Book 16 Chapter 1

Gnomish Stealth

'Shit! Shit! Shit!

The mixed springs of cursing and complaining that erupt from the bottom of the heart are called

It showed no signs of stopping.

The old man was furious. This furious creature, which dared not raise its head in the presence of the 'party' that was both the cause and effect of the current situation, did not miss this golden opportunity when no one was watching or listening.

"What kind of karma did this digester accumulate in his previous life that he shouldn't be left in this place at this time of the day? Why?

The old man growled like a sirloin.

The "unwrapped" circles of the moon and the movement of the stars, left behind by the darkness, were an indirect reminder that it was now time for most of the world to fall into the sweet embrace of sleep.

It was a great misfortune to be out of time, to be left out of the circular flow of what we call daily life. Especially when it's not by choice, but by other people!

"Why?

It was okay to be hoarse. It was okay to be torn. It was his right. He wanted to scream and lament, but the circumstances that bound him did not allow for even this slightest bit of self-indulgence.

Why? Damn it! He knew why. It wasn't because he was a beggar. It wasn't because of his age. It wasn't because he couldn't muster up the courage in his parched heart. He lacked the courage to stand up to his damned godfather, the resolve to defy and fight back. The kind of courage that would have made his coworkers shake their heads in disbelief!

'But…….'

He knew he wasn't the only one who'd had this 'idea' over the past three years.

Liberation from bondage and the infinite freedom that comes with it!

The mere thought of it sends a rush of narcotic bliss through your brain. But this resentment, so tightly layered across the entire floor of the mind, has yet to surface and see the light of day.

It's not like there wasn't a way.

On that day, the process of selecting the scapegoat was carried out with great reverence and care in a solemn atmosphere. Gathered in a circle at the gates of hell, the members of the master craftsmen all looked at each other in a vow of silence, their faces lit up with awe.

"Shall we get started then?"

Hyunwoon's words were the trigger.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

"Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

"Bo!"

"Bo!"

"Bo!"

After thirty-six painstaking iterations, the scapegoat was finally born. Namgung-sang was chosen to be the first to knock on the gates of hell and the first to face the king's wrath. His companions mourned their friend, reciting long rituals in their minds and devising inscriptions for his tomb.

"Bastards, take care of your faces, I can see through you!"

He had no sense of duty to his blushing friends as he tried to hold back his laughter in relief and liberation. His stomach churned, and he looked at the door with a very unfriendly gaze. He felt as if the slightest touch would burn him. But behind him, the masked traitors of his friends were glaring at his back.

Smart!

Finally gathering his courage, Namgungsang knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

From the other side of the room, I could hear the voice of the High Priestess Bi Ryuyeon. Luckily, he hadn't been burned, but his heart felt heavy as if it had been crushed by a thousand boulders.

"Hmmm… hmmm… hmmm… hmmm……. Funny, very funny."

Bi Ryuyeon muttered to herself as her mind raced. Nangong Shang, Hyun Yun, Qin Ling, Tang Shan, Tang Wen Hye, Il Gong, Qing Qing, Cao Tian Wu, Li Zhiyong, Ge Ying Ho, Dan Moxu, Hua Snow Jade, Huang Bo Wu Yan, Noh Hak, Nangong San Shan, and Mo Yonghui. Each of them had an unenviable status and background, but their faces were tense as they stood before Bi Ryuyeon. Normally, they would have tried to avoid her summons at all costs, but today they had been forced to come as a group because of a common cause that united them.

It was the head of the Southern Palace who delivered the request, and after hearing it, Bi Ryuyeon began to stroke her chin and pace. As if to savor the words she had just heard.

"Hmmm, so in 'short' you want to prove that you are a separate entity?"

I thought, "I must have misspelled hard!" but wisely didn't say it out loud.

"Yes!"

The entire group nodded in agreement. They had been the envy of the other Heavenly Pavilion disciples, yet they had been dwarfed by the presence of the Great Master Bi Ryuyeon, and they could not bear the disparity any longer, so they finally spoke up. "Recognize us!" was their demand. However, they had not yet overcome their subconscious fears, as all sixteen of them came to the altar without a single sacrificial animal as a representative.

"Hmph, hmph……."

