Chapter 92: Iron Demon Appears-2
Chapter 92: Iron Demon Appears-2
Uuuung!
Dok Su-gwang had to strain every muscle to keep his grip on the violently shaking spear shaft.
It felt as though his grip might tear apart.
But for Dok Su-gwang, the shock of the monster before him far outweighed the pain in his hands.
A demon, they said.
A demon of the Han people, not the Miao tribe, and one that used martial arts at that.
It was something he had never even imagined.
And now that demon was charging at Dok Su-gwang, trying to fire a twin palm strike at him.
The creature shoved forward with its body as if the blade of Dok Su-gwang's spear pointed at it was of no concern at all.
For Dok Su-gwang, who still hadn't regained control of his spear, it was an attack he simply could not block.
Predicting what would come next, his face drained of all color.
"Kkeuk?!"
But it seemed his life was not meant to end just yet.
The members of Squad Five, who had rushed in just in time, brought their swords down on the demon.
"Squad leader!"
"You bastard!"
Their swords struck the demon's neck and arms with precision.
And then, with a metallic clang, they simply bounced off.
Chaeng!
"Ugh!"
"What the?!"
Though their attacks hadn't penetrated, they at least succeeded in disrupting the demon's movements.
Thanks to that, Dok Su-gwang, who had narrowly rolled his body to dodge the twin palms, cried out urgently.
"Pull back!"
Even without Dok Su-gwang's shout, the squad members, accustomed to fighting demons, tried to pull their bodies back the instant their swords rebounded.
But the demon was faster.
Pabak!
The demon hurled itself at them with the savage dynamism of a wild beast.
Its speed was astonishing, comparable to a peak-level master.
In an instant, the demon closed the distance and the Squad Five members screamed at the sight of its twin palms.
"Euuugh!"
"F-fa, fast...!"
The next moment, the demon's energy strike slammed into their chests.
Puppeong!
"Keok!"
"Kkeuk!"
It happened in a flash.
The two squad members, their chests caved in, couldn't even manage a scream.
The other Squad Five members cried out in horror.
"Yeong-u!"
"Ji-gyun!"
But Dok Su-gwang shouted not at the fallen members, but at the ones who remained.
"Dodge! It's coming!"
An accurate warning.
Having slaughtered the two, the demon immediately changed direction and charged at the other squad members.
Pabak!
"Eeik!"
Dok Su-gwang gritted his teeth and threw himself at the creature.
A demon that used martial arts, with durability exceeding a mid-level liver demon, perhaps even greater than a spider demon—there was no way ordinary squad members could handle it.
Somehow, Dok Su-gwang himself had to stop it.
Puppeong!
"Dodge!"
"Hahp!"
The creature unleashed another energy strike, but this time the squad members scattered in all directions, managing to evade it well.
Seeing that, Dok Su-gwang felt a measure of relief and swung his spear shaft at the creature's legs.
"You bastard!"
Buaaang!
Since he couldn't pierce its skin with his own ability, he thought to at least trip it and throw it down.
If he could buy time, reinforcements capable of using energetic force would arrive.
But the very next moment, Dok Su-gwang could only reel in shock.
"What?!"
Buuung!
The creature had lightly lifted its body, just like a real martial artist, to evade the spear shaft.
Then, it immediately twisted its body in mid-air and pounced on Dok Su-gwang.
Its movements were truly bestial.
Dok Su-gwang gritted his teeth and frantically threw himself aside.
"A mere demon?!"
Puppeong!
Dok Su-gwang barely managed to avoid the creature's twin palms.
But the attack did not end there.
Buaaang!
A kick was flying straight toward his stomach.
The creature had lashed out with its foot as Dok Su-gwang hurled himself sideways.
Ppeoeok!
"Kkeuuk!"
Dok Su-gwang barely managed to block the creature's kick with his spear shaft, but he flew backward like a cannonball and crashed into the ground.
Ppeok!
Kudangtang!
The pain was enough to make his head ring for a moment.
