Ёны Ён (2)

Sssshhhh....

In the area where the green flash had vanished, space itself seemed to have been torn away, revealing a void in the dark emptiness.

Ssshhh....

A green hand places a podao behind their back.

Kugugugu!

A massive piece of a fortress falls through the void.

The figure in green hood, Heaven-Entrapping Esteemed One Jang Ik, looks down at the fragment of the fortress with an interested gaze.

[Impressive... they avoided this?]

Kugugugu!

The falling piece of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress is about a third of its whole.Of the three cylindrical fortresses that make up the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, only one had been cleanly sliced off, with the rest escaping.

[Interesting fellow. If he was only not insane, perhaps we could have shared a cup of tea and discussed enlightenment...]

Wo-woong!

A small apparition appears next to Jang Ik.

A handsome young man with blue hair and small deer horns on his forehead – the apparition of Seo Hweol.

[On behalf of the Earth Tribe Grand Alliance, Chief Military Strategist Seo Hweol sends his greetings to the Esteemed One of the Heart Tribe.]

[Earth Tribe Grand Alliance? There's such a thing now?]

[Yes, to respond to threats including the Mad Lord and others like the Lightning Harbinger, the Earth Tribe has decided to unite.]

[Hmmm...]

[But, may I ask why you let the Mad Lord escape?]

At Seo Hweol's question, Jang Ik snorts and replies.

[Sacred Master Baek Woon urged me to act, but she said to deal with the Mad Lord later. The Mad Lord isn't the priority. Besides, I'm using an avatar, so my existence is already fading.]

Wo-woong...

Jang Ik shows his half-transparent left hand.

[While the Ghost Mother is threatening, she’s no different from a beast without reason. Rather, the Mad Lord where madness and rationality coexists is the real threat that can grow stronger in the future. Wouldn't it be better to deal with that one first...?]

At those words, Jang Ik looks in the direction where the Mad Lord fled.

[I made two attacks.]

[...?]

[One split his fortress, and the other was infused into the heart essence of one of his disciples.]

[…I don’t quite understand the Heart Tribe's mysterious and profound methods, so is it possible for the Esteemed One to explain? Also, the Mad Lord has only one disciple, so when you say 'one of the disciples'….]"

Interrupted by Seo Hweol's question, Jang Ik glances at him and waves his hand.

Pssh!

With that gesture, Seo Hweol's apparition distorts.

[The Ghost Mother is approaching. Though its rationality has evaporated, I can sense the power of the stars within, meaning it's much closer to Star Shattering than the Mad Lord’s puppets. I need to concentrate to cut down something of that level, so let’s end our communication here.]

Sssshhhh....

Seo Hweol's apparition fades completely.

Jang Ik clicks his tongue.

[I've seen something filthy. Even the Earth Tribe has been struck by a deadly omen. For such a person to take the position of Chief Military Strategist…Tsk tsk.]

Kugugugugu!

Beyond the horizon, accompanied by black clouds, a howling entity approaches.

Ssssh, ssssh....

Jang Ik takes out the two podaos from behind his back and assumes a stance.

[Hmm, the Mad Lord and Ghost Mother… no matter how I look at it, both seem less dangerous than that Seo Hweol…Is it right for Sacred Master Baek Woon’s orders to prioritize the other two? Well, if the Earth Tribe falls to ruin, it’ll be easier for the Heart Tribe…Let’s leave it be for now.]

He lifts up the podaos and begins to dance.

Starting with his small frame, a green storm begins to rage.

Kugugugugu!

The Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, despite losing a third of its structure, continues to move forward rapidly.

Crossing through the sky and over all sorts of strange landscapes, it finally arrives at a destination.

Kugugugugu!

A valley similar to the one where the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress had stayed a thousand years ago.

The Mad Lord lands the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress and hurriedly enters its core to repair [Her].

I speak with a glint in my eye.

‘It’s now.’

It’s a golden opportunity.

The Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress is not functioning properly, and the Mad Lord's [Her] is currently half-damaged.