Bi Ryuyeon's gaze swept across the faces of the sixteen members of the main cast with great interest. Was it finally time? A true disciple should have the instinct to escape from his master's embrace. A weak-willed bastard who lacks such fortitude should be dismissed, excommunicated, or whatever. But it is the duty of a master not to allow this to happen. A master pushes his pupil off a cliff, not pulls him up. It's up to the student to crawl back up, even if it means dying, even if it means making a mess of themselves. Of course, Bi Ryuyeon's current position was not with the Ministry of Labor, and their hidden intentions did not seem to be in that direction, but he was still obligated to actively support the intentions of his disciples and priests.

Bi Ryuyeon nodded unexpectedly simply.

"Okay, I'll do that!"

The tension that had been tense for a moment erupted into an explosion of joy. But Bi Ryuyeon was not merciful enough to let their joy last more than a moment.

"Only!"

A single, stern voice cut their joyous revelry in half in an instant.

"On one condition."

"Condition…?"

Namgungsang replied on behalf of the organization.

"Of course! Do you think there are free things in this world? To get something, you have to pay for it. Isn't that the Buddhist law of cause and effect and the law of equivalent exchange?"

Boom!

The corners of Bi Ryuyeon's mouth curled into a sinister smile.

The sixteen main cast members of the Namgung statue wanted to say "really," "if it can be," and not realize that it was a condition.

It wasn't because I liked Namgungsang that I took on the role of representative. It was just a matter of everyone putting off the idea of being a representative for a while and not being good enough at rock-paper-scissors. Everyone seemed to treat the presidency as some kind of guaranteed check to the next world-and frankly, it wasn't that far from the truth. He shot a disgruntled glance at Hyun-woon, one of his fellow Kowlooners and a shaman who had abandoned the virtues of shared responsibility. As he pondered the question of whether or not to prefix the word 'former' to the word friend, he thought about…….

"Moo, on what terms?"

His lover, Qinling, interrupted him and asked him what he wanted to know. But the evil was too great to be defeated by the power of love.

"Show me the proof!"

The tone was one of asking for the obvious.

"Proof?"

"Yes, proof!"

The smile vanished from his face. The air that had been as light as a cloud suddenly became as heavy as a rock. Bi Ryuyeon asked.

"Can you prove to yourself that you are who you say you are?"

A deep, resonant voice, like that of a priest conducting a ritual, flowed from Bi Ryuyeon's lips, a solemn tone that was unimaginable in his normal voice.

"Are you confident that you have established your personal identity?"

Once again, everyone nodded. It was clear that they hadn't given it much thought. Still, they were young and full of confidence. Bi Ryuyeon couldn't help but pour cold water on their youthful enthusiasm. It was as if they had forgotten that they were just as young.

"You're good at answering questions, but words are fleeting, just a lump in the throat and a tease on the tongue. Actions, on the other hand, are not for everyone. Good! If you're so confident, prove it. That you have established yourselves, that you can stand on your own and rely on no one else!"

Proof!

Conveniently, there was only one way to prove oneself to the uninitiated. By this point, the cast members were realizing this as well.

"Big brother, that's too unfair to us!"

Qinling protested. It was clear that the others were in full agreement with her. In fact, if they were capable of subduing Bi Ryuyeon by force, they wouldn't have gotten to this point. The odds were stacked against them.

"Give me a chance, I don't want to be called cheesy."

If he did, it was too late. It hadn't reached his ears, but it had probably been said a thousand times before.

"Chance?"

"Yes, you can do it all at once!"

"All of them?"

"Yes, all of them!"

"All sixteen of them?"

"Yes, all sixteen of them. If anyone's sick, they can wait until they're better. I don't want to hear lame excuses after work."

"With a true sword?"

In return for the question, Namgungsang had to wear a warm hump on his head.

"You've got to be kidding me, this is serious business. How am I supposed to show my skills with a toy?"

He must have meant it. That outrageous confidence that seemed reckless to others. He was indeed the embodiment of An Hamu.

Then it was worth it. I crawled back out of the depths of despair, unashamedly transformed into hope. Three years ago was wrong. For the past three years, they had been training, training, training, through strong willpower and active self-discipline. They had gone through countless training sessions. It was hard to see them as the skinny kids they were then. Now it was time to show them how different they had become… with a little bitterness!

