Chapter 21: Whiplash with a pretty girl (1)
'Who dares to kill whom?'
The arrogant remark from the suddenly appearing girl caused the Gwizons to curl their lips in a bizarre smile.
Daring to decide the life and death of a Gwizon, despite being an inferior human.
"I won't kill you, even if you beg me to."
"I'll ensure you experience what color and sound hell has to offer!!!"
Hearing this, the girl laughed.
"I probably know much better than any of you what hell looks like and what taste it has."
The girl was beautiful.
Despite her youth, that was certain.
However, her aura was terrifying enough to make even a Gwizon retreat."That girl, she's extraordinary!!!"
Witnessing her cruel beauty, the Gwizons were certain the girl before them was at least of a Celestial Immortal.
This meant that, like the ghosts, the human side now had two individuals capable of opening the ghost gates. Coming to this conclusion, the Gwizons didn’t hesitate and flew towards the surface.
Reverse the negativity and kill them from the sealed path.
Thus, regaining the numerical advantage.
“Negativity is something that all souls fear, and thus it blocks psychic powers. However, just because one has reversed the negativity does not mean they can stop physical attacks.”
A Gwizon possesses a tangible body. If this physical body is strengthened, a powerless woman can be easily torn apart.
The Gwizon's face twisted grotesquely as he lunged forward. However, shackles materialized out of thin air, holding him immobile for a few seconds.
It was the technique of Gooju.
Gooju coughed up blood as a consequence of binding the Gwizon for those seconds.
"Gooju-nim! I told you to run away!"
"How can I abandon my master and flee? According to my law, such a sin cannot be redeemed even in death!"
“You fool!”
Gwizon easily shattered the shackles and opened his mouth wide.
But someone blocked the Gwizon's path.
The girl spread her hands, creating a white wall, and spoke.
Despite the Gwizon's earlier rush to the surface, Kim Sojin had arrived even faster.
She looked at the Gwizon, who was guarding himself, and spoke.
"I never understood before. The idea of sacrificing oneself for someone precious. No, I didn't even grasp the concept of someone being precious."
The girl, smiling, addressed Gooju.
"Are you the supreme teacher?"
"Yes, I'm supreme teacher Gooju."
"Since you're supreme teacher, you might not know much about ghost gate battles. Let me explain a bit."
The Gooju could only nod.
Then, Kim Sojin turned to the Gooju and asked,
"What's the way to deal with a ghost gate?"
"The first method is to attack from a long distance. Once a ghost gate is opened, it remains fixed in place until it closes, so the user must stay nearby."
"And the second?"
The Gwizons, ignored by the girl, shook with uncontrollable rage. But she paid them no heed.
"If you can use a ghost gate, use it before your opponent does. The longer a ghost gate is open, the stronger it becomes in the real world. A well-established gate can make it possible to defeat an opponent who would otherwise be unbeatable."
"Any other method?"
Is there another way?
Gooju racked his brain.
"To create a situation where the opponent must close their ghost gate..."
"Wrong, that's no different from a long-range attack."
Gooju felt overwhelmed by the situation.
Was there time for such a conversation in this urgent moment?
"Is there another way then?"
Gooju looked up at the sky.
The heavenly energies were twisted so malevolently.
The sky, long since having forgotten its natural blue, was now stained red and grey. In the red sky, numerous eyes were attached, and in the red-grey sky, the shadow of something devouring people loomed.
The ghost gates of the two Gwizons had been open long enough to push aside the surrounding heavenly energies and manifest their own hells. That was their domain.
"You asked if there's another way? I'll show you now."
The girl formed a hand seal.
"Just overpower them with overwhelming strength. Ghost Gate Manifestation."
"It's too late, young human!"
"Tsk, a child unaware of the nature of ghost gates. The longer a ghost gate is open..."
The girl interrupted,
"Nirvana Preservation Gate."
With those words, the two Gwizons fell silent. Suddenly, the sky turned golden, and Gooju, mesmerized by the golden color, reached his hands towards it.
"Gooju-nim! Maintain the negation stronger!"
If it weren't for Gamlo’s shout beside him, Gooju would have released the negation right then, ending up in the same situation as the Gwizons.