Had he not blocked with the spear shaft, he felt as if every bone in his body would have been shattered.
But there was no time to sit there and endure it.
Suppressing the agony, Dok Su-gwang immediately raised his head.
And then, into his vision came the demon, charging at him like a wild beast.
The distance was already close, far too close to dodge.
"Euuugh!"
Dok Su-gwang's eyes widened enormously.
The creature's twin palms, reaching out toward him, filled his vision entirely.
It was the end.
Right then.
"Haahp!"
"Die!"
"You bastard!"
Three members of Squad Five desperately lunged at the demon and brought their weapons down.
It was a reckless human-wave charge, with no thought to front or back.
Puk! Puppuk!
Their charge, which disregarded even their own safety, slightly disrupted the demon's balance.
And simultaneously, a powerful palm force grazed past Dok Su-gwang's ear.
Ppeoeong!
He swallowed hard.
It felt like a wind leaking through the gap of hell's gate had just brushed past him.
"Eeik!"
Dok Su-gwang hurled his body with desperate strength.
He felt that if he missed this chance, he would truly die.
Pabak!
Then, rolling on the ground, he shouted.
"Everyone, pull out now!"
But after throwing himself recklessly and immediately turning his gaze, Dok Su-gwang had no choice but to witness it.
The demon's Tiger Claw Hand sweeping through the squad members who hadn't managed to retreat in time.
Puhwaak!
"Aaaagh!"
"Jo Ja-ang!"
Ppuseok!
"Kkek!"
It took only the very briefest of moments for the demon to tear through two chests with its Tiger Claw Hand and then fire an energy strike at another to shatter his head.
Dok Su-gwang screamed in anguish.
"No!"
The remaining squad members also stared at the scene with expressions of utter desolation.
But they could not afford to do that.
The creature turned its body like a machine and immediately lunged at the rest of the squad members.
Dok Su-gwang, snapping back to his senses, cried out in horror.
"Dodge!"
The squad members also came to their senses instantly and threw themselves away with all their might, scattering.
But the demon was much faster.
The demon had already closed in right behind Vice Squad Leader Jang Yeoyeo, who had leaped away.
Dok Su-gwang, belatedly throwing himself forward, yelled.
"Jang Yeoyeo! Behind you!"
When Jang Yeoyeo looked back in surprise, the demon was already bearing down on her from right behind.
Jang Yeoyeo's eyes filled with terror.
"Euaaaa..."
It was then.
"Haaaap!"
Someone attacked the demon like a flying tiger.
A brilliant blue sword qi.
Seeing it, Dok Su-gwang cried out with a gleam of relief in his eyes.
"Han Gyo-seong!"
It was the swordsman known as a genius even within the Mount Qingcheng Sect, the very Blue Wind Sword Dragon, Han Gyo-seong.
As the swordsman officially regarded as the strongest among the Thirteen Great Lords' squad leaders, when he slashed at the demon with his blue sword qi, everyone who survived could let out a cheer.
"Blue Wind Sword Dragon!"
"It's the First Squad leader!"
"We're saved!"
Han Gyo-seong's sword was wreathed in a blue, dense sword qi like a blade of light.
With a sword qi that vivid, even the spider demon, known for having the hardest shell among demons, would not be able to withstand it.
But in the very next moment, their expressions had to freeze stiff once more.
Jjeojjeojeong!
Because Han Gyo-seong's sword qi, unable to cut the demon's body, had simply rebounded.
Everyone who saw it went rigid right then and there.
"...What?"
"How can this be?!"
That Han Gyo-seong's sword qi, radiating vivid brilliance, could not pierce the demon's skin, just like Dok Su-gwang's spear qi, was something utterly unbelievable.
Such defensive power was impossible even for the toughest spider demon.
But even amidst such a shocking turn of events, Han Gyo-seong could not afford to panic.
Because the demon, which had hesitated for a moment upon being struck by the sword qi, immediately charged at Han Gyo-seong and unleashed its palm force.
