Chapter 442: Don’t Touch!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 442: Don’t Touch!
Ten days had already passed since I’d fallen into this world.
Each morning I awoke, the hope that I would wake from this dream faded further. Now, my only goal was to escape by doing exactly what this world demanded of me.
Crack!
I shattered someone’s bones.
“Urgh.”
A short groan, and then he was dead. The word ‘Justice’ was emblazoned on his white uniform. He was a martial artist of the Murim Alliance.
“…”
His neck lolled to the side, eyes rolled back white. Confirming his death, I dusted off my hands.
It still felt terrifyingly real.
…How sickening…
Corpses lay scattered around me. Most wore the white of the Alliance, but a few Demonic Humans were mixed among them—not from the Black Flame Army, but the Ghostly Sword Army.
As I stared at the bodies,
Drip-
I felt something trickle down my cheek. Wiping it with my thumb, I saw blood.
“…”
I frowned. I knew where the injury was from—a moment of hesitation when the Alliance martial artists ambushed me.
It wasn’t a well-planned ambush, nor was I caught off guard. My senses had detected them long before they struck, and their strength barely surpassed the Peak Realm. There was no chance they could defeat me.
And yet…
I hesitated.
I’d hesitated to kill them.
When they charged, I saw the despair, the fear, the raw will to survive in their eyes. Because of that, my hand had paused for a single, fatal moment.
That brief hesitation was all it took for one of their blades to graze my cheek.
…How annoying.
Fury simmered in my chest. Everything pissed me off. Being thrown into this damned world, being forced to fight in this damned war. Even the look in those bastards’ eyes.
I have to escape. Now.
The desperation grew sharper. I needed to get out of this hell.
Step.
Exhausted, I sensed a presence approaching from behind.
“Newcomer.”
“…!”
The voice was sleepy, yet it carried a mysterious, ominous weight. There was only one person with a voice like that.
“…Yes, Vice Captain.”
I bowed as the Demonic Sword approached. She stopped a few steps away and spoke in her unique, drawn-out tone.
“…What… are you doing…?”
“…”
“…You might… die like that.”
“I’m sorry.”
Other Demonic Humans watched, puzzled by her sudden scolding, but I knew what she meant. One corpse nearby was more mutilated than the rest—the martial artist who had cut my cheek.
When his blade grazed me, the Demonic Sword had unleashed her sword flux upon him. It struck his neck instantly, and in a flash, he was carved apart by dozens of strikes, dying on the spot.
The sight of his dismembered body horrified me. It was a brutal reminder of the true nature of this world.
Namgung Bi-ah would never have killed so violently. If she had to kill, it would be with a single, clean strike.
…Hah.
An incredulous laugh escaped me. I used to compare Namgung Bi-ah to the Demonic Sword, and now I was searching for traces of Bi-ah in this monster. How disgusting. What a selfish bastard I was.
Was I trying to pretend none of this ever happened?
Even though I’d told Tang Jaemoon that regrets were burdens we carry for life, perhaps I was the one who wanted to forget everything.
Was that why she was showing me this world? To ensure I could never forget?
If that’s the case, then that’s truly horrifying.
This damned world felt unnervingly sinister now.
“…”
The Demonic Sword made a strange expression.
Clack-
She sheathed her sword and turned.
“…Be careful.”
“Yes. I won’t make that mistake again.”
With that brief reply, she vanished.
Once she was gone, the other Demonic Humans finally spoke up, their voices buzzing rowdily in my ears. One approached me.
“Uh, youngest brother.”
I still wasn’t used to that title.
“Yes?”
“…Did you, by any chance, have some past connection with the Vice Captain?”
“…Pardon?”
What was he talking about?
“What do you mean?”
Frowning slightly, I pressed him. The Demonic Human explained, “The Vice Captain… I’ve never seen her act so… kindly toward anyone.”
He didn’t need to add ‘besides the Captain’; it was understood.
“A connection?”
I had no idea what gave him that impression.
“There’s nothing like that.”
I smirked as I answered. A past relationship with the Demonic Sword? Impossible.
At the very least, in this world, she and I…
We don’t know each other.
That was a satisfying thought.
