Chapter 53. Eight Guardians (3)
"Cough! Cough!"
Jegal Geum slowly opened his eyes.
Looking around...
He seemed to be inside a cave.
"Where..."
"You're awake."
The person beside him was Joo Minha.
One of Kang Yujin's companions.
"Your treatment is already finished."
"You were unconscious for quite a while, so I was worried."
"What happened?"
"The Mountain-Breaking Sword activated and caught you, Kang Yujin, and Lee Jukheon in the explosion."
"Because the Wyverns were attacking, we escaped using the Chimera."
"...!"
Jegal Geum finally understood the situation.
"You..."
His voice trembled.
"You saved me too?"
"Yes."
"It looked dangerous to leave you behind."
"..."
"For your information..."
Joo Minha spoke coldly.
"Kang Yujin was the one who insisted on rescuing you."
"...!"
Jegal Geum inhaled sharply.
He had been fighting Kang Yujin to the death only moments earlier.
And yet...
Kang Yujin had saved him?
"Everyone found it unbelievable."
Joo Minha continued.
"Kang Yujin himself was seriously injured."
"But he tried to save you first."
"Is that..."
Jegal Geum stared.
"Really true?"
"Yes."
Joo Minha nodded.
Kang Yujin had also been caught in the explosion.
Even in that condition...
He had saved Jegal Geum.
"Incredible..."
Jegal Geum was deeply shaken.
How many Contractors in this world could still act with that kind of righteousness?
"Young lady..."
"Yes, Jegal Geum."
"That young man named Kang Yujin..."
Jegal Geum hesitated.
"What kind of man is he?"
It was a vague question.
But Joo Minha answered without hesitation.
"A man who will become a savior."
"Savior?"
"Yes."
She nodded.
"A true hero who will save this chaotic world."
"..."
Normally...
Jegal Geum would've laughed at such a statement.
But Joo Minha's completely unwavering voice and gaze...
Made the words strangely convincing.
"..."
Jegal Geum slowly looked upward.
He stared at the dark cave ceiling.
Then he muttered weakly...
"Perhaps I made a terrible mistake."
"Hey, Kang Yujin."
"What?"
Kang Yujin lowered the piece of wood he had been holding.
"That old man..."
Lee Jukheon looked toward the cave.
"Are you seriously going to do that?"
"Of course."
Kang Yujin glanced back.
Joo Minha was probably looking after Jegal Geum inside.
"I'm going to torture him."
"..."
Lee Jukheon stared at him, unsure what to say.
"We need to find out exactly why he approached us."
"Who was behind him."
"And everything else."
"You seriously mean torture?"
"Do you think that old man will just talk?"
"Well..."
Lee Jukheon scratched his head.
"He's definitely not some small fry."
"Exactly."
"So we torture him."
"I still feel a little guilty about torturing an old man."
"Old or not, he's healthy enough to beat the hell out of us."
"Well..."
"That's true."
Both Kang Yujin and Lee Jukheon had been heavily injured by Jegal Geum on the train.
Strictly speaking...
They had not simply been beaten.
His fingertips had pierced them in multiple places.
"Don't waste time with pointless mercy."
"That old man is our enemy."
"So what exactly are you making?"
Lee Jukheon looked at the wood.
"Why are you breaking branches?"
"Juri."
"Juri?"
"Didn't you ever see it in historical dramas?"
Kang Yujin held up the wooden pieces.
"I'm going to use them to twist his legs."
"..."
"He's old, so this kind of thing might work even better."
Lee Jukheon stared at him.
"Kang Yujin..."
"You're really built differently."
"Was that a compliment?"
"It's an insult, idiot."
While they were talking...
Seok Taejun approached.
"Seok Taejun."
"How's the area?"
"Nothing unusual so far."
They were currently hiding inside a forest far from the railway tracks.
"Joo Minha's barrier is active."
"So the Constellations shouldn't be able to find us."
"Good."
"Even Jegal Geum's Constellation shouldn't know where he is."
Joo Minha's Awakening Skill, [Disruption Barrier], was blocking the signals Constellations normally used to locate and contact their Contractors.
According to Joo Minha...
Even Jegal Geum's Constellation should be unable to contact him.
"Still..."
Kang Yujin looked around.
"If they search this entire area manually, they might eventually find us."
"We should finish quickly."
"You mean torture Jegal Geum and get information?"
"Yes."
"Then we can decide what to do next."
"..."
Seok Taejun looked at Lee Jukheon.
Lee Jukheon simply shook his head.
"Good."
Kang Yujin lifted the finished wooden sticks.
"Let's go wake up Jegal Geum."
He headed back into the cave.
"Kang Yujin."
Joo Minha spoke from inside.