"All right, big brother!"

They agreed, and it was considered a win-win.

"But there's a catch."

Ryuyeon Bi said again.

"Is it a condition again?"

Immediately, complaints erupted. But their voices were already shaking with anxiety. I had a bad feeling about this.

"The odds are stacked against you when you're a teenager, so I could use a little help. Besides, he's like a teacher to you guys, so shouldn't you be able to surpass him?"

"Well, that means……. When you say the helper, you don't mean him, do you?"

The rest of the troupe's complexions reflected the mix of anxiety and nervousness in Namgung's question. The last thing they needed was for this to happen. It was clear that they all thought so. It was a debilitating nightmare to even imagine.

"No, it's him."

But Bi Ryuyeon shattered their expectations by nodding her head hesitantly and innocently.

"Who else could it be but him, right?"

'I wish I'd just been a blowhard…….'

Unlike the reputations within the academy, which were updated daily with the worst of the worst, their highnesses were not mere hollow shells, and for them that was a greater problem: they could not afford to rejoice in the falsity of the rumors.

Self-attestation!

I was horrified to even think about the consequences.

"The Great Form of Bi Ryuyeon! Terms twenty-one and three! Unknown. Name unknown. History unknown.'

I'd known him for over two years and learned very little. He was a good example of how rumors can be so far from the truth.

While his colleagues were sealing his hands and feet, Gung Sang and Malkodosa Hyun Woon rushed in to perform their tricks of the trade, and he ended up in the hospital for three and a half weeks. The rest of the work was done by Transposition.

Why do you have to bring in the salt minister and the laborers? But they dared not complain, for he was the loser, Yugumu.

Proof failed! Authentication not possible! And…….

Keep deciding!

So there you have it. Unfortunately, they have yet to prove themselves in action. And the little revolution has failed.

He couldn't prove which was better, his current situation or the stones rolling in the street. It was a very sad and miserable existence. He felt truly pathetic.

'If you didn't have the guts or the ability to do that, you wouldn't be here now, serving the bastards.'

This has been going on for two weeks now, and there have been no signs of it.

Click!

It was then that his ears, which had been opened to the utmost, detected a faint ringing.

"What? This sound!

The old man quickly broke off his musings and turned his gaze back to his quarters.

Yay!

The door that hadn't been opened all week was letting out a quiet, secret groan.

"We're finally moving!

Two people cautiously opened the door and stepped out. They must have been part of the Grand Duchess's group of one.

'Come to think of it… I was one of the trillion…….'

Reminding himself of that fact, Noh Hak focused his attention.

The Grand Duke Bi, surely he was a monster. Perhaps he was the same kind of human as Bi Ryuyeon. Well, at least that one seemed to have more substance than this one, but… they were the same in the sense that you couldn't tell.

"Chet, that's too far.

I couldn't tell who it was because of the distance. All I had was the useless information that they were both men. But that was something I would have to figure out slowly, piece by piece.

"Finally, I'll be able to sleep in a warm room!

Dreaming of the most humble of wishes, the old man cautiously followed the two, hiding himself in the shadows of the night.

"How far are we going?

They were moving very suspiciously. It was clear that they were not foolish enough to make noise as they moved. Every time they moved forward by twenty paces, they kept an eye on all sides. When they stopped, they chose a place where they could hide themselves very efficiently from their surroundings. It was clear that he hadn't practiced this for a day or two. It was clear that the old man had always gotten top marks for stealth. The two of them were professionally trained masters.

"What about this one?!

With no sign of stopping, they continued on, passing through the densely built-up neighborhoods and into the woods to the west. The night forest was full of obstacles. The gnome had to be extremely careful not to make a sound. If he let his guard down even a little, he risked exposing himself.

He was not reckless enough to fight against the odds. His mission was reconnaissance, not annihilation. It was his job to sneak up on them like a cat, steal a peek, and sneak out again. He was neither obligated nor authorized to do more than that.

If his opponent was armed with malice, he could assume two outcomes. One, if his feet were faster than his opponent's, he might be able to save his life. Second, if he was slower than his opponent, he probably wouldn't see the sun rise today and the moon set tomorrow. One good thing, though, was that if he could run, he could be second to none.