The Black Flame Army’s main base was near Sichuan. If the Heavenly Demon War had truly begun, things might have been different, but since seizing Sichuan, their duties hadn’t been too demanding—mostly hunting down remnants of the Murim Alliance hiding in the province, like today, or patrolling for trouble.
However, with the Heavenly Venerable nearby, security along the borders had tightened. The fact that the elite Black Flame Army was on patrol said it all. Each member was a powerful martial artist, rivaling the Alliance’s vice-captains in strength, and the seventy-seven under their Captain were as strong as the Elders and Lords of other clans. Their presence on patrol duty highlighted the impact of the Heavenly Venerable’s proximity.
I watched the Demonic Sword from a distance as she headed toward headquarters.
The Heavenly Venerable will fight the Demonic Sword.
The memory surfaced. It was the Demonic Sword who had faced the Heavenly Venerable when he captured everyone’s attention. She had used the Namgung Clan’s swordsmanship to confront the Namgung Clan’s patriarch. Her goal was to erase the Namgung bloodline from the world.
But there was a problem.
She didn’t succeed.
Beating the Heavenly Venerable was no easy task. Even as a master who had inherited the title of Sword Queen, the Heavenly Venerable was an old monster who had dominated the Central Plains for decades. The Demonic Sword couldn’t have defeated him easily.
She knew this, which was why she brought her entire force to face him.
But then a problem arose.
The Dishonored Venerable ambushed the headquarters. While the Heavenly Venerable held everyone’s attention, the Dishonored Venerable attacked, and I was the one who confronted him.
That’s where things went wrong.
…That’s when she came for me.
Most Demonic Humans in the area died during my fight with the Dishonored Venerable. Just as I was about to be killed, the Demonic Sword appeared and helped me escape.
But by leaving her army to save me, the forces fighting the Heavenly Venerable were decimated. The Silent Fist barely survived, losing an arm in the process. Thankfully, the Heavenly Venerable retreated after being injured.
The wounded Dishonored Venerable was pursued by reinforcements from the Heavenly Black Army, and just as the army’s Captain, the Unyielding Demon Peng Woojin, was about to finish him, Peng Woojin appeared and saved the Dishonored Venerable.
All of this happened because the Demonic Sword abandoned her battle to save me.
And it led to her death.
Injured from her fight with the Heavenly Venerable, she faced the Dishonored Venerable. We managed to escape, and Sichuan remained in our hands, but the injuries from both battles left her vulnerable. She died, unable to react in time to a surprise attack.
No.
I have to tell the truth.
The Demonic Sword could have escaped. She could have lived if she’d wanted to.
But…
She died because of me.
She came back for me, and she died for me.
What a shitty memory.
Did she have any idea? In that moment, I wanted to die. First, I’d hoped to die by my father’s hand. When that failed, I wished for death at the hands of the Dishonored Venerable. In all those fights, I’d only desired an end.
I watched the Demonic Sword’s retreating back and wondered.
…Will you make the same choice again?
I already knew the answer. This world was no different from my past life. The Demonic Sword would likely choose the same path. Perhaps I could intervene, change history.
But knowing that, I still felt powerless.
If I changed the course of events now…
…The Celestial Sword… will die.
I clenched my eyes shut.
The Celestial Sword would die.
Yes. That was the situation I was in. That’s why I couldn’t act.
Crack.
I gritted my teeth, curling my hand into a fist as I watched the Demonic Sword.
This was why I called this world hell.
No matter what I chose, someone would die. Even if this was an illusion, the choice was unbearable.
The Demonic Sword’s death was a major regret, but if I saved her, the Celestial Sword would die. There was no escape from regret in this world.
But… if I let the Demonic Sword die?
Could I live with making the same choice as before?
Sigh…
Deep in thought, I remembered Tang Jaemoon’s words. She said it didn’t matter what I decided; nothing would change.
“…”
Now, I saw she hadn’t been lying. Maybe she’d anticipated this from the very beginning. If so, she had a twisted sense of humor.
It doesn’t matter what choice I make?
Fucking bullshit.
How could it not matter?
It was impossible. Even if this was an illusion, watching it all unfold so vividly was more than I could bear.