"How is he?"
"Jegal Geum is awake."
"Really?"
Kang Yujin looked deeper into the cave.
Jegal Geum sat beside Joo Minha.
He looked exhausted from the aftereffects of his injuries.
"Kang Yujin."
"..."
Jegal Geum called his name.
Kang Yujin did not answer.
He marched deeper inside.
He thought he needed to look cold and intimidating before starting the torture.
"First..."
Just as Kang Yujin began thinking about how to start...
Jegal Geum suddenly lowered his head.
"I'm sorry."
"...?"
"I apologize."
Jegal Geum's voice was heavy.
"Everything was my fault."
Kang Yujin stared blankly.
"I heard that you saved me."
"Even though you were badly injured..."
"You protected me first?"
"Well..."
Kang Yujin hesitated.
"That's true."
"You trapped us."
"You attacked us."
"And yet you still saved my life."
Jegal Geum looked deeply ashamed.
"You truly are a righteous man."
"Well..."
"I was foolish."
"I failed to recognize a true chivalrous hero like you."
"Chivalrous hero...?"
"Exactly."
Jegal Geum looked up seriously.
"A true chivalrous hero."
Kang Yujin remained confused.
"It seems..."
Jegal Geum sighed.
"My Constellation has abandoned me."
"Your Constellation?"
"Yes."
"I wanted to contact him and demand an explanation for what happened with the train explosion."
"But he won't respond at all."
"..."
That was because of Joo Minha's [Disruption Barrier].
Jegal Geum had apparently misunderstood.
"The only explanation I can think of is that he forcibly activated the Mountain-Breaking Sword to eliminate you..."
"And simply allowed me to get caught in the explosion too."
"..."
"If that's the case, he truly discarded me."
Jegal Geum looked at Kang Yujin.
"So I have no choice but to change my thinking."
Then he spoke clearly.
"I want to join forces with you."
"I'll tell you everything."
"And I promise to cooperate."
"..."
Kang Yujin had no idea how things had ended up this way.
He stood there silently.
Jegal Geum tilted his head.
"By the way..."
"What are those wooden sticks you're holding?"
"Oh."
Kang Yujin looked down.
He couldn't possibly say they were meant for torture.
"It's cold in this cave for someone your age."
"So..."
"I brought wood to make a fire."
"...!"
Jegal Geum trembled emotionally.
"You truly are an admirable young man...!"
"It's only natural."
Kang Yujin ignored the painful stares from Seok Taejun and Lee Jukheon.
What is going on?
Shi Jin manipulated the observation device in frustration.
Where did Jegal Geum go?
When he activated the Mountain-Breaking Sword in order to eliminate Kang Yujin's group...
Jegal Geum had inevitably been caught in the blast.
Of course...
Shi Jin had assumed Jegal Geum could survive the explosion.
Still...
From Jegal Geum's perspective, being dragged into such an attack could easily feel like betrayal.
That was why Shi Jin wanted to contact him as soon as possible and smooth things over.
I was going to explain that it couldn't be helped and compensate him properly...
But he couldn't find Jegal Geum.
Normally, the observation device's search function should immediately show his Contractor's current location.
This time...
There was no response.
Did he block me?
Shi Jin had once heard of items capable of temporarily blocking contact from Constellations.
Was Jegal Geum using something like that?
Even so, Jegal Geum should want to hear my explanation.
And he still isn't using a Constellation Summon Ticket.
A Constellation Summon Ticket was exactly what the name suggested.
A ticket that summoned one's Constellation.
When a Contractor used it, an alert immediately appeared on the Constellation's side.
The Constellation was then required to check the Contractor's current situation.
They also needed to understand what the Contractor wanted and help within reasonable limits.
If the Contractor was in danger during battle, for example, the Constellation might grant a Blessing.
How much they helped was left to the Constellation's judgment.
So the result might still disappoint the Contractor.
Considering Jegal Geum's normal personality, using a Summon Ticket to call me would be natural.
If Jegal Geum did that...
Shi Jin could somehow make peace with him.
But if Jegal Geum wasn't using one...
Either he's extremely angry with me...
Or something serious happened.
Shi Jin sighed and scratched his head.
Jegal Geum was his most important piece in the Capital Region.
He might have just lost that piece.
Then... what should I do?
The first option was simple.
Wait until he could figure out Jegal Geum's situation.
Even if Jegal Geum was blocking him with an item, the effect should eventually end.
The problem is that waiting might take too long.
Shi Jin folded his arms.
Then...
He remembered what Li Kui had told him.
You seem determined to use your head and build power on Earth, but you don't have the capacity for it.
The words bothered him.
At the time, he had ignored them.
But for some reason...
They kept returning to his mind.
