Chapter 760: Appearance of a Hero (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 760: Appearance of a Hero (8)
Rumble—!!!
The vibrations shook the ground violently.
I focused my internal energy to steady my stance and looked up at the sky. Countless dimensions had been torn open, as if eyes were blinking into existence within the void. Numerous Gates of Demons had formed above.
“Crazy bastard.”
The sight unfolding before me drew a curse from my lips. It was inevitable. It wasn't just the sheer number of Gates of Demons, but the fact that every single one pulsed with an ominous red light.
This meant that every one of them was a Red-Grade Gate of Demons, and that Red-Grade demons would soon emerge. These were monsters that required a warrior at the level of a Perfected Peak Master just to hunt a single one. Their very appearance could lay waste to the entire region.
Of course, at my current level, they weren't much of a threat to me personally.
I could handle two or three of them easily.
Objectively, I could probably take on five or six at once by myself. But…
This many is just ridiculous.
This was far, far too many. A quick count put the number at over thirty.
Thirty Red-Grade demons?
That’s more than enough to wipe Henan off the map.
I had never seen a number like this, not even in my past life. This was completely unexpected. It was obvious that the more enemies there were, the harder the fight would be, but this wasn't a simple matter of the difficulty doubling. Especially not in a situation like this.
It was already a struggle to hunt while fleeing or retreating, but now, I couldn't budge from this spot.
I have too much to protect.
I glanced around. There were about fifty-odd people left. As expected, their faces were masks of pure horror.
“So… so many Red-Grade Gates of Demons.”
“Dammit, what do we do now?”
“How in the world are we supposed to stop that…?”
Their despairing whispers rang in my ears. How could they stop this? Even with faces pale with terror, that was the question they asked.
Tsk.
Instead of running, their first thought was how to fight. They knew. They knew what those things would do to this place the moment they retreated, and what would happen to the people who had taken refuge here. They seemed to know it instinctively.
And that was why they couldn't run, even in this hopeless situation.
“…Ha.”
Well, isn't this something.
So this is what it means to be the so-called Orthodox Faction.
They were nothing but a bunch of fools. Right, this is why they all died so early. Do you know why the war in my past life was such a clusterfuck? Because people like them were the first to die the moment things went south.
Incredibly foolish people.
They knew they had no chance of winning, yet they chose to fight rather than flee. And reality was cruel enough that there were no miracles. And so, they closed their eyes in pools of their own blood and were buried in the earth. That was reality.
“Goddammit.”
My lips felt dry. If I screw this up, the same thing will happen again. The problem is…
I’m the one who caused this.
This time, it wasn't the Heavenly Demon's fault or the result of the Blood Disaster. It was because of a situation I had created.
Son of a bitch.
I swallowed down the wretched feeling. I had to assess the situation before blaming myself. Analysis came before self-pity.
Find a way.
And so, I would find one, no matter what. I forced my barely-functioning brain to spin faster.
[Aaaaaaaah—!]
The creature was still screaming. With its body covered in cracks, it looked like it was thrashing about in a final, desperate struggle. I tore my gaze away from it and looked at the Gates of Demons again.
But then…
…What’s that?
My eyes narrowed instantly. As I examined the Gates of Demons, I saw something strange.
There are lines inside them.
Within the open gates, I could see unknown lines connecting to each other. What could they be? The moment the question arose, I found the answer.
They’re the same as the sigil that was in the sky.
The crimson crest that had appeared in the air before the creature showed up. The lines inside the Gates of Demons looked exactly like the pattern that formed it. I focused on them, my mind racing.
The Gates of Demons have appeared, but the demons haven't come out yet.
Is there a reason for that? If there is…
Is it those lines?
Could it be that the demons will burst out once those lines are fully connected? The thought flashed through my mind. Of course, I wasn't certain. I didn't have enough information.
However…
This isn't the time to be picky.
Even if it was just a hypothesis, I didn't have the luxury of hesitating.
Thud—!!
I stomped on the ground, enveloping my body in blue flames.
“Listen carefully.”
I was about to add one more thing before I shot forward. Kill it if you don't want to die. I was about to say that, but I paused. What would be more effective than that…? Ah.
I had an idea. It wasn't something I'd normally say, but I happened to have just the right line.