Staring at the sky, mouth agape, tears streaming down.
"That's the strongest ghost gate, the Nirvana Preservation Gate..."
Gamlo muttered.
"That gate unleashes paradise. Since every soul desires paradise, in a battle of ghost gates, it's overwhelmingly advantageous. It's paradise, so it can't be defended against."
"To be precise, it's not about not defending. People resist poison or curses, but not blessings, right?"
Hearing this, Gooju despaired.
A ghost gate was a technique to bring a controlled spiritual realm into the physical world. So, this girl, Kim Sojin, could manifest and control the realm of paradise?
Kim Sojin smiled and said,
"Unless you're insane like devils, wearing negation, no one dislikes paradise. It's literally heaven, right?"
"Gooju. Never release the negation. Once you taste paradise, that's the end. Paradise is the highest blessing, so there's no way to block it, more so than the most evil curse! People instinctively take in what's beneficial."
Gamlo bit her lip and muttered.
"What does she really want, this Eternal Being?"
"Where are the Tiger and the Leaders of Cheonji?"
"Why are you looking for them?"
The atmosphere shifted abruptly.
The heavy air made Gooju gasp for breath.
"They're trying to steal something precious to me. My most precious thing. Something I can't let anyone take. It's everything to me. To think they would take that person away. Damn it, I can't forgive them..."
The Tiger and the Leaders of Cheonji planning to steal something from one of the Three Honored Ones? It was unbelievable. But there was no way to refute it either.
"So, I'll kill them. I'll kill them all."
In front of one of the three Honored Ones, with their eyes filled with madness, Gamlo was left speechless.
* * *
"Where did Gamlo go?"
I looked around.
The DMZ was still quiet.
I was tired of wandering around; was there a suitable building nearby?
Ah, there's one.
"Let's go in here for now."
"Everyone, follow the Captain!"
Since the test hadn't ended, my patrol team and I entered a nearby building. It was a very ominous building. The smell of blood around it was so strong that it almost made me nauseous.
And then, the numerous corpses strewn about the building.
I closed my eyes at the sight of them.
Damn, I'm almost certain to have nightmares tonight.
Looking at what's before my eyes, these must all be real people.
A test where so many people die.
I knew the DMZ was dangerous, but I didn't realize it was this dangerous.
Are there only monsters in this real world?
Wandering through the corridor littered with bodies, I came across the CCTV room.
The power was on in the CCTV room.
To be precise, most of the cameras in the CCTV room were transmitting footage.
"Wow, you can see all over the DMZ. The people who used to work here couldn't have slacked off because of this."
Then, let's use this to find Gamlo. Did she think she could embezzle my billion and run away from me?
No chance. Absolutely no escape!!!
"Where are you, Gamlo?"
I quickly scanned through the CCTV feeds.
And there, I found Gamlo.
"Wait, what?"
Next to Gamlo stood a girl.
The girl's back looked strikingly familiar.
Jam... why is Jamsuni here?
Shocked, I stepped back.
Stepping back, I saw more corpses.
Among the bodies was a girl who looked only a little older than Jamsuni. For a moment, the girl and Jamsuni seemed to overlap.
Damn it, why did she come to such a dangerous place?
She's not stupid enough not to know the dangers of the DMZ, especially when playing games or learning!!!
I remembered Jamsuni whining and crying.
She flipped me off and left without doing the dishes.
"It must be because of me."
I clenched my fist.
Then I looked back at the CCTV.
Is the kid, is she alright? Any injuries?
She seemed unharmed. Thank goodness.
Really, really a relief...!
I clenched my fist again.
Damn it, today I'm filming a whole episode of Whiplash with Jamsuni's butt.
I'll teach her directly with her butt what 'Whiplash with butt' means.
'Hmm, what to do with the chick.'
Right now, the chick was following me closely. I left her outside the CCTV room because she was scared, but the constant sounds from beyond the door made it seem like she wanted to stay by my side.
Then she must trust what I say.
After checking the map in the CCTV room, I spoke to the chick standing outside the door.
"I have to go somewhere urgently."
"Huh?"
"I might not see you again, so I'm telling you now. Guon, sent by your aunt, is an assassin out to take your life."
