BRDM 25

Chapter 25

“Ha.”

‘Pretty good, right?’

“Good? You call this good?”

Sun Wukong glanced around and let out a hollow laugh.

“How in the world did you survive—no, win—in this kind of environment?”

The result produced by Hwangpunggwae’s finger was enough to astonish even Sun Wukong.

The entire underground waterway clearing… had frozen solid.

The skeleton army charging at Lee Hyun, the acidic rain clouds filling the ceiling, and the filth pooling on the ground—everything.

[Hwangpunggwae’s Frozen Ring Finger]

A single-use item meticulously crafted by inscribing new provenance on the finger of Hwangpunggwae, who had loved sorcery.

It looked as though it was trying to faithfully reproduce the world where Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen resided.

• Type: Single-use item. Debuff.

• Provenance: Myth Journey to the West, Fairy Tale The Snow Queen

Lee Hyun always carried this thought at the back of his mind:

―Wouldn’t it be possible to reproduce the same cold as the <Ice Palace>?

Normally, the Ice Palace’s relic should have been his to reclaim, but the traitors had taken it.

He couldn’t wield its power anymore.

On the other hand, the one who had suffered most from the Ice Palace’s cold was none other than himself.

He had endured its curse for four years.

If so, then perhaps he could use that experience to reproduce some of that chill.

He had shared this idea in depth with old Dochul, who after a long, unreadable look, simply stared at the storage chest entrusted to him.

Would it be all right to use one of those?

Lee Hyun nodded.

And the result—though one-time only—was nothing short of brilliant.

[Thanks to Frost Resistance (S), you’ve escaped the extreme cold!]

The world of ice had descended.

Though the range was limited, the effect was all the more potent.

Just like four years ago.

Landing softly on the ground—

Thud!

Crackle—!

Lee Hyun unleashed the lightning he had been storing up.

[The Wraith of the Duokshini runs rampant!]

Blue-white bolts of lightning rained down.

Rumble—

Radiating from him, the bolts shattered and tore apart everything frozen.

The skeleton army, the acidic rain, the filth—everything crumbled into dust.

Whoooosh—

Through the wreckage, Lee Hyun strode forward and stopped before the Hidden Boss.

The creature, half-frozen, trembled violently.

Shiver, shiver.

Was it from cold, or from fear? Hard to tell.

But its eyes still blazed with unyielding defiance.

Lee Hyun silently extended a finger and touched the black skull in its grasp.

Flash!

Crack—

The skull, frozen as well, shattered into fragments by his thunder.

All the dust swirled in a vortex before being absorbed completely into him—

—as though returning to its rightful place.

[You’ve successfully reclaimed the Myth of ■■■■!]
[You’ve acquired the Karma of ■■■■.]
[You’ve acquired the Karma of ■■■■.]

…

[Intelligence has increased by 4.]
[Magic has increased by 6.]

…

[You’ve acquired many curse scriptures—Curse Resistance (S) has ranked up.]
[Congratulations! Curse Immunity (SS) has been created.]
[From now on, you are completely immune to all curses and mental interference. You can also withstand abnormal statuses 50% better.]

…

Check status window.

[Using the Relic: Fiery Eyes of Truth, your status window is summoned.]

[Jang Lee Hyun]

• Age: 27

• Traits: Leader, Indomitable, Frozen Man, [Locked], [Locked]

• Stats
  Strength: 71, Agility: 67
  Stamina: 63, Magic: 85
  Intelligence: 59, Dexterity: 61

• Authority: Fiery Eyes of Truth, [Locked]

• Skills: Duokshini’s Sigh (B+), Combat Sense (B), [Locked], [Locked], [Locked]

• Resistances: Cold (S), Pain (D), Bleeding (D), Paralysis (E), Physical (E), Fatigue (C), Poison (D), Heat (E), Electric (D), Stench (E)

• Immunity: Curse (SS) (new!)

• Current Status: A new Immunity category has formed. You now possess unshakable mental fortitude against psychic interference.

• Notes: Your stats are recovering rapidly. However, such rapid growth may bring side effects—mind your health.

Lee Hyun noticed something new.

My Magic has skyrocketed.

What had once been his weakest stat was now higher even than his Strength.

The Yellow Desert’s spirit beast and the black skull he had just absorbed—this was the result.

And thanks to that:

[Curse Immunity has eradicated all residual Ice Crystals of the Snow Queen inside your body.]
[The Ice Crystals are converted into Magic and stored within your circuits.]
[Magic +15.]
[Your Ice attribute has strengthened.]

Until now, though the curses were gone, the Ice Crystals had remained, causing lingering discomfort.

Even the Ruyi Jingu Bang’s divine power couldn’t fully melt them.

But now, with Curse Immunity, they had all vanished.

The result—his magic surged once again.

[Your Magic stat has reached 100, the first triple-digit figure.]
[A hidden function has been unlocked. Sub-feature: ‘Auxiliary Function’ created.]
[Searching for Auxiliary Function suitable to your Magic.]

…

Auxiliary Functions—special enhancements unlocked when a stat reached triple digits.

They built upon a hunter’s Karma to strengthen that stat.

Stack enough of them, and they would crystallize into Authority.

Only then could one truly be called a Ranker.

[Linked with Trait: Frozen Man.]
[Congratulations! Auxiliary Function ‘Ice Prison Heart (빙옥심장)’ has been unlocked!]
[Your Rank has risen.]
[Probability of contract with Logos increased.]

…

Of course, Lee Hyun had no intention of settling for some trivial auxiliary function.

