Absolute Regression

Chapter 429: I Am Resistant to the Cold

The Ice Palace Master was standing by the window.

She was gazing far into the distance, in the direction where Geom Mugeuk and the Drunken Demon resided.

She had received a report quite some time ago that a fight had broken out there, but there was still no report saying it had ended.

She wanted to run there immediately, but the Ice Palace Master forced herself to remain composed. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Beneath the window of the Palace Master's Hall, the Northern Wind Unit—the most elite unit directly under her command—was on standby. Not only them, but various other units and masters of the Ice Palace were also waiting at their designated positions.

Originally, this was a matter that should have mobilized them all.

―Let the monster be taken care of by the demons.

Is he handling it well? Surely, he hasn’t been devoured by the monster, has he?

What if such a thing had happened?

Then the Demon King who lost his child would come here seeking revenge. At that time, no one would be able to stop him.

Han Seol was silently watching the Ice Palace Master. She still faced the window, but she was clearly different from usual.

For one, her attire was different. She was dressed in martial robes suitable for action and wore an item on her arm that she normally didn’t. Peeking out from under her sleeve was the Great Ice Ring, a bracelet that pushed the power of ice arts to their limits.

She was fully prepared to rush into battle at any moment.

Han Seol’s gaze shifted from the Ice Palace Master to Lee Ahn. Unlike the tension that radiated from her mother, this side was pure tranquility.

Lee Ahn was reading a book. It was one of the books from the shelves in the Palace Master's Hall. She had asked permission before reading it, and now she sat quietly immersed. It was the first time Han Seol had seen someone reading a book here. She had thought the books on the shelves were just for decoration.

‘What kind of book is she reading?’

Han Seol walked over and sat down across from Lee Ahn.

Lee Ahn looked up from her book and met Han Seol’s gaze.

“There’s a Demon Supreme who loves books. He reads so many of all kinds that there’s nothing he doesn’t know. He always says this—if you want to be good at martial arts, you have to read a lot of books.”

“You mean martial arts manuals?”

“No, he says read everything without choosing.”

As she said this, she showed the cover of the book she was reading. Strangely enough, it was a book about house construction in the northern regions.

“That helps with martial arts?”

“No idea. But if I’m ever on the run, I might find a place to hide in a house built like this.”

Han Seol couldn’t hide the confusion on her face.

“Do I seem too carefree? When the Young Cult Leader is out there fighting?”

Han Seol nodded honestly again. If it were her, she wouldn’t be able to focus on a book.

“If the Young Cult Leader dies, I’ll just follow him in death.”

When Han Seol widened her eyes in shock, Lee Ahn smiled and added,

“I’m joking, I’m joking. I’ll get revenge first—then I’ll follow him.”

Lee Ahn smiled at Han Seol, who still remained silent.

“That was a joke too.”

“It’s not funny.”

It wasn’t a time for jokes, but Lee Ahn made an effort to keep herself at ease.

On the surface, she looked calm and relaxed, but inside her heart, a storm was raging.

Her heart pounded so fiercely that she couldn’t bear it without reading something, and the image of Geom Mugeuk being killed by the enemy kept replaying in her mind.

Again and again, she imagined situations where he could survive if she just leapt in and helped with a single move.

‘Right. This must be the side effect of being a bodyguard for too long.’

In the past, when Geom Mugeuk had left alone and returned, she had vaguely believed he would be fine. But now that they were close, her worry had grown a hundredfold.

‘So this is what he’s been going through in all these fights.’

Just then, Han Seol asked,

“Would you like some tea?”

“Yes. I’ll prepare it.”

“No, keep reading.”

Han Seol went to brew the tea.

Feeling awkward just sitting there, Lee Ahn walked over beside her. As she looked around to see if she could help with anything, her gaze landed on a tea set that had been left out.

On the white teacup was a drawing of two birds in flight, and the image stood out as unusual.

“Why are you looking at that?”

“The birds drawn on this teacup... I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere before.”

Han Seol glanced at the Ice Palace Master standing by the window, then turned back to Lee Ahn and said,

“That’s not likely.”

She meant it was an original design, but Lee Ahn still tilted her head in puzzlement.

“I’m sure I’ve seen it.”

The Ice Palace Master turned her head toward Lee Ahn. A strange glint flickered in her eyes.

And just then—

A subordinate rushed up and reported urgently.

“The fight is over.”

The three women ran at once to the scene of the battle, but when they arrived, they were at a loss for words.

It was a sea of blood. Dozens of corpses lay scattered in all directions, and the stench of blood was strong enough to make them want to plug their noses.

At the center of that sea of blood were two people.

The Drunken Demon was lying atop a pool of blood, and Geom Mugeuk was leaning against a shattered stone lantern, gazing up at the sky.

