Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 498.2 – Side Story 6 Part 5

Flames of the Abyss (5)

Long ago, in a deep cave of the Celestial Mountain.

In a cave illuminated by torches all around, numerous people were prostrated on the floor, paying their utmost respects to someone standing on an altar.

Those prostrated were people from the Western Persia, and among them, occasionally, black-haired Central Plains people could be seen.

They all cried out in unison towards the altar.

[Ya ilahi, unzur ilayna bi’rahmatik]

(Oh God, bestow Your grace upon us!)

[Ya ilahi, anzil ‘alayna majda naarika al-abadiya]

(Oh God, bestow upon us the eternal glory of fire!)

They were all desperately seeking blessing. As the being observing them extended its hand,

Hwarurururuk!

Something strange happened.

A black flame, different from ordinary flames, was burning, blazing vigorously without anything to consume.

Even more surprising, although the flame was black enough to evoke darkness, it illuminated the surroundings brightly.

[Usjudu li’nnaari al-abadiya]

(Worship the eternal flame!)

[Innahu narun muqaddas]

(It is a sacred fire!)

Everyone looked at the black flame with teary eyes and repeatedly bowed.

This was the legend of the sacred fire descending upon the holy land of the Fire Worship Sect.

Hwarurururuk!

The Abyss Flame that had broken free from control.

Hong Hae-a couldn’t understand why the flame flew not to him but to the Heavenly Demon, circling around him.

‘Why?’

Although he hadn’t fully embodied it yet, he had made the Abyss Flame his own.

So why had the flame left him and was now hovering around that guy of its own accord?

Perplexed by this inexplicable phenomenon, Hong Hae-a stretched out his hand towards the Abyss Flame.

‘Come back.’

He tried to pull it back with his Samadhi True Fire cultivation technique.

However,

‘!?’

The Abyss Flame not only didn’t return but continued to circle around the Heavenly Demon.

How could the flame be uncontrollable even with the Samadhi True Fire, which could freely manipulate all flames? What on earth was going on?

As he was bewildered, the Heavenly Demon spoke while looking at the black flame circling around him.

“So it was still here after all.”

“What?”

“Larisha.”

“What are you talking about…”

“The Flame of Darkness. This is what I left behind on this altar long ago.”

At these words from the Heavenly Demon, Hong Hae-a snorted as if in disbelief.

And for good reason. He was the incarnation of fire.

As such, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he knew all the flames that existed in the mortal world.

However, this Abyss Flame was fundamentally different.

“Don’t spout nonsense. The Abyss Flame is a living flame that didn’t exist even in ancient times, like an unquenchable chaos. You’re saying you left something like that here? No matter how strong you are, how could a mortal like you…”

Swick!

Before he could finish his words.

The Heavenly Demon reached out to the black flame circling around him.

Then, as if it had been waiting, the black flame traveled along the Heavenly Demon’s fingertips and spread across his entire body.

Hwarurururuk!

‘No way?’

Hong Hae-a’s eyes widened.

Even though it was different from ordinary flames, the Abyss Flame still burned everything in existence.

Yet when the flame spread, not only did it not burn his skin, it didn’t even burn his clothes.

Instead, the black flame settled on the Heavenly Demon’s clothes and even fluttered like a cloak, scattering in all directions.

The sight looked both mysterious and majestic.

“H-how can the Abyss Flame…?”

“Didn’t I tell you? It’s what I left here.”

“That flame doesn’t exist in this world. It doesn’t exist in the immortal realm or hell. How could a human like you…”

Swick!

Before he could finish his words.

As the Heavenly Demon extended his hand, the black flame spread in all directions, seemingly eroding the surroundings and beginning to spread throughout the entire lava cave.

Hwarurururuk!

As he manipulated the black flame as easily as breathing, Hong Hae-a’s expression rapidly hardened.

The Abyss Flame was what he had considered his trump card.

But how could this guy handle the Abyss Flame so freely?

As he thought this, the Heavenly Demon approached him, saying,

“There’s no way this would exist in places like the immortal realm or whatever. This wasn’t originally from this world to begin with.”

“Not from this world? What are you…”

Hong Hae-a couldn’t finish his words.

Gooooooo!

This was because the entire lava cave had already been consumed by the dark flame, and it was no longer the place he had considered his sanctuary.

It had transformed as if into a completely different world.

Hmchit!

Hong Hae-a unconsciously moved backward.

It was because he was captivated by the overwhelming pressure of the approaching Heavenly Demon.

His appearance, surrounded by black flames as he approached, made him seem like an absolute being ruling over darkness and fire.

“You… are you really human?”

“Don’t define everything by species. I am the Heavenly Demon. I am the brilliant flame that leads all demons and guides everything into darkness.”

Ttak!

With those words, the Heavenly Demon’s hand grasped Hong Hae-a’s neck.

Kwak!

Chiiiiiiii!

From the ominous black flame transmitted through the Heavenly Demon’s hand, Hong Hae-a felt his throat burning for the first time in his life.

Born as the incarnation of fire, he had never experienced burns or heat.

Yet now, his body was burning from this black flame.

