At that end, laughter coming from the flame stopped . The familiar who was looking at the flame turned her head to look at Lee Sungmin . She sighed and dragged down the robe she was wearing .
"A beastkin?"
Lee Sungmin muttered with his eyes wide open . It was because of the cat ears that popped out of her dark hair . Hearing Lee Sungmin's words, the familiar introduced herself with her amber eyes narrowed .
"I am Rubia . Under the command of my Master, I was waiting for you here . "
"Oh, is that so? That son of a bitch was waiting for him . If so, then he's the one who should come back . "
The flames laughed at Rubia's words . Every time the voice sounded out, the lights around it would flicker and glow brightly . Lee Sungmin looked at Rubia with a deep face and raised his finger to point to the flame .
"What is that?"
"Look at that undignified little bastard pointing his finger at me . "
The flame grumbled . His voice expressed strong discomfort, but he was all bark and no bite . However, the lights around him wavered greatly as if expressing his feelings .
"He's the remnant of a Great Yokai who's currently asleep in this forest . "
"A remnant... I'm not such a trivial being . Although I lost my body and remained conscious, I am not a remnant . "
The flame spat out . Lee Sungmin laughed at the word 'Yokai' . It wasn't his first time hearing such a thing . He had heard that monsters are sometimes called yokai in some areas . As far as Lee Sungmin knows, there was no significant difference between a monster and a yokai . In the end, neither of them was human, and both were monsters that ate humans .
"He was once the one who led the 100 Great Ghosts, but now he's lost his body . "
Lee Sungmin blinked as he listened to Rubia . The flames flashed unpleasantly, but did not protest . Lee Sungmin briefly alternated between Rubia and the flames and asked .
"So what the hell is it that you want to tell me?"
Lee Sungmin first looked at Rubia .
"I ask you this, but I know you can't give me the right answer . Only Envirus himself can answer, but you are not Envirus . "
"... that's... Yes . I've been waiting for you, but I can't answer your questions . "
"Where's Envirus?"
"I don't know where Master is . But if you come with me, my Master will come to us someday . "
Rubia replied like that in a confident tone . However, her answer did not satisfy Lee Sungmin . After all, Rubia didn't know Envirus' whereabouts . Rubia said, reading Lee Sungmin's expression .
"Master also promised us . 'Wherever I am, I will come back someday' . "
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure . "
Rubia nodded strongly . Lee Sungmin looked at the flames after hearing her answer .
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"Who are you?"
"Heoju . "
"I am the one who came back from death . Why have you been waiting for me?"
"I do not know . "
Heoju replied in a dignified voice . In any case, his voice was so confident that Lee Sungmin was left speechless . Heoju added more words with a distant gaze .
"I really don't know . All I know is that someday you will come back to me, and I will have to leave this forest with you . "
After hearing Heoju's words, Lee Sungmin looked at Rubia . Rubia looked a little unwilling but nodded while watching Lee Sungmin .
"What he said is true . "
"There is nothing else to it . "
Lee Sungmin's eyes were full of irritation .
"Everyone who has ever met me and told me that there was something special about me . There is something to it, but I cannot tell you exactly about it . It had something to do with vague words like the apocalypse and the apostle of the apocalypse . "
"that... My master could answer for sure . But I... "
"Why did your master Envirus leave by himself without taking you all along?"
"I don't know . Because Master is busy..."
"Ha!"
Lee Sungmin let out a spirited laugh . He glanced at Rubia, who had her eyes glued to the ground and then turned to look at Heoju .
"Heoju, Are you the biwon that the clan living in this forest is seeking?"
"A forest clan . Right . Are you referring to those foolish monkeys who have been inbred for generations and are dying because of it? I am not their origin . Their secret origin doesn't exist in the first place . The value of their existence is nothing more than for the continuation of the bloodline . "
"Bloodline?"
"The chosen one selected from those who have the blood to become the patriarch is the only one who can open the walls of the forest . I just exist somewhere in the middle of the road . "
It was as Heoju said . Behind Heoju's body of flickering flames, the winding road continued it's path .
"What is this forest?"
"The place where the souls of old monsters are bound . Those monkeys keep the forest sealed merely by existing . "
After hearing that, Lee Sungmin stared at Heoju . After a moment's thought, he asked him .
"Come with me . What form are you going to take? Didn't you not have a body?"
"There is a way . "
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Heoju replied in a relaxed voice . Lee Sungmin glanced at Rubia . She said in a small voice, reluctantly glancing towards Heoju .
"The choice is yours . My master didn't say anything about him either . "
"I'll be turning back . "
Lee Sungmin replied as though he had nothing to think about . He didn't want to have a yokai of unknown origins inside his body . As Lee Sungmin turned around, Rubia quickly approached his side .
"Let's go together . "
"Until when?"
"Until my Master returns . "
Rubia replied, and Lee Sungmin, laughed, finding it ridiculous . He wondered what was inside the forest, but he didn't think he could get anything by going to the place where the soul of the ghost was sealed .
"Hahahaha!"
It was at that moment when Lee Sungmin was about to go back the way he had come with Rubia . Heoju burst into laughter . Lee Sungmin turned around .
The flames, which were Heoju, flickered on top of the rock and exploded . Hundreds of embers swayed in the fog and rushed toward Lee Sungmin . Rubia made a sound of surprise, and Lee Sungmin immediately concentrated his inner force .
