At Cheonuhoe's headquarters, Lee Do-hyeon sat quietly, studying the records of the Cheonbu. It was becoming increasingly clear that the five restoration sites were not merely places for mana recovery—they were, in fact, keys to dimensional passageways leading to Elysium.
Holding the Ego Sword in his hand, he whispered softly,
"Did you know all along? Or are you just realizing it now?"
The Ego Sword responded with a faint vibration, but gave no clear answer. The consciousnesses dwelling within the blade murmured in conflicting voices, even now.
That night, as Do-hyeon searched the archives of Cheonuhoe for further clues, a whisper, faint as the breeze, reached his ears.
"What you seek lies scattered across five places. But that alone will not be enough. There is one final place you must go."
He looked around, but saw no one. Still, he recognized the voice immediately.
"Cheongeom Mawang… is it you?"
A long silence followed. Then came another whisper.
"Yes. You are the strangest Murim warrior I've ever seen… and the most intriguing. Your sword—and the path you walk—may reveal a truth I could never reach."
Do-hyeon asked cautiously,
"Why are you helping me? Weren't you the one who tried to kill me?"
The Cheongeom Mawang's voice was calm, yet subtly shaken.
"I have reached the state of Hwakyung. There is nothing left in this world for me to gain or learn. Yet… when I ascended, I felt something—an indescribable presence that whispered of truths beyond this world. Your sword and your path might lead to that answer."
She then began to speak of a forbidden ritual from long ago.
"The Magyo records say the ritual failed. But I believe it was never completed, not that it truly failed. Lee Do-hyeon, your sword is the key to completing that ritual. And the five sites are the knots that bind it together."
Do-hyeon was deeply shaken.
"You know of a place called Elysium, then?"
After a pause, Cheongeom Mawang replied,
"Elysium… I've never heard that name. But the place you describe—it matches the presence I once sensed. I will help you reach it. But I have a condition."
"A condition? What do you want?"
Her voice turned cold.
"If you reach Elysium, you must share everything you find with me. If I cannot go there myself, then you must become my eyes and ears."
Do-hyeon hesitated. She was not just a former enemy—she was someone he could never fully trust. But without her knowledge, the path to Elysium might remain forever hidden.
After a long silence, he replied carefully,
"Fine. If you share the truth with me, I will share what I discover. But if you try to betray me, your plan will collapse as well."
Cheongeom Mawang laughed softly, seemingly satisfied.
"Good. Then bring me the answer I could never reach. Your path doesn't end at the five sites—it leads to a final place. And your sword will be the one to guide you there."
With her help, Lee Do-hyeon found the final clue—beyond the five sites, toward Elysium. He didn't hide it from his companions. He told them everything.
Chunhyang asked in surprise,
"Captain, do you really trust that woman?"
Baek Wol-hee tilted her head.
"Still… if her information is accurate, this might help us take the next step, right?"
Han Soyeon added calmly,
"But we must never forget—her goal is not the same as ours. She isn't helping us out of kindness. She acts for her own sake."
Cheong Un-jin spoke in a heavy tone,
"Brother… if you've accepted her terms knowing her intent, then be prepared. If she tries to use us, I will never forgive her."
Lee Do-hyeon nodded.
"I know. But without this chance, we may never find the answer. This is a risk we have to take."
**
Chapter: The Final Step Toward Elysium
Within the cavern of the Cheonuhoe, a gentle light began to emanate from the convergence of the five Heavenly Nodes.Lee Do-hyeon approached slowly, the sword in his hand, while the presence dwelling within the blade trembled with a surging thrill.
"At last... at last, I am returning. My home—Elysium..."
The whisper of the lingering thought echoed in Lee Do-hyeon's mind. Yet the ego of the sword remained in conflicted silence.
It watched as the thought rejoiced, unable to suppress the chaos within.
"If he returns to Elysium, what becomes of me? And worse—he will drag Lee Do-hyeon into danger..."
Lee Do-hyeon spoke with heavy resolve.
"Lachesis, I know you long to return to Elysium. But I did not come here to surrender my body to you. This sword is more than a tool to me—or to the Cheonuhoe."
The thought responded, voice tinged with a bitter sneer.
"Do-hyeon, your presence here is no coincidence. Through your hand, I shall return to my homeland. Your will means nothing. Even if you resist—I will return."
As his inner conflict deepened, the space trembled violently. A wave of powerful internal energy enveloped the cavern.
The Heavenly Sword Demon had arrived to open the dimensional gate.
"So this is the force I sensed..."
She stood before the rift to Elysium, a subtle smile playing on her lips, intrigued.
Lee Do-hyeon narrowed his eyes at her.
"Why are you here?"
