Chapter 60: Heavenly Net (4)
Unexpected variations on old tricks are hard to predict.
Instead of fleeing, setting a trap had worked perfectly.
By chaining them up and ambushing, the Lee Clan's warriors had all been swept away.
Even the fifty warriors who survived by avoiding the trap met the same fate.
They might've thought highly of themselves, but they were only on the level of having taken one castle.
The remaining fifty weren't beyond first-rate either.
With thousands of skeletons charging in, they flailed around and died off one by one.
Only Yi Won-pyeong, scraping the edge of first-rate, was putting up a fight against Seo Yerim.
‘Still, he can't win.’
Seo Yerim was a match for elder-level figures from any of the three factions.
For someone like Yi Won-pyeong, barely buying a little time was the best he could do.
She approached him and thrust her sword deep.
“Kugh!”
In the end, even Yi Won-pyeong collapsed.
[Your level has increased by 1!]
“Thanks for dragging it out. Thanks to you, I got another level up.”
“Experience barely comes from catching guys like you anyway.”
She shrugged as she said it.
“So, how many levels total?”
“From 130 to 135.”
“Five levels in one fight? Nice timing.”
“Perks of being low-level.”
Even the weakest of the Lee Clan's warriors were around level 150.
With a horde of them dying off, it wasn't strange for Kim Minwoo to skyrocket like this.
Seo Yerim was different, though.
The higher the level gap, the more drastically experience dropped off.
She was a near-400 high-level Awakener.
Killing every warrior here wouldn't even net her 1% of a level.
That's why they'd agreed beforehand for her to yield the experience.
That was the reason she'd stalled against Yi Won-pyeong.
‘The skeletons leveled up big too.’
Right after leaving the castle.
He'd canceled the summons of most skeletons scattered everywhere.
Their positions were already marked.
Scattering them further would've lost meaning soon enough.
In a few hours, troops from the three factions would swarm this way.
He canceled all but five per group, pulling the rest here.
Thanks to that, their average level hit 65.
Considering experience was split among thousands, it was prime time for the skeletons too.
And then.
[Skeleton's weapon skills have grown further from repeated combat experience!]
[Melee Weapon Skill has reached E-rank!]
[Melee Weapon Skill (E): Damage with all melee weapons increases by 20%.]
‘Jackpot.’
With their weapon skills up, the skeletons got even stronger.
That's when.
―Kuu.
Hayangi appeared.
Clutching a messenger pigeon's corpse in its talons.
“Who's our Hayangi following to be this amazing? Taking after Dad?”
―Kuu.
He gently stroked its head.
With the messenger pigeons all dealt with, word wouldn't get out for a while.
‘Time to split up the horses.’
Up until now, with the Lee Clan chasing, talking had been dicey.
Even if they did, getting caught would reveal their direction.
But now it was different.
The pursuit squad wiped out.
If they split into pairs here and used the clone technique again?
‘That'll give 'em headaches.’
They were heading straight, but no rule said they had to stick to that path.
The pursuers had to consider every possibility.
The skeletons mounted the horses amiably.
“Move around a bit.”
The skeletons wobbled, trying to balance, then fell off together.
Never ridden before, so no helping it.
Nothing for it.
“Tie each other to the horses with rope.”
The remaining skeletons bound the mounted ones tight with rope.
That should keep them on.
He tidied up the battlefield roughly, then looked at Seo Yerim.
“Let's move out.”
They galloped off on horseback.
* * *
Demonic Alliance Leader, Heavenly Demon, Murim Alliance Leader.
The three masters didn't move lightly.
They just held firm at the center.
The reason was simple.
Rush one way, and if reports came from the opposite direction, it'd be too late by the time they arrived.
But from the center?
Not the fastest, but at least not hopelessly late.
That's why.
Soon, reports of the two appearances came in, and the three burned mana freely, racing toward Hallym Castle with hair whipping in the wind.
They found the Lee Clan pursuit team's traces and corpses not long after.
Seeing Yi Won-pyeong's cold body, the Alliance Leader clicked his tongue.
“Tch. Fell for a trap. All the horses tripped up. Chains at night? Ruthless bastards.”
Goo Yang-cheon snorted at that.
“Not hard to spot if you were paying attention. Careful scouting would've avoided this damage. Obvious. They chased blindly in a rage.”
The Demonic Alliance Leader's face hardened as he checked the corpses' fingers.
“Five messenger pigeons? Smell lingers on their hands—they even launched them.”
“No report means… they took down all five in flight?”
The Alliance Leader's face stiffened.
That wasn't ordinary skill.
Meant they had some real moves.
“… Looks like it. But… no idea how.”
Goo Yang-cheon narrowed his eyes.
“Hey. That's your son. You don't know?”
“… Hoo. He changed like a different person in an instant. Honestly, I don't know him well either.”
When he went after the Human-Faced Treant, he had assigned an elder to watch him, not to follow him into the mountains.
The elder's job was blocking interference before entering, not aiding the hunt.
The Leader hadn't wanted cheating either—just eyes on the way there and back.
The mountains were the Treant's playground.
No lunatic would interfere that deep.
‘… Should've tailed him all the way.’
If he'd seen the Treant hunt, he'd have solid intel on both.
Now it stung how little he knew about Baek So-cheon and Choi Aeng-aeng.
Baek So-cheon wielded a sword well and commanded the undead. Choi Aeng-aeng was a sword-savvy maid.
That's all he knew.
Nothing in that fit sniping flying pigeons easily.
Fling sword qi?
To down five in flight meant their realm matched his own.
Impossible.
Search teams gathered around the three.
“No special traces besides horse tracks.”
“No pigeon corpses?”
“Yes, Alliance Leader. None.”
The three sighed.
Tracking just got trickier.
Blocked pigeons meant reports were way down too.