My heart was racing wildly from the tension.

"Is this a new character?

They weren't the only two bad kids who went to bed early and didn't get up early. Wherever they arrived, there was another one waiting for them.

"潛龍勿用." (A sleeping dragon is useless)

"Huwu seunglong (後雨昇龍)." (The dragon flies after the rain)

The suspicious trio exchanged a simple password at a distance of three zhangs and confirmed each other. The two suspected members of the group had worn masks after entering the forest on the western outskirts of Hongmae Valley, so the other party would have to go through a different method of identification. To be fair, the person waiting for them was also masked, and he looked like a big bear. Neither of the two who had come out of the group's lodgings were stout or short, but this giant seemed to be at least two heads taller than them.

"Was that big guy in Hongmaegok?

Nohak had memorized the faces and names of all the participants in the Volcanic Society. It was the kind of skill he needed to have if he was going to take on the open position of overseeing more than a third of the powerhouse's information, but he couldn't find the big man in his memory banks.

"So… a caretaker?

The administrators who were in charge of all aspects of the Volcano Council's operations and who maintained order and security here, they called themselves the Rulers.

'You mean there was a wire touching the inside? No, no, no. That's nonsense. A place is a place, and the damage we've done is damage, and we don't use people with uncertain identities. Besides, we've had minimal contact with the outside world…….'

It is said that most Elementals are born in these volcanoes and die in these volcanoes. This is their home, their life. They have only one mission and one hope: the birth of the true Unseen. They dedicate their only life to that end.

'But what if it's true…….'

It was a really dangerous thing to do.

'Oops, this might be annoying…….'

It was as foreboding as the darkness of the night sky, where you couldn't see a thing, where the faint moonlight was almost useless.

"And the other one?"

The masked hulk asked, and the two of them shrugged once.

"That's an ambassador! What happened to being on time?"

The taller of the two asked, not bothering to hide his displeasure. It was clear that he had a temperament that was far from discreet.

"Was there another one?

The old man pricked up his ears and listened to their conversation. The taller man seemed a little angry at his rudeness, for he had been very blunt in his response to his question.

"I don't know. Have we already forgotten that we all know we're all wrong? That we only know roughly which side we're on, but not exactly who we are? So let's not forget that we're all equal in our duties. I don't take orders from you, so don't even think about giving them. The only orders I accept are those based on the authority of the Blood Jade Plaque, not the words of a bunch of little kids!"

"What, are you trying to get me into a fight?"

The big man's reply was enough to provoke the short-tempered man even if it wasn't. It was clear that if the other hadn't been there to defuse the tense atmosphere between them, it would have turned into a fight.

"So the story is, at the very least, they're in three different factions. Where do they belong, and what are they trying to accomplish by gathering here? Why?

But Old Man's thinking didn't last long. It was then that a small rustling sound echoed through the forest. It was enough to make the trained ears of the masters twitch.

Voila!

Without checking, the bear-like hulk shot an instant memorization toward the darkness. It was a swift move that didn't match its shaggy size. And then, as if he felt bad if one shot didn't kill him, he kindly threw five of them at the same time. It was clearly a very agile bear.

"Who is it?"

The big man called out to the darkened grass. His voice was bear-like, and he seemed to confirm by sound and motion that the darkness was still alive. The tension between the three of them could be felt from twenty yards away.

Boom, boom, boom!

There was another rustling in the grass, and another cloaked figure stumbled out. His demeanor was quite relaxed, unlike the tense trio.

"That's a little too pompous for a welcome, I could have killed you."

The new guy's voice sounded very creepy, even though he was a man.

"I threw it to die."

The new masked man said with a smirk, "You deserve it.

"Yeah, I see, but I'll give it back anyway. You should use it for the next time you cook, don't you think? Be careful next time. You really almost got yourself killed."

The voice reached out to the bear and handed him something. It was clearly a memorization of the bear's throw from earlier. Judging by the big, shaky face, he had caught all five. The bear purred a little in defeat, but didn't roar.

"You're late."

The smaller one said.