Now is the perfect time to escape from the Mad Lord.

I convey my intention to Kim Yeon.

"You want to leave now?"

Kim Yeon looks at me.

I’m taken aback.

Her eyes are shimmering.

"...Why?"

Click, click….

I take advantage of the chaos in the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, causing errors with the controlled puppets.

Then, I direct the errors towards my face and ask.

"Yeon, ah... what, do you, mean?"

"...Eun-hyun Oppa. If we just escape from this madman now, he will repair [Her] and learn from his recent defeat, growing even stronger.”

"Yeon, ah..."

"Escaping is wrong. We must kill him now.”

A faint rage is visible in her eyes.

No, it isn't just a faint rage.

It’s a hatred as intense as lava.

"Yeon, ah... do you, want, revenge?"

"...Yes. This might be the right way. No, it is! I swore, didn't I? To shatter [Her] in front of the Mad Lord! We've ended up like this because of being captured by that lunatic, but he'll just be happy forever indulging in his own world with his puppet!"

Click…

"Eun-hyun Oppa. If it’s now, if it’s now! I can take control of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress with my consciousness and snatch [Her] right in front of the Mad Lord...!"

Kim Yeon shouts with a broken smile.

"This is rather our only chance! Right now, right here, let's defeat that lunatic and make him pay for what he did to us! If we don't…!!"

Bang!

She, with her puppet-modified arm, grabs her chest and says,

"How are we ever supposed to resolve this grudge stuck in our chest? Huh?”

I look at the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

She is right.

I too have a lot of grievances against that madman.

"Eun-hyun Oppa, if we escape from the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress... we agreed to open up our hearts to each other, right?"

When we finally had a proper conversation, we promised to do so.

I plan to return the heart and emotions I received from her after we manage to escape from the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

"After we shatter [Her] and turn the Mad Lord to puppet materials, let's have a proper wedding ceremony here. Today, today is the perfect opportunity!”

"..."

I look at her.

After reaching completion in the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, her madness improved significantly from that day.

However, I noticed she developed a strange obsession instead of madness.

From the day she achieved completion in the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, Kim Yeon developed a strange obsession with me and the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

Her obsession with me is fine.

I understand that.

However, I sometimes slightly fail to understand the obsession with the Fortress.

There were times when even I, who surpassed Kim Yeon in understanding the essence of the Mysterious Bizarre Innate Heart Canon, found it slightly incomprehensible.

Perhaps, having reached Treading Heavens Beyond the Path, and being someone who has perfect control over heart essence, I am better at shaking off the temptation of the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon than Kim Yeon, but…

'Something's suspicious.'

"Yeon, ah... the Mad Lord is, mad, but... at the same time, he is, a being of reason. He must have, considered our betrayal."

"...It's okay, Oppa."

Wo-woong!

Surururururuk!

Her consciousness unravels like thread.

Sararak, sararararak!

In an instant, the puppets controlled by the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress begin to lose their control to her.

Her consciousness, stretching like threads, enters the puppets' spiritual energy circuits and takes control.

"The Mad Lord failed to understand my real ability. It's not just about having a large consciousness. Eun-hyunn Oppa, since the day I confirmed your heart, from that day 500 years ago, I felt like I've realized my fate. And...."

She laughs brightly.

Somehow, I feel that her laughter is tinged with a strange madness.

"My ability is related to my fate. It’s probably the same for Oppa and our other colleagues. Once each of us realize our own fate, we should be able to understand the true nature of our powers to some extent.”

Kugugugu!

Gradually, an undeniable power begins to infuse her consciousness.

"...Heavenly Golden Thunder Body? Ghostly Yin Transformation Immortal Root? Unique Holy Body? Not such foolish qualities... The 'real' power we gained as we fell into this world... The ones who assessed our qualities were too low-level to discover them, just spouting nonsense..."

Wo-woong!

Paah!

Her consciousness emits brilliance.

Bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, her shining consciousness envelops the entire Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

The Mad Lord's fortress is being consumed, covered in white threads.