Peong!
"Tch!"
Though it was a swift attack that took him by surprise, as he had never imagined it could withstand sword qi, Han Gyo-seong was fortunately able to react right away.
He quickly swung his sword qi and batted away the palm force.
Teoeong!
"Kreureureu!"
The demon continued to lunge at him.
Its momentum was as ferocious as a wild beast, but unlike other demons, it was attacking using martial forms like a martial artist.
It was a chain strike at a speed that even a peak-level master would not be ashamed of.
Puppuppeong!
Han Gyo-seong moved his body as if dancing and deflected the demon's palm force. His response was far too natural and fluid.
Because the attacks, though fast, were formulaic and lacked changing grass variations, he was able to handle them sufficiently.
Teoteteoteong!
'The power of the palm force itself is manageable. At best, upper first-rate. But the speed of its movements is peak-level. Is it because it's a demon?'
Han Gyo-seong, who had been smoothly retreating while parrying the opponent's attacks, assessed the demon's level to some degree and then began to transition back to the offensive.
"Haaahp!"
In an instant, Han Gyo-seong's sword qi entwined like a blue gale.
It was the ultimate technique of Mount Qingcheng, the Cheongpung Sword Technique.
Its fierce chain strike began to pummel the demon mercilessly, like a storm wind.
Teotototeoteong!
"Kreureureureureu!"
The demon tried to defend against Han Gyo-seong's attacks.
Though it seemed to swing its arms wildly to knock the sword away, it was completely useless.
Like a shower of rain that no amount of flailing arms could block, the blue sword qi relentlessly battered the demon.
Kwakwakwakwakang!
At that exhilarating sight, the Squad Five members cheered.
"As expected of Squad Leader Han Gyo-seong!"
"Smash it to pieces! First Squad leader!"
But even as they cheered for Han Gyo-seong in one voice, Dok Su-gwang's complexion remained stiff as stone.
The demon's skin, struck dozens of times by the sword qi, had not sustained so much as a scratch.
And that fact was also true for Han Gyo-seong, who was pressing the demon relentlessly.
'The sword qi didn't penetrate at all. How is this possible? Could this bastard really be...'
Suddenly, what Seonwoo Jin had said a month ago before he left flashed through Han Gyo-seong's mind.
'Sword qi doesn't work on it, and it even uses martial arts. Moreover, it's not of the Miao Tribe, but a Han. Could this really be the Iron Ghost that Seonwoo Jin warned about?'
Unlike Dok Su-gwang, who had completely ignored Seonwoo Jin's words, Han Gyo-seong had habitually carried the Hwagolsan that Dang Yeoeun had given him every time he went on patrol, just as advised.
The problem was that this wasn't patrol.
Having rushed out to provide support, he hadn't been able to grab the Hwagolsan and had come running with only his sword.
Continuing his offensive, Han Gyo-seong shouted toward Dok Su-gwang.
"Dok Su-gwang! I think this bastard is the Iron Ghost that Seonwoo Jin talked about! Hwagolsan! Where's the Hwagolsan that Dang Yeoeun gave you?!"
At that, Dok Su-gwang, his expression slightly flinching, answered.
"I, I didn't bring it!"
"What?!"
"How could I trust that guy's words and carry around something so dangerous?!"
"You idiot!"
That was when it happened.
The moment the monster gave up trying to block Han Gyo-seong's attacks.
The monster no longer tried to defend against Han Gyo-seong's attacks. Instead, it simply took the hits with its body and started counterattacking Han Gyo-seong directly.
It seemed that, having learned through experience that being hit didn't matter anyway, it had abandoned the martial artist's instinct to try and defend against an opponent's strikes.
"Grrrrrrr!"
The monster began launching palm force at Han Gyo-seong as he struck with his sword qi.
Po-po-po-peok!
It was a palm force of meager power, utterly incomparable to sword qi, but unlike the monster, who was unaffected by taking sword qi, Han Gyo-seong couldn't afford to let that palm force hit him directly.
