Chapter 255

Chapter 255

“……?”

At my statement, the hall that had been noisy suddenly fell into silence. People who had been raising their voices and fighting with each other now stared at me blankly.

“Th-then, Uicheonmunju. Does destroying the Great Seal mean…… you won’t help the Demonic Cult and will just leave them be?”

“That’s not it.”

“Then…….”

“It means we must directly destroy the Great Seal. Just as the Blood Cult is trying to do.”

“What on earth do you mean?”

At the voice of the Gongdongpa elder asking as if he couldn’t understand at all, I paused for a moment before continuing.

“I’m sure everyone here knows that the Demonic Cult’s situation is extremely precarious right now.”

“Are you referring to the Great Seal?”

“It’s not limited to just the Great Seal. I simply mean the Demonic Cult’s situation itself is like that.”

The Blood Cult is trying to destroy the Great Seal. So if there’s no Blood Cult, will there be no problem with the Great Seal?

That’s not the case. From the beginning, the warmonger faction that’s gaining power as the mainstream of the Demonic Cult has been showing their will to lift the Great Seal and return to the Central Plains. Even without the Blood Cult, won’t the problem eventually explode anyway?

“Inside the Demonic Cult, dissatisfaction with the Central Plains is already rampant. The current situation is that on top of that, the Blood Cult is trying to destroy the Great Seal. Do you understand what I mean?”

“……If the Great Seal is destroyed, it means Demonic Cult members harboring hatred toward Central Plains people will flood into the Central Plains.”

“That’s right.”

Will combat occur?

I can’t guarantee that. In any case, if Demonic Cult members enter the Central Plains after the Great Seal is destroyed, they’ll most likely establish their territory and live there. It’s human nature to seek peace in more fertile land. I can’t confirm with certainty that combat will occur.

However,

“After the Great Seal is destroyed, an environment like the current Xinjiang will spread throughout the entire Central Plains. In that situation, for humanity to survive, won’t we need the knowledge and experience that the Demonic Cult has accumulated over thousands of years?”

“…….”

“First, we eliminate the Blood Cult that will destroy the Great Seal first. Then we negotiate with the Demonic Cult to determine their treatment after the Great Seal is destroyed…….”

And once those preparations are complete.

“We destroy the Great Seal and reinstall it. In a form that encompasses the entire Central Plains.”

“……Destroy and reinstall the Great Seal?”

“Wouldn’t that be right?”

For humanity to survive, the Great Seal is an indispensable element. However, if we maintain the status quo like this, we’ll only meet catastrophe.

Then we just need to change the situation in a way that doesn’t meet catastrophe. The situation is perfectly aligned for it.

“I have an objection.”

“Please speak.”

“What you’re saying is about when the Great Seal is released. Why not just prevent the Great Seal from being destroyed in the first place? If we destroy the Great Seal, won’t tremendous casualties result?”

I nodded at Daesageom’s appearance, who had been listening quietly before looking directly at me and asking. At first thought, it seemed like a valid point.

But there was a blind spot in those words.

“It’s impossible to prevent the Great Seal from being destroyed.”

“……Why?”

“Because it was a matter of time from the beginning.”

If the Blood Cult doesn’t destroy it?

Then the Demonic Cult will destroy it. From the start, the one leading the Demonic Cult right now is Ilryun, the head of the warmonger faction, and the Saintess bloodline that was restraining the Demonic Cult has been cut off.

“Just because a volcano stays quiet doesn’t mean it won’t erupt. It’s merely accumulating lava inside while implying it will erupt someday.”

“…….”

“A volcano that has accumulated lava for a long time erupts with even greater force. Would the Demonic Cult be any different?”

Wait for time, complete sufficient preparations, then lift the Great Seal.

Easy to say. However, if it’s not a future approaching right before their eyes, people don’t move that easily. Even if humans believe the world will end in ten years, isn’t it human nature not to move actively to prevent it?

“To encourage active action, we need to instill a sense of crisis.”

“……I understand what you’re saying.”

Geomhu, who had been listening with a frown at my words, quietly asked.

“We must destroy the Great Seal. Because it’s a problem that will explode someday, we must solve it now. I understand that. I also think it’s a sound idea.”

“Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me. Uicheonmunju. My questions haven’t all been resolved yet. Why must it be now?”

“…….”

“Even if we prepare for just one year, just one year, we could reduce the damage to a tremendous degree. Organizing groups to respond to the monsters that will flood in, and reducing the damage from the outbreak of monster energy that will occur everywhere—both need time. Can’t we buy about a year’s time?”

“That’s correct.”

“But Uicheonmunju is insisting we must destroy the Great Seal now. This ‘now’ seems to mean within a month at most, am I right?”

“That is also correct.”

“Why ‘now’?”

It doesn’t make sense logically.

At Geomhu’s appearance looking at me with such eyes, I wore a bitter smile and leaned forward.

“Do you happen to know about Divine Beasts?”

“……Divine Beasts? Are you talking about things like Azure Dragon or White Tiger, Vermillion Bird?”

“No. I’m not talking about legendary divine beasts, but divine beasts that actually exist.”

“…….”

“There are beings in this world called Divine Beasts.”

Things that are the natural enemy of monsters.

Beings that feed on reverence, love, or affection, such emotions, and grow to protect the world.

“Such beings are called Divine Beasts.”

“I’ve never even heard of such beings!”

“You wouldn’t have. Unlike monsters, they’re extremely rare. There aren’t many left in this world.”

“……Fine. I’ll believe you. But why are you bringing up such beings right now……?”

Why tell such a story now?

At Geomhu’s questioning words, filled with doubt, I smiled slightly and gave my answer. Because it was a simple matter.