[The Mad Lord is definitely an extraordinary person. The Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon he created becomes somewhat similar in form to my powers when it reaches completion…But that’s it. Eun-hyun Oppa, please help me.]

Patsutsutsu!

Kim Yeon's entire body begins to boil white, following her consciousness.

She resembles a ghost made of tangled white threads.

[Help me. Let's defeat this madman and live our lives together.]

"...I, understand."

After a moment of thought, I slowly speak.

"After this is over, I will properly, tell you my feelings."

[Thank you.]

She smiles and then enters deep into the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

I take control of the surrounding puppets.

Wo-woong!

The spiritual energy circuits laid on General Seo's body all come under my control.

Not only General Seo's spiritual energy circuits.

The Mad Lord's puppets as well.

The flow of spiritual energy that interconnects these puppets are also, in a way, an invisible circuit of spiritual energy.

The flow of spiritual energy, resembling intent, also begins to come under my will.

Gigigigik!

A portion of control over the entire Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress falls under my consciousness.

Despite the Fortress showing resistance and pouring billions of 'murmurs' into my mind, I look at the fortress with a smile.

"I've been, understanding, you for, a thousand years."

A cradle of madness, infinitely close to a living being.

A madman's workshop that weaves together the waves resembling intent emanating from numerous artificial souls, collecting them at the core to create genuine intent, and crafting a soul that is infinitely close to being real.

Operated solely by madness.

But I too have been grasping his madness, secretly taking control of the circuits and enduring for a thousand years.

"I will not, lose, to you...!"

Wo-woong!

I continue to take control of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, and Kim Yeon takes control of the puppets.

A thousand years.

Today, a thousand years after being captured by the Mad Lord, we finally begin our rebellion when he is weakened.

Click, click, click...

Inside the Mad Lord's workshop.

The Mad Lord restored [Her] shattered body to roughly form a shape.

"Oh, oh, very fortunate. At least only the battle functions are damaged, and most of the important functions are intact. I'm glad she's not hurt..."

The Mad Lord strokes [her] head and sighs in relief.

Just then.

Kugugugugugugu!

The Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress vibrates, informing the Mad Lord of his disciple’s rebellion.

"Hmm?"

Ddak!

With a flick of his finger, the mechanical devices inside the workshop moves, bringing a mirror to the Mad Lord.

Spiritual energy gathers in the mirror, warping it and gradually showing the image of Kim Yeon ascending the upper floors, taking control of the puppets.

Kim Yeon, with her white threads of consciousness spreading in all directions, has an odd appearance, covered in white brilliance.

The Mad Lord strokes his beard while looking at her for a while.

"Hmm, she's coming here instead of running away. Is she coming to take control of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress?"

It appears that his madness is subsiding a bit, and his rationality returning.

He looks at Kim Yeon's image and smiles faintly.

"Couldn't resist the temptation of the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon and the hatred towards me."

The Mad Lord briefly gazes into the mirror and then closes his eyes.

"...The Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress is half-destroyed, and my love is not in proper shape. Now you're trying to take control of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress... I thought you had gone mad, but you still have some rationality left?"

The Mad Lord grasps [Her] hand with his wrinkled hand.

"It's a pity, it would have been better to attempt taking the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress under better circumstances... Well, what can be done?”

Somehow, he wears a comfortable smile that has never been seen before.

"If this is the best I can do, I must accept it. It's been a long journey…"

The Mad Lord hugs [Her] tightly.

"Finally, today… the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress will be completed."

After hugging [her] for a moment, the Mad Lord looks up at the ceiling.

The core and the highest level of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

The upper floor of the workshop, a layer that even Kim Yeon had never been allowed access to until now.

Click, click, click...

At his gesture, stairs leading to the last floor spirals down from the ceiling.

The Mad Lord holds [Her] hand and slowly ascends to the top layer.

Even as he heads up, he does not remove or alter the stairs.

Kuaaang!

She, who had taken control of the puppets and received control of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress through Seo Eun-hyun, began to operate the entire fortress with her consciousness.