So there was no need to even say which of the two had the upper hand.
Han Gyo-seong was soon forced to retreat frantically, dodging the monster's attacks.
He could no longer continue his assault.
If it at least opened its mouth like other demons, he could try targeting that spot, but the creature refused to open its mouth at all.
"Damn!"
Fortunately, the monster's attacks didn't manage to land squarely on Han Gyo-seong. The monster's movements were at the level of a peak master, but Han Gyo-seong was a true peak master.
But even so, it was a paper-thin difference.
To Han Gyo-seong, this wild, beast-like berserker style felt even more threatening than before, when it had attacked using formal techniques.
Han Gyo-seong barely evaded the monster's attacks that grazed past him, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Then he shouted.
"Dok Su-gwang! Send the signal again! Tell them to bring Hwagolsan!"
At that, Dok Su-gwang frowned and answered.
"How the hell am I supposed to send a signal for that?!"
"Then send a person! Do you all want to die?! If sword qi doesn't work, even the Commander coming won't help!"
It was then.
The monster abruptly halted its offensive against Han Gyo-seong.
"?!"
Han Gyo-seong, who had been retreating frantically, barely found the composure to put distance between them when the monster suddenly stopped moving.
Then it caught his eye: the monster's gaze was shifting toward the others.
No way?!
Han Gyo-seong shouted urgently.
"Everyone get away!"
But at the same moment, the monster had already thrown itself forward. Toward the Fifth Squad members who had been watching them, toward the weaker ones whose distance had somehow drawn closer.
For an instant, Han Gyo-seong felt like he'd been struck over the head.
The positions of the Fifth Squad members, who had been watching from a distance, had somehow drawn closer.
It was because the distance between them had narrowed while he had been fighting Han Gyo-seong.
'Could it have been planning this from the very beginning?'
It was absurd.
How could a demon, whose intelligence was lower than that of most beasts—
"Euaak?!"
"Dodge!"
The Fifth Squad members scattered in utter panic.
They had been relaxing and spectating the fight ever since Han Gyo-seong arrived.
It was because of the long-held fixed idea that a demon never changed its chosen target once set.
And that idea had ultimately decided their life or death.
Pu-uk!
"Guk!"
"Gack!"
This time, the monster didn't launch palm force.
Using both hands like daggers, it pierced through the chests of two men and then pulled their bodies close.
A completely different action from before, and the action it immediately took made Han Gyo-seong and Dok Su-gwang recoil in horror.
Pu-uk! Choo-oo-ook! Gulp, gulp!
"Wha, what?!"
"That bastard, could it be?!"
Holding one corpse in its left hand, the monster had sunk its teeth into the neck of the Fifth Squad member held in its right hand and was drinking his blood.
Just like a Blood Demon that grows stronger by absorbing human blood and internal energy.
"You bastard!"
Han Gyo-seong exploded with a furious roar and immediately charged the monster.
Dok Su-gwang did the same.
By now, both men were growing extremely desperate.
If that monster was growing stronger through blood-sucking like the Blood Demon, if it had intentionally sought to strengthen itself through blood-sucking because it felt insufficient in its fight against Han Gyo-seong, then that bastard was undoubtedly a monster incomparable to the Blood Demon.
"Eeeyap!"
"Taaap!"
Peo-eo-eong!
Cheo-eong!
Han Gyo-seong's sword qi and Dok Su-gwang's spear qi struck the blood-sucking monster hard in the back.
But even as its body staggered, the monster didn't look back. It simply continued to feed.
"Die!"
"Eeu-yaaaap!"
Peo-peo-peo-peo-peok!
Countless attacks landed squarely on the monster's back.
But amid it all, it remained hunched over, draining every last drop of one man's blood.
And then another.
The attacks of the two men inflicted no damage whatsoever on the creature, and it never once stopped its actions.
Han Gyo-seong, who had been pounding relentlessly on the monster's body, finally shouted.
