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chapter 163
“‘A superstar,’ you say? Hahaha! Really a superstar, aren’t you?”
“Kakkak! Our Jigi came out looking so heroic! That mask suits you perfectly! I told you I gave you an excellent relic!”
Sun Wukong clutched his stomach laughing hysterically, while Sa-Oh-jeong gazed out the window with satisfaction.
The room that Ramon Marques had provided for him, saying he could rest comfortably, was open and nice, offering a sweeping view of Guam’s vast sea and city.
But because of that… even the massive billboard in the distance was clearly visible.
―All power converges to Gu-rye.
The huge billboard, designed like a temple façade, showed a faint silhouette of Gu-rye on the central screen, while the pillars on either side flashed with the emblems of main sponsors, including the slaughterhouse.
Periodically, lightning animations flowed along the sponsor logos toward Gu-rye’s center…
Who was it that said this could be set up in just one day? That not only would it convey the message that many forces were supporting a single hero, but it would also serve as a declaration that the chaotic city had a new icon?
He had argued about what nonsense that was, but the answer was so serious that he gave up.
‘It’s a business necessity, so I can’t argue…’
The worst part was the lower LED panels, where sponsor names constantly appeared like a betting scoreboard.
From the ranking alone, it was clear that the main sponsor, the slaughterhouse, was advertising as well.
It felt like witnessing the absolute extreme of ruthless capitalist marketing.
“…I never imagined it would come to this. Haa.”
Installed while he was busy clashing with remnants of the City Cartel, it couldn’t be postponed now.
“Still, well… you are seeing the advertising effect you wanted, right? Take solace in that.”
The Demon King Bungma gave a bitter smile and patted Lee Hyun’s head with his small wings.
…He seemed to avoid eye contact, but let’s ignore that. His cheeks were slightly flushed.
“If it weren’t for that, you’d probably have destroyed that billboard immediately, complaining about it.”
“I see.”
“Haa. It can’t be helped. At this point, there’s no choice but to see it through to the end.”
Lee Hyun removed his mask and shook his head.
Though the ventilation prevented skin damage, wearing the mask for long periods was still torturous.
“Planning to adjust your magic power?”
“Yes. From tomorrow, the battles will continue without pause. I’ll be back shortly.”
Bungma nodded approvingly.
“Don’t worry about things here. And don’t overexert yourself.”
“Thank you.”
Lee Hyun gave a short greeting and turned his gaze to the tabletop mirror.
Instantly, his eyes glowed gold.
[Activating the Holy Relic: Flame-Eye Gold Crystal to observe the inner mental world!]
It was a method he developed to enter the conscious world whenever he wanted.
After a few rounds, it refreshed his mind as if he had meditated for hours.
Whoosh!
Lee Hyun’s vision twisted, and instead of the room, a world of blue ice appeared.
[Entered the mental world following the narrative of the <Snow Queen>!]
A blizzard blew.
Beyond the snowfield, between two massive icebergs, stood an ice fortress.
Much larger than he had seen before.
It resembled the fortress he had seen four years ago in the <Ice Palace>.
No, it was that fortress.
‘Back then, it was my enemy. Now it has completely settled inside my body…’
He probably was the only person in the world with a dungeon in his mental world.
With that thought, Lee Hyun leapt toward the ice fortress.
Whoosh!
“How many times have I told you not to leave that thing there!”
“Why leave it there again!”
“Bring it here. If a beautiful divine statue stands here, even if enemies invade, they will have no choice but to bow their heads!”
The Snow Queen was extremely busy.
Standing on the central platform, she directed guards and knights, carrying items, carving stones, and using cranes to construct walls.
Recently, she had barely sent messages outside.
Apparently, she was putting her all into restoring the palace with the vassals she had recovered after killing Xi Changyou.
No, it seemed less like restoration and more like expansion.
“Who on earth is going to attack this place?”
“How dare anyone interfere with what I’m doing… Hm? What brings you here?”
The Snow Queen noticed Lee Hyun and raised one eyebrow.
“To check lingering thoughts. It’s about to get chaotic again.”
She crossed her arms, chin raised in a proud posture.
“You never stay idle for a moment. Even after your revenge was over, you couldn’t rest and had to poke around somewhere again?”
“I still have mountains of work to do.”
Lee Hyun shrugged.
The Snow Queen shook her head.
“I suppose it isn’t your fault if trouble arises.”
“Maybe. But say what you just said again. Who’s coming to attack?”
Seeing the conversation lengthening, the Snow Queen told her vassals to take a break and brought Lee Hyun into the fortress.
“The divine power of the Jade Emperor you brought, the nonsense from <Heavenly Sect>—you’ll keep entangling with the celestial realm.”
“Perhaps… maybe?”
Lee Hyun nodded heavily.