It had to be something unrivaled.

[Ice Prison Heart (S)]

The lingering grudge of the Snow Queen, upon her death, crystallizes your body and mana structure in ice.

Everywhere your skill passes, her grudge lingers, triggering stronger frost-based secondary effects.

• Effects: Maintains stable body temperature. Enemies struck may be frozen or stunned.

• Type: Magic Auxiliary Function

• Provenance: Fairy Tale The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen.

It was the power of the <Ice Palace>.

This was why he had sought Curse Immunity.

To dissolve the Ice Crystals, boost his mana, and awaken the Snow Queen’s power.

Embed her narrative into my magic itself. Then, step by step, wield power to rival hers.

Na Yebin and Seo Changwoo might have stolen his relic.

But Lee Hyun had just gained something far greater.

Now my mana inherently carries the Ice attribute. Even without Duokshini’s Sigh, frost magic will follow automatically.

Of course, great strengths came with drawbacks.

His defining attributes were lightning and fire.

Ice naturally opposed them, which could hinder output.

But he chose to turn that into an advantage—

—as a kind of cooling system.

To complete Thundercry and truly enter Dionysus, I must overcome mana circuit overheating. With Ice Prison Heart, that problem disappears.

He hadn’t forgotten how his circuits had nearly burned out battling the Snow Queen.

But as long as Ice Prison Heart remained, there was no need to worry.

Used well, this might even surpass the relics stolen from me.

Its value was that great.

Just wait. Soon, I’ll send chills down your necks.

He brushed his hair back.

A refreshing wind blew.

Whoooosh—

Now I’ve got Fire, Night, and Ice Goblin to add to the mix.

He smiled coldly, stepping before the Hidden Boss.

Step. Step.

“……!!”

The creature’s eyelids trembled.

Its complexion had grown paler.

It felt an indescribable sense of oppression emanating from Lee Hyun.

[Your new Rank is revealed!]
[The Hidden Boss senses a Narrative of overwhelming Rank it cannot match.]
[Its will to fight collapses.]

So, the aura of the Snow Queen radiates from me? An unexpected bonus.

“You… took the relic… of my master…!”

The Hidden Boss croaked—

Thwack!

Lee Hyun chopped the back of its neck, knocking it unconscious. With lightning, he even forced the switch on its core off.

“That’s the end of it.”

All that remained was the uproar on the surface.

But he had a way to deal with that, too.

“End? End what! I haven’t even finished talking yet, you brat!”

Sun Wukong jumped up, fuming.

Lee Hyun only smiled.

“Don’t worry. I intended to settle that too. Why don’t you come out now?”

But when he looked up at the ceiling, he wasn’t smiling.

“Sandy.”

At that moment—

Whshhh—

Thud!

A black shadow dropped down, scattering frost dust.

A pale-faced, handsome man with his hair neatly tied.

Around his neck hung a necklace of eight human skulls, and in one hand, a Buddhist monk’s khakkhara staff.

[Error! A character not belonging to this dungeon’s Narrative has appeared.]
[Warning!]
[Warning! This character is ■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■ ■■■■.]

“Keheheh. To think I’d be exposed so soon. I suppose my elder brother’s scent was simply too strong.”

[Dungeon system updating!]
[In accordance with the Adaptation, this character will now be recognized as part of the Narrative.]

“…Wujing.”

Sun Wukong gazed at him with heavy eyes.

Sha Wujing.

Youngest of Tripitaka’s three disciples. In Journey to the West, after their journey, he became a golden-bodied Buddha.

“Greetings. My name is Jang Lee Hyun.”

“Kekeke. What a polite human. Quite unlike my reckless senior. Pleasure to meet you. I’m Sha Wujing. As you can see… a monster! Kekeke!”

Unlike the solemn figure described in myth, this Wujing seemed cheerful, almost jovial.

…Not someone you’d expect behind the horrors of this dungeon.

“You really…”

Sun Wukong’s voice trembled as he asked his old junior:

“You… really are Wujing?”

“What are you saying? Of course I am. Well—technically, just an illusion recorded in the myth of my elder brother. Kekeke.”

Lee Hyun’s eyes widened.

He knows?

Normally, natives never realized their world was false.

Was it because he was a divine being who had already completed his narrative?

But then—

Sun Wukong shook his head.

“No. The one here is real. Isn’t that right?”

“!?”

Lee Hyun looked at him in shock.

And in that instant, Wujing’s grin vanished.

“The real Sha Wujing—or rather, the husk of him who fell from heaven—hid inside my myth to survive. Didn’t you?”

Lee Hyun was stunned again.

Fallen from heaven.

The state of a once-immortal being cast down into mortality.

Meaning, Wujing had suffered the same fate as Wukong.

“…Ah, you had Fiery Eyes of Truth, elder brother? Hah, I meant to toy with you, but that’s ruined. Kekeke.”

Wujing shrugged, watching Wukong’s golden eyes glow.

“The truth is—I wasn’t the only one. Bajie, Tripitaka, all the same. Oh, and your sworn brother, the Seven Star General, too.”

“What?”

Wujing laughed bitterly.

“Keheheh! After your tragic death, who do you think the gods targeted next?”

“…!”

“Of course, us. They said they had to root us out. Kehehe. And so I fell, a hollow husk, hiding here on Earth.”

“…!!”

Wukong’s fists shook. Veins bulged at his temples, his eyes bloodshot.

“Explain. Tell me exactly… what happened to all of you!”

His suppressed voice dripped with hatred.