The Heavenly Sword Demon stepped closer, her voice steady.
"You may not have realized it yet—but the forbidden ritual I sought was meant for you and this sword. This gate... the rift you and the blade have created—this is the key to the truth I've spent a lifetime chasing."
She focused her inner energy to forcibly open the rift. As light intensified, the rupture widened like a gaping door between dimensions. But at the same time, the presence within the sword began to unravel uncontrollably.
"Do-hyeon! Your body is mine now!"
As the energies of Elysium surged, Lachesis grew bolder, attempting to seize control of Do-hyeon's body. The sword's ego tried to resist—but the energies only fed the thought's power.
Do-hyeon screamed in defiance.
"Lachesis—you will not take my body!"
But Lachesis answered coldly.
"I have no choice. I must return. To my home. I'll make good use of your body, don't worry."
Just before the rift fully opened, light and energy surged with growing violence. The Heavenly Sword Demon poured her power into stabilizing the passage, but Lachesis began absorbing the energies, spiraling into madness.
"At last! My time has come! This body is now mine!"
Do-hyeon's resistance faltered, his mind pushed to the brink.
"Lachesis—you can't just use me!"
"There's nothing you can do now. Elysium is calling. You're just a shell—nothing more."
The sword's ego, struggling through the chaos, barely managed to speak.
"Do-hyeon... I will help you. But I can't do it alone. We must stop him."
Lachesis had already seized more than 70% of Do-hyeon's body, his power manifesting outwardly.
The Heavenly Sword Demon, still holding the gate open, began to sense the shift behind her.
"Lee Do-hyeon... or rather, Lachesis. If you truly possess that power, then I won't need to open this gate."
Lachesis now spoke in a voice fully merged with Do-hyeon's body.
"You don't need to open it. I can do it myself. But first—I need to see if you intend to stand in my way."
Gathering a dense aura, he launched a violent attack toward her.
"Do not interfere. This is the only path back to where I belong!"
The Heavenly Sword Demon effortlessly dodged the strike, smiling faintly.
"So that's your strength... and you haven't even fully taken him over yet. Interesting. Let's see what your true purpose is."
Inside, Lee Do-hyeon resisted with every last shred of his will.
"Lachesis... if you take my body and return to Elysium, I lose everything—Cheonuhoe, Murim... you cannot use me!"
The sword's ego cried out.
"It's not over yet! If we unite, we might be able to stop him!"
But Lachesis ignored them both, pouring everything into his clash with the Heavenly Sword Demon.
"I will win this battle—and I will return home!"
She blocked every strike, then raised her voice above the rising storm.
"If you truly seek Elysium, prove it—overcome me. If this is all you can do, then you're unworthy to return."
Lachesis, furious, unleashed an even greater surge of power. The dimensional space around the gate twisted violently, the energies on the verge of collapse.
"I must open the gate before this place falls apart! I will return!"
He funneled all remaining strength through Do-hyeon's body and rained attacks upon her.
"Move aside! This gate is mine!"
She held her ground and laughed softly.
"If this is your best—Elysium won't accept you. Prove your worth."
In desperation, Lachesis fed more and more power into the swirling rift, threatening to tear the entire cavern apart.
At that moment—Do-hyeon found his chance.
"You can't have all of me. I'll end this."
The sword's ego spoke with final resolve.
"There's only one choice left. We must cast the sword—and him—into the gate. Trust me."
With his body barely holding together, Do-hyeon gripped the sword and made his choice.
"If this is what I must do... then so be it."
He hurled the blade into the heart of the dimensional gate.
"Go. To where you truly belong!"
The sword radiated blinding light as it vanished into the rift. Lachesis howled in despair.
"So be it! I may not have your body—but I will return! Elysium awaits!"
Both the sword and the thought vanished into the breach.
The space grew quiet.
But the recovery site was crumbling—the energies destabilized beyond repair.
The Heavenly Sword Demon watched silently.
"Fascinating. You chose to cast it away..."
As the gate closed, she murmured:
"Was that the wisest choice—or have you just planted the seed of greater chaos?"
She approached Do-hyeon, who had collapsed from the ordeal. His face was pale, his body drained.
She tilted her head.
"Strange boy. No one survives two encounters with me. I suppose... I'll grant you one more chance."
Lifting him effortlessly, she carried him from the collapsing ruin.
Outside, she gently laid him down in safety and whispered:
"When we meet again... I expect a better story."
With that, she vanished—heading toward the Magyo.
Do-hyeon stirred as she left.
"Lachesis is gone. The sword is gone...What's left for me now?"
He looked around, lost in thought.
This was more than a battle. It was a turning point—for himself, for the Cheonuhoe, for all of Murim.