“If there are those among monsters who are exceptionally strong, there are also those among Divine Beasts who are exceptionally strong.”

“…….”

“It’s something I only learned recently myself, but among them is one strongest Divine Beast. Called Sangwi, a Divine Beast as large as Mount Tai that wanders throughout the continent beyond Xinjiang.”

“……What does that mean?”

“My disciples went to find Sangwi. Taking with them a method to find the Divine Beast.”

Sangwi’s weight and impact far exceed human understanding.

No monster can defeat Sangwi. A Divine Beast like Sangwi is like a guardian deity that has lived since ancient times and supports the world. If we can bring such a Sangwi, we can buy sufficient time until we re-establish the Great Seal.

“Now.”

We must do it now.

“Right now, when we can lift the Great Seal with minimal damage and prepare for the future in a direction with minimal conflict with the Demonic Cult side, we must lift the Great Seal.”

Whoo.

Looking at the assembly falling into silence, I quietly caught my breath. And the following question.

“Does anyone have more questions?”

“…….”

“If not, we’ll proceed that way.”

“There’s still one left.”

“Please ask.”

The last one.

“I understand that this thing called Sangwi is an important being to that degree. That if we have this thing called a Divine Beast, we can break through this situation.”

“Yes.”

As I affirmed while looking at Daesageom who asked quietly, Daesageom continued speaking while looking at me with profound eyes.

“But something important is missing. We don’t yet know whether Sangwi will protect the Central Plains or not, do we?”

“It has no choice but to protect. Because that’s what Sangwi is.”

“Even so, it’s a problem.”

“……?”

“According to Uicheonmunju’s words, isn’t Sangwi a being that wanders the entire continent? Beyond the Central Plains continent, to the outside of Qinghai, Xinjiang and Tibet, and the Northern Sea. It seems to wander such places.”

Can you even find it properly? Even if you find it, can you bring it back in time?

Looking at Daesageom asking quietly, I wore a faint smile. And the following answer.

“It’s sufficient.”

“……?”

“It’s the same even if it’s at the edge of the continent. As long as we can know where the target is.”

Going there takes two weeks at most.

And coming back.

It won’t even take a full day.

***

At that moment.

“……Um.”

“Speak.”

“We’re, we’re lost.”

“……Pardon?”

The journey to find Sangwi was facing difficulties.

“You got lost here?”

“…….”

“Do you know how far we’ve come before saying that?”

At Jeokyeol’s story, letting out an empty laugh, Sinwi shrank her shoulders. And for good reason, as Jeokyeol said, they had already traveled an enormous distance from Xinjiang.

“Roughly estimating, we seem to have come over ten thousand li.”

“…….”

“Do we still have to go further?”

“Th-that is…….”

At Jeokyeol’s interrogation, Sinwi, gulping down her throat, fidgeted with her fingers and then hung her head low. The following words.

“If, if my prediction is correct…… Sangwi Elder should probably be circling near the Mediterranean right now…….”

“Where is the Mediterranean?”

“There is…… a place like a massive bay where the sea has dug into the interior of the continent……. I’ve never been there though.”

Even for a Divine Being like Sinwi, she’s only lived for a few hundred years. By Divine Beast age standards, she hasn’t lived that long, so she hasn’t had occasion to visit the entire world.

However, she had heard stories. As a Divine Being who had met Sangwi several times, she had heard about the areas Sangwi wandered. She had also heard what kind of place the Mediterranean was.

“Fr-from what I know, the Mediterranean isn’t a place like this…….”

“What kind of place is it?”

“A place with mild climate and lush greenery…… Not quite like the Southern Barbarian jungle, but I heard if there’s no monster energy, it’s a good place for humans to live…… But here.”

“An endless wilderness continues.”

“…….”

“Around the river looks abundant, but honestly, it’s hard to see it as a good place for humans to live.”

“Right…… From what I think, here is probably.”

“Probably?”

“Below the Mediterranean…… it seems like the Continent of Fire…….”

“…….”

The Continent of Fire.

Seohwa, peeking her head out from the flying crane to look around, let out a deep sigh. The endlessly continuing wilderness and scorching sun.

Indeed, no matter how much she looked around, it didn’t seem like the region called the Mediterranean that Sinwi had mentioned.

“If it’s a place below, can’t we just go up?”

“I’d like to, but…… to do that, we need to establish our position. Because we need to accurately grasp where we are…….”

“Don’t hesitate and just land. If you need an escort, I’ll escort you.”

“Okay…….”

At Jeokyeol’s words, Sinwi nodded with a dejected expression and descended the crane downward to land on the ground. And immediately after, Jeokyeol frowned at the sensation that stung her skin.

“The monster energy is thick.”

“Is it?”

“Yes. Much thicker than Xinjiang. You won’t feel it though.”

Pills that block monster energy are expensive.

So the party was currently receiving protection from Sinwi’s magic to block monster energy. Except for Jeokyeol, who was originally from Xinjiang and wasn’t greatly bothered by monster energy.

“With monster energy this thick, it wouldn’t be strange for great monsters to pop up everywhere.”

“Outside the Central Plains is a scary place.”

“No, this is probably what the world originally looked like. Only the Central Plains uniquely escaped from this form.”

“…….”

“This isn’t a place I want to stay long. Finish your preparations quickly.”

“Ah, okay.”

Watching Sinwi prepare magic to determine their position, Seohwa nodded and looked around. The scorching sun beating down on the wilderness. And in the distance, a strange structure.

“……?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Isn’t that a structure?”

“Hmm?”

What did she mean by that?

At Seohwa’s words, Jeokyeol turned her gaze and narrowed her eyes.

In the distance, a massive structure rose.

A massive structure that anyone would feel had been touched by human hands.