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chapter 190
『…It’s gone. Just like you said.』
Gojinwoo’s flustered voice came through the phone.
There was even a hint of subdued anger.
『What on earth happened? Does this even make sense? There’s no sign anyone visited… I’m checking the CCTV now, and I’ll tell you if I find anything. Damn it.』
“Thanks, hyung. Just a bit more…”
『Don’t thank me. Such words aren’t necessary. Suchan was my friend before he was your brother. I’ll find whoever caused this and deal with them. Just wait.』
“Alright. Got it. I’ll trust you.”
The call ended there.
Lee Hyun lowered his phone and squeezed his eyes shut.
“…Damn it.”
His head throbbed painfully.
Since the resurrection ritual had failed,
Lee Hyun had been using Gingoah to try and pinpoint exactly where the ritual went wrong,
and sent Gojinwoo to the ossuary where Moon Suchan was enshrined.
Just in case.
And the call he received was utterly shocking.
Moon Suchan’s ashes in the ossuary… had completely disappeared.
As if they had evaporated into thin air.
Gojinwoo gritted his teeth, determined to find the thief, but Lee Hyun instinctively felt it would be impossible.
“Does something like this even happen?”
「Well…」
「I don’t even know what to tell Master.」
Lee Hyun turned his gaze toward Bungmawang and Saojeong.
“Do either of you have a clue?”
Bungmawang and Saojeong exchanged pained looks, unable to answer immediately.
Lee Hyun’s eyes hardened.
“So you do have an idea. Please tell me. I’m asking you.”
Finally, Saojeong sighed deeply before speaking.
「If a ritual fails from the start, it’s usually because a specific condition wasn’t met. But Master’s ritual went almost to the end before failing.」
Saojeong was highly skilled in necromancy and curse magic. His guess was likely close to the truth.
Lee Hyun nodded gravely.
「That means the ritual itself initially succeeded. Whether your brother possessed Master or appeared as a ghost…」
“Then why…?”
Lee Hyun pulled up the message logs again.
[Could not locate the designated subject for resurrection.]
[The subject is not recorded in the ledger of the Netherworld.]
“Is it possible for a deceased soul not to go to the afterlife?”
「There are two possibilities I can think of.」
Two possibilities?
“Please explain.”
「First, someone intercepted your brother’s soul during the process.」
Lee Hyun’s eyes flared with anger.
“If it was intercepted—”
「That would mean your brother was a highly desirable subject for someone.」
“…”
「For practitioners of necromancy or spirit summoning, he would’ve been irresistible. After all, he was an apostle of Jecheon Daeseong.」
Lee Hyun pressed his lips tightly together.
「Even if he fell from the heavens, the myth or legend attached to him doesn’t just disappear.」
“…But aside from me and the General, no one else knew my brother’s teachings.”
「Hmm. Are you sure about that?」
Lee Hyun couldn’t answer hastily.
Saojeong exhaled heavily.
「Don’t judge the greed of necromancers or spirit summoners by mortal standards. They deal in abhorrent matters, and their character is long corrupted.」
I had been the same before meeting my master, Lee Hyun thought. Saojeong continued with a wry smile.
「If they happened to find your brother and did something… no one would know except them.」
“…”
「That’s why it’s demonic, and why they’re considered fiends.」
“…Then,”
Lee Hyun clenched his teeth.
“If that’s the case, how can I recover my brother?”
「You can only wait.」
“…”
Lee Hyun’s face stiffened.
「You wait until they raise their heads, until they come to the surface like moles. Nothing else.」
“…”
「But it won’t take too long. Patience is something only those well-equipped can have.」
“But—”
「Their greed has limits. Once they gain power, they’ll want to use it.」
“But until then, my brother will just be writhing in pain, won’t he?”
「If you rush, and the culprit hides again, it’ll be even worse.」
“…!”
Saojeong found it hard to meet Lee Hyun’s bloodshot eyes.