“…”
That was the source of my conflict, my exhaustion. I couldn’t choose.
Thankfully, there was one solution. In a way, it was both the easiest and the hardest path. But if I was forced to decide, I planned to take it.
Creak-
Back in our territory, I walked on, covered in blood. The metallic stench that filled the air no longer bothered me. I’d lived this life before; getting used to it was easy.
With that thought, I arrived at headquarters, but something felt different. The stench was stronger than usual.
Hmm?
I wasn’t the only one who noticed. A faint surge of Combat Qi came from the Demonic Sword ahead of me. She seemed agitated.
Slam.
The giant doors swung open, revealing the room inside. Others were already there. Compared to the Black Flame Army, they carried a sharper scent of blood, their killing intent so intense it leaked from their bodies. Swords hung at their waists. I knew who they were just by looking.
“Hehe.”
A chuckle made me look up.
Someone was sitting in the seat that belonged to the Captain of the Black Flame Army. His long hair spilled onto the floor, a grin plastered on his face. An ominous Qi and palpable killing intent sent chills down my spine.
…That bastard.
I frowned at the sight. The room was filled with Demonic Humans from the Ghostly Sword Army. The man in the center seat was their leader.
The Sword Demon.
The Sword Demon, known for his obsession with slaughter.
He smiled at the Demonic Sword. “It’s been a while, Demonic Sword Queen.”
“…”
The Demonic Sword responded by drawing her blade, her voice a quiet whisper. “…Come down…”
“Hmm? What was that?”
“Come down… from there. That seat… is not yours.”
Combat Qi erupted from the Demonic Sword. The sheer pressure made my Dantian flinch. Yet, the Sword Demon only giggled.
“Jeez, the Captain isn’t even here. Aren’t you being a bit too serious?”
“…”
As the Demonic Sword gathered Lightning Qi, ready to strike,
Creak.
The Sword Demon rose and descended.
That crazy bastard.
It had been a while, but he was just as insane as I remembered. If the Silent Fist was the least suited to be a Demonic Human, the Sword Demon was the polar opposite.
Step.
He walked down the stairs toward the Demonic Sword.
“I heard the Captain went somewhere. Do you know where, Demonic Sword Queen?”
“…”
She didn’t answer, her gaze fixed on him. The Sword Demon clicked his tongue.
“Hmm, those fierce eyes of yours still bother me. You’d be incredibly beautiful without them.”
Qi surged from the Black Flame Army members at his words. In response, the killing intent from the Ghostly Sword Army intensified. I could only stare, dumbfounded.
These crazy bastards.
They show up uninvited and now want to fight? I hadn’t known things were this bad; I was usually outside the territory.
As I observed their hostile dynamic,
“Hmm?”
“…!”
The Sword Demon’s eyes suddenly met mine. His gaze, filled with killing intent, locked onto me. Amusement flickered within them.
“A new face? Who is this bastard?”
He took a step toward me, a horrifying grin spreading across his face. What now? Frowning at the sudden attention, I saw his expression shift.
“What’s with that look? You don’t seem to know who I am. That’s why you dare to make such an expression in my presence.”
I’m fucked.
I’d pissed off this piece of shit. I should have kept staring at the ground. What a hassle.
Reach-
The Sword Demon reached out, lifted my chin with his hand, and examined me.
“You people don’t educate your members properly, letting scum like this exist. Are you new? You look different, but you feel strangely similar to that man.”
I didn’t need to ask who he meant.
The Sword Demon frowned as he continued. “…Because of that, I dislike your eyes. If you dare stare at me with them…”
It was then.
“I shall educate you and pluck them—“
Slam-!
An immense wave of Combat Qi exploded, hurling the Sword Demon backward into a wall.
Slam-!
Crack-!!
Dust billowed, debris raining down on him. It happened in an instant.
I stared in shock at the one who had done it.
Zap.
Zap.
The Demonic Sword radiated Combat Qi, mixed with Lightning Qi, her presence saturating the room. The very air felt like it was crumbling under her power. The Ghostly Sword Army members were frozen, unable to even draw their swords.
The Demonic Sword spoke, her voice laced with a rare, clear anger.
“…Don’t touch… with that disgusting hand…”