Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 299 – Diabolic Beast (2)

Long ago, a much smaller form of the Diabolic Beast Alyu (猰貐, Yayu) was staring at something with a terrified expression. It was because of the shadow of a gigantic nine-tailed fox that loomed heavily in the center of the burning Mount Shaoxian.

In the flickering shadow of the flames, the enormous nine-tailed fox was tearing apart the head of something. It was the head of an adult Alyu with a dragon’s head. The small Alyu’s red eyes trembled madly as it watched this scene.

***

“Kiririk, you… What are you? Why do you… reek of that monstrous fox?” The Diabolic Beast Alyu asked Mok Gyeong-un with trembling eyes.

Alyu, who had endured the torment of the Demon-Subduing Pavilion mantra for 99 days and a hunger that felt like its stomach was being turned inside out, tried to devour Mok Gyeong-un as soon as it saw him.

However, no matter how starved it was to the point of losing its senses, it was still a high-ranking existence among the unidentified creatures. The intelligent Diabolic Beast Alyu couldn’t help but be instantly filled with wariness after sensing the familiar scent emanating from Mok Gyeong-un.

“The scent of the monstrous fox?”

“Kiririk. Without a doubt. The scent coming from you is definitely that of the monstrous fox.”

At the confident words of the Diabolic Beast Alyu, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed. Being quick-witted, the moment Mok Gyeong-un heard the phrase “scent of the monstrous fox,” he immediately thought of the Fox Demon Queen, no, the Hundred-Faced King, the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox.

[Carry it with you. It will serve as proof that I’ve marked you.]

[If it’s proof that you’ve marked me, it’s even more embarrassing to carry around.]

[You’re quite honest. But it won’t do you any harm to carry it. From what I’ve seen, you seem to get entangled with unidentified creatures quite often.]

[……]

[So keep it with you. If you have even a part of my tail, you won’t get involved with annoying creatures.]

Mok Gyeong-un recalled the round medallion in his bosom. It was made by the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox using a part of its severed tail.

Originally, he was going to throw it away, but Cheong-ryeong also said it would be better to keep it for the time being.

-Even if it’s just a part, the body of a Spiritual Beast close to a Divine Beast like the Hundred-Faced King will come in handy for something, no matter what it is.

However, he didn’t expect such a thing to happen so soon. Judging from the wary gaze of the Diabolic Beast Alyu, there was also fear in its eyes.

Seeing a being intelligent enough to speak human language act like this, if handled well, it might be possible to take advantage of the situation.

Therefore, Mok Gyeong-un took out the medallion made from the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox’s tail from his bosom. As he took it out,

-Swooosh!

The Diabolic Beast Alyu even took a step back due to the intensified scent of the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox.

“Kiririk. Yo-you, what are you? Why does a mere human like you have something like that?”

The Diabolic Beast Alyu trembled as it recalled an old memory. Even after such a long time had passed, the terror engraved in its entire body had not been forgotten.

It was truly the embodiment of a tyrant. It was so brutal that it would tear apart and devour the five extremities of even its fellow unidentified creatures if they displeased it.

-Tremble tremble!

Seeing Alyu standing upright and trembling, the corners of Mok Gyeong-un’s mouth twitched. It seemed like it could be easily resolved if handled well.

‘How should I approach this?’

Looking at that attitude, it was clear that the Diabolic Beast Alyu greatly feared the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox.

In that case, it would be better to imply that his relationship with the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox was very close.

With that thought, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said,

“As expected of a diabolic beast, you have a keen sense of smell.”

“Kiririk. What are you?”

-Clank!

The chain shackles on the ankles of the retreating Diabolic Beast Alyu became taut. Thanks to the restraints connected to the center of the cave, the range of movement for the Diabolic Beast Alyu couldn’t reach the cavity walls.

Mok Gyeong-un approached Alyu and said,

-Don’t get too close, mortal.

Just in case, Cheong-ryeong warned him. No matter how much it feared, the opponent was still a diabolic beast, a high-ranking existence among the unidentified creatures.

It would be best not to provoke it unnecessarily.

However, Mok Gyeong-un deliberately narrowed the distance to show confidence. And in that state, he held up the round medallion made from the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox’s tail hair and said,

“As you can see, should I say we’re acquaintances with a close relationship?”

“Acquaintances? With that monster?”

“Yes, you seem to know it well.”

“How could I not know? The number of beings that have died at the hands of that monstrous fox is countless. If their bodies were piled up, it would have been taller than a thousand mountains.”

-That’s probably true. If it’s a monster of that caliber, it would have lived for more than a thousand years, so it could pile up not just one, but several thousand mountains.

Cheong-ryeong also muttered in agreement.