The moment Lee Ahn saw them, her heart sank.

She had thought the Drunken Demon was dead, lying there in the blood.

But then a loud snoring sound echoed out. It was as if he were saying, "I’m fine, so don’t worry."

Seeing the three of them, Geom Mugeuk held a finger to his lips. It meant he didn’t want the Drunken Demon to be awakened.

Geom Mugeuk had experienced the same state many times. When one fought with every ounce of strength and sleep overwhelmed them—then one must sleep. To allow the body what it desperately needed—this was the best form of healing. Trust the body of a master.

The Ice Palace Master, seeing the scene with her own eyes, was struck anew by how severe this battle had been.

If the Demon Supreme had fought to the point of collapsing like that, it was clear how powerful the enemy must have been.

She examined a corpse that was lying nearby.

These were the subordinates of the Blood King, slain by Geom Mugeuk’s hand.

Just by looking at their trained bodies, she could gauge the level of their martial arts. They were masters. If they had even mastered the Self-Destruction Art, many of the Ice Palace’s warriors would likely have died.

All of their vital points had been severed by a blade.

‘He cut all the blood vessels before they could use the Self-Destruction Art.’

Even from the condition of the corpses, it was evident how extraordinary Geom Mugeuk’s martial arts were.

The Ice Palace Master took one last look at the Drunken Demon.

Was it because he lay soaked in blood?

She felt even more sorry toward him. If not for him, it would have been the many warriors of the Ice Palace lying in that blood.

“Let’s go back.”

Following the Ice Palace Master, Lee Ahn and Han Seol turned to leave.

Just before Lee Ahn turned, Geom Mugeuk waved at her with a bright expression, as if to say, I’m fine.

That simple gesture and smile calmed the storm that had been raging in Lee Ahn’s heart.

She smiled back brightly, then turned around.

Liking someone isn’t difficult. What’s truly difficult is the effort and will it takes to hold onto that affection, to not lose it.

Because happiness is always challenged by the fear that it could shatter at any moment. Because the storm in one’s heart doesn’t stop even by the next morning.

The Drunken Demon opened his eyes at the cold sensation on his cheek.

What had fallen on his cheek was snow.

Snow was falling from the darkening sky.

When he turned his head to the side, Geom Mugeuk was gazing up at the snowy sky.

“You’re awake?”

“How long did I sleep?”

“About three hours.”

“Is my mouth crooked? In this freezing place…”

The Drunken Demon stopped mid-sentence. It wasn’t cold. The ground soaked in blood, the surrounding air—it was all warm.

The Drunken Demon could tell. Geom Mugeuk had used Heat Yang Energy to keep the surroundings warm.

As he tried to sit up, the Drunken Demon screamed.

“Augh! That hurts. It really hurts.”

“Want some liquor?”

“No thanks. I feel like my head’s going to explode.”

He had drunk so much during the fight that the hangover was overwhelming.

“If I drink again…”

“You’re my little brother!”

“Fine, if I drink again, I’m your little brother. Ugh, my head feels like it’s going to burst.”

Holding his aching head, the Drunken Demon happened to glance at the ground.

“Argh! What is this blood? Is this that guy’s blood? Don’t tell me you laid me down in it?”

“You really don’t remember anything?”

“Ugh, the smell of blood is awful.”

“You were even smiling while lying there earlier.”

“Are you drunk too?”

Then, startled, the Drunken Demon looked at the soles of his feet.

“My foot! What’s wrong with my foot now?”

A shattered liquor bottle had been embedded in the sole. Drunk during the fight, he hadn't even realized his feet were getting torn up.

The Drunken Demon pulled out the shard of broken glass stuck in his foot.

“Ughhh, that hurts. You could’ve at least pulled this out while I was drunk.”

“If I were going to do that, I would’ve started with the one stuck in your shoulder.”

Startled, the Drunken Demon looked at his shoulder.

“Argh! What the hell is this now?”

Only then did he realize a sharp blade fragment was lodged in his shoulder.

“When did this even get in here?”

“There’s one in your other arm, too.”

“Call the Demon Doctor! Get the Demon Doctor here right now! The Demon Supreme is wounded!”

He cried out dramatically in exaggerated pain.

Did Geom Mugeuk really leave him lying there for hours without checking? Of course not. He had already confirmed that the external injuries didn’t reach the bone and had discreetly sent internal qi through his body to examine him further. Upon confirming there were no internal injuries, he had let him sleep.

“For a martial artist, wounds are a badge of honor.”

“These wounds aren’t even worth bragging about.”

The Drunken Demon continued staring down at the still blood-soaked ground.

“He looked handsome and dashing on the outside, but inside, he was a mess. Turns out he never even learned the Self-Destruction Art himself.”

