Dawn cracked over the Eastern Gorge, its jagged ridges casting long shadows across the mist-filled canyon. A narrow path snaked downward through twisted roots and loose gravel, and Sun-Ho's party descended in near silence, the tension thick as mountain fog.
Crunch. Crunch.
So-Ri's boots dug into the slope beside Sun-Ho. "This place gives me the creeps."
"It should," he muttered. "If the legends are true, we're walking on the bones of the Five-Element Order."
Ji-Mun leaned over a ledge. "Remind me why we're here again?"
"Because corrupt sects are baiting us into a trap," Sun-Ho said dryly. "And we're too curious not to bite."
Yeon, unusually close-lipped even for him, kept to the rear, clutching a newly gifted shortblade. Ma-Rok, in front, cleared rocks and thornbushes like a gentle bull. Yul-Rin sprinkled anti-toxin powder at intervals, her nose wrinkling.
"This whole place stinks of rot and magic," she muttered.
Master Jang, bringing up the rear, chuckled. "Good. You all remember to be afraid."
---
They reached a cracked stone altar buried beneath moss and vines. The faded sigil of five overlapping rings shimmered faintly in the morning light.
Sun-Ho crouched beside it and brushed away the vines. "This is it. The seal."
So-Ri knelt beside him. "Can you break it?"
He smirked. "I already did."
Crk—Rrrrnnnkk…
The altar stone rumbled, then split, revealing a dark stairway spiraling downward.
Ji-Mun blinked. "Of course. Because nothing bad ever comes from walking into underground temples."
Ma-Rok grunted. "Shall I go first?"
"No," Sun-Ho said. "I will. If it's a trap, I want to spring it."
Master Jang gave a half-smile. "That's the confidence of a man with secrets."
---
Below ground…
The stairwell opened into a colossal underground chamber. Cracked pillars supported a domed ceiling carved with scenes of elemental warriors—fire dancing with water, earth rising to clash with wind.
Faded murals told stories in silence, but Sun-Ho's eyes locked onto the raised dais at the center.
A body—mummified, armored in rusted bronze—sat upright, fingers still curled around a jade scroll.
Yul-Rin whispered, "That's not creepy at all."
As Sun-Ho stepped forward, a gust of energy pushed back his hood. The air sizzled.
Wheeeeeee—crack!
Lightning arced across the ceiling.
The moment he touched the dais, the entire chamber trembled.
BOOOM!
Pillars cracked. Dust exploded. The scroll flew from the corpse's grasp and landed in Sun-Ho's hands as if pulled.
And from the shadows…
A figure stepped forward. Robes of silk, and a blade humming with red Qi.
"Found you," the man said. "Sovereign of Balance."
Sun-Ho narrowed his eyes. "I don't know who you are."
"You don't need to. You just need to die."
He lunged.
---
The fight erupted instantly.
Clang! Swish! Crack!
Sun-Ho dodged the first strike, parrying with one hand while passing the scroll to So-Ri.
"Guard it!" he shouted.
The assassin was fast—very fast. But not faster than someone who remembered lifetimes.
Sun-Ho's movements flowed like water, then snapped like fire. He dipped into wind techniques from his masked persona, blending them seamlessly with his known style.
Ji-Mun and Yeon circled to the flanks. Ma-Rok took a wide stance, waiting to intercept.
So-Ri pressed back against the wall, one palm glowing, ready to counterattack.
"Who sent you?" Sun-Ho growled, ducking another strike.
The assassin grinned. "You already know."
BOOM!
A geyser of flame burst from Sun-Ho's heel as he spun, kicking the assassin into a pillar.
Yul-Rin flung a poison needle that shattered on impact. The man staggered—then laughed.
"You think this ends with me?" he croaked. "You've just dug your own grave."
He snapped a talisman between his fingers.
Fwhooom!
The chamber shook. The ceiling groaned.
"RUN!" Sun-Ho barked.
The party sprinted up the stairs as the entire underground ruin began to collapse. Stones fell. Fire erupted from the walls.
Sun-Ho grabbed Yeon mid-step and hurled him up the stairs. "GO!"
Ma-Rok caught him, hauling both boy and scroll.
Ji-Mun dragged Yul-Rin by the arm. "Less screaming, more running!"
The chamber behind them imploded.
CRAAAAAAASSHHH!
They burst from the stairwell just as it collapsed entirely.
Dust and silence.
---
Later, sitting in a battered circle, the party coughed and wiped soot from their eyes.
So-Ri glared at Sun-Ho. "Was this really worth it?"
He held up the scroll, grinning. "If it teaches me what I think it does? Absolutely."
Yul-Rin sneezed. "I'm covered in tomb juice."
Ji-Mun muttered, "At least no one died. I thought we'd lose someone this time."
Sun-Ho's eyes darkened slightly. "We still might. This was the first of many."
Master Jang walked forward, brushing dust from his shoulder. "Good news is, you were ready for this one."
"And the bad news?" Sun-Ho asked.
"There are four more scrolls."
Sun-Ho blinked. "...Of course there are."
Everyone groaned in unison.
Yul-Rin sniffed. "If the next scroll tries to kill me, I'm feeding it to Ji-Mun."
Ji-Mun raised a hand. "I only eat spicy food and vengeance."
Sun-Ho rolled the scroll carefully. "We'll need to decode this before moving forward. These seals aren't just martial manuals. They're... fragmented wills. Intent forged in Qi."
So-Ri looked thoughtful. "Which means someone could already be collecting them."
"Exactly," Sun-Ho said. "This isn't just knowledge—it's power. Legacy. If we don't find the next scrolls first... they might be used against us."
Ma-Rok stood up and cracked his knuckles. Kwak. "Then we move at first light."
Master Jang smirked. "I'll chart a path to the second site. But be warned—one of the remaining scrolls lies in territory claimed by the Eight-Point Hydra Sect."
Ji-Mun's face paled. "The what sect?"
"Long story," said Sun-Ho, standing. "And it involves venomous snakes, a swamp, and possibly a festival."
Everyone groaned again.
---
End of Chapter 35