Then Mok Gyeong-un shook the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox’s round medallion at Alyu and said,

“It’s fortunate that you know well how dangerous the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox is. I was worried that you might not listen to my proposal that could be mutually beneficial.”

“Proposal?”

“Yes. Shall we say it’s a proposal that might pique your interest?”

“What is it?”

The Diabolic Beast Alyu asked with a puzzled expression at the mention of a proposal.

Then Mok Gyeong-un put the round medallion back into his bosom and said,

“If done well, you too can be freed from this place.”

“Freed? From this damn cave?”

“Yes, if you’re interested, would you be willing to hear my proposal?”

“Kiririk. Hmm.”

The Diabolic Beast Alyu rolled its eyes with a strange look, then opened its mouth while looking down at Mok Gyeong-un.

“What’s the proposal?”

“It’s not that difficult. You just need to suppress your demonic nature for a while and show that you can be controlled by me, so to speak.”

“Show that I can be controlled?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t tell me you want me to show those damn bald monks that I’ve been subdued by a human like you?”

“Oh, you catch on quickly.”

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes sparkled with interest. Indeed, a diabolic beast-level creature possessed intelligence beyond the level of being able to converse and even had some degree of insight.

“You probably know why the monks of Shaolin Temple capture and imprison beings like you and other unidentified creatures, and since you’re intelligent, you should also know why they chant sutras while keeping you locked up, right?”

“So you’re saying I just need to pretend to be controlled by a human like you?”

“Yes. If you do that, the Shaolin monks will release you.”

“Just for that?”

“The reason the monks keep you captive is because of your dangerousness. But if you can be controlled, there’s no need for them to hold you anymore.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, the Diabolic Beast Alyu’s eyes narrowed. It seemed to be seriously considering this proposal.

If it feared the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox and wanted to get out of here, wouldn’t it smoothly accept the proposal?

While thinking that, the Diabolic Beast Alyu opened its mouth.

“Kiririk. I have a question, human.”

“What is it?”

“I understand the conditions for me to be freed, but you don’t seem to be related to those damn bald monks, so why are you trying to prove yourself?”

‘Ah…’

Mok Gyeong-un inwardly felt annoyed at the Diabolic Beast Alyu’s question.

He had hoped for a slightly simpler approach, but perhaps because it possessed intelligence and insight, it was doubting the very intention behind this proposal.

Therefore, Mok Gyeong-un also quickly racked his brain. How should he explain it so that the Diabolic Beast Alyu would smoothly accept the proposal without suspicion?

Then Mok Gyeong-un drew upon the incantation power, which was the foundation of his sorcery techniques. As he drew it out, the Diabolic Beast Alyu raised its voice at the revealed energy and said,

“Kirik. Human. You’re a Taoist priest, aren’t you?”

“Yes, as you can see.”

“No wonder those damn bald monks wouldn’t send an ordinary human in here.”

-Grit!

Seeing the Diabolic Beast Alyu gritting its teeth, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged and said,

“Yes. But this is an opportunity for you. I also need to prove to the monks here that the unidentified creature I’ve made my servant is not dangerous due to friction with them.”

“Servant?”

“I have a servant whose demonic power is weaker than yours.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, the Diabolic Beast Alyu twitched its elongated mouth and said,

“Kiririk. So those damn bald monks are targeting the unidentified creature that you, a Taoist priest, have made your servant.”

“That’s right. You’re indeed smart. So if you accept my proposal and help me, won’t we both be able to obtain a mutually beneficial result?”

“Kirik. Kirik. Yeah. That could be.”

“Then will you accept my proposal? It may be difficult right now, but if you just follow my control for a little while, you’ll gain your freed-“

-Bam!

Before he could even finish speaking, the front hoof of the Diabolic Beast Alyu flew towards Mok Gyeong-un at a tremendous speed, forcing him to hastily retreat his body backwards.

-Bam! Kwang!

As the hoof struck the ground, the floor cracked and shattered fragments flew up.

In response, Mok Gyeong-un created a sharp aura with his sword fingers to cut through the flying fragments and moved his body to dodge the ones he could avoid.

But as soon as he did that,

-Croooo!

A condensed purple smoke spewed out from the Diabolic Beast Alyu’s mouth, trying to engulf Mok Gyeong-un.

‘Poison? No.’

It was different from poison. It seemed to be a smoke infused with demonic energy, and…

-Swish!

As Mok Gyeong-un hurriedly dodged it, the spewed condensed purple smoke collided with the ground.

However, unlike a moment ago, where the smoke collided,

-Woong!

A strange phenomenon occurred where the golden sutra characters written on the ground flickered and the smoke bounced off.

The bounced-off smoke then collided with another cave wall. And on that wall as well, due to the golden sutra characters, the smoke was reflected to another place and spread out here and there.

