes kept being drawn to the mistletoe that had bloomed around her neck. Although it was only slight, Cheondo’s energy had indeed weakened.

“Is a week cutting it too close?”

Cheondo glanced at the leaves floating in the teacup and uttered a word. Perhaps that was the extent of time she could endure.

“Master is undeniably insane.”
“How nice to hear. He must be living a decent life.”

A splashing sound emanated from beneath my feet as I rose from my seat. Anxiously kicking the water puddle, I placed my hand on the central gate. My belt was brimming with potions.

“This is maddening.”

I had to escape this purgatory as soon as possible. I reached out and activated the gate. Cheondo, who was seated behind me, merely pressed her lips to the teacup and offered a few words of encouragement.

“Struggle with all your might—”

The gate’s activation made the following words indistinct and difficult to hear. However, by sifting through the faint words within the clouded phrases, I soon grasped their meaning.

Struggle to your heart’s content.
For it shall become your full strength.

The words etched in my mind couldn’t even elicit a hollow laugh.
As I washed my face with sparse water, I extended my feet forward.

The world unfurled before me.