Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 20

The human skin that formed the surface of the book.

No one had ever thought of tearing it off and putting it in their mouth.

In the first place, who would put something made of human skin and exuding an eerie aura in their mouth?

It was truly a crazy act.

–Chomp chomp!

‘Tough.’

Mok Gyeong-un, who had put the human skin in his mouth and was chewing it vigorously.

Strangely, no matter how much he bit it, the human skin was too tough to damage his teeth or tear off.

However, it seemed that this wasn’t completely ineffective.

-Gasp!

The Green ghost being clutched its chest, distorting its delicate brows.

It seemed to feel some kind of pain.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un chewed the human skin even more forcefully.

-Damn mortal!

-Whoosh!

At that moment, the Green ghost’s eyes turned red like blood.

Along with that, as the Green ghost swung its long pipe, the blood of the dead Jo Il-sang that had been flowing on the floor floated into the air and began to rotate.

‘What is this?’

It was definitely not an illusion.

The sight of the blood droplets floating in the air and rotating was truly overwhelming.

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes trembled as he focused on the blood droplets.

Due to the rapid rotation, it was difficult to perceive with the naked eye, but he was somehow following it.

-This fellow…

Even the Green ghost being realized that Mok Gyeong-un was accurately observing the blood droplets.

It was surprising, considering that he was a human who hadn’t even learned sorcery or martial arts.

Even if his body and reflexes completely surpassed those of an ordinary human, it was no exaggeration.

-It’s useless, mortal.

The Green ghost being pointed its pipe towards Mok Gyeong-un.

At that moment, the blood droplets that were rapidly rotating inside the cavity all rushed towards Mok Gyeong-un at once.

-Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!

-Swoosh!

Right at that instant,

Mok Gyeong-un, who had been observing the droplets, slid on the floor the moment the Green ghost being swung its pipe, and he threw his body towards the being.

-Foolish.

He was just about to reach the Green ghost being.

A rain of blood poured down on the front of Mok Gyeong-un’s upper body, penetrating his flesh.

-Stab stab stab stab stab stab stab!

Mok Gyeong-un frowned.

He felt no particular sensation from ordinary pain.

However, the blood that had penetrated his flesh was tearing through his skin like sharp hidden weapons.

The Green ghost being seemed to enjoy Mok Gyeong-un’s pain as it raised the corners of its mouth.

-Is it painful? Then spit it out.

–Grab!

The Green ghost being made a gesture of clenching its fist towards Mok Gyeong-un.

Then, the blood that had penetrated his skin dug deeper into his body, stimulating Mok Gyeong-un’s nerves.

“Ugh.”

For the first time, a groan escaped his mouth.

The Green ghost being clicked its tongue at the sight.

Normally, with this level of pain, one should be writhing in agony and pleading for their life.

But that was all there was to it.

-Are you used to pain? Or is your endurance foolishly strong? Hah.

The Green ghost being sucked on the pipe.

Then, it exhaled a hazy smoke and stretched out the pipe as if to finish things off.

-Foolish mortal. Just die.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un, who had been in pain, muttered,

“Demonic Monk.”

-What are you babbling about?

“Demonic Monk!”

Although his pronunciation was slurred due to the human skin in his mouth, what Mok Gyeong-un shouted was none other than,

-Swoosh!

The Demonic Monk.

The Demonic Monk appeared, penetrating through the ceiling.

However, its condition seemed strangely poor.

Although it was always hazy since it was a wandering spirit, there were black spots appearing all over its body.

Seeing this, the Green ghost being chuckled and said,

-It was you?

At those words, the Demonic Monk knelt on one knee and bowed its head to pay respects to the Green ghost being.

‘Why?’

Seeing that, Mok Gyeong-un couldn’t understand.

Was it because it was a higher-level monster? However, that was a rule created from the perspective of diviners, as stated by the author of the “Synopsis of Various Philosophers” and “Basic Writings of the School of Yin and Yang.”

It wasn’t entirely accurate.