"I've been held up all this time. Don't you think it's a bit much, all that overtime, all those late nights… You're really taking advantage of people, and you don't even pay them."

He rambled on and on. It was clear that he was a very comfortable man indeed. Old Hak was willing to bet his entire fortune that the other three would never like this talkative last man. His ramblings went on and on and on.

"It's really too much, isn't it? Who would go out on a wild night like this, and yet the people in charge have to go out on night patrols for the safety of the visitors, as if someone is out to get them?"

'Except for you guys…….'

"I swear, that ice-cold guy is as cold as a man without blood or tears. He takes advantage of people too much."

"Huh! Ice cube?!!

Nohak couldn't let those words slip by him lightly. Suddenly, goosebumps sprang up all over his body. Chills began to run down his spine. In this case, there was only one person the nickname "Iceberg" could refer to.

Icebreakers, night patrols, positions of responsibility… based on these clues, it was obvious who they were referring to.

"Whoa, no way… in our group?!

It was a fact that could not be overlooked. Luo Hak strained his ears to make out who he was. All he could make out now was that the man was not the Ice Sword Guan Chul-Su of the fifty or so members of the Heavenly Martial Academy. If that was all he could make out, he was lucky…………. Gods, sleeping with the enemy, it couldn't be a good feeling.

"So who is it, the wolfish old man from a prestigious political party, or the ill-tempered loner with a past as a former Black Islander?

Either way, it wasn't going to be a fun story.

'Ugh, no. The story is getting more and more dangerous!

Knowing too much about something dangerous means that the threat to one's life also increases. It's not something to celebrate.

"Phew, it's my octave, I guess it's impossible to get out of it now!

The fourth man, who came last, was very talkative for someone in his line of work. He was acting as if he didn't care much for the weight of silence, which is an important value in the industry, so Nohak decided to call him "the chatterbox" for convenience. He was very grateful to have someone to listen to from afar, and he decided to call the larger one "the bear" and the two he was chasing "the big one" and "the little one" according to the difference in height.

By the time the three of us had reached a tacit agreement on the most effective and simple way to shut the chatterbox up, he stopped talking. One more word and he might not have had any teeth left. One more word and he might not have had any teeth left, because the other three, feeling the limits of their patience, would have nibbled at his thrush somehow. Still, once the chatterbox stopped talking, they could finally get down to business.

"My master wants to know. When will the dragon be able to fly?"

"When rain becomes a waterfall."

'Bear' replied. It was a straightforward answer, like a line of questioning.

If only they would simply explain to him what they were plotting, it would make his job as a spy so much easier. He could only grumble at their lack of hospitality.

"Is the rain coming down smoothly?"

Of the two that the gnome chased, the "smaller one" asked the "bear.

"It's about to become a waterfall."

"Seale?"

"For the next three weeks or so?"

"That's too long. Can't you make it shorter? What the fuck kind of digging takes so much time?"

The "big guy" grumbled.

"Don't mess with me!"

Surprisingly, the smaller one's words of restraint made the larger one quiet down. Despite his size, he had no more authority than the smaller one.

"Don't rush it. It's not easy, it requires stealth."

"What's your situation?"

This time, the little guy asked the chatterbox.

"I've got a great tool, it's a used one that I've used once before, but it's going to come in handy."

"Haven't we already failed once with thrift?"

The chatterbox nodded.

"Still, there are few people as convenient to exploit as someone who harbors hatred, and even fewer who are blinded by jealousy. I love people who are so overcome with emotion that their reason is paralyzed."

"I see."

The little guy agreed.

"Hurry things up anyway. I don't see any movement yet, but don't forget to maintain confidentiality. It's His will."

At the mention of the word "He," the unruly bear and the chatterbox suddenly became as docile as a lamb. This is because of the power of the word.

"By His will!"

They answered in unison, like a chorus.

"Then make the next contact date……."

"Oh, wait, before that……."

The smaller one restrained the two.

"What's going on?"

"Oh, no big deal, I just thought there was a rat hiding in there!"

The smaller one signaled with his eyes to the larger one next to him.

"Who's there!"

Chorus!

The 'big guy' put a hand to his waist and swung something, sending a silver chain flying at breakneck speed toward where the gnome was hiding.