「So you wait.」
But for now, that was all he could offer.
Lee Hyun’s frustration was palpable.
「But since there’s no proof that your brother was captured, there’s no need to think too negatively.」
Lee Hyun nodded heavily, but he couldn’t shake the likelihood that the worst-case scenario was true.
“So what’s the second possibility?”
Saojeong hesitated briefly—three seconds that felt like an eternity to Lee Hyun.
Then he spoke:
「Your brother might have already been resurrected even before the ritual began.」
“…!?”
Lee Hyun’s eyes widened.
「Among Yoma, there’s a minuscule chance this happens, especially for those with exceptional bloodlines.」
“…!!”
‘I can’t do anything right now. I’ll have to take time and search for clues.’
Lee Hyun decided to follow Saojeong’s advice.
It was correct.
Regardless of whether a rogue spirit was involved, moving rashly now could ruin everything.
For now, he would spend time tracking his brother’s whereabouts.
If a sorcerer had him, there would be traces.
If, by some extreme chance, he had already revived, that would be a blessing.
‘But if it’s the latter… why hasn’t my brother come to me yet?’
There was nothing he could do at the moment.
Thus:
‘For now, hold off on my brother. The Chalice of Resurrection will be used elsewhere.’
No reason to save it unnecessarily.
Lee Hyun grabbed the Chalice and headed to the subspace created by Sun Wukong’s leyline magic.
Flash!
The scenery flipped—he arrived in a world resembling Mount Huaguo.
「Are you sure you want to use it on Gushin?」
Bungmawang, perched on Lee Hyun’s left shoulder, asked apologetically but with anticipation.
“I told you. It’s right to use it for someone who needs it. I would have said the same even if it were my brother.”
「But you worked so hard to get it…」
「Ha! My sister-in-law worries too much! Master also made this decision after much thought. Just accept it!」
Saojeong laughed heartily.
Lee Hyun nodded.
“And Wuyongwang is my master too. So allow me to use it.”
「Still…」
“If you’re worried, I’ll just handle it myself.”
「…Thank you. Truly.」
Bungmawang’s gaze changed as he bowed.
「Then wait at the ritual site. There’s someone I want present during the healing.」
Lee Hyun immediately understood and nodded.
“Yes. Understood.”
「I’ll be back soon.」
Bungmawang flapped his small wings and vanished into the sky.
Lee Hyun glanced after him, then said to Saojeong:
“Let’s speed things up.”
「Ha! A trip alone with Master at last!」
Whoosh!
They moved into a cave deep inside Mount Huaguo.
Known as the Convergence Cave in Sun and Moon’s Flower Valley.
The room smelled of moxibustion, and a gaunt middle-aged man lay neatly.
“You look much better than last time.”
Lee Hyun noticed Wuyongwang’s improved complexion.
Saojeong leapt down and transformed into human form, nodding.
“The jade talisman you provided during the master trial helped immensely. Ha! The elixirs you brought later also worked well. Without you, the healing would’ve dragged.”
“I didn’t do anything. It’s all your excellent acupuncture skill.”
“Ha! Of course, my skill helped too!”
Saojeong removed the large acupuncture needle from Wuyongwang’s head and replaced it.
The original needle was blackened with pus.
“The poison is still severe.”
“It’s from forcing the broken myth back together. The negative energy seeps out. Like pus from a rotten wound.”
Lee Hyun nodded, took out the Chalice of Resurrection from Kibysis, and placed it by Wuyongwang’s head.
The chalice shimmered beautifully as the broken areas healed instantly.
As Saojeong touched it with sparkling eyes,
Flash!
Bungmawang returned in human form, surrounded by light, holding a long Yeoui Chain.
“Will you not release me!? What do you intend to do!? So that’s it! Finally revealing your true intentions! To offer me as a sacrifice for that one lying there!?”
Bound by the chain, Gyomawang shouted furiously, eyes wild.
