Chapter 738
It was truly something bizarre, beyond any doubt.
So, extending your arm out into the water and flinging it back to the shore?
Just by using strength to pull it in, the one captured could become a water ghost, right?
You could kill someone so easily using the power of water, yet here we are?
Absolutely, what on earth was the point of doing it like that?
Instead of just stabbing them with the spear in your hand, you’re smashing their head in like it’s some sort of inefficient and meaningless act.
And because of that, even those being swept away couldn’t grasp the situation momentarily.
It was incomprehensible.
It defied common sense.
And yet, that didn’t mean it was wrong.
Because, just like their reactions, this was not a ‘common’ situation.
“Haha! You risk ruining everything by sinking under the water for no reason…”
This was clearly someone’s intent.
The intent of a shaman.
And that intent held multiple meanings in a single action.
Park Jinseong, pretending to be serious and not understanding, smiled inwardly as he watched those flying off.
“Bring the ship! Bring the ship—!”
With the same expression as the others who frantically moved to rescue those who flew away to the island without any preparation or support, he thought he had to rescue them, who had plummeted right into the evil spirit’s territory.
Perhaps it was everyone’s desperate wish to bring a ship to the shore.
With the collective hopes of everyone on board, the ship quickly landed on the shore.
The arm just reached out, tossing people in every now and then, without harming anyone.
“Ugh—Aaaah! Why doesn’t the curse work—!”
Of course, during that process, the captured person screamed, their cries growing distant, and eventually, they saw the shadowy outline of the evil spirit coming closer as they planted their feet on the ground…
However, since the ship moved surprisingly fast to reach the shore, it wasn’t a huge problem.
If they could regroup before being attacked by the evil spirit, it was like nullifying the spirit’s plot to scatter them.
Once the ship anchored on the shore, the people quickly sprang into action.
They approached those who had gathered in one place, formed their positions according to the plan.
They were now prepared to confront the evil spirit.
Look at them, united against the evil spirit.
Isn’t it splendid?
In the distance, the sight of the swaying branches.
It was just an outline, but it certainly appeared to be a powerful entity.
Brandishing swords, casting spells, invoking divine powers, and using magic to repel it, they were the heavenly army that would save the evil spirit, the great warriors aiming to expand human territory.
Even in the face of that evil spirit, there was no fear; indeed, they were truly reliable.
Reliable.
* * *
Gulp.
Quiver.
Gulp.
Quiver.
The grotesque sensation of dirt sliding down the throat.
The feeling of fine mud being washed and filtered down the throat.
The sensation of rotten corpse juices coating the tongue.
Even if they wanted to vomit, their esophagus was so filled with mud that they couldn’t expel it, and speaking was impossible due to the terrible rotten liquid filling their mouths; all they could manage was blink their eyes and exhale harshly, but how bold could one be in the face of an experience and sensation never encountered before, even if they were capable people?
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
The capable individuals.
Those held in the arms flying through the sky could only suffer.
A place where not a ray of sunlight penetrated.
A locale filled with soft sand, gravel, and scattered rocks.
They could hear the breathing of things that had awakened from sleep, and their presence was vividly felt there.
Life forms that had not faced the evil spirit—bodies of insects or worms could be distinctly felt against their skin in that place.
Underground.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Bizarre.
Grotesque.
And, painful.
The wet sand surrounded them like a swamp, and what was left as their space to recline was at most the inner level of a coffin, barely offering a bit of leeway but not granting them freedom at all.
Moreover, with no boards, it was merely a wall made of dirt piles, making them feel even more pitiful and torturous.
A mixture of mud reminiscent of a swamp and hard dirt piles.
Yet, it was neither collapsing nor letting them escape with that peculiar quality.
One couldn’t understand it, and simultaneously, one shouldn’t understand it.
This is what lies beyond common sense.
The powers of evil spirits and evil ghosts, is it not?
“…”
“…”
“…”
The sound of a heartbeat.
The sound of veins pulsating past the ear.
And, with each inhalation and exhalation, the air underground grew increasingly scarce.
Ah.
I can hear it.
The moment of severed lifeline is drawing near.
From a distance, the grim reaper approaches them step by step.
With every breath out, a step closer.
With every breath in, a pause.
That exceedingly regular and intuitive form.
The fear that death is nigh.
And yet, with that sense of helplessness, they feel like they could go mad.
Thus they fervently wish and wish again.
For the presence of allies who would save the captured ones.
For them to realize that they are trapped here.
“Hey, show that mountain-climbing skill of yours here!”
“The skill you couldn’t show on the ship, can you show it now?”
“…Of course.”
Realize.
“…Tsk, that god or whatever better not interfere.”
“I can’t fathom why you call us weak when you’re the ones powerless.”
“Oh dear… Fine. I’ll accommodate you. Just this once.”
“Hah, who says that? Let’s go.”
“Hmph.”
Figure it out.
“Earlier, the curse didn’t take effect, huh? Could it be that they are made of immaterial essence? But if so, they shouldn’t have that kind of physical power to grip and swing…”
“Perhaps the arm is an illusion, and in reality, it may have been blown away using telekinesis. A sort of trick, you know?”
“That makes sense. Therefore, it might not just be physical strength… We should prepare to counter against a skilled telekinetic. Given that the curse isn’t in a localized form or covering sections, but covers the whole body, it might control the space to completely block remotely exerting telekinetic power…”
You must figure it out.
You all.
“…This is strange. I feel a sense of incongruity… Park Jinseong the shaman, isn’t it?”
“…Something feels off. It’s strange.”
You are being deceived.
* * *
The shell is the shape and vessel.
What matters is the contents within.
This ultimate principle, after much wear and tear, now reaches even one of humble stature.
Look closely.
This is the content cloaked in a shell.
This is the content taking the form of a vessel.
As the arm sways, it trembles.
The gaunt arm shakes like a branch.
The arm, tinted with a pale yellow, wobbles.
The once-rotten forearm now creaks and cracks.
Even without a breeze, that gaunt and slender body quakes in agony and trembles as if it would fall to the ground at any moment; a shape that could just as easily collapse.
From the trembling forearm down to a single finger.
Everything is like a branch.
But as stated, the shell is merely a form.
The vessel exists solely as the vessel.
If that vessel contains a beverage, it’s a cup; if it contains poison, it’s a vial of poison, but if it contains a deadly substance, it is nothing but an abomination.
Thus, oh my, a black liquid flows smoothly within the hollow space residing in that branch. Containing the decayed bodies of insects instead of red blood, and a ghastly stench instead of white blood, it flows smoothly through that empty space, functioning as veins.
The blood, oozing and seeping out, has finally reached its endpoint.
Oh dear, the extremities are starting to decay.
Given that bodily fluids have rotted, how could one not see the skin rotting too?
This is beyond any doubt.
Poof.
Like the sound of a carbonated drink being opened.
As pressure builds, the rotten bodily fluids start bursting forth everywhere, creating no ordinary fountain.
The sprayed fountains harden into shapes, turning into grotesque flowers of a gnarled, decayed hue.
Yes.
Right here, it has blossomed.
It has bloomed on the branch.
Evil spirits.
“When flowers bloom, their fragrance vibrates over a hundred miles.”
…No.
“Is there anyone who isn’t entranced by that overwhelming scent? Isn’t this the unparalleled elegance of the world?”
The evil spirit disguised as an evil ghost finally revealed its true nature.