"Everyone run! Go and relay information about this thing to the Commander! And hurry, tell them to bring Hwagolsan!"
At those words, the remaining Fifth Squad members, who had been staring with horrified expressions, snapped back to their senses and answered.
"Yes, yes! Understood!"
Now only three Fifth Squad members remained.
Including Dok Su-gwang, it was only four.
Watching the three squad members flee, Han Gyo-seong also shouted to Dok Su-gwang.
"Dok Su-gwang! You run too! It's dangerous for you too!"
Dok Su-gwang had also been agonizing over whether he too should flee.
But those words ended up pricking the prideful Dok Su-gwang instead.
"What nonsense is that?!"
"You're no match for it! Don't you get it?!"
"Don't make me laugh! How dare you ignore me—!"
It was then.
The monster, which had remained motionless no matter how much they beat it, only sucking blood, suddenly stopped feeding and raised its head.
Toward the fleeing Fifth Squad members.
And then the monster's eyes, which had been directed toward the squad members, slowly swiveled to fix on Dok Su-gwang.
They were eyes that emitted an even deeper crimson glare than before.
The moment the monster's red gaze fell upon him, Dok Su-gwang could no longer continue his words.
He felt his entire body stiffen under a pressure that was on a completely different level from before.
"Grrrrrrr!"
The monster snarled and immediately charged Dok Su-gwang.
"Eeek!"
Dok Su-gwang thrust his spear with all his might at the monster bearing down upon him.
Chaeng!
But as expected, it was completely useless.
As if it didn't matter at all, the monster pushed in with its body against the spear, trying to grab hold of Dok Su-gwang.
"Dok Su-gwang!"
At that, Han Gyo-seong desperately lunged at the monster's flank.
It was to save him, no matter what.
But in that instant, Dok Su-gwang thought he saw the monster's mouth curl into a foul grin.
The next moment, the monster twisted its body and took Han Gyo-seong's downward sword strike squarely with its body.
Peo-eok!
And then it immediately wrapped its arm around Han Gyo-seong's sword and seized it.
Teok!
"?!"
Seeing his sword held fast and the demon's face grinning menacingly at him, Han Gyo-seong could do nothing but wear a look of blank dismay.
The demon's target had been Han Gyo-seong himself from the very beginning.
The bastard had lured him in by pretending to attack Dok Su-gwang.
Han Gyo-seong should have immediately let go of his sword and retreated.
But he ended up hesitating for just a moment.
It was because of the habit of a disciple from a prestigious sect, who considered releasing his sword as defeat, and his own experience of having never once faced a true crisis thanks to his outstanding skill.
The sight of the demon's huge palm growing rapidly larger filled Han Gyo-seong's vision.
Without realizing it, he murmured.
"Master."
That was the moment.
Kwaaaaang!
A sudden explosion erupted right in front of Han Gyo-seong's nose.
It was a violent crashing sound, as if a meteorite had fallen.
"...What?"
Han Gyo-seong, momentarily dazed, stared with eyes full of bewilderment at this sudden event that had saved his life.
Something huge had just flown in like a cannonball and slammed into the demon.
But it was too large to be called a cannonball.
It was a size almost as large as a human body, and it had moved with a speed that even Han Gyo-seong, a peak-level master, couldn't properly perceive, however distracted he might have been.
'Could it actually have been a meteorite?'
Han Gyo-seong, who had been staring toward where the demon had been sent flying while thinking such thoughts, was utterly shocked.
In front of the demon, which had been hurled into the forest, someone was gasping for breath as they rose to their feet.
They grinned brightly and murmured.
"Phew, looks like I wasn't too late."
A handsome face with a refreshing smile. Seeing him, Han Gyo-seong murmured without realizing it.
"Seon-woo... Jin? How?"
Seonwoo Jin, who had blown the Iron Ghost away with a cannonball-like body slam using his Explosive Step at the moment of crisis, smiled fiercely as he watched the Iron Ghost crash into the forest and rise back up.
"It's been a while, Iron Ghost."