Novel Bin Chapter 312: Good Day (2)
As soon as they arrived at Horizon Lake, Yongyong left without telling them why he was so busy. He was smiling happily, though.
“Then let’s sit down.”
A rocky island located in the middle of the lake.
Cheon-ma sat on a mound without hesitation. Invaders were still pouring from the sky, but it wasn’t a big problem.
Whoooosh-!
The sphere-shaped mana field unfolded by Cheon-ma didn’t allow any of them to approach.
“…Why are you sitting so far away?”
As Yoon-seok carefully sat down in front of the Cheon-ma, she asked.
“Yes?”
“I can’t hear your voice very well because it’s so messy around here. Come a little closer.”
For someone at Cheon-ma’s level, it would be possible to eavesdrop on lovers whispering from a kilometer away, even in the middle of a siege, but…
“Yes…”
Yoon-seok quietly moved closer. He was the one who brought her here to ask for help, so it was right to comply. However, even though they sat so close that their collars touched, they didn’t speak.
“…It feels so good.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
They just sat together, looking out over the scenery. The silence might be awkward, but Yoon-seok somehow felt comfortable. And was it the same for Cheon-ma? About ten minutes passed leisurely.
“Fufu. Come to think of it. It was here.”
“…?”
“At that time, you asked me if I could win.”
Yoon-seok, tilting his head, soon realized what Cheon-ma was talking about. Her fight against the Heavenly Buddha. He felt awkward as he recalled forgetting his manners and shouted at her. But she didn’t bring it up to tease him, right?
“How about you?”
“What do you mean…?”
“What do you think? Can you win?”
Yoon-seok became still at her following question. This long, long story was slowly coming to an end. Was it because the last time was so convenient?
Yoon-seok brought out the truth that he couldn’t tell anyone else.
“I do not know.”
Ashton, Lee Su-yeon, and his other colleagues whom he persuaded here and there to lend their strength. He told everyone that he didn’t doubt his victory, but actually, that wasn’t true. The more he learned about the Tower and the Queen, the more anxious he felt. So, he hadn’t properly shared information about the Tower and the Queen with anyone, including Lee Su-yeon.
Yoon-seok thought it was a burden he had to bear alone. He wanted them to believe and doubt nothing.
“You don’t know, huh…?”
Cheon-ma’s voice blurred at Yoon-seok’s sincere heart. What would she think? Would she think he was pathetic because he wasn’t like a warrior? Or, would she show confidence by telling him to trust her?
“It’s natural to feel so.”
Neither.
“What are you so desperate to act by yourself? I didn’t know. Who would have known a beanpole, whom I met by chance in the Tower, is now standing next to me.”
“A beanpole, huh…?”
“Fufufu. Even so, I said something good about you. You should thank me!”
Yoon-seok laughed. It was a success if she meant to cheer him up.
“Anyway, let’s get up soon. Didn’t you come here because you had something to do?”
Without giving him a moment to express his gratitude, Cheon-ma stood up, brushing her knees off. She knew.
Was this because of her years of experience? Well, Yoon-seok wasn’t sure, but she had a different charm from Elle.
“So, what are you so curious about?”
“I want to check something about Heavenly Sword Cave.”
“Heavenly Sword Cave… I don’t think there’s anything left since that Lowly Monk smashed it.”
“If my prediction is correct, it doesn’t seem like a place that would be destroyed by anything like that.”
“Hmm, it’s a strange place.”
Yoon-seok, standing up alongside Cheon-ma, approached the stairway in the center of the rocky island. Unlike before, when there was a portal-like structure, it was blocked by rocks down the stairs. However, Yoon-seok was able to discover one thing.
“…”
At first glance, they looked like ordinary stones. However, among them, Yoon-seok saw something familiar. Although it didn’t emit blue light, it was similar in shape. Of course, he had to check the exact details, though…
“Appraisal.”
A message appeared. Yoon-seok read it slowly and smiled.
*Dimensional Stone: Heavenly Sword Cave (Rank EX) – 4,898 days until the next activation.
His prediction was right. Like the Spacetime World, this cave was a place that performed an important function for the Tower. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be possible for it to have this form. However, the question was how to reactivate this…
‘It’s 4,898 days…’
That was about thirteen years. So, waiting was impossible. Then, what should he do?
The first answer that came to mind was Sharon.
‘Can this also be reset with her power?’
It would be possible if that remaining period were classified as a cooldown time.
‘Still, this alone is a great result. Let’s meet her and try that first.’
So, after roughly arranging the situation, Yoon-seok opened his bag to put in the Dimensional Stone. But then-
“Hmm, that’s amazing. I didn’t know there was something like this.”
Cheon-ma reached out and touched the Dimensional Stone. That was no problem so far. However…
[The Slayer’s code has been confirmed.]
The moment Cheon-ma’s hand touched it, the Dimensional Stone radiated light.
“Slayer…?”
“Well, I-I don’t know either.”
It meant Cheon-ma, however. She didn’t know if she had made a mistake, but new messages appeared.
