𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟐𝟗
Bang!
Cheong Do-yool, who had been watching the situation unfold from the corner of a traditional house, slammed his fist on the table, enraged by his subordinate’s report.
“You missed her? What the hell does that mean?”
It was incomprehensible.
He had gone to great lengths to ensure that Cheong So-ha’s faction was completely contained, even enlisting the help of other neutral factions.
So how could they fail to capture Cheong Juhwa, a mere academy student?
However, the answer that followed left Cheong Do-yool feeling as if he had been hit over the head.
“. . . It seems that Cheong Gi-beom’s faction has joined her. Cheong Un-cheol was accompanying them.”
“Cheong Un-cheol?”
Cheong Un-cheol possessed one of the most formidable powers within the family, second only to the elders.
It made sense that the subordinates had been unable to apprehend him.
“Why would he. . . . . . ?”
It was hard to believe that Cheong Gi-beom’s faction, who usually sat on their heavy haunches and minded their own business, had made a move.
But since they were known for their conspicuous appearance, it was unlikely that they had been mistaken. That meant that, for whatever reason, they were indeed lending their support to Cheong So-ha.
「. . . 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨.」
For Cheong Do-yool, who had been working hard to suppress Cheong So-ha’s faction and resolve the situation quickly, this was a major setback.
If he couldn’t find a solution soon, he would eventually run out of steam and the situation would end up in a stalemate.
He had to avoid that at all costs.
Cheong Do-yool hurriedly called his confidant, Cheong Lee Rin, and asked for her opinion.
“You know Cheong Gi-beom’s faction better than I do. Any thoughts?”
“Once they set their minds on something, they don’t back down easily. If they have a strong enough goal, it’s likely that even Elder Cheong Gi-beom would be motivated to act.”
To deal with Cheong Gi-beom, it would naturally be necessary for an exorcist of equal rank to accompany them.
However, Cheong Do-yool was unable to move due to his need to keep Cheong So-ha in check. Furthermore, the elders of the neutral factions who had agreed to lend their support had only sent a few of their subordinates and were not easily swayed.
“Damn. Does that mean we have no choice but to pay a price and have one of our own go?”
“Yes. Elder Cheong Jong-hu, who has a long-standing grudge against Cheong Gi-beom, would be a suitable candidate.”
Cheong Jong-hu, the 9th Elder of the Cheong family. He was not on good terms with Cheong Gi-beom, the 4th Elder. Therefore, if an appropriate price were offered, there was a good chance that he would be willing to mark him.
“I guess we have no choice. We’ll deal with Cheong Gi-beom that way.”
Although a rough conclusion had been reached, Cheong Do-yool was still worried. Cheong Juhwa and her group had been moving somewhere in a hurry, even joining forces with Cheong Un-cheol. What on earth could their purpose be?
Cheong Do-yool clicked his tongue slightly and gave a separate order to Cheong Lee Rin, who was standing before him.
“Once the negotiations with Elder Cheong Jong-hu are complete, can you personally check on their movements?”
“Yes. I will do as you ask.”
Cheong Lee Rin, Cheong Do-yool’s confidant and the second-in-command of his faction, was now targeting Han Kang-yoon’s group.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
“. . . It’s true. It’s hard to believe even after seeing it.”
Cheong Un-cheol exclaimed in surprise. The gazes of the others around him were not much different.
I had managed to break through the vast Mirror Forest in less than an hour.
「𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙣 20 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙥𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛.」
I had been cautious because I was unsure if my knowledge was accurate, and I had taken longer than expected because I was moving with the group.
As I emerged from the mirror maze, a small shrine-like structure appeared before our eyes.
After examining it, I nodded and turned to Cheong Ji-yeon and Cheong Un-cheol.
“From here on, you two will need to lend your strength.”
“What do you need us to do?”
“I think you’ll need to use your powers to open the entrance to that shrine.”
There were three conditions for completely breaking through this Mirror Forest.
The first, as I mentioned earlier, was to possess either the Blue-White Sword or the Blue Heart Jade.
The second was to have the minimum strength required to pass through the mirror maze and open the entrance to the shrine.
And the last condition would be revealed naturally once we passed through that entrance.
“Will a spell to destroy the barrier suffice?”
“Yes. That would be a good choice.”
Upon hearing my words, Cheong Ji-yeon and Cheong Un-cheol each recited the incantation for an advanced spell to open the entrance and simultaneously cast their completed spells.
“Seven-Mountain Strike!”
“Cheong Woon’s Crushing Attack!”
Screech!
Boooom!
A wave of considerable spiritual power surged forth, accompanied by a deafening roar, and the defensive barrier blocking the entrance to the shrine was shattered.
Pointing to it, I spoke to the group once more.
“If you enter the shrine and pass the final test, you will reach the place where the Blue-White Soul Mirror is located.”
“A test?”
“Yes. There is no immediate danger to your lives, so you are free to enter. In any case, only one person can reach the end, and there will be no problem leaving the barrier once you do.”
As the group hesitated, Cheong Ji-yeon, who was the first to make a decision, took a step back and sat down against a tree.
“I’ll pass. From the way you’re talking, it seems like you’re confident that you can break through anyway.”
I nodded in agreement. Cheong Un-cheol and Cheong Juhwa seemed more curious than worried, so in the end, it was just the three of us who entered the shrine.
“As soon as you enter, the Blue-White Soul Mirror will reflect the souls of those who enter and begin the test. If you show any intention of giving up, you will be immediately returned to the entrance, so please judge the situation appropriately and make your decision.”
“. . . This is getting suspiciously convenient.”