'It's been a while. This feeling…'

The madness and murmurs of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress are being borne by Seo Eun-hyun himself for her stead.

And she, controlling the puppets of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, heads to a new realm.

How many times had there been a situation like this since she pierced through the Seven Stars Ritual long ago?

Although this time it isn't about breaking through a new cultivation realm, it’s the moment to seize the opportunity to leap towards a new life.

Kuaaangg!

The puppets, commanded by Kim Yeon, hammer the Mad Lord's workshop.

'Finally…'

Kim Yeon, manipulating her consciousness, peers beyond the workshop.

The core of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress is undetectable even by consciousness.

Rather than being sealed by a special prohibition, the surface is swarming so wildly with near-real intent that merely extending consciousness recklessly engulfs one in madness.

'Even this detestable workshop will now be over.'

Kuaaang!

A hole is made in the workshop.

'And now, this place will become a home for me and Oppa…'

Deep anger and pain surges up in her heart.

Even though Seo Eun-hyun is still barely clinging on inside a puppet.

When he first became a puppet.

How much pain did she feel?

It felt like the world was falling apart.

She became half-insane for hundreds of years.

And as if that wasn't enough, the Mad Lord also modified her body to make it more helpful in handling the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

'Unforgivable.'

Hatred flares in Kim Yeon's eyes.

'That madman ruined the love between me and Eun-hyun Oppa. I will punish him by smashing what he cherishes the most.'

Step, step...

Kim Yeon, who enters the Mad Lord's workshop, looks around.

"That is… Ha."

The spiral staircase leading to the ceiling.

The last and hidden layer of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

"Are you going to hide in the deepest layer of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress to face me? Master… Even if you bring [Her] mom, dad, and grandparents, you can't change the situation now."

Step, step...

She clenches her teeth and climbs up the spiral staircase left by the Mad Lord.

"From today onwards, the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress will be mine. Here, Oppa and I will share our love."

Step…

And reaching the end of the staircase.

Kim Yeon, who ascended to the top floor of the workshop, is startled.

"...This is?"

Wo-woong!

From outside, I handed over control of the fortress to Kim Yeon and bearing its madness, I looked toward the center of the fortress.

'The connection... has faded.'

My consciousness thread was also connected to Kim Yeon.

We were communicating in real-time, connected by consciousness, seizing control of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

But suddenly, the thread of consciousness connected to her became faint.

As if in a very noisy place, unable to hear a friend's voice from a little distance.

Intense torrents of intent are interfering with the connection between me and her.

'...Should I help?'

But at the moment, it’s challenging enough to deal with the madness of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

It feels like General Seo's head would explode at any moment.

If I push further, General Seo's head might actually explode, and my soul would scatter and die.

'...Whatever happens, be safe!'

I clench my teeth and look toward where Kim Yeon is.

"...What is this?"

Kim Yeon looks in astonishment at the layer hidden by the Mad Lord.

"Have you come, my disciple?"

The Mad Lord greets Kim Yeon with eyes clearer than ever before.

The madness that had been in his eyes was washed away.

"...You seem to be in good spirits, Master. Did your mind get healed after being properly disciplined by the Ghost Mother and that green dwarf?"

"Hahaha, how could that be? It was you who healed my mind, my disciple."

The Mad Lord speaks while smiling bitterly.

"...Yes?"

"It's been a long and arduous journey. I have been waiting for the day you would lose yourself to madness and seize my Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress with your enormous consciousness."

"What...?"

"Unexpectedly, you seem to be sane, considering you attack me now when I am at my weakest and the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress is almost destroyed..."

Kim Yeon glares at the Mad Lord.

"...Was making me like this all part of your plan?"

"That's right. I have been waiting to truly complete the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress."

"What...? What does that mean...?"

She discards even the minimal honorifics for the Mad Lord.

"Until I found you, I just accepted it when I was lost in madness, but I always felt hopeless when my sanity returned. To properly complete the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, I needed to at least reach the Star Shattering stage, have more than a hundred billion puppets, and invest an uncountable amount of resources… However, you can't imagine how happy I was when I found you. If I only have you, such vast resources, puppets, and cultivation realms won’t be necessary."

