------------------
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
------------------
Chapter: 16
‘That man is a snake.’
Cheon Woo-jin was now certain as he looked through the window at Cheon Oh-hyuk, who had his hand extended toward him.
Based on memories from his previous life, Cheon Oh-hyuk was the most dangerous kind of person—
One with a natural inclination to coil around others like a serpent, manipulating them entirely to serve his own ends.
Behind Oh-hyuk’s dazzling smile, Woo-jin saw nothing but malicious intent.
“Woo-jin-ah, what do you say?”
One step closer—and he’d feel the snake’s fangs sink into the back of his neck.
Woo-jin handed the dessert package back to Cheon Oh-hyuk.
“It was good. Just not to my taste.”
At that, Oh-hyuk tilted his head ever so slightly.
Then he plucked one of the desserts from the box and took a large bite.
With cream smeared around his lips, he said while looking at Woo-jin, “Really? That’s a shame. I thought it was perfect.”
Then, without warning, he stepped back and flipped the package over.
The fancy, luxurious desserts spilled onto the dirt.
As he crushed them underfoot, he muttered, “Well, that’s unfortunate… but it can’t be helped.”
Woo-jin turned his head away from him and closed the car window.
Right after, the checkpoint signal lit up—access authorization complete—and the barrier gate opened.
The car carrying Cheon Woo-jin passed through the checkpoint and entered the restricted zone of Mount Gyeryong.
In the side mirror, Woo-jin caught one last glimpse of Cheon Oh-hyuk.
He stood there, smiling with a twisted grin, watching the car disappear into the warded zone.
“Are you alright, Master?”
Kim San asked from the front seat.
Woo-jin gave him a silent nod.
But in his mind, thoughts about Cheon Oh-hyuk raced furiously.
“He’s far more dangerous than I anticipated.”
Before regaining memories of his past life, Woo-jin had only met Oh-hyuk once—At an annual event hosted by the Heavenly Sword House.
Since Woo-jin had rarely shown himself in public after his Heavenly Curse formed, their paths had barely crossed.
Back then, Oh-hyuk hadn’t even acknowledged Woo-jin’s existence.
Even if their eyes met, he looked at him like one would glance at furniture—utterly indifferent.
But now…
Now it was different.
The hostility was unmistakable.
Sharp and precise, it screamed of one clear message:
If he couldn’t have him in his grasp, he would destroy him completely.
Woo-jin realized with certainty: There was no coexisting with Cheon Oh-hyuk.
‘It’s either him… or me.’
* * *
Before long, the car came to a stop.
“We’ve arrived.”
When Woo-jin turned his head, the entrance to the dungeon stood before him.
Fully armed Hunters from the Heavenly Sword House stood guard at the gate.
‘The Trial Dungeon.’
It was the highest-security facility the clan possessed, and the vigilance here was absolute.
As Woo-jin got out of the car, Kim San retrieved his equipment from the trunk and joined him.
Taking the bag from Kim San, Woo-jin simply said,
“I’ll be back.”
As if he were just going out for a casual stroll.
Kim San bowed respectfully toward his master.
Woo-jin slung the bag over one shoulder and approached the dungeon entrance alone.
He presented his pre-issued permit to a security officer, who scanned it at the gate.
Wooooong…
The magical circuitry etched into the pass resonated with the gate.
A translucent barrier shimmered open, allowing just enough space for one person to pass through.
If anyone had tried to force entry, they would have been enveloped by plasma and vaporized on the spot without a trace.
“Access granted.”
Leaving the guards behind, Woo-jin stepped into the dungeon’s threshold.
“Huuuu…”
Taking a deep breath, he crossed the barrier line.
Wooooooooong…
As soon as he did, a familiar sensation swept through his body.
A feeling of being cast into a completely different dimension—outside the bounds of this world.
No matter how often one entered a dungeon, it was a sensation that no one could ever truly get used to.
At that moment, a message appeared before Woo-jin’s eyes:
[You have entered the Twisted Proving Grounds.]
* * *
Inside a dark training hall, the Sword Saint sat in a meditative posture, legs crossed, silently focusing.
Then, in an instant, his eyes snapped open.
“Come out.”
With those words, the darkness that had blanketed the hall rippled.
From the shadows, someone stepped forward.