As a result, Mok Gyeong-un tried to maintain the maximum distance to avoid this smoke, but despite not much time passing, the reflecting smoke had already filled more than half of the entire cave.

Consequently, some of the smoke touched his skin, and…

-Sizzle!

‘Acid?’

It was a very strong acid. This was a separate issue from immunity to poison.

If directly exposed to acid, the skin would inevitably melt.

Therefore, Mok Gyeong-un drew upon the demonic energy to form a thin film on his skin to protect his body like a protective energy shield.

Fortunately, it was effective. The acid couldn’t penetrate the film made of demonic energy.

-Swish!

Not stopping there, Mok Gyeong-un used his true energy to push away the smoke and blocked it from entering a certain range.

Then, from within the smoke…

-Thud! Thud!

The Diabolic Beast Alyu, who had suddenly attacked, revealed itself.

“Kiririk. You’re no ordinary human. There’s no way a mere Taoist priest who only knows a few techniques can move this fast.”

“Whether I’m a Taoist priest or not, what does it matter? I even made a proposal that might pique your interest, but I don’t know what this sudden act is about.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, the Diabolic Beast Alyu suddenly grinned, revealing its ferocious and sharp teeth.

“Kiririri. Do you think I would believe your words?”

“…This is unexpected. I thought you would seize even a slim chance to escape if you were destined to be trapped and die while listening to sutras anyway.”

“Kirik. Yeah. At first glance, it sounds right. But in the end, those damn bald monks and you, a Taoist priest, are no different from natural enemies to beings like us. It’s truly foolish to believe that I would trust a measly agreement between you lot.”

At the monster’s words, Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue and said,

“Are you really going to lose this opportunity to be freed like this?”

“It could also be an opportunity to die after being used.”

At the Diabolic Beast Alyu’s words, Mok Gyeong-un licked his lips.

He himself was also quite suspicious, but this Diabolic Beast Alyu also refused to trust him at all, befitting an intelligent being.

Thanks to the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox’s medallion, he thought it would be easily resolved, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

So Mok Gyeong-un took out the medallion again and said,

“If it’s because I’m a Taoist priest, I think there’s a misunderstanding. Just seeing that I’m acquainted with the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox…”

-Thud!

Before he could even finish speaking, the Diabolic Beast Alyu stomped the ground with its hoof.

Then, looking down at Mok Gyeong-un, it spoke in a voice filled with overwhelming pressure.

“Thanks to you, human, a filthy memory has resurfaced.”

“Filthy memory?”

“That monstrous fox massacred all of my kin on Mount Shaoxian, leaving me as the only surviving individual.”

“….”

Mok Gyeong-un let out a small sigh.

He thought it simply feared the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox because of its lower status as an unidentified creature.

But if all its kin had been massacred,

-Roar!

Just looking at the surging strong murderous intent, a blatant hostility could be felt.

“…There’s nothing good that will come out of this. Even if you hate the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox, the proposal I made is truly not a lie.”

“Whether it’s a lie or not, I don’t trust the bald monks or you, human. Rather, a brilliant plan has come to mind.”

“A brilliant plan?”

“Yes. Since the monstrous fox cherishes you, human, if you die here, that b*tch and the damn bald monks who locked me up here will have a blast fighting each other!”

-Grrrrr!

As soon as those words were spoken, the Diabolic Beast Alyu spewed out a purple smoke.

The purple smoke, released with even greater force than before, quickly flew somewhere, and that place was none other than the entrance, the iron door.

In an instant, the area around the iron door was filled with purple smoke.

‘Is it trying to prevent me from getting out?’

As a result, Mok Gyeong-un had no choice but to move to the opposite side.

As Mok Gyeong-un launched his body towards the opposite side, at that moment, Alyu’s long tail lashed out like a whip, targeting Mok Gyeong-un.

-Swish!

The size of that tail was so large that it couldn’t simply be called a whip.

In the end, Mok Gyeong-un swiftly drew his Wicked Sword.

-Shing!

And with the Wicked Sword, he blocked the monster’s oncoming tail.

-Clang!

Contrary to the expectation that the red, feather-like fur on the tail would be soft, the moment it clashed, it emitted a metallic sound, indicating it was extremely hard.

Moreover, the force and weight behind the tail itself were tremendous, so…

-Bang!

Mok Gyeong-un’s body was sent flying backwards.

His thrown body was about to crash into the opposite cave wall.

Thinking he should use this force, Mok Gyeong-un somersaulted in the air, twisting his body to try and kick off the cave wall.

However, the moment he was about to kick off in sync with colliding with the wall,

-Kwang!

At that instant, both his feet pierced through the cave wall, and Mok Gyeong-un’s body went straight through to the other side.

‘!?’