Don't make me laugh, Li Kui.
Li Kui was probably comparing Shi Jin to Song Jiang, the old leader of Liangshan.
It was true that while they were alive...
Song Jiang had possessed a much greater capacity as a leader.
That was why Shi Jin had followed him.
But this was a new life.
They were Constellations now.
As a Constellation...
Shi Jin might have a greater capacity than Song Jiang.
Of course...
Song Jiang did not seem to have become a Constellation.
So there was no way to prove it.
I will move the world according to my will.
Shi Jin manipulated the observation device.
He would no longer hesitate.
I'll discard Jegal Geum.
Instead, I'll use his organization.
Jegal Geum's organization...
Hwaseong Sect.
The entire organization was under Shi Jin's influence.
Among its officers was a man who had long coveted Jegal Geum's position.
Shi Jin could simply use him.
Jegal Geum often refused to move exactly the way I wanted anyway.
It would be better to install a more obedient puppet as leader.
That was far more efficient than wasting time on Jegal Geum, who might already have turned against him.
And then...
I'll finish preparing for the Scenario.
Scenario.
A major event tied to the fate of the world.
Shi Jin decided to move quickly.
"I think this incident was definitely arranged by the 'Hero of Nine Dragons.'"
Jason's voice came through the communication window.
I fell into thought.
Considering everything...
It really did seem that Jegal Geum's Constellation, the "Hero of Nine Dragons," had planned it all.
His True Name is probably Nine-Tattooed Dragon Shi Jin from Water Margin.
Shi Jin was a character from Water Margin.
Because of the nine dragon tattoos on his body, he was known as Nine-Tattooed Dragon.
He was the first of the 108 heroes of Liangshan to appear in the novel.
He was definitely a skilled martial artist...
But...
He honestly didn't have much importance later in Water Margin.
At first, he appeared almost like the protagonist.
But his role gradually decreased until his presence almost disappeared.
In other words...
He was something like a fake protagonist.
If I remember correctly...
The Hwaseong Sect controlling the old Suwon area is under that Constellation's influence.
The Hwaseong Sect controlled what used to be Suwon City and the surrounding region.
Jegal Geum had founded the organization.
As its name suggested, it had the atmosphere of a martial sect from a wuxia novel.
Shi Jin, a great martial artist from legend, supported the organization heavily.
More than half of its Contractors were contracted with him.
"So what do we do, Unknown Constellation?"
Jason spoke again.
"Should I upload a video condemning the 'Hero of Nine Dragons'?"
"Like we did with the Priest King?"
"No."
"Wait for now."
"Hm?"
Jason blinked.
"Why?"
"Shouldn't we teach any Constellation who attacks us a lesson?"
"What exactly would the video say?"
"Well..."
Jason hesitated.
"That he tried to trap Kang Yujin's group..."
"So we'd make a video saying he's a bad guy because he attacked us?"
Jason paused.
"I understand what you mean."
If we uploaded a condemnation video merely because someone attacked us before the conflict had even been settled...
It wouldn't look good.
Other Constellations might interpret it as us asking for help.
"Then what do we do?"
Jason frowned.
"I already announced that I would investigate the incident and upload a video."
"If I do nothing, I'll look like a liar."
"Weren't you already a liar?"
"Hahaha."
Jason laughed.
"That's harsh, Unknown."
"Anyway..."
While we were talking...
Another communication window suddenly opened beside Jason.
"Greetings, Unknown."
"Number 36."
"What is it?"
It was Arlecchino Number 36.
He had contacted me several times before.
"I've received a request from another Constellation."
"He says he absolutely wishes to meet you."
"I had a feeling this would happen."
Number 36 had contacted me for similar reasons in the past.
He had introduced Xiahou En to me.
He had also delivered Jason's message.
"Don't tell me you're making money by connecting me with other Constellations."
"Hahaha."
Number 36 smiled shamelessly.
"I have to make a living somehow."
He had a different personality from Number 49...
But he was just as shameless.
"So who is it?"
"The B-rank Constellation 'Murderer with Two Axes.'"
"What?"
Jason's voice suddenly rose from the other window.
"The Murderer with Two Axes?"
"That guy who always sends messages saying fight, kill, and other violent nonsense?"
"What does he want?"
"..."
The Murderer with Two Axes.
His identity was easy to guess.
Just like Shi Jin...
He was a character from Water Margin.
Black Whirlwind Li Kui.
But Li Kui...
Was supposed to be a completely hopeless murderer.
"He says..."
Number 36 spoke carefully.
"He'll tell you everything openly about what's happening in the Capital Region."
"What should I tell him?"
For some reason...
A man who seemed extremely dangerous was offering to cooperate with me.