However, the hundreds of embers were faster than him . No heat was felt from the fires that touched his body .
Something was overwhelming his consciousness . Lee Sungmin concentrated his mind while biting on his lower lip .
[what... What is this?!]
The thing that was trying to enter his subconscious was pushed out . Soon after, Heoju's embarrassed voice rang out in Lee Sungmin's mind .
[You...! What the hell did you do that made your mental barrier so strong ?!]
Whenever Heoju shouted, his body also shook . Lee Sungmin took off the robes he was wearing . Then Rubia, who was beside Lee Sungmin, jerked and turned around with a startled sound .
"Get out! What are you doing suddenly?!"
Disregarding Rubia, Lee Sungmin looked down at this body . He didn't know what was going to happen in the woods, and the armor that Selgerus had put on him in advance was humming . Looking closely, the armor had a light red aura visible around it .
[This asshole ... You couldn't take over his human consciousness... ?! Even if he's the one who came back from death... !]
"My words exactly . What is it with this fucking lunatic?"
Lee Sungmin frowned and knocked on the armor . There were several reasons for Heoju's failure . In the past, Preskan had failed to cast his magic into Lee Sungmin to control his mind . Kim Jonghyun said that the Aura of Favorability protected Lee Sungmin and reflected Preskan's magic back to him .
(T/N: It should actually be Freskan and not prescan, i'll fling away all previous translators for making such a mess)
'Or maybe my mental strength was strengthened because of all the years spent in secluded cultivation in my subconscious . '
Maybe it was both . As a result, Heoju failed to infiltrate Lee Sungmin's body . Rather, Heoju's consciousness entered the armor, instead of Sungmin's body .
"Is Heoju inside that?"
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Rubia asked with her eyes wide open . Lee Sungmin took off his armor while feeling annoyed . It was a pretty good armor, but he was removing it .
[Well, wait, wait! Wait!]
Heoju hurriedly called out to Lee Sungmin .
[I apologize for trying to possess you!]
"You have already done it . "
[I was in a hurry! I won't do anything strange anymore...!]
"How do I believe that?"
[Because I will swear by my name... !]
"Your name means nothing to me . "
[then... I'll... give you the... treasure . A Treasure that I have collected before!]
It was a little tempting .
"What kind of treasure is it?"
[I can't tell you that . ]
"I don't think you understand the situation right now . I'll leave my armor off here if you're going to talk bullshit . "
[I don't know how many treasures I have collected myself, how can I explain it to you?!]
Heoju shouted as if he was frustrated .
"What did Heoju say?"
Rubia asked with shining eyes . There was nothing to hide, so Lee Sungmin told Rubia about Heoju's offer . Then Rubia said with a rather surprised face .
"If it is a treasure that belongs to Heoju, it must be a priceless thing . Heojun was indeed one of the most powerful and famous ghosts 300 years ago, and the treasures he had gathered were just as famous as him . "
[See! I told you it was true?!]
Heoju yelled out hearing Rubia's words . Lee Sungmin donned his armor again .
"Shut up! Unless I speak to you in the future . If you talk bullshit again, I'll take the armor off and throw it into a toilet bowl . "
[What has the Great Ghost Heoju come to... I can't believe it became like this!]
"Why are you grieving when it's your gain?"
Lee Sungmin grumbled while he went back . He was worried that the wall of the trees might be blocking his path again, but the wall was no longer there . Rather . In the first place, the path did not exist behind the entrance that Lee Sungmin came with Kazuya .
"It's amazing . "
At the end of the road, the fog disappeared . Lee Sungmin was outside the Sleeping Forest . Rubia, standing next to Lee Sungmin, replied .
"That forest is a powerful yet twisted result of witchcraft . Don't try to understand it with common sense . "
"I have no intention of understanding it . "
The armor containing Heoju's spirit trembled . He did not dare to say anything, but it was clear that he was thrilled to come out of the forest . Lee Sungmin didn't like the fact that Heoju was inside his armor, but he was going to let him tag along until he acquired his treasure from him .
"Are you really going to follow me?"
Let's say Heoju was like that, but then what about Rubia . Lee Sungmin asked while looking at Rubia . To that question, she replied with an expression that implied he had asked something absurd .
"I said it before didn't I? I will follow you until my master returns . "
"What if I don't want to do that?"
"Did you not want to meet my master? If you hurt me or leave me behind, you will never be able to meet him . "
Rubia said in a confident tone .
"Are you going to come with me without knowing where I am going?"
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to meet the Heavenly Demon . "
Lee Sungmin replied . At that end, Rubia was standing with her mouth wide open .
"Heavenly demon... If it's the Heavenly Demon... That... Wijihoyeon?! Why that monster... ? "
"There is a reason we must meet . "
Lee Sungmin said and started walking . Rubia hesitated for a moment but followed right after him .
"Can't we just find a nice and airy place to rest while we wait for my master to come?"
"Just like your master is busy wandering around, So am I . "
Lee Sungmin replied without hesitation . In response, Rubia's expression was distorted .
"I don't want to go... "
"Then I will take you forcibly . Didn't you say that I can only meet Envirus through you?"
Saying that Lee Sungmin raised his hand . His elongated fingers expressed his killing intent . He would not hesitate to draw blood depending on her answer . Rubia trembled as she looked at it .
"... I'll just follow . "
Rubia said, with her ears drooping down .