“Now is the time. We have to kill that thing now to save everyone.”
“…!”
“We won’t get another chance.”
As I spoke, the atmosphere shifted. Whether they were paralyzed by fear or drowning in despair, their eyes all held a similar look.
If I don't do it, someone will die.
I don't know why they cared so much about that. But to these foolish people, that was more important than their own lives. And the ones gathered here were exactly those kinds of people.
Probably.
“So.”
Excluding me, of course.
“We must kill that thing, by any means necessary.”
With those words, I launched myself forward.
[Aaaaaaaah—!!]
The creature was still shrieking. I reached it in an instant.
Fwoooosh—!!
The blue flames covering my body flowed into my hands.
Fiery Fangs of the Beast.
The compressed flames merged with my Heart Fist, exploding at the tip of my knuckles. A strike containing all my power. It was about to land, but—
[Kyaaaaah—!!]
The shrieking creature moved, dodging the attack.
Fwoooosh—!!
The flames erupted, creating a massive blaze behind it. I pulled my hand back and immediately twisted my body.
Scrape—!
Its claws dug into the ground where I had just been. This bastard was ridiculously fast. I could see that my uniform was slightly torn. I couldn't check, but I was sure I had a wound on my torso.
But I paid no mind to such a minor injury. My gaze shifted upward.
The lines.
I checked the connecting lines in the Gates of Demons.
Hmm.
They were still connecting. It seemed that making the creature move didn't stop the process. That was a shame, but there was one silver lining.
It slowed down.
The speed at which the lines were connecting had clearly decreased. It seemed forcing it to move wasn't entirely without effect. Which meant…
The Gates of Demons are linked to its mind, or its power. And it can't just activate them effortlessly.
Swish—!
I dodged its claws once more, continuing my analysis.
Is this one of its powers?
I swung my leg.
Bam—!!
[Kiik—!]
The kick shattered its sound barrier. Since I hadn't imbued it with flames, the blow was weaker and the damage was shallow. But it didn't matter.
Shriiiik—!!
Because I could feel a multitude of presences approaching from behind.
“Yeehaw!”
Along with a cheerful voice, a staff came flying.
Crack—!
[Kueek—!!]
A blunt force attack broke through the shattered sound barrier. It struck the creature's torso directly, sending fragments flying. Seeing the flying debris, I frowned.
That’s too strange to be skin.
I analyzed every little detail in the middle of the fight. My head was starting to ache.
“Hyat!”
As if one hit wasn't enough, Bongsun, with an excited look on her face, tried to follow up with a flurry of strikes. But the sound barrier had already regenerated. Knowing this, Bongsun didn't stop her attack.
Did she believe it would work? No. It wasn't faith in her own attack.
Shiiiik—!!!
It was faith in what was coming next.
Crack—!!
A golden flash surged forward, shattering the sound barrier once again. A small opening was created. Bongsun didn't miss it.
“Hi-yah!”
Thwack—!!
[Kiaaa—!!]
The monster reeled from the consecutive blows, writhing in pain. It moved as if to counterattack, so I immediately grabbed Bongsun and pulled her back.
A single swing. Just after its claws sliced through the air…
“Hoo-uk!”
“We’ll join you!”
Several people appeared and charged at the monster. They all wore different clothes, and the internal energy flowing through their bodies was varied. They were all different kinds of martial artists. Their levels ranged from Peak to Perfected Peak.
For their age, one might say they were strong, but they weren't at a level to interfere in this fight. They surely knew that as well.
Then why are they coming?
I couldn't understand it. If they had eyes, they should know that joining in would likely get them killed.
Is it that chivalry nonsense again?
Why would they pursue something so useless when there was no such thing as chivalry left in this rotten world? It was truly laughable.
Clang—! Kwhaang—!!
“Keuk!”
“Be careful…!!”
They struck the inside of the broken barrier, sending shockwaves through it.
[Kiaaa—!!]
The creature screamed from the continuous impacts, but the damage was less than before. It unleashed its killing intent and swung its arm rapidly.
This is dangerous. If I leave them, they'll all die. But intervening would be a loss for me. There was no way to save them safely. My body would inevitably take damage. It would be better to abandon them, but…
“Agh, fuck it.”