It was none other than Cheon Oh-hyuk.
As he drew near the Sword Saint, a surge of power erupted from the floor—
The Captain of the Black Assassins emerged from below.
Tsssss—!
A sharp aura shimmered along the twin daggers in his hands.
Seeing this, Oh-hyuk smiled slightly and spoke, “Captain, are you sure about this?”
The ruby earrings he wore gleamed ominously.
RUMMMMBLE—!
A powerful mana field burst forth from Oh-hyuk’s body, causing the Captain’s expression to harden.
As an S-rank Hunter and high-ranker, Oh-hyuk’s magic was overwhelmingly powerful.
Enveloped in a storm of crimson mana, Oh-hyuk stepped forward.
The air around them distorted from the pressure, pressing down hard on Sang-hyun.
In response, the assassin released his own power.
Tsssssssh!
Like a sea urchin’s spines, razor-sharp mana surged around him.
Just as their energies were about to collide—
FWASH!
Both their powers vanished completely, like a snuffed candle.
Oh-hyuk looked up to find the Sword Saint still seated, unmoving.
But Oh-hyuk couldn’t move a muscle.
Drip—
Cold sweat slid down his cheek.
‘If I move… I die.’
If he dared shift even a little, his head would fall to the floor before he realized it.
That was the power of the SSS-rank Hunter, the Sword Saint.
Paralyzed where he stood, a bead of sweat finally dripped off his chin and hit the floor.
Plop.
And then, the Sword Saint spoke quietly, “You’ve got some nerve. To try using that foul skill in front of me again.”
The skill—"Eoduksini".
A counterpart to Cheon Oh-hyuk’s S-rank Awakening ability, "Body of the Dark King."
Using Eoduksini, he could slip through shadows and warp space itself.
It was how he’d returned from Mount Gyeryong in an instant—Even breaching the intense security around the Lord’s quarters.
Only once the crushing pressure lifted did Oh-hyuk finally move.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, he spoke, “The Clan Lord summoned me, so I simply chose the fastest route.”
At Oh-hyuk’s calm response, the Sword Saint murmured, “I received the report… Woo-jin has entered the Trial Dungeon.”
At the mention of Cheon Woo-jin’s name, Oh-hyuk’s brow twitched faintly.
The Sword Saint took note of the reaction— but pressed on without acknowledging it.
“There’ve been quite a few attempts at ambushes, haven’t there? Some were even full-on assaults.”
The Sword Saint was fully aware of the covert attacks Cheon Oh-hyuk had launched.
To that, Cheon Oh-hyuk responded in a calm, composed voice.
“I merely wanted to test Woo-jin’s capabilities. He is my precious youngest brother, after all.”
At those words, the Sword Saint suddenly lifted his head and broke into a wide grin.
“Is that so?”
Oh-hyuk’s face stiffened at the sight of that smile.
He had never seen the Sword Saint make such an expression before.
“Cheon Woo-jin…”
A fragile, insignificant weakling he'd never once cared about, yet who now persistently got under his skin.
The Sword Saint spoke again.
“What’s your take? On that Woo-jin brat, I mean.”
He referred to Woo-jin with uncharacteristic familiarity.
Oh-hyuk let out a faint breath, his expression still rigid.
The Trial Dungeon, treated as a forbidden zone within the Heavenly Sword House, was under the highest security.
There had been a time when any clan Hunter who met the basic criteria could attempt the trial.
But as the number of those who entered and never returned steadily rose, the dungeon was restricted—now only accessible with the explicit approval of the clan head.
Cheon Woo-jin was the first challenger in ten years to enter it.
Even Cheon Oh-hyuk, who had shaken the clan to its core with his bold, unprecedented moves, had never dared set foot inside.
To the Sword Saint’s question, Cheon Oh-hyuk slowly opened his mouth.
“Woo-jin will fail.”
The Sword Saint gave the same grin as before.
“Is that so?”
The repetition of that phrase, delivered with the same smile, stirred something strange in Oh-hyuk.
A toxic knot of emotions—hatred, jealousy, rage, and curiosity—began to creep up his chest.
“Not now.”
Suppressing his emotions in an instant, Oh-hyuk returned to his usual, radiant smile and continued.