‘This can’t be.’

This wasn’t just a concept of burning due to heat.

It was closer to erosion or invasion.

The sensation was rapidly disappearing from the burning areas.

Keok keok.

Pssssssss!

Along with groans, Hong Hae-a’s eyes were about to roll back as his entire body convulsed.

The pain was beyond imagination.

Even if he wanted to resist, he couldn’t move an inch as the black flame had invaded his entire body.

Just when it seemed everything was about to end,

“Stooooop!”

A scream that could tear eardrums echoed throughout the lava cave.

The Heavenly Demon’s gaze turned towards the source.

There stood Iron Fan Immortal, Hong Hae-a’s mother and the great spirit of the Plantain Leaf Cave, holding a leash in her hand.

“Alyu?”

Tied to the leash was none other than the Diabolic Beast Alyu.

Because the bond of the spirit beast had been severed, its exact state was unknown, but Alyu’s entire body was bound by leather inscribed with red letters.

Judging from the immortal power flowing from the red letters, it seemed to prevent the demon power of Alyu from spreading.

But this wasn’t the end of it.

All four of Alyu’s legs had been cut off to prevent it from moving.

Seeing this, the Heavenly Demon’s gaze turned cold enough to summon a north wind.

Even though their eyes met from afar, Iron Fan Immortal felt a fear strong enough to freeze her entire body in an instant.

This was an existence they could never hope to handle.

Iron Fan Immortal knelt on the ground.

Kung!

Not satisfied with just kneeling, she pressed her forehead to the ground and shouted.

“This is the Imaemangyang you were looking for. I’ll return it to you, so please, just spare my son’s life.”

‘Mother?’

At her cry, a glimmer of life returned to Hong Hae-a’s eyes, which had been rolling back as his mind grew hazy.

He looked at the prostrated Iron Fan Immortal with a bewildered gaze.

What he had asked of Iron Fan Immortal was to leave this place with the sealed flesh-eating statue of the Great Strength King, just in case.

But he never expected her to not only not flee but to bring Alyu, whom he had hidden, and even endure such humiliation to beg for his life.

Pak!

Was it because of his feelings towards his flesh and blood?

Hong Hae-a, who had been unable to move due to the pain of being invaded by the dark flame, summoned strength he didn’t know he had and grasped the wrist of the Heavenly Demon who was holding his neck.

He tried to shake off the hand, but

At that moment, as his eyes met the Heavenly Demon’s, his breath caught in his throat.

The chilling intent flowing from those two eyes was a terrible killing intent he had never experienced before, and the moment their eyes met, he felt as if his entire body was being sliced to pieces.

Wook-ssin! Wook-ssin!

No. Was it not an illusion?

Countless sword marks were already being etched all over his body.

‘…What was that just now?’

It was clearly something that happened through will.

A will close to nothingness had sliced him to death in his mind, bringing him to the brink of death.

If he hadn’t cultivated the immortal way, his mind might have collapsed.

‘Damn it…’

Hong Hae-a finally clearly recognized the difference in their levels.

This monstrous being had already reached a realm that the natural order couldn’t withstand.

To think that such a being had remained in the mortal world, neither in between boundaries nor beyond them.

Now he felt utterly dejected.

He had thought that if he fully embodied the Abyss Flame and even revived his father, the Great Strength King, no one could stop them.

However, coincidentally, the world was not so lenient.

Meanwhile, Hong Hae-a’s mother, Iron Fan Immortal, once again pressed her forehead to the ground and cried out to the Heavenly Demon.

“I’ll offer my life instead. Please! Please! Just spare that child. I beg you so earnestly.”

At her plea-like cry, Hong Hae-a painfully opened his mouth.

“M-mother… stop… please stop…”

“Stop, stop it! I can’t lose you like this.”

“Moth…er… Kulleok… Kulleok…”

“How can a mother watch her child die? If I do this, will you spare my child?”

Pook!

With those words, Iron Fan Immortal thrust her hand into the center of her own chest.

She was trying to take her own life.

“Motheeeeer!!!!”

The sight of Iron Fan Immortal and Hong Hae-a was enough to make anyone’s heart ache.

Iron Fan Immortal, who had put her own life on the line to appeal to even a shred of compassion, hoped that the Heavenly Demon would waver even a little.

But her hope didn’t reach him at all.

The Heavenly Demon’s gaze remained cold, and there was not a hint of emotional change.

“Why did you stop? Continue.”

“H-how!”

Does this monster not have even a shred of compassion?

Continue, he says?

Then the Heavenly Demon sneered and said,

“Did you think I’d end this moderately if you appealed to emotion? How naive. If you’re going to think like that…”

The Heavenly Demon paused mid-sentence and grasped his formless sword.

At that moment,

Chwachwachwachwachwak!

Sharp sword energy enveloped Hong Hae-a’s entire body, and both his arms and legs were simultaneously cut off.

Iron Fan Immortal’s eyes widened to the point of tearing at the horrific sight of her son’s limbs being severed.

Regardless, the Heavenly Demon continued speaking as if without the slightest emotion.

“You shouldn’t have messed with me from the start.”