But even as he said that, Cheong Un-cheol’s eyes held a glimmer of interest.
And so, the three of us entered the shrine in order, and a bright light immediately enveloped our eyes as a new scene unfolded before me.
Wow!
「𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨. . . . . . .」
It was a scene that was all too familiar. It was the PvP map from the VR version of the exorcism series that I used to play in my old world.
In other words, it was a place for users to engage in player-versus-player combat.
「𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚-𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙈𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨.」
The test of the Blue-White Soul Mirror is both classic and simple.
You simply have to defeat a copy of yourself that is reflected in the mirror.
Since I already had a general idea of how to beat it, I immediately set up talismans around the area and formed a spell formation as soon as the scene unfolded before me.
And at that moment, the air distorted and the figure of someone who looked just like me began to materialize.
「𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚.」
Whoosh.
I activated the spell through the spell formation that I had set up in advance, and the clone opened its eyes and immediately responded.
Clang!
Boom!
However, the split-second lead I had gained through perfect timing was still valid.
And I began to focus my entire being on maintaining that slight advantage.
Whoosh!
Boom!
Clang!
The exchange of blows continued, and the clone seemed to possess abilities equal to mine, calmly using advanced techniques and never allowing itself to fall behind in pace.
But in reality, the outcome had already been decided.
I had never intended to allow it to close that subtle gap in the first place.
“Azure Serpent Binding.”
Sizzle!
As we both relentlessly pushed the pace, we eventually reached our limits.
As a result, the one who remained standing at the end was me, who had been one step ahead from the beginning.
The clone recognized this but had no choice but to chase after my pace. That was how it had been designed from the start.
And so, just as we were both truly giving it our all and approaching exhaustion, the clone, which had been responding to every attack up until now, allowed its first hit.
Screech!
Booooom!
And that was the end of it.
I suddenly unleashed all my remaining strength, giving my opponent no chance to react and finishing the fight.
Boom!
Rustle.
The clone’s form melted away as if it were dissolving, and I exhaled sharply and barely managed to catch my breath.
In theory, it should have been easy, but it was a perfect victory formula that could only be learned through countless trial and error.
However, for me, who had repeated the trials of the Blue-White Soul Mirror countless times in the past, it was nothing special.
In the end, I was the victor, and the Blue-White Soul Mirror must have acknowledged my victory, because it changed the surrounding scenery once again and led me to a new place.
Whoosh.
Wow!
“Have we arrived?”
The place that soon appeared before my eyes was a small room inside the shrine, as if it were enshrining something.
And on the wall directly in front of me, a single mirror with a mystical aura exuded its ethereal presence.
It was the Blue-White Soul Mirror.
「𝙄𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚.」
Handing this over to Cheong Gi-beom would complete my deal with him.
However, as I mentioned earlier, the Blue-White Soul Mirror was something I had also wanted to obtain when I had the time. I couldn’t just hand it over to Cheong Gi-beom right away.
So I needed to take one secret measure.
I carefully picked up the Blue-White Soul Mirror from the wall and infused it with my spiritual power. The Blue-White Soul Mirror began to glow with a faint light.
「. . . 𝙄’𝙢 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚.」
After fiddling with the Blue-White Soul Mirror for a long time, I was finally able to separate the mirror face from the frame.
Click.
Thud.
「𝘿𝙤𝙣𝙚.」
As far as I know, what Cheong Gi-beom needs is the mirror part of the Blue-White Soul Mirror.
Its ability to reflect those who entered the shrine and give them trials was also a power of this part.
Legend has it that it is possible to confront one’s own shortcomings and transcend one’s limits by constantly fighting against oneself in the mirror.
For Cheong Gi-beom, who earnestly desired strength but had already reached a plateau, it must have been an incredibly tempting item.
However, the truth is that the main body of the Blue-White Soul Mirror is the frame, not the mirror face.
The frame was absolutely necessary to truly utilize the Blue-White Soul Mirror, and even the mirror’s abilities could be used with just the frame, given the right conditions.
If I could get my hands on this, I would have nothing to regret.
「𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙂𝙞-𝙗𝙚𝙤𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧, 𝙨𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝.」
I carefully tucked the Blue-White Soul Mirror into my bosom and picked up the remaining mirror in my hand.
At that moment, a bright light appeared and someone’s figure appeared in the room. It was Cheong Juhwa.
Narrowing her eyes and looking around, she quickly opened her mouth when she noticed me standing nearby.
“You said there was no danger?”
“Even if you lose, it won’t cause any real physical damage.”
“. . . You should have told me that in advance. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”
It was something I was so used to that I had neglected to be considerate.
Speaking of which, that was quite a feat. There are several ways to beat the Blue-White Soul Mirror’s trial, but it would have been a difficult fight if you didn’t know them.
As expected, she was a true genius with an extraordinary talent for combat.
“He’s not coming, is he? Shall we go out first?”
“There’s no need to waste any more time.”
Cheong Juhwa and I nodded and left the secret room and headed outside the shrine. Cheong Un-cheol, who had been in the middle of his trial, was also summoned outside accordingly.
Rumble.
“Damn, it looks like things are already over.”
Cheong Un-cheol clicked his tongue in regret that he hadn’t been able to finish the fight, but he quickly put his disappointment aside and asked me,
“Did you get the item?”
“Yes. Here it is. You can check it if you like.”
In my hand, a mirror about twice the size of my palm glowed with a mystical light.
With this, my deal with Cheong Gi-beom was complete. I could now freely borrow the power of his faction, which was said to be the strongest among the neutral factions.
So now, it was time to launch a full-scale counterattack.