Small mercy.
“At least not forty directions this time.”
The group had split twenty ways.
Halved, at least.
Not sure if that helped.
Alliance Leader Yang Jeong-hak said gravely.
“… We'll have to blanket the main roads with search teams.”
“Yeah. On horses, they can't slip past. But search teams enough? Looks like that maid toyed with him like a plaything.”
Goo Yang-cheon pointed at Yi Won-pyeong.
Obvious from the body.
End-of-first-rate master.
Pushed to the limit—no mana left. Fought till empty.
Then Baek So-cheon stabbed him dead easily.
Clear as day.
These two were seriously strong.
“… You saying mobilize the Bureau too?”
“Almost two days gone. Looks risky to me. Horses preserve stamina.”
“…”
“What, scared? Our three combined, even the Emperor or his grandpa bends.”
“Hmm…”
Yang Jeong-hak pondered.
The Bureau bowing to murim was old news, but moving troops for personal beef was heavy.
Troops were the Emperor's, after all. And he was the righteous Murim Alliance Leader.
Different from demonic or cult folks. Meant eating double curses from the world.
This job even hurt the Bureau to help with.
Weren't these two always rampaging as top dogs? This their extension?
Luckily, Baek Hak-seong opposed instead.
“No. They might side with those kids. Could backfire. With their tempers, might even grant safe passage.”
“Ha, safe passage? Think I'll sit still? I'll smash their heads.”
“… Point is, pushing too hard might backfire. They'll dig in. Just maintain the blockade. Not time yet.”
“… Bullshit. What if they escape for real?”
“Less than two days. If no catch by tomorrow, we'll consider seriously.”
“Fine for you. Yang Jeong-hak, you? Not throwing a lone no vote, right?”
“… As the Demonic Alliance Leader says.”
“Hmph! Good. Chase for now.”
* * *
Riding hard.
Midway, hit another search team. Summoned skeleton horde to snag their horses' legs.
Horses bucking in panic.
Seo Yerim's arrows pierced riders' heads in a flash.
Massacre.
‘No end in sight.’
Day 3.
Borders tight, but punched through another castle.
‘Chaotic.’
Barely slept three days.
Just dozing on horseback at best.
Awakener stamina held; normal person would've collapsed.
One bright spot.
[Progress: 96%]
[Distance Remaining: 4%]
Almost there.
‘Search teams helped big.’
Oncomers were low-tier.
But fresh horses, infinite supply.
Sowed chaos in pursuit.
Leveled a ton too.
Hit 145 in a day.
That much fighting.
Problem.
Past 80% progress, ominous message popped.
[Progress exceeded 80%!]
[Your destination revealed to Murim Alliance Leader, Heavenly Demon, Demonic Alliance Leader!]
[Imperial Bureau intervenes!]
Then Bureau troops swarmed like dogs.
‘Small mercy…’
They weren't blocking zealously.
Half-hearted.
Pretend-block, then scream and scatter, clearing path.
Sometimes just let pass.
‘Emperor, nice.’
Seemed they wanted him far gone.
Lucky break.
If troops blocked hard, forget 16%—wouldn't hit 5%.
‘Must've built up grudges.’
Normally, fear of fallout would've made them hustle.
Current Emperor seemed pissed at murim plenty.
Kuu!
Hayangi swooped in, talons flexing.
Looking at Seo Yerim, he said.
“Bad news.”
“How much closer?”
“About one hour.”
“… Insane.”
“Yeah.”
They'd catch up.
Angles clear.
Half-expected.
No way dodging the three old monsters entirely to clear the gate.
As anticipated.
“Not passed out yet?”
“… Manageable.”
“Potions. Then we run on foot.”
Horses for stamina save. Full sprint, Awakener faster.
Stamina low, but had to widen gap.
Last spurt.
Gulped potions wildly with Seo Yerim. All stats +50, speed up, lighter body…
Ultra-rare potions, billions each, vanished.
Full doping frenzy.
[Too many potions short-term! Overload incoming!]
‘Not enough.’
Still way below Seo Yerim. Old monsters probably sprinting full-out too—meet sooner than hour.
This wouldn't resist them.
‘Then, stack it.’
Life's one big gamble.
Current STR, AGI mid-400s post-dope.
Pulled all STR and AGI potions.
Other stats fine.
Max these two.
To what?
‘At least 800 each.’
Then could stall old monsters.
Dopéd again.
[Consuming Supreme STR Boost Potion!]
[Overload! Stacking effect 50% reduced!]
[AGI Boost Potion…]
[Supreme STR…]
[Overload! Stacking…]
[AGI…]
Seo Yerim freaked seeing Kim Minwoo chug wildly.
“You nuts? Poisoning yourself! Paralyzed for life!”
“Gotta. Or old monsters slice us.”
Kept chugging.
Overload.
Potion effects halved.
50 becomes 25. Plus faster poisoning.
Poisoned?
Effects plummet permanently.
Withdrawal bonus.
Death Lord trial, poisoned once.
‘Zombie body then, fine.’
Real body now.
Normally avoided stacking here.
Madness.
But madness time.
Russian roulette.
‘Bullet in chamber? Tough life ahead.’
Better gamble than easy slice.
After taking five points each in Strength and Agility, a warning appeared.
[Too many potions consumed in a short period! Poisoning…]
[Title 'Live-for-Today' activates!]
[Resist potion poisoning!]
Resist procced. Chugged another ten—five each.
[Too many… Poisoning…]
[Title 'Live-for-Today'…]
[Resist…]
‘One more.’
Another ten—five each.
[Title 'Super Lucky Guy' activates!]
[Resist potion poisoning!]
[Resisted poisoning three times!]
[Acquire title 'Insane Gambler'!]
Lucky.
Now it's fun.