“As you know, Clan Lord, the Trial Dungeon isn’t a normal dungeon. It's a ‘living dungeon’—the nature of the trial changes depending on the challenger’s potential.”
He spoke slowly and steadily.
“Most who have conquered the Trial Dungeon possessed B-rank potential. Only one person with A-rank or higher has succeeded—and that was you, sir.”
The Sword Saint, Cheon Yu-seong, had originally possessed an S-rank ability, but after overcoming the trial, he awakened to SS-rank.
Since then, however, no other S-rank Hunter had succeeded in conquering it.
The stronger one’s potential, the harsher the trial they faced.
There was a reason the clan had sealed the dungeon.
And Cheon Woo-jin—was a double-stacked S-rank Awakener.
If the trial adjusted itself to match his extraordinary constitution, there was no way he could survive.
Just then, the Sword Saint looked at Cheon Oh-hyuk and said:
“Very well. How about a wager?”
Startled by the sudden proposal, Oh-hyuk blinked.
“A wager, sir?”
“Yes. If that brat Woo-jin fails to conquer the Trial Dungeon, I’ll immediately name you as the official successor to the Heavenly Sword House.”
Oh-hyuk’s eyes changed at those words.
“Are you serious?”
The Sword Saint smirked as he watched Oh-hyuk’s reaction.
“The moment something you want is within reach, your eyes say it all. Fine. But on one condition.”
Slick.
In a blink, the Sword Saint rose from his seated position and was suddenly standing before Oh-hyuk.
Tall and lean like an ancient tree, the Sword Saint looked down at him and spoke:
“If, on the other hand, that boy conquers the trial… can you abandon everything and leave the clan?”
RUMBLE—!
He was merely standing there and speaking, yet the overwhelming force pouring from the Sword Saint's body made Oh-hyuk unable to move even an inch.
Crack.
Oh-hyuk clenched his molars tightly, struggling to endure the pressure.
His eyes bloodshot, he looked up at the Sword Saint and answered:
“If Woo-jin passes the trial… I will do so.”
That meant relinquishing everything he had built—and forfeiting his claim to succession.
Hearing that, the Sword Saint placed a hand on Oh-hyuk’s shoulder and burst into laughter.
“Kahahaha! Kahahahahaha!”
RUMBLE—!
He laughed while holding Oh-hyuk in place, and the entire training hall seemed ready to collapse.
Though it appeared modest from the outside, the hall was crafted from rare materials, laced with magical and spiritual formations—designed specifically to withstand the Sword Saint’s power.
Had it been ordinary, it would’ve crumbled instantly.
After laughing for a long while, the Sword Saint suddenly stopped.
He lowered his head and met Oh-hyuk’s eyes, speaking in a low voice.
“Cheon Oh-hyuk. Those are your words—so you'd better take full responsibility.”
Before anyone realized, he was seated once more, back in his meditative posture.
As the Sword Saint closed his eyes and returned to stillness, Oh-hyuk stood there looking as if he'd just endured a storm.
“Huuuh…”
Taking a deep breath, he bowed respectfully to the Sword Saint, then turned and left the hall.
* * *
Crack.
Outside, Cheon Oh-hyuk ground his teeth.
“What’s your game, Sword Saint?”
He had shown zero interest in Cheon Woo-jin until now.
But the moment Woo-jin overcame the Heavenly Curse, the Sword Saint began taking a sudden, excessive interest in him—manipulating Oh-hyuk into becoming his obstacle.
He had never shown this kind of reaction, even toward Oh-hyuk himself, despite his own S-rank Awakening constitution.
A strange, unnamable feeling once again began to creep up from within him.
The ruby earring dangling from his ear flickered with a crimson glow.
But Oh-hyuk calmed himself and put on his usual bright, elegant smile.
“Nothing to worry about. Cheon Woo-jin will never make it through the Trial Dungeon.”
Even the most elite Hunters of the Heavenly Sword House had died there without a trace.
Let alone Woo-jin, who had never even undergone proper dungeon training.
“But what if… by some miracle… he does succeed?”
That possibility could never be allowed to take shape.
He would personally ensure that it didn’t.
As Cheon Oh-hyuk stepped out of the Clan Head’s quarters, his eyes glowed red with a chilling gleam.
------------------
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
------------------