[Are you sure you want to reactivate the Dimensional stone?]
[Your spiritual power is not sufficiently filled. Forced reactivation may cause permanent damage.]
Cheon-ma stared at Yoon-seok as if she asked what she should do now. Yoon-seok raised his hand for a moment and made a gesture to ask for time. Then he analyzed the phrases that popped up.
‘Spiritual power is not sufficiently filled? What does that mean?’
It must be similar to the Spacetime World. Just as Henigus killed millions to secure the power to sustain the Space-Time World, the Heavenly Sword Cave also needed some kind of resource to be activated.
[Entering the Spacetime World.]
[Please kill all remaining competitors.]
Perhaps the most brutal ordeal among the gates of Heavenly Sword Cave existed to obtain those resources. After a brief thought, Yoon-seok nodded.
“Let’s do it.”
The phrase permanent damage was worrying, but there was no other way. Sharon’s reset wouldn’t work either. So, whether it was porridge or rice, he had no choice but to try it.
[The Dimensional Stone is activated.]
[Damage occurred due to forced activation.]
[Gateway of Credentials is disabled.]
When Cheon-ma pressed the Yes button, the Dimensional Stone floated in the air and transformed into a portal. Yoon-seok exchanged a glance with Cheon-ma once before entering.
[Entering the Heavenly Sword Cave.]
Into a dark stone chamber without a single piece of light. However, neither Cheon-ma nor Yoon-seok had any problem distinguishing what lay before their eyes.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”
This was the place Yoon-seok reached after killing all the competitors who entered the Heavenly Sword Cave. If the previous gateways were about forming the Heavenly Body, this was structured to learn the Heavenly Sword. Unfortunately, at that time, Yoon-seok was kicked out without completing the first process properly due to the Heavenly Buddha’s intrusion.
“Let’s go!”
Yoon-seok followed after Cheon-ma, who seemed excited. What did the Heavenly Sword Cave exist for? The answer might be at the end of this.
Slash-!
A gateway where you had to cut a boulder with a single cut. Starting with the Heavenly Sword Cave, several gates blocked the road, but it wasn’t a problem. After all, Cheon-ma, who had already crossed all these gates once before, was by his side.
“It feels strange. I think it took about ten years to get here.”
The 1st Gate, the 2nd Gate, the 3rd… Cheon-ma, who quickly crossed the gates at an almost jogging speed, stopped for the first time at the 9th Gate.
“Anyway, this was the last one. I finished the last technique, cut that door down, and went outside.”
That was the eighth technique? It was a long way to go for Yoon-seok, who couldn’t even use Sword in Heart properly. It would be meaningless to compare because their paths were different now.
“But it’s a little different from back then.”
“A little different? What do you mean?”
“There is another stone chamber beyond this door. At that time, there were only stairs going outside.”
“…You can feel that?”
“If you have more experience, you will be able to do so.”
“…I guess so”.
Cheon-ma was a being that existed above the sky. That was why it was even more surprising. He heard that she had lost her power as she entered the Tower, but how strong was the Heavenly Buddha to almost defeat such a person once?
“Anyway, let’s go. Even I am very curious about what is behind here.”
Cheon-ma slowly closed her eyes and gathered her mana.
Whoosh-.
The wind blew past.
“…”
The form of the technique was nothing special except that absurd mana was condensed so fast that the average person couldn’t even follow it. The basic technique was a simple downward slash. However…
“Phew.”
Cheon-ma exhaled the breath she had been holding back as if exhausted. And starting from this, the stone gate split into two.
“Now that I think about it, it’s my first time showing it to you in person.”
He heard the theory about the technique, but Yoon-seok never saw it in person. And at his current level, it didn’t make any sense. No, she said it would be poison if he looked at it clumsily.
“This is Travel the World. I changed the name as soon as I left this place.”
“What was its original name?”
“…I can’t remember.”
Yoon-seok smiled. She felt human when it came to these sorts of things.
“Let’s check it out now. What’s behind this?”
“Yes. There might be a trap, so I’ll take the lead.”
“Hahaha, I feel reassured.”
“…”
Yoon-seok cautiously walked through the stone gates. There was an opaque screen in the place of the broken stone gate. He couldn’t see or feel beyond it, so there was no choice but to go through and check it.
‘Maybe it’s connected to another dimension.’
It was amazing. Didn’t Cheon-ma notice another space beyond this even when there was the stone gate?
Slip.
Yoon-seok crossed over the curtain.
And he froze.
‘This is…’
A stone room of about ten pyeong with a statue against the wall.
‘Waiting room…?’
The first thing that came to mind was the basic waiting room, but Yoon-seok soon discovered the differences. First of all, the shape of the statue is different. One with a sword and shield for the duel, one with a book and a staff for Adventure… the statue’s appearance was slightly different for each ordeal. But this was different from any other ordeal.
“…”
He had never seen such a statue. Yes, he was certain of it.
‘But why is the face so familiar…?’
Yoon-seok soon realized the true nature of the incongruity he felt.