-You seem to have spiritual talent. Seeing how you’re connected to a wandering spirit. But unfortunately, this damn fellow is nothing more than my subordinate.

‘Subordinate?’

Regardless of their level, was it a being they knew in their previous life?

If that was the case, it was a setback.

The Demonic Monk was Mok Gyeong-un’s servant, but if he couldn’t control it, it would be of no use at all.

Then he would have to navigate through this situation on his own.

-Chomp!

Mok Gyeong-un chewed on the human skin in his mouth again.

-Ugh! You!

Then, the Green ghost being clutched its chest again and glared at him with a murderous gaze, swinging its pipe.

-Stab stab stab stab stab stab stab!

As it swung the pipe, the blood droplets that had penetrated his body came out.

It looked like it was showing mercy, but it wasn’t.

-Whoosh!

The blood droplets that had come out of his body merged and formed a sharp thorn.

The Green ghost being made a gesture of striking the pipe downwards,

‘Oh no!’

-Whoosh!

The sharp thorn aimed at Mok Gyeong-un’s heart.

Mok Gyeong-un rolled his body to the side to avoid it.

-Hmph!

The Green ghost being scoffed and swung the pipe again as if he couldn’t escape.

Then, the blood thorn that had been stuck in the floor changed direction towards Mok Gyeong-un.

-Whoosh!

The speed was too fast to dodge.

However,

-Thud!

‘Huh?’

It was about to pierce his heart accurately, but something appeared and pushed Mok Gyeong-un away.

It was the Demonic Monk.

-You damn fool!

-…

The Demonic Monk waved its hands, not knowing what to do.

Mok Gyeong-un was also puzzled by this situation.

The Demonic Monk, who had been kneeling and bowing its head just a moment ago, suddenly helped him avoid the Green ghost being’s attack.

‘Why?’

While he was wondering, the Green ghost being clicked its tongue and said,

-Ho. Are you saying you’ll fulfill your duty as a servant?

-…

The Demonic Monk couldn’t hide its troubled expression.

Although Mok Gyeong-un didn’t know the relationship between the two, he couldn’t help but smirk inwardly at the sight of the Demonic Monk helping him but still being cautious.

For whatever reason, the Demonic Monk was helping him regardless of its will.

This was quite important in the current situation.

“Demonic Monk!”

-Swoosh!

At Mok Gyeong-un’s shout, the Demonic Monk naturally blocked the Green ghost being’s path.

Indeed, the Demonic Monk couldn’t refuse Mok Gyeong-un’s orders.

Then, even if the Green ghost being was of a higher level, it might be possible to make them fight…

-Thud!

Just when he thought he didn’t know, the Green ghost being, who had narrowed the distance in an instant, grabbed the Demonic Monk’s neck.

-Then I’ll kill both of you.

-…

The Demonic Monk, whose neck was grabbed, couldn’t move an inch.

Seeing how it couldn’t move despite its larger stature, it seemed to be due to the difference in their levels.

Not all wandering spirits were the same.

–Chomp chomp!

Mok Gyeong-un vigorously chewed on the human skin in his mouth to allow the Demonic Monk to escape.

Then,

-Ugh! You must be desperate to die.

The Green ghost being seemed enraged as it waved its pipe with a distorted face.

Then, the scattered blood droplets floated into the air once again.

-Swish swish swish!

The blood droplets transformed into sharp thorns and rapidly rotated around Mok Gyeong-un.

This time, it seemed determined to finish him off.

In that instant, Mok Gyeong-un’s thoughts flowed in a direction that the Green ghost being didn’t expect even more.

–Gulp!

Mok Gyeong-un swallowed the human skin he had been chewing in his mouth.

-!?

The Green ghost being’s bloody eyes wavered upon seeing this.

In the first place, there had never been anyone who put that in their mouth and chewed on it, but it was also the first time someone swallowed it.

-You crazy mortal!

The Green ghost being swung its pipe towards Mok Gyeong-un.