My damn body was already moving on its own. I maximized my firepower to increase my speed to its absolute limit.
Fwoosh—!
An ember burst, and my body shot forward. I quickly approached the martial artists and reached out my hands. There were too many to grab directly. I used the Spatial Art to pull them back.
“Huk!”
Craaack—!
Just as the martial artists were pulled clear, the creature's fingertips slammed into the ground. Then, the monster's gaze turned towards me. An attack followed immediately.
Dammit.
I could feel the recoil from moving at such an excessive speed. It was too late to dodge the attack. Its claws were about to tear my shoulder off, when—
Pyushuk—!
Twang—!!
[Kiririk!?]
“Hm?”
Something flew in and struck the creature's claws, blocking the attack. Looking closely, I saw it was an arrow. An arrow, in this situation? My surprise at the unexpected object was brief.
“…Duck.”
At the word that followed, I instinctively lowered my head. A sword blade grazed past where my head had just been.
Bzzzzzzzzzt—!!!!
[Kiaaaaaah—!!]
A flash of light erupted. The master of Lightning Qi, Namgung Bi-ah, had begun to engage the monster directly. No, it wasn't just Namgung Bi-ah.
“I’ll take the right.”
“…Okay.”
With the voice, a golden flash mixed in with the sharp Lightning Qi. Wi Seol-Ah's sword danced at the same time as Namgung Bi-ah's.
Sleung! Shwiiik—!
Sword auras of different colors flowed gracefully through the air. They seemed as if they would collide, yet they narrowly missed each other. They moved so as not to interfere with each other's sword arts, without losing any of their power.
Slice—!
Wi Seol-Ah's sword cut through the sound barrier. She, too, could wield the Mind Sword, which allowed her to slice through the barrier.
An opening. The moment the gap appeared, lightning struck.
Bzzzzzt—!!!
[Kiaaayaaah!!]
As the monster was engulfed in lightning, a staff flew in to block its flailing arm.
Thump—!!
Bongsun blocked the attack, and a dagger flew in to cover any gaps. With the attacks blocked, a storm of sword strikes, led by the Mind Sword, raged on.
[Kyaaaaaah—!!!]
Slice—! Slash—! Thud—!
The coordination of the four was so perfect that even the other martial artists couldn't find an opening to join in.
“…Uh…”
The same went for me. I watched, my mouth slightly agape. Why are they so good…? It was almost absurd. I could understand the three I'd known for a long time, but what was with Bongsun?
“Hiyahahahaha—!!!”
She swung her staff with a wide grin, as if she was having the time of her life. But contrary to her lighthearted attitude, her attacks were heavy. Even without reaching the state of Mind’s Eye, she was deflecting the creature's attacks. It was an incredibly powerful display.
Thanks to them, the monster couldn't regain its senses and was getting thoroughly beaten.
[Kiya… kiyaaak…!]
It was almost pitiful now. Watching it, I lifted my head. I checked the Gates of Demons once more.
Just then.
…Hsss.
The lines were still connecting. No matter how much they had slowed, it seemed I didn't have much time. I had to finish this somehow. Even if the monster was being pushed back now, if I couldn't stop those Gates of Demons, it was all over.
Squeeze—!!
I focused power in my heart. I rapidly spun the ring, gathering energy from all over my body. It was to create the Holy Spear. A strike far larger and more powerful than usual. For that, I compressed a significant amount of my internal energy.
I'll have Wi Seol-Ah break the barrier, and then…
Wasting power to break the barrier myself was a waste. I'll have Wi Seol-Ah create an opening, and I'll land a clean hit with the Holy Spear.
Just as I made that decision…
[Kiiii…!!]
Woong—!
“Huh?”
Suddenly, I felt a reaction from within my heart. It was a sensation coming from the monster that was getting beaten senseless.
This is… Don't tell me.
“Get back—!”
“…!!!”
At my urgent shout, they all immediately broke away from the monster and flew towards me.
In that instant.
[Kyaaaaaah—!!!]
The creature opened its mouth wide and let out a horrifying shriek. That wasn't all.
Fwoooom—!!
Light began to gather in its torn mouth, and then…
Kuaaaaaaaah—!!!!
An immense amount of energy erupted. Seeing it, I threw myself forward. The light poured out, swallowing me whole.