"..."

"Thank you for growing so well, my disciple. I have been waiting and waiting for the day you would seize the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress. Only with your immense consciousness can the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress operate properly... Finally, the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress will be completed."

Words Kim Yeon could never have imagined came out of the Mad Lord's mouth.

"I'm sorry, my disciple. Blame this madman."

"...You."

Kim Yeon laughs coldly, staring at the Mad Lord.

"From your words, just smashing the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress to pieces with the puppets will make you suffer, right?"

"Haha, the puppets are set not to attack the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress. If you want to change that setting you need to seize control of the Fortress first. And to completely seize control means you have to fully activate the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress."

Kim Yeon bites her lip.

What happens if she just gives back the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress and leaves now?

Then the Mad Lord would become a madman again, take back the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, and turn her into a puppet.

After a moment of silence, Kim Yeon glares at the Mad Lord with shimmering eyes and speaks.

"You're mistaken, you don't know what my talent is."

"Yes, I know. Even after searching through all the scriptures, there is no one with a consciousness like yours. But have you forgotten? There are similarities between my consciousness, having completed the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, and yours... It means that, even if your qualities are unknown to me, I can infer to some extent from the realm I've reached."

"...So, have you inferred?"

"...Let's see, try it for yourself."

As soon as the Mad Lord finishes speaking, Kim Yeon's consciousness spreads in all directions, seizing control of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress even more fiercely.

"I don't know what you plan to do with the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, but if I seize control of the entire fortress faster than you can activate what you want, it's over."

Giiing, click click click...

The highest floor of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

There, numerous intents created from artificial souls are sucked in.

The puppets, under Kim Yeon's command, crazily fly to the highest level of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

A bizarre duel between two puppet masters begins.

Kim Yeon seizes control of the Fortress, and the Mad Lord begins manipulating the puppets in the depths of the Fortress.

Wo-woong!

Kim Yeon also tries to snatch the Mad Lord's puppets, but the puppets do not obey her commands.

"These puppets are a bit peculiar in their manipulation. Maybe only when you completely control the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress can you slowly snatch control.

The puppets at the highest level begin to move.

But Kim Yeon does not lose her smile and raises her spiritual power.

"You haven't forgotten, have you? Though I've reached the Four-Axis stage, my true strength is already comparable to the Integration stage... Such mere puppets, not even [Her], can stop me."

At that, the Mad Lord smiles meaningfully.

"I know. They are not designed for combat in the first place."

Simultaneously, the puppets begin to move.

"...?"

A look of confusion appears on Kim Yeon's face.

"Shall we begin then?"

The Mad Lord stands up with [Her].

Gradually, astonishment appears on Kim Yeon's face.

"...What, you... Is this...?"

She asks with a trembling voice.

"Wasn't the purpose to create a soul...?"

The Mad Lord does not answer.

He just looks at [Her] with endless affection.

Kim Yeon's face gradually contorts.

"No. Don't be ridiculous... You shouldn't do that..."

Kugugugugugu!

Kim Yeon's consciousness gradually seizes control of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

And finally, at the moment when she seizes 100% control of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

Kim Yeon realizes the Mad Lord's goal.

And simultaneously, by activating the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress in place of the Mad Lord, no.

By drawing out 'the entire power’' of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress that even the Mad Lord couldn't call forth.

The scenery the Mad Lord truly wanted to create unfolds before her.

[Don't be ridiculous! Stop it!]

Kim Yeon cries out in madness, shedding tears.

But even as she tries to stop the scene before her through the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, the scene does not disappear.

The feat the Mad Lord has built up over thousands of years.

A masterpiece created by a madman.

The Mad Lord, holding a fan, declares.

"The final phase of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress. Yeon's Play (Yeon). Activate."

That day.

The magnum opus the Mad Lord Jo Yeon truly wanted to create.

Is born from Kim Yeon's hands.