Then, the numerous blood droplets that had been rapidly rotating and surrounding him all rushed towards Mok Gyeong-un at once.

-Stab stab stab stab stab stab stab!

‘Ugh!’

As the sharpened blood droplets penetrated, Mok Gyeong-un’s body twisted.

The blood droplets not only penetrated his body and stiffened his nerves but also seemed to make his muscles move involuntarily.

-I’ll tear your body to pieces and extract…

The Green ghost being couldn’t finish its sentence.

No, its hand holding the pipe trembled, and soon its face distorted in agony.

-Wh-what on earth…

The Green ghost being glared at Mok Gyeong-un as if it couldn’t understand.

It had been painful even when he had vigorously chewed on the human skin, but this was incomparable.

Its body, composed of a soul, ached as if cracks were forming throughout.

‘It’s in pain.’

Mok Gyeong-un couldn’t precisely know the reason either.

However, one thing he could tell was that his stomach had become unusually hot after forcibly swallowing the human skin.

‘Inside…’

The heat even made him feel as if his internal organs were burning.

Mok Gyeong-un’s mouth corner rose bitterly at the pain he felt from within, which he hadn’t experienced in a long time since he first tasted poison.

The pain felt from the inside was something he was already accustomed to.

But right at that moment,

-Grab!

The Green ghost being, who had been suffering, suddenly appeared in front of Mok Gyeong-un and grabbed his neck.

-You mere lowly mortal!

-Drip drip!

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes flickered with interest.

Tears of blood were flowing from the eyes of the Green ghost being, who was enraged.

Its appearance was not only spine-chilling, but its deep resentment made the term “wandering spirit” seem appropriate.

-How dare someone like you!

The Green ghost being strangled his neck with both hands.

As his breath was blocked, Mok Gyeong-un reflexively grabbed the Green ghost being’s wrists to shake it off.

-Grab!

Right at that moment,

A bizarre scene appeared in Mok Gyeong-un’s mind.

A grand hall entirely stained with blood, and numerous people brutally killed.

In the center of it all, someone drenched in blood, panting with a sword stuck in the floor.

That someone was the Green ghost being.

[Haa… Haa…]

The Green ghost being was in a wretched state.

It was a situation where it wouldn’t be strange to die at any moment.

The Green ghost being turned its head and looked at the throne in the grand hall.

Someone was sitting on it arrogantly.

The Green ghost being stared at that being, whose face was obscured by shadows, with eyes filled with hatred.

[…]

The Green ghost being wailed at the being sitting on the throne, spitting out blood.

However, strangely, its voice couldn’t be heard.

The Green ghost being, who had been furious enough to vomit blood, tightly grasped the hilt of the sword.

Then, it tore its clothes, wrapped them around its wrist to secure it, and tried to throw its body towards the one sitting on the throne.

-Thud!

[!!!!!!!]

However, in the blink of an eye, the one on the throne had plunged its hand into the Green ghost being’s chest.

Then, that being pulled something out of the Green ghost being’s chest.

It was none other than,

‘The heart?’

It was a beating heart.

How often does one get to see their own heart while alive?

And beyond that, how would it feel to witness one’s own heart being crushed by someone else?

-Crunch!

Along with that,

-Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

A scream that seemed to tear through the eardrums pierced sharply.

Then, the illusion he had just seen disappeared, and the Green ghost being was seen with its crown removed, hair hanging down limply, and a shocked expression on its face.

‘Was it… a woman?’

When wearing a crown and exuding a sharp and overwhelming aura, it was indistinguishable, but looking at its current appearance, it definitely appeared to be a woman.

But why was the Green ghost being reacting like this?

While he was puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un could see a red thread-like thing coming out of his body, connected to her.

‘What is this?’

That wasn’t all.

The thread was also connected to the Demonic Monk.

‘Could it be?’

He had a rough idea of what this was, but the Green ghost being grabbed its hair and screamed,

-Aaaaah! For me to be a servant!