690 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

‘Stay calm. Let’s stay calm.’ I must be mistaken. A corpse in an ice coffin opening its eyes? That doesn’t make any sense. It's like misjudging a birch forest for a haunted realm at midnight due to patterns that look like eyes. The ice coffin emitted such cold that mere touch could cause frostbite. There's no chance the person lying there is alive. ‘I should calmly verify once more.’ Starting from the toes, I inspected slowly. If it was a living person, frostbite would start at the extremities. But no matter how I looked, the toes were perfectly fine. Maybe it's someone who died with their eyes open? There must be some mistake. I glanced at the thigh, barely concealed, with snowy white skin. It looked firm enough to spring back just by a touch of a fingertip. Beyond the dangerously curvaceous hips resembling valleys, lay risen slopes, soft under their own weight. Despite her almost missing lower attire, the upper body was concealed with a coat, sparking curiosity yet leaving a slight disappointment for the person with innocent black hair over getting no wicked thoughts. Yet, the grandeur when standing naturally also drew curiosity. She wasn’t moving at all as I continued to watch. Yes, it was indeed my imagination. I steeled myself once more and turned my head towards the face. “You really are awake!” The woman, with clear eyes, continued to stare directly at me. “Why?” The woman’s eyes scanned me from top to bottom, mimicking what I had just done. “Hmph! I’m dressed, so there’s nothing embarrassing.” “….” Is it infuriating? Who said to be stuffed? Her eyes weren't dead like a Jiangshi, nor did she seem human. ‘Could it be a vampire?’ There are succubi too. Who knows? Her chilling beauty does seem to suit that role. Clunk! “What, what’s that!” The lid of the coffin suddenly moved. I was careless. Is it trying to open now? Heh. My dear, I was waiting. I am the king of the peculiar. Become my vampire minion. “That’s not possible!” A nocturnal life being allowed only after the 21st century? Moreover, prohibiting Korean people from eating garlic is the worst curse. I scrambled to stack heavy objects on top of the lid — shelves, pots, any container with incense — with all urgency. “Phew… This should do.” Despite the cold room, I wiped away the sweat from my forehead and sighed in relief. It's a shame there’s no string to bind it tightly, but it shouldn’t be easy to push it open. The sealing was complete. —— “Where the heck is this place.” Looking for an exit, I poked my head out slightly to survey the surroundings. A corridor extended into an endless darkness. Within this room, at least there was light, outside there was only silence and darkness. Even the other doors were firmly closed. “Unbelievable.” I clearly fell asleep in my room. There was no such romance until college graduation where a female friend I fancied caressed my body in the morning when waking up with a hangover. How come, having passed out drunk, do I find a woman with a thin coat lying in an ice coffin before my eyes? I have no idea what's going on. “How do I escape?” If this building housed suspicious things, there’s probably an institutional formation installed. Even if I could break through the formation somehow, what if I step wrong and arrows fly toward me? As I pondered a suitable escape path, I hit upon an idea. “Where light comes in means it connects to the outside.” Light streamed into the room through a window. This must lead to the outside if opened. The problem, however, was that the window was positioned behind the ice coffin. Thoughts went deep, decisions were quick. Carefully. There was no hesitation. I quietly moved back toward the coffin without making a sound. Clunk! Why is it responding again? I’m just passing by. Please remain still until I’m gone. The part about bursting out of a coffin, I’m fine with that only if it’s a favorite character of mine. Though I hoped it was a needless worry. Clunk! Clunk clunk! The objects on the coffin lid quickly tumbled to the ground. “She’s awake?!” Ultimately, the woman kicked off the coffin lid and stood up. —— The woman emerged languidly from the coffin like a princess waking from a long slumber. With a chilling shiver emanating from the ice coffin, her bare white soles gradually touched the floor. Unfortunately, her first step landed poorly. Swish! Accompanied by a sound, the woman slipped dramatically, her foot had touched one of the pots I had placed. “Hey! Are you okay?” “…….” No reply came. Even behind me, an unsettling noise echoed. “Is the door closing at this moment?” In the now darkened room, the woman had risen, gazing at me with golden eyes like a leopard eyeing its prey. “…….” She somehow seemed upset, or maybe it was just my imagination. What should I do? I subtly cast a glance at the exit. The door was locked, and indeed the only exit seemed to be the window. The problem was the woman was obstructing the path. I reached into my sleeves but not even a single blade was found. If there had been at least a broken straight sword, I could have rolled to showcase who the real dead was. ‘I’ll break through the window by any means.’ This doesn't seem like it’ll be resolved by conversation. Priority should be on escape. There is a method. Muyeong Sinbeop. The stealth art I had trained in. I even learned it directly under the best rogue of this world through personal instruction. I’d reached an advanced stage from the Je-gal family. Let’s do this. As soon as the decision was made, I exploded my energy into the eternal blood point. ‘So fast?!’ The woman rapidly moved to block the direction I intended to break through. No problem. Redirecting is a specialty of Muyeong Sinbeop. With my big toe as an axis, I swiftly twisted my direction. “Ugh!” A burning sensation brushed against my shoulder. As I hastily twisted my body, the woman’s chin brushed past where my shoulder had just been. ‘Was she trying to bite me?!’ No breakthrough possible. I’ll draw her out. Like a goalkeeper lured out by the ball at the front of the goalpost, I’ll break through once she’s drawn out. I retreated hurriedly, but the woman did not pursue. “Uh… uh.” The first sound that emerged from her was like the babbling of a child, akin to a caged beast's cry. “A barrier…?” The woman seemed unable to step beyond the perimeter of the ice coffin, as if something was obstructing her. Delayed, a searing pain flared in my shoulder. “She broke through the Barrier Defense…” I could feel the marks of nails on my shoulder. The wounds weren’t deep, but blood began to slowly seep out. An unsettling aura emanated from the shoulder. ‘Poison?’ Is there no way out? With the barrier seeming to be a one-time-use, it's breaking down. Desperate, I tore part of my clothing, wiped the blood, and tossed it away. “Uh. Ah.” “...?” A sound of dismay escaped. The woman’s gaze followed the scrap of cloth I had thrown. “Blood?” Could it be? I picked up the discarded cloth from the floor and waved it around. “Uh. Oh.” ‘She’s definitely drawn to the blood.’ A vampire, perhaps? There’s no time to fully grasp the situation; I must find a way out. I wiped my shoulder again, letting the cloth dangle before her. Her gaze followed the cloth. ‘Now!’ As if shattering glass, the barrier crumbled. I lobbed the wadded cloth in the opposite direction I intended to dash. I went left, the bloodied cloth right. For a brief moment, she hesitated. That was all the time I needed. ‘Success!’ But my triumphant moment was short-lived. Before I could break through the window, something pounced on me with the speed of a panther. ‘What the…?!’ The woman’s teeth quickly sank into my wounded shoulder. A languid fatigue began to envelop my entire body. It felt like she was injecting something into my blood, similar to how a snake venomously hunts its prey at leisure. ‘I’m being devoured.’ I must fight back. Get a grip on myself. Bring forth my energy and shake her off. At that crucial moment— “What in the world is going on here?!” A voice, filled with authority, resounded. The voice of my much-awaited ally, a white-haired warrior. —— “Elder Shi Wang…! Ugh!” My relief at my ally’s arrival was overshadowed by being slammed into the wall by Shi Wang's outstretched hand. “How did you get in here?” Shi Wang wore a puzzled expression as he glanced between me and the young woman, blood smeared across her mouth. “Ow…” My head throbbed. The languid feeling dissipated with the impact against the wall, but my limbs refused to cooperate. “What is happening here?!” “It’s, it’s…” His question wasn’t directed at me. “No! You mustn’t drink blood! Spit it out! Vomit it all! Now!” His voice was nearly a scream, filled with urgency. Shi Wang quickly subdued the woman, pressing specific points on her to induce vomiting. “No! No! This cannot be!” Despair saturated the room. Even with his efforts, it was impossible that everything she consumed would be expelled. After laying her down, Shi Wang fixed me with an enraged glare. “How did you end up here?!” “Elder Shi Wang. Well…” Heat surged through my body as my breathing became labored. “Why did that child drink your blood?!” “It wasn’t on purpose…” My thoughts grew sluggish. “All my life's efforts… My achievements…! Ruined by a mere outsider!!!” Death loomed. If I do nothing, I’ll die. If I do nothing, Shi Wang will kill me. Clinging to the edge of clarity fading to lethargy, I barely held onto consciousness. I must survive. Whether within the mouth of the Sichuan family, before the blades of demons, or amidst the killer intent of the Ten Honored Sons of Utter Darkness; my survival instincts sped my thoughts into overdrive. How should I survive this? Yes. “Shi Wang.” “What?!” Faced with a clear path, step boldly forward. Even a fresh-faced youth could lightly call out to a member of the Ten Honored Sons of Utter Darkness. His momentary pause, born from curiosity overpowered by anger, halted his actions. I changed my expression. Though having endured a lifetime of trials, truly at ease atop the pinnacle of the upper world, I portrayed myself as a man who could confidently smile even before the all-mighty Shi Wang. “I have kept my promise to you all my life. Now, Shi Wang, it is your turn.” Mangum Jeonju. The Golden Ghost, Jang Segwang. I spoke words that could only be uttered by the sole figure who might dissuade Shi Wang. “What did you say?” “These are the words of Mangum… of Mangum Jeonju.” “The Golden Ghost…!” Even Shi Wang, tested by long-standing bonds, gritted his teeth. “Please. I implore you to regain your composure. Ugh…” “Do you think this matter can be smoothed over using your ties with the Golden Ghost?!” I know. Just from Shi Wang’s reaction, it’s evident. Something went terribly wrong. Monumentally wrong. It’s a problem too immense to be just brushed off as an isolated incident. My head swam like a whirlwind. “I won’t ask for my life to be spared. Please grant me a chance to explain.” “Explain?” “There is something I must say.” It’s easy to resolve emotions through anger. But that would erase all opportunity to hear my side, no? I implored, leveraging my connection with Mangum Jeonju. His anger was palpable, even for someone as formidable as Shi Wang among the Ten Honored Sons of Utter Darkness. His raised hand trembled. Thoughts of Mangum Jeonju, Je-gal family, and Jinju’s various factions no doubt raced through him. That’s enough. I smiled inwardly. From the moment one chooses contemplation over rage, the advantage is mine. “You… better explain yourself well!” That, I can assure you of. The hand poised to end my life lowered slowly. Once the tension released, my vision grew blurry. I was alive. A sigh of relief escaped me as my tenuous grasp on consciousness finally succumbed.