I Will Become a Phoenix More Noble Than the Emperor - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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18.

 

 

 

 

At that question, the old man wasn’t surprised and gently raised his eyebrows.

 

“Then who might you be? You should reveal your own identity first.”

“I am… I’ll explain later, so let’s escape for now!”

“Escape? Hehe, by what means? I can’t use my strength because of what they’ve done to this sinister necklace.”

 

Only then did Seon-o look at Dang Pa-baek’s neck. Around his neck was the same iron collar that Baek-ryu had been wearing.

 

Seeing him, Seon-o smiled with relief.

 

“Don’t worry. I brought the key…”

 

However, before Seon-o could finish speaking, someone suddenly grabbed her shoulder.

 

The moment Seon-o unconsciously tried to turn her head at that sudden contact, the hand gripping her shoulder lifted her up in one motion and violently threw her away.

 

Crash!

 

“Ugh!”

 

Seon-o, who was slammed into the iron cage on the opposite side, collapsed and clutched her aching shoulder. Behind her, she could hear the children crying out in shock.

 

“Oh my.”

 

Dang Pa-baek clicked his tongue sympathetically and moved closer to the prison bars.

 

When Seon-o barely managed to lift her head, she saw a demon with black eyes staring at her. Though it was mimicking human form, it was a demon with a bright red tongue hanging down to the floor and four arms.

 

‘Not only are they selling superhumans, but they’re even colluding with demons?’

 

Seon-o’s heart sank coldly at this development that hadn’t appeared in the original work.

 

“Damn it…”

 

Seon-o gritted her teeth in frustration and curled her fingers. Though it was an underground dungeon without water, being located deep underground actually made it easier to draw up groundwater.

 

Of course…

 

-Thud thud thud thud.

 

The moment the demon tried to approach Seon-o again—

 

Crash!

 

A fierce water pillar shot up and slammed the demon into the ceiling.

 

‘I still can’t control it properly though.’

 

As Seon-o wiped the water that had splashed on her face and stood up, Dang Pa-baek’s eyes sparkled with interest.

 

“Oho.”

 

However, not long after, the ceiling crumbled and the demon that had been shot upward landed on the floor. It was an intentional landing. The demon’s black eyes, having regained its stance, glared sharply at Seon-o.

 

“What are you looking at?”

 

Not backing down, Seon-o drew up groundwater again. This time it was a sharp water sword.

 

-Whoosh!

 

The large water sword rushed forward, but the demon, having grasped the pattern, skillfully dodged it.

 

Seeing this, Seon-o gritted her teeth.

 

‘There’s not enough water.’

 

The land seemed to have little moisture from the start, so the water element gathered slowly.

 

She tried to draw up water once more, but the water element she could sense was in a place that was too deep. When the demon extended its long tongue, taking advantage of Seon-o’s hesitation, she quickly threw herself to the side and rolled.

 

“Ugh!”

 

After barely avoiding the creature, Seon-o frantically looked around. Due to the previous attack, small water puddles were scattered everywhere, but they were useless to Seon-o, who couldn’t handle such small amounts of water element.

 

As if the demon had noticed Seon-o’s weakness, it attacked fiercely.

 

“Aah!”

 

Eventually, Seon-o stopped drawing up groundwater and frantically dodged the demon. At some point, Dang Pa-baek, who had moved close to the iron cage, shouted sharply.

 

“You can’t control your power, can you!”

“Ugh! How did you know!”

“Hehe, this Dang Pa-baek can tell just by looking.”

 

Seon-o knew this too. Dang Pa-baek was a sage who had noticed On Gang’s condition at a glance. In the original work, On Gang was imprisoned with him, and Dang Pa-baek, having noticed On Gang’s condition, opened his blood channels to solve the problem.

 

Through this, On Gang became able to control his water power. That’s why Seon-o had risked danger to find Dang Pa-baek. Of course, there were other reasons why she needed to save Dang Pa-baek.

 

But in this state, she might die before Dang Pa-baek could open her blood channels. The appearance of Min Cho-hee’s friend and the existence of this demon were not part of Seon-o’s calculations.

 

With her plan completely derailed, Seon-o’s heart became desperately anxious.

 

What should I do? How…!

 

Without time to think, the demon’s tongue came crashing down from above her head.

 

“Ugh!”

 

-Bang!

