BRDM 200

chapter 200

A few hours ago…

“Finally, you’ve come. <Malakh>.”

The demonic aura embedded in the subconscious world of the Demon King of Education stirred, and the Umaking’s awareness sensed something and slowly opened his eyes.

“Yes. I expected that, in one way or another, you would approach my brothers to capture me.”

There was one fact even the clever brothers didn’t know: the [Soul-Yo Inscription] he left wasn’t just meant to induce the Demon King of Education’s madness—it also functioned as a Ward, a fixed object that monitors and secures an area.

Thanks to this, the Umaking could perceive in real-time everything happening on Mount Huaguo:

• What Sun Wukong and his group were talking about,

• What plans they were making,

• Who they were meeting…

And more importantly, he could sense the movements of <Malakh>, his greatest adversary in Gehenna.

“Your intentions are predictable. In the end, you’ll claim the [Banana Fan], won’t you?”

For Sun Wukong, the four legendary treasures—the Flaming Golden Ring, the Ruyi Jingu Bang, the Ginkgo Gourd, and the Cloud Somersault—were symbolic. For the Umaking, the two legendary treasures were the Soul-Yo Inscription and the Banana Fan.

The Banana Fan was a mystical relic: one wave summoned strong winds, two waves brought rain, and three waves could summon a typhoon. But, just like the Soul-Yo Inscription, it held hidden secrets…

<Malakh> had discovered these secrets and was currently pursuing the Umaking. Naturally, the Umaking predicted that if he remained in the Demon King of Education’s subconscious world, he would eventually confirm <Malakh>’s arrival.

And today seemed to be that day.

“Brothers… depending on the choices you make, the path I can walk will change.”

To the Umaking, his brothers were objects of both love and hate. He loved them deeply, yet there were bonds he desperately wanted to sever. His feelings toward Sun Wukong were the most conflicted, and even now, closing his eyes brought vivid memories:

Sun Wukong struggling to win back his heart, relentlessly and desperately.

“…And wherever that path leads, it will be hell. I am already in hell, so I don’t know how my hell will approach you.”

If this was a “demon of the heart,” it would be a particularly nasty one—possibly far worse than the madness the Demon King of Education endured.

“But no matter what it is, I must burn it all away. Do not think of me as the same giant as before.”

The Umaking slowly closed his eyes again.

Zap.

A twinge of pain ran across his eyes, making him frown slightly.

“…Again.”

The scar etched by the reckless youngest disciple over his lightning jar flared with heat whenever he faced a mental demon. Each time, the Umaking resented being affected by a mere mortal, yet he couldn’t help but be curious about the lingering traces of magical power in it.

“But if I remember correctly, the youngest disciple’s Apostle should have been another child… not a human, but a yokai like us. How did this happen?”

The Umaking recalled a child he had stumbled upon while searching the surface for his brothers’ whereabouts after joining Gehenna. A human-shaped child who had inherited the Flaming Golden Ring from the monkeys of Mount Huaguo. At that time, he hadn’t acted because Sun Wukong had not yet descended to the surface. Instead, he left a mark on the child, similar to the one he had left on the Demon King of Education.

“And now that child… surely…”

He swallowed the rest of the thought. By now, Raphael and his angelic army had descended onto Mount Huaguo. He wondered what proposals they would make and how his brothers would respond. Undoubtedly, the youngest disciple would act next to eliminate the Demon King of Education’s madness.

And at that moment,

“This is a good opportunity for a conversation.”

The Umaking considered talking with Lee Hyun on multiple fronts. Though the scar left on him was aggravating, it gave him plenty to discuss. But…

Lee Hyun thought:

This guy humiliated me in a similar way twice already—it’s irritating. And this time, it wasn’t just a simple seal.

“My eye… how dare a mere mortal, not even your Apostle, attempt to take my eye…!!”

The Umaking’s intense fury shook Lee Hyun’s mind, but

[The mental barrier of the Ginkgo Gourd blocks the Umaking’s approach!]

Lee Hyun smirked coldly, relying on the relic Sun Wukong left him.

“Did you not know? All of the other brothers have already made contracts with me or are in the process. Naturally, the eldest of the Seven Stars, the Umaking, should be included.”

“Arrogant!!”

“Of course, with your current state of mind, you cannot handle an Apostle or the Qi Seal yourself, so I’ll take care of it.”

Ever since Lee Hyun first discovered the Umaking’s left eye, he had planned this moment.

‘He’ll try to claim my body or hurt my eyes out of anger, just like last time… but he’s moved exactly as I predicted. Creepy how accurate that was.’

This wasn’t just good planning—it was based on experience with immortals. When he first met Sun Wukong, the Jade Emperor, or Raphael, all treated mortals as if they didn’t exist. Their contempt was partly arrogance, but mostly because mortals live only in fleeting instants, meaningless to beings who live eternally.