Interacting with Sun Wukong’s party would naturally bring him close to the celestial realm.
“The celestial realm is spiritual. It’s dominated by metaphysics. There, the body is merely a prison, and only training the soul matters for personal cultivation.”
Lee Hyun silently followed the Snow Queen toward the fortress’s deepest chamber.
“When encountering spiritual beings, what is the most dangerous place?”
Only then did Lee Hyun understand.
“…The Soul Chamber.”
The Soul Chamber—the dwelling of the soul.
Also called the pineal center or brain gate.
The apex where self and consciousness converge.
“Though Kingoah’s mental barrier might suffice now, future enemies may surpass your limits.”
“….”
“Therefore, we prepare in advance. Your imagination and subconscious are now the dwelling of myself and the people.”
Lee Hyun nodded.
“In a way, I owe you.”
“It’s an agreement. Mutual aid. Haven’t we always been this way?”
A faint smile appeared on the Snow Queen’s lips, though she didn’t expect thanks.
Between them flowed a river that could never be fully bridged.
“You came to see this… Fortunately, the thawing process has been progressing smoothly recently.”
They arrived at a prison deep within the palace.
The Snow Queen pushed against the wall with force.
Thunk!!
With the sound of heavy iron doors opening, extreme cold from absolute zero poured out.
Lee Hyun’s eyes widened.
Inside were ice statues along the walls, each representing the souls of top-level bosses frozen by the Ministry of Defense to exploit the Snow Queen’s corpse.
Most were already partially thawed, purified, and absorbed, boosting Lee Hyun’s magical and overall stats.
‘The demonic senses have sharpened accordingly. A reward—or rather, a fateful encounter.’
Among them, one figure drew Lee Hyun’s attention.
“That one hasn’t even tried yet. Maybe leave it for last… or touch it only after you become a half-god… Too dangerous for now.”
A soul entity trapped in extreme cold, reinforced by countless ice bars and chained around the statue.
The Bloodfire… Serpent.
A massive snake, black-scaled with blood-red highlights, eyes glowing ominously like reflections in a pool of blood.
Even from afar, it seemed alive, a red sea in motion.
A faint smell of iron lingered.
The survival instinct it radiated was unmatched by any monster he’d fought.
[Combat Sense (S+) advises not to examine this soul too closely!]
[Kingoah activates, raising the mental barrier.]
…
[Status Abnormality: Confusion removed.]
[Status Abnormality: Fear removed.]
“How did your predecessors ever defeat that? Even as a mere fragment, the havoc it caused… Haa.”
The Snow Queen extended her pale hand, goosebumps visible.
“See? Even I, restored to my peak, cannot handle that.”
“….”
“Being humbled by a mere fragment… If this is normal, imagine the main body.”
Lee Hyun smiled bitterly.
“I don’t know exactly. I wasn’t even born when it rampaged. All information is locked, except it revealed the Mountain God’s name to the world for the first time.”
He gazed at the Bloodfire Serpent.
Its red eyes pained his head, but strangely, he didn’t want to look away.
It felt… familiar.
Although impossible, he always observed it when entering the mental world.
“What are you, really?”
A question that would never be answered.
Now, in the Ice Banner, which had become a magical warehouse, Lee Hyun selected a soul to focus on melting.
Thawing and purification weren’t difficult, as he had a counteracting flame-narrative.
[The <Sahoon> narrative breathes the dragon’s breath carefully into your magical circuit.]
[The Ice Banner begins melting the soul entity: Shadow Raven. Purified magic stored in the circuit.]
…
[Strength increased by 3.]
[Agility increased by 2.]
…
[All stat multipliers exceed 200. Secondary functions not fully unlocked. Prepare to unlock.]
While Lee Hyun focused on condition management, Ramon, slightly exhausted yet lively, spoke:
“Ra Sambra, the negotiation table with Black Maria is ready, Lord Gu-rye. Haha.”
Meeting Lee Hyun had energized him to start various projects he hadn’t dared before.
Ra Sambra was a gang operating in slums, while Black Maria was a PMC based in the Philippines.
All were influential in Guam, rivaling the City Cartel.
“Conditions?”
“We take the Ribbon from the City Cartel; they take the mining shares. As you wished, a path to the Hagatna Black Zone is open.”
Lee Hyun’s eyes gleamed.
Finally, the deep-sea dungeon was within reach.
“Negotiation time?”
“9 PM, Pier 21 warehouse in the Afra Port District.”
Lee Hyun glanced at the clock.
“Five hours left. Perfect. Let’s go first.”
“Already?”
Ramon was startled.
Lee Hyun nodded.
He let out an uncharacteristic soft chuckle.
“I trust nothing beyond what I’ve seen. I want to verify something before the negotiation.”