The chain glinted like a silver serpent, piercing through the air. The silver serpent stretched out like an endless thread. The cruel serpent, with cold silver steel scales all over its body, venom in its sharp teeth, flew viciously, furiously, and even more fiercely toward the tree where the crane lay. It was as swift as a living creature, and powerful enough to shake the night air.

"Huh!

The old man sucked in a sharp breath and gasped. Before he knew it, the chains were wrapped around his entire body. With a hissing, menacing sound, the chains moved deftly. Like a being with a will of its own.

Chorus!

The long chain wrapped around the tree like a giant weapon. Unable to escape, the crane felt the chains' cold touch and dropped to the ground.

"Sum!"

The "big guy" yanked on the chain with a short grunt.

Chirrrrrrrrrrrr! Whirrrrrrrr! Shhhhhhhhh!

Kwazizik!

With a fierce grinding sound, the silver chains tore through the beautiful tree he was restraining. Sharp and vicious as the teeth of a beast, the shattered branches fell to the ground like a downpour of rain, piling up instead of Goy.

Iron!

With a loud crack, the man's cheek turned sharply to the left.

The little guy had slapped the big guy on the cheek. It was a disgrace worse than death to the uninitiated, but the Big One dared not rebel.

"You are not careful, Fifth! Have you already forgotten how much our work requires stealth? This may attract the attention of the rulers, and I do not believe they are so lazy and incompetent as not to wake up when they hear a sound louder than thunder."

The smaller one scolded the larger one for his carelessness. He was told to catch a rat, not to beat the sleeping people of the entire mountain to death. This is why you can't escape the attention of the administrators here.

"Sin, oops, oversize."

His wild temperament is no match for this man, who transforms him from a wild horse into a meek and devoted pony.

"So what do we do now, Large?"

The big guy asked.

"If you get caught, you can pass it off as martial arts training, unless you can come up with a plausible excuse, but I'd prefer to get out of here before you do."

The bear said.

"Be careful next time. Next time it won't be just cheeks!"

The big guy didn't dare argue back.

"By the way, let's see what kind of rat you were, shall we?"

The bear said, walking over the pile of destroyed life.

"Pfft, no use, they're already ground to powder."

The big guy said smugly.

"Okay, so it really didn't work."

The chatterer, surveying the wreckage, sighed and sneered. But he couldn't let it go unchallenged.

"You missed."

The little guy said in a gruff voice.

'No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.'

"Then how do you explain that empty chain?"

The little one pointed to a spot. It was a tattered robe, clutched by silver chains and refusing to let go. But its contents were nowhere to be found.

"Oh, no……."

A dismayed voice came out of the big guy's mouth.

"Phew, what a bunch of bastards……."

The old man stamped his foot eagerly to get away from there as quickly as possible.

I was about to be turned into a piece of minced meat. It was a lifetime ago. I shuddered to think about it. Every part of my body still burned from the impact.

Beggars were often captured and chained while begging or gathering information, so techniques for escaping the situation naturally developed in the open, and this is where the tricks of the trade came into play. In a moment of desperation, Luo Hak pulled out his shoulder joint like a bolt of lightning, shrunk his body, and escaped the chains. If he had been a moment too late… his life would have been lost to the spinning wheel of reincarnation.

Eek!

A cold breeze hit Vara's body and she sneezed spontaneously. She wanted to get inside a warm room as soon as possible to warm up. She hated colds.

"Now what?"

Over the grave of the tree's corpse, the bear asked. The coven leaked. I don't know how far the rat had heard, and I don't know how far it had found out, but I had to cover my mouth. Security was vital on this one.

"This is a line I've been planning for a decade, and I can't afford to drop out over something like this!"

The bear's voice was naturally rough.

"We're responsible for missing the rat, so we'll take the blame for this one."

"How can that be, it's already too late to catch up?"

The small one looked at the tattered robe with a cold gaze. Rags creeping here and there. But the chains were not to blame for the state of the garment. The garment must have been a grateful rag even before it was torn to shreds by the storm of chains. The little one lifted the piece of rag carefully. It was raggedly torn here and there, but the irregular quilting was clearly memorable.

"How few are there who wear such begging rags!"

The little thing's eyes glowed like cold daggers in the darkness.