 

As the demon’s tongue struck down on the iron cage where Seon-o had been just moments before, a large hole was punched through the cage and smoke hissed up from it. Dang Pa-baek watched every detail of Seon-o barely dodging the demon’s attack and continued speaking.

 

“Do you know why that is?”

 

-Thud!

 

“Ugh!”

“You’re too desperate.”

-CRASH!

“Relax your strength.”

 

But there was no way she could relax in this situation. Just then, as the creature’s tongue got tangled around the iron cage, Seon-o didn’t miss the opportunity and focused her mind again to draw up her water element.

 

She could feel the water element that had been hiding very deep down responding to her call and surging upward.

 

This was her last chance!

 

-Whoooosh!

 

Once again, a water pillar shot up through the hole and rushed toward the demon that was pulling out its tangled tongue.

 

Please…!

 

Just as the water pillar was about to pierce through the creature’s entire body, the beast that had barely pulled out its tongue opened its maw wide, its jaw stretching down to the floor and creating a massive opening.

 

At the same time, the large water pillar narrowed and was sucked into the creature’s throat.

 

Not only that, but the demon’s body, absorbing Seon-o’s water element, swelled up terrifyingly like something soaking up water.

 

‘What the hell is that…?’

 

As the frozen Seon-o stared at that unbelievable sight, Dang Pa-baek shouted clearly.

 

“Oh my, you’ve met your match. It’s a demon that sucks up water! Also called a Water Ghost. Hehe, what a predicament.”

 

‘Damn it! This wasn’t in the setting!’

 

The groundwater that Seon-o had drawn up with all her strength was swallowed whole by the creature.

 

After cleanly swallowing every last drop, the creature let out a burp, and Seon-o’s face went blank.

 

And then it was just a moment.

 

Taking advantage of that gap, the creature’s tongue shot out terrifyingly fast and grabbed Seon-o by the neck, lifting her up.

 

“Gack…”

 

Seon-o tried to grab the creature’s tongue with both hands and tear it off, but it was useless. Her feet dangled helplessly in the air.

 

“Look here, get a grip! Are you going to die like this!”

 

Dang Pa-baek’s voice echoed as it reached her. Her airway was being squeezed, and her labored breathing was completely blocked.

 

“Grrk…!”

“Ugh…!”

“Relax. Let go of that deep longing coiled up inside your belly.”

Oh, how do you do that?!

“You’re being way too desperate right now!”

When he was finally on the verge of suffocating, Seon-o opened his mouth in agony.

Dangpabaek was right.

Seon-o was desperate. More desperate than he had ever been in his entire life.

“Do you know why people become desperate? It’s because they’re already predicting the impossible. Deep down in your heart, you’ve already set your own limits.”

My own limits…?

As Seon-o listened to Dangpabaek’s cryptic sermon, he stared at the grinning face of the demon. The creature’s enormous face had drawn close to him—close enough to swallow him whole the moment he drew his last breath.

“Those who have don’t worry.”

Dangpa Baek shouted in a stern voice.

“Those who have won do not crave victory. What is it that you crave?”

Seon-o panted as he repeated his words. What he wanted was clear.

Saving his family. Winning the competition and becoming a phoenix for their sake.

“Grrk…!”

“Do you think you can never grasp it?”

“Ugh…!”

“Not at all! Everything is already within you.”

It’s… inside me…?

“Fate mocks our desperation. Only by abandoning that earnestness can we truly grasp our destiny. Will you remain a slave to fate like this?”

The urgent words of Dangpabaek flowed into Seonoh’s body and seeped into every constricted blood vessel.

A slave to fate.

 

That damned fate had toyed with Seon-o, making him lose his family, bringing him to this place, and ultimately putting him in mortal danger.

 

Until now, Seon-o had been helplessly led by fate’s mockery.

 

But… from now on? In the future too?

 

‘Says who.’

 

Having finally found his answer, Seon-o relaxed the strength in his hand that had been gripping the tongue wrapped tightly around his neck.

 

After that, as he released the tension that had been constricting every part of his body, her body softly went limp.

 

It was the moment when he let go of even the last bit of strength remaining in his fingertips.

 

Thud.

 

He felt something that had been clumped together in his heart gently fall down.

 

The obsession that had fallen to the floor scattered clearly as new power seeped into his blood vessels.

 

At the same time, Seon-o, sensing a single drop of sweat that had formed on his forehead, loosely relaxed his gaze.

 

Immediately, the tiny sweat drop shot forward.

 

-Twang.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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