"That can't be..."
Hearing this, the chick burst into tears and started chirping frantically. From her reaction, it seemed she believed me.
It was a bit sad, but the chick was a powerful lady from a prominent family. Jamsuni was just a regular kid with modest supernatural abilities and a poor background.
I needed to be there for Jamsuni.
I had to produce a beatbox track with Jamsuni's butt today.
I'll show off my beatboxing skills that rival Skeleton's.
"Tell the team members that I've nearly solved all the anomalies in this building, so they better not wander outside."
"Chirp, chirp. Can't, can't I come with you?"
"Sorry."
I unfolded the electric scooter I had carried on my back.
I had charged it earlier in the CCTV room.
"See you later."
With those words, I mounted the electric scooter.
* * *
Gamlo sensed someone watching. The Giant Ghost Gates were being sealed, and the celestial lines began to return to the physical world. They shared their sight with Gamlo through a spell.
+Nirvana Preservation Gate. The strongest ghost gate?+
+Gamlo, how long can you maintain the negation?+
Gamlo replied that she couldn't do it for much longer.
+Still, drag it out as long as you can. The Tiger is on her way.+
Gamlo intuitively knew it would be hard to stall for time. The Eternal Being was maintaining the ghost gate more forcefully, erasing the negation from Gamlo and Gooju. There must be other spells to erase negation, but they're probably not being used to keep the strategy hidden for the upcoming prolonged war with Cheonji.
"Killing us won't get you any information."
"You worry unnecessarily."
Eternal Being Kim Sojin formed a hand seal.
Then the Nirvana Preservation Gate began to close.
"There's no information that I can't extract from a soul."
Along with her words, screams echoed from the sky.
Screams of the two Gwizon.
"I was in paradise!!! I was in paradise!!!"
"My, my paradise is gone!!!!"
The two Gwizons wailed miserably, inflicting harm upon themselves.
"Ah!!! Paradise, I know what paradise is!!! I don't want to be in this place, this place!!!"
"Paradise, please return my paradise, please!!!"
At Kim Sojin's gesture, the Gwizons quickly flew over and bowed their heads.
"Please, please send me back to paradise."
"I'll do anything. Anything."
"Really? Then kill each other."
At Kim Sojin's command, the Gwizons began a fight to the death. It was a desperate battle with everything on the line, leaving Gamlo and the other celestials watching speechless.
"Now, you understand the principle, right? Now you'll tell me everything you know about Cheonji."
Gamlo realized the true power of the Nirvana Preservation Gate.
Complete domination of the soul using paradise.
Not through curses or brainwashing, but through pleasure.
Gamlo bit her lip.
+It's literally a drug of paradise. That's the withdrawal symptom of the drug.+
+As expected of the Eternal Being! An incredibly powerful ghost gate!+
+How can such immense power reside in a girl like that.+
And so, Gamlo, watching the Gwizons fight desperately, made a resolute decision.
+I shall take my leave now.+
+Gamlo, are you considering annihilating your own soul?+
+Just wait a little. The Tiger is on her way!+
+The Eternal Being plans to engage us in a prolonged battle. She intends to use me as a hostage while concealing her techniques, luring you into her ghost gate. The Eternal Being is a cunning predator.+
Even as she resolved herself for the end, she didn’t feel too bad.
After all, today she fought to protect many lives.
Just like that man.
+If so, the very existence of Cheonji is at risk.+
The man with a tall stature and delicate features.
His gaze, however, was incredibly sharp.
Just like that man riding the electric scooter over there.
"???"
Gamlo was confused.
An electric scooter??
In the ensuing scene, all the celestials were equally baffled.
"Kim Sojin!!!"
"Eh, what? Why, why?"
"Why are you in the DMZ? You really think you can escape today without getting your butt whooped!!!"
"Ah, no, it’s just... wait a moment."
The man who appeared on the electric scooter suddenly grabbed the waist of the Eternal Being and shouted loudly. This caused Kim Sojin to start fidgeting uncontrollably.
"How many spankings do you want?!!"
The celestials were still floating question marks above their heads.
+????+
– – – The End of The Chapter – – –
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