“You! Lee Hyun! The youngest apostle…! Release me at once! Then I might forgive you for the humiliation last time! Hurry!!”
“Unfortunately, his mania is at its peak… but he begged to witness the resurrection. Please understand.”
“Yes. Understood. The ritual begins immediately.”
Bungmawang tied Gyomawang to prevent chaos and stood beside the bronze statue to assist in the resurrection.
‘It would be ideal to perform this with Daeseong present… but better to use it now.’
Lee Hyun didn’t want to dwell on regrets over the Chalice.
Saojeong poured wine into the chalice.
[Resurrection ritual begins!]
Lee Hyun’s gaze fixed firmly on the message window.
[Stage 4…]
…
[The resurrection ritual has been successfully completed.]
[1 resurrection count forcibly deducted from Cantaros.]
[Resurrection commences!]
Raaaaa!
Red waves symbolizing life enveloped Wuyongwang’s body.
His color gradually returned.
Bungmawang’s fists trembled. Saojeong laughed with joy.
Ha ha ha ha!
[Congratulations! You have successfully resurrected Logos, who was on the brink of extinction.]
[Divine Master Wuyongwang slowly awakens from deep sleep.]
[Resurrection complete, but still in a fragile state. Recover more myths for a complete resurrection.]
[Unbelievable achievement! +100,000 to Magic and Intelligence stats.]
[Understanding of Logos deepened.]
[Acquired massive ■■Da■ achievement.]
[Rank greatly increased!]
…
Messages flooded continuously, and Wuyongwang’s breathing grew steadier.
[News of Wuyongwang’s resurrection spreads through <Heaven>. Gyomawang’s participation also reported.]
[The divine society, <Cheongyo>, reads the omens and frowns.]
[The divine society, <Deva>, sends a harsh protest to <Cheongyo> asking if they truly know nothing.]
…
[The devil society, <Niflheim>, reacts oddly.]
…
[Giant races show interest.]
[Dragons observe the gods’ movements.]
…
[Based on achievements, the third broken character of ■■Da■ ■■Gong found: ‘O’.]
[■■Da■ ■O-Gong]
Lee Hyun also felt a major change.
Crunch, crunch!
Ka-dadadak!
The myths of the Seven Great Saints, including Sun Wukong, are closely connected.
With Wuyongwang’s resurrection, Sun Wukong’s rank surged significantly.
Bungmawang and Saojeong felt the same.
Flare!
The ritual chamber heated instantly from the storm of energy from the great beings.
And…
[Gyomawang gradually recovers from his mania!]
Flash!
Even Gyomawang was positively affected.
The chaos in his eyes diminished.
“Ah…”
Tears streamed from Gyomawang’s eyes as he looked at Wuyongwang.
Tears of guilt, sorrow, and joy for being unable to stay by his ailing brother.
“Sorry. I’m so sorry. I… I couldn’t lead you, only got in the way… such a disgraceful self…”
“…Brother.”
“Ha! That is no crime of Bokhaedaeseong! Bokhaedaeseong is blameless. The true punishment belongs to those vile beings in heaven.”
Bungmawang approached and hugged Gyomawang tightly. Saojeong glared at the messages of the gods hovering in the air.
“Lee Hyun.”
Gyomawang looked steadily at Wuyongwang’s calm face, then slowly at Lee Hyun.
Eyes as deep as the ocean.
Yet within them, a stormy sea surged.
“Yes.”
“I don’t know when my mania might return. So I have a favor to ask before that happens.”
“Please tell me.”
Was he asking for a master contract?
But Gyomawang’s request went far beyond that.
“You know my heart is that of the First Giant, Ymir’s heart, right?”
“Yes, but…”
“Though a replica, it’s not fake. It’s closer to a piece of the ‘real’ heart.”
“…No way.”
Lee Hyun’s eyes widened with unease.
“I will give it to you. You take it instead.”
“…!!”
