Book 10 Chapter 10

Hyoryong! A Nightmare of Blood

"This… this can't be…"

Hyoryong stood frozen like a statue, his nerves seemingly paralyzed.

There was someone reaching out a blood-stained hand towards him, dressed in tattered clothes stained dark red with blood, their hair disheveled.

Suddenly, he felt as if his breath was caught in his throat. It was a suffocating feeling, as if something was stuck in his throat, and his heart pounded intensely, as if it would burst. It felt like his blood was flowing backward!

It was agonizing. And more than anything, it was heartbreaking.

Thick tears streamed down his face. It was an uncontrollable surge of emotion. "Men shouldn't cry, no matter what?" Wasn't that a sexist remark? Tears flowed endlessly down his cheeks.

"H-h-h-yong… HYYYYONG!"

He wailed as if spitting out a thorn stuck in his throat. His voice was still choked and hoarse, but he called out for his brother with all his might. The person before his eyes was his beloved older brother, Gal Hyobong, whose life he had ended with his own hands and sent to the heavens. Gal Hyobong was dressed exactly as he had appeared that day on Mudal Mountain.

"Aryong… Aryong!"

He called out to Hyoryong in an extremely pitiful voice. Hyoryong covered his ears with both hands and screamed.

"No! You are not my brother! My brother can't possibly be here! That day, my brother… my brother…"

Hyoryong couldn't finish his sentence. He couldn't bring himself to say, "My brother died by my hand!" It was too agonizing and terrible for him. Hyoryong denied the presence before him with all his might. Otherwise, he felt he would go insane.

Hyobong's eyes, looking at Hyoryong, turned mournful. As his eyes filled with sorrow, Hyoryong felt a sharp pain in his chest once again. It felt as if hundreds of nails were piercing his heart.

When Hyobong spoke again, an ominous energy emanated from his words.

"Heeheeheehee! Is that so? You say I'm not the Hyobong you knew? Then what is this? Can you still deny that it's me after seeing this?"

As he opened his robe and exposed his chest, Hyoryong's eyes widened as if they would tear open. For a moment, Hyoryong's mind went completely blank, like a white sheet of paper. Then, a piercingly despairing, heartbroken wail erupted.

"Aaaaah! Aaaaah! AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

It was a cry of madness. His heart was too fragile to overcome this ordeal. It was as precarious as a fragment of easily breakable glass. Suddenly, his vision turned black. Utter darkness consumed him.

Hyoryong had finally been consumed by the illusion.

"Will everyone be able to overcome themselves?"

Majinga asked in a solemn tone.

"The children will surely succeed."

Binggeom replied.

"The incense flowing within the Demon Beast Cave is called 'Dream-Vanishing Soul Incense' (몽환소혼향), a special type of incense. No one among the participants truly knows its full effects."

"Dream-Vanishing Soul Incense…"

"Indeed. It's an incense that, when inhaled, shows the person a hallucination of their deepest, hidden subconscious. It can be considered a type of hypnotic incense. This special hypnotic incense, combined with the Phantom Demon Sealing Array (환영봉마진) spread throughout the cave, creates a terrifying power. It shows the children their deepest, hidden fears. The most intimate fears they wish to avoid. There is perhaps nothing more horrifying or terrifying in this world. However, there is one crucial point to note."

"What is it?"

"Mental strength is key. It doesn't matter if you are affected by illusions, but if you are consumed by them, it's all over!"

"Then what happens?"

His daughter, Guan Xuezhi, was also a participant. Of course, Binggeom had no intention of stopping her. However, after hearing Majinga's words, he was naturally worried as a father.

Majinga said, "If things go wrong, that person's spirit might never return to their body. They become a complete imbecile. Some have even gone mad and committed suicide. That's why it was closed for 18 years… The key is to face one's fears. If you turn away, you might be consumed by the illusion, so be careful. No one can guarantee whether you can return to your senses."