Naturally, being humiliated by such a trivial life form triggered profound anger. So, just as the Umaking set a trap, Lee Hyun used himself as the trap—a trap within a trap.

Thanks to this, Lee Hyun could extract part of the Umaking’s Soul-Yo Inscription.

Flash! Flash! Flash!!
Zzzzt—

[The iron core of the Sangbo Simgeumpa forcibly tears the demonic aura. Demonic aura weakening.]
[First precept of the Eight Precepts, ‘Do Not Kill,’ established in the left rib.]
[Severe resistance from demonic aura.]
[Sangbo Simgeumpa’s anti-demonic effect becomes more active. The lightning jar strengthens, adding Parma property.]
[Second precept, ‘Do Not Steal’…]
…
[Two Qi Seal tests are rapidly taking place!]

[Part of the seized Soul-Yo Inscription is forcibly sealed into the left Flaming Golden Ring.]
[Sealing is difficult; Yeoisuwae’s properties enhance resistance, binding the Soul-Yo Inscription tightly to your soul.]
[The Ginkgo Gourd attempts integration with the left Flaming Golden Ring and Soul-Yo Inscription.]
[Integration in progress.]

Pain seared Lee Hyun’s left eye each time sparks flew, yet he smiled brightly. The world exposed in the Flaming Golden Ring shifted moment by moment. The nine-colored world that read his opponent’s mind distorted, revealing something previously unseen: lines.

Lines connecting countless flaws—the distortions of the targets in his sight.

[A new ‘eye’ is forming!]
[The Flaming Golden Ring reads the opponent’s truth and thoughts; the Soul-Yo Inscription distorts their psyche by exploiting weaknesses.]
[Combining strengths and weaknesses to refine a new relic.]
[Unable to locate associated skills or powers, attempting to create a new form of relic.]
[Exploring inheritance that encompasses both relics’ traits.]

…

[Duokshini’s Thunder Breath (SSS) merges with the eye.]
[Attempting integration with the inheritance, ‘Day Goblin Dance’!]

Lee Hyun intended to make this newly recombined eye his own. If he could see the world through the eyes of the Duokshin standing over chaos and mystery, he could accomplish even more with his hands.

Zzzzt!!

‘I see.’

As the pain subsided slightly, he followed the lines forming before his eyes. Amid the shattered giant pillars from Duokshini’s roar, something flickered.

‘There it is!!’

Lee Hyun instinctively charged.

Kraaaang!!

Time, which had slowed, snapped back to normal.

Krak-Krak-Krak!

The shadow he saw shattered completely, and something emerged:

A man with a pained face, left eye closed—the core of demonic aura.

The Umaking’s consciousness, which had polluted the Demon King of Education’s subconscious and attempted to infect Lee Hyun, now a mere fragment sealed in Lee Hyun’s left eye.

“Finally, only you remain. Everything will be over soon. How convenient.”

“I won’t let…!!”

Before the Umaking’s fragment could shout,

[The environment of the event dungeon is forcibly changed.]

The treacherous deep-sea environment transformed into vast land.

“…This is…”

The Umaking’s expression hardened. Lee Hyun smiled coldly.

“Don’t forget—this is the Demon King of Education’s subconscious, and I’m now a part of it.”

Realizing this, the Umaking’s fragment stiffened. Unlike him, forcibly separated earlier, Lee Hyun had become part of the Demon King of Education’s collective, able to manipulate the subconscious world according to his will.

And then:

[First Qi Seal test passed! Congratulations! You are now the Qi Seal of Zhengdansazi Bajie.]
[Second Qi Seal test passed! Congratulations! You are now the Qi Seal of the Demon King of Education.]
[Event ‘Qi Seal Test’ successfully completed.]
[Unbelievable achievement unlocked! Part of the myth of <Journey to the West> restored.]
[All stats increased by 10 as a reward.]

Lee Hyun had now become the Demon King of Education’s Apostle and Qi Seal. Apostles are divine embodiments, the closest to a god in the world. Naturally, the subconscious world now revolved around him.

[New event triggered!]
[Eliminate the Umaking’s fragment to complete a new ‘eye’ relic, ‘Thunder-Eye Azure Vision (雷眼靑睛).’]

Chaaaarrrk!!

Black-gold Yeoisuwae erupted from the ground, surrounding the Umaking’s fragment. Lee Hyun, by contrast, was wrapped in cyan-white lightning, fangs bared, a grin across his face. He rested the Duokshin’s molars on his shoulder.

“Then, let’s see what you’ve got.”

Kraaaang!!

As he leapt off the ground, the cyan-white Light Man struck the world.

[Power: Duokshin Brain Ghost manifests!]