That fact surprised Geom Mugeuk as well.

He hadn’t known much about the Blood King before the regression—only about the brutal deeds committed by his subordinates.

“If he hadn’t been a pathetic man, he wouldn’t have implanted the Self-Destruction Art in his subordinates to begin with.”

The Drunken Demon nodded in agreement.

Snow began falling more heavily. The two men looked up for a while at the snow coming down from the darkening sky.

“Now the Former Master Brewer can finally close her eyes in peace.”

Everything had started from her refusal to send liquor. It began with the Drunken Demon and ended with him as well.

And at the heart of this incident was something Geom Mugeuk needed to resolve—something of utmost importance.

Fate flowed on, entangled with those around him.

“Before we go back, let’s have a drink at the peak of the Snowy Mountains.”

To that, Geom Mugeuk smiled and replied,

“Sure, little brother.”

The Drunken Demon washed up, ate, and fell asleep again.

The most skilled physician of the Northern Sea Ice Palace had come to check on him and left after prescribing medicine to help him recover quickly.

While the Drunken Demon rested, Geom Mugeuk met with the Ice Palace Master.

“You’ve done well.”

“Not at all. Thank you so much for letting us handle it.”

She had a rough idea, but the Ice Palace Master’s main question was this:

“Did you figure out what his goal was?”

“The fight was too intense, so I couldn’t ask him directly, but I suspect he was trying to use the Extreme Cold Constitution to neutralize your martial arts.”

Geom Mugeuk then added a further conjecture.

“He spent a long time searching for someone with the Extreme Cold Constitution. If harming you had been his only goal, he would’ve made more aggressive use of the Self-Destruction Art. I suspect he needed the Extreme Cold Constitution for another purpose. Do you have any guesses?”

The moment she heard that, the Ice Palace Master recalled one reason. Even so, she didn’t answer right away—it wasn’t something that could be carelessly revealed to outsiders.

She would never have told anyone else, but Geom Mugeuk was an exception.

“It seems he was after the Ice Palace Treasury.”

The Ice Palace Treasury was a place that only those who had mastered the secret martial arts passed down to the Northern Sea Ice Palace Master or possessed the Extreme Cold Constitution could enter.

“Ordinary people can’t possibly endure the cold in that place.”

“Then it’s clear now—he was aiming for the Ice Palace Treasury.”

With the enemy’s specific objective revealed, the Ice Palace Master’s heart turned cold.

She deeply regretted not killing him herself.

At the same time, a thought came to her.

What if Geom Mugeuk and the Drunken Demon hadn’t come to the Northern Sea? If they hadn’t killed Elder Seo and taken the Extreme Cold Constitution? If they hadn’t uncovered the Northern Blood Gate’s alliance with those enemies?

Could she have withstood their scheme?

She couldn’t confidently say yes.

And if they hadn’t stopped it? She and Han Seol would likely be dead, and the Northern Sea Ice Palace would have been taken from them.

That’s why there was nothing too precious to offer Geom Mugeuk.

“Is there anything you want? If there is, I’ll grant it—whatever it may be.”

After a brief pause, Geom Mugeuk spoke.

“There is one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Please allow me to choose one treasure from the Ice Palace Treasury.”

It was an unexpected request.

“What is it that you want? Tell me, and I’ll give it to you. Whether it’s an elixir, a treasured sword, anything—just name it.”

“No. I want to enter and see it for myself.”

It was because of the Secret Box. At the Heavenly Wind Cult, he had obtained the Black Eye; from the Unorthodox Alliance, the Blue Purity. He hoped he might find something related here as well. If not now, it would be nearly impossible to gain another chance.

“I told you already. If you don’t have the Extreme Cold Constitution, you can’t enter.”

Geom Mugeuk replied with a mysterious smile.

“I’m resistant to the cold.”

The Ice Palace Master, knowing Geom Mugeuk wasn’t someone who would joke about something like this, cautiously asked,

“Are you saying you have the Extreme Cold Constitution?”

“No.”

“Then you absolutely can’t enter that place.”

She added the word “absolutely,” but Geom Mugeuk replied with confidence.

“Please, trust me just this once.”

Could it be he possessed some demonic technique to resist the cold? Even so, it shouldn’t be enough to withstand that place.

“I’m the one who endured my father’s cold and biting indifference.”

“This isn’t the time for jokes. You could die in there.”

The Ice Palace Master was convinced Geom Mugeuk could not enter. Even so, he had saved the Ice Palace—and she was curious why he insisted. She also wanted to see this reckless determination shattered coldly.

“Fine. Let’s go. I’ll listen to your regrets and repentance after I’ve revived you.”

As Geom Mugeuk followed after her, he said,

“Everyone who visits the Northern Sea has to experience their heart freezing up at least once, right?”