Chapter 69
Chapter 69
Chapter 69
Hierarchy Arrangement (3)
Two hours later, I went to the European Union's Security Force. Tasha was waiting with an expressionless face.
"I've deleted all data on the Heavenly Demon Cult."
"From now on, don't interfere with whatever the Heavenly Demon Cult does in Europe. Don't even take an interest."
"If a situation arises where civilians die, we can't just stand by either."
It must have taken courage to say that.
However, it didn't sound sincere.
"Since when did you have such convictions? Did you develop convictions you didn't have after joining the Security Force?"
"What do you..."
"If you had such convictions, why did you stand by when the Demon Race ran wild? Weren't you the ones who just watched as nuclear power plants were destroyed and civilians were massacred?"
I spoke so everyone could hear.
"Convictions are upheld through actions, not thoughts and ideas. I'm the only one here who can confidently say they protected civilians."
Tasha kept her mouth shut.
"Those who only fight battles they can win can only protect one thing. Their own lives. Keep protecting that from now on too."
I waited for a moment, but there was no rebuttal.
"Don't make me come back here. When I do, even the lives you're barely protecting will disappear."
Leaving those words, I left the Security Force.
The next place I visited was Britain's Security Force.
Britain operated its Security Force separately from the European Union, with about 30 members.
Besides Britain, there were quite a few countries that had recruited small numbers of reincarnators.
'That might actually be better.'
The Security Force itself has no power. However, reincarnators belonging to the Security Force enjoy many privileges.
Many reincarnators chose this.
Thus, there were 36 countries that had recruited even just one reincarnator. I planned to visit all of them.
—Bring plenty of scrolls.
—Do you think I'm going on a world tour?
—Aren't you?
In the end, I put fifty scrolls in the bag on my back and began my world tour.
'I need to firmly establish the hierarchy.'
I hate pressuring people with mind games or politics. I'd rather they come at me with force—even if I'm lacking, I'll meet them head-on.
—Cult Leader, you must be careful when visiting small countries. There will likely be those who target you.
If there's a reincarnator still hiding who's targeting me, now is their chance.
'I'm deliberately giving them the opportunity.'
If there are enemies, I'm hoping they'll appear now. That's my honest feeling.
—Are you planning to go on a training journey?
Jimun Seo-saeng even said this.
Compared to my past life's training journeys, this is too easy now. That's why I didn't call it a training journey.
—It's hierarchy establishment. I'd welcome an attack.
From each country's perspective, this is a humiliating situation.
Though not official, it was no different from the Security Force Captain of a small country called Korea ransacking their homes.
The sixth country was Russia.
Russia had built an independent Security Force with 15 members. When I arrived, officials were waiting.
"We will escort you."
They didn't want a fight and voluntarily guided me to the Security Force.
The feeling was strange.
Russia's Security Force Captain was a Murim person.
There was no emotion in his eyes as he looked at me. He was suppressing it.
He must have trained quite a bit, as it didn't show outwardly.
His impression was quite intense with white hair and a white beard extending to his chin and sideburns.
'I feel like I'll meet him again.'
I had that feeling, but this wasn't a situation where I needed to make a move immediately.
Not only his expression, but Russia's entire Security Force's response was excellent.
"We've deleted all data on the Heavenly Demon Cult."
That was it. There was nothing more I could do.
After Russia, the atmosphere was similar. Still, I didn't stop making visits deliberately.
—Cult Leader, this is actually a good situation to show externally.
I hate this.
In the end, my actions also became politics. I felt once again that force and politics cannot be separated.
'Should I just sweep them all away?'
Unfortunately, I couldn't do that.
'Should I quit?'
In this situation, continuing to visit Security Forces was meaningless.
While I was pondering, I arrived at Mongolia's airport. I decided to quit after this last place.
As expected, an official was waiting for me in Mongolia too. But it wasn't an ordinary person.
"Were you in Mongolia's Security Force?"
"Security Force, what? I was just born here so I have a slight connection, kkeul-kkeul."
That characteristic laugh.
The person wearing dirty clothes that didn't suit the airport was Gu Ak-chil.
'He said he was born in Mongolia.'
There were two Security Force members registered in Mongolia.
"Even if there's a Security Force here, it's not something you should be involved in."
"Why?"
"The Security Force here isn't made up of reincarnators."
Gu Ak-chil smiled and turned around.
"Since you're here, let's eat."
"Are you telling me to mooch off a beggar? What a situation."
"Kkeul-kkeul, what are you talking about?"
Gu Ak-chil said as if it were obvious.
"You're paying."
He was so confident I couldn't even refuse.
"Didn't you get a lot of money from China? Good fortune comes from being generous to beggars, ahem!"
He left the airport without even listening to my answer.
I was about to just turn around but followed him.
'I'll consider it charity, whatever.'
Leaving here would actually look bad somehow. It would seem like I'm running away.
For now, I followed him out of the airport.
He confidently hailed a taxi and stated his destination.
After moving about 20 minutes from the airport, a road appeared with nothing around it.
Then suddenly, an old pavilion appeared out of nowhere.
Behind the pavilion was a modern-style lodging building.
"Get out."
"It's not a restaurant."
"Still, you're a guest so I should bring you to my home."
"A beggar having a home."
"Kkeul-kkeul, I didn't say it was my home."
As we got out of the taxi, five people who had been training near the pavilion rushed over.
They looked at Gu Ak-chil and bowed deeply.
Every one of them had their upper bodies bare, with well-balanced physiques.
'They've trained tremendously.'
I could tell just by looking at their bodies.
"Kkeul-kkeul, you all know who this person is, right? I hear he's currently attacking Security Forces around the world."
At Gu Ak-chil's words, the eyes of the five changed.
The oldest-looking one appeared to be in his forties, and there was also someone in their early twenties.
Shortly after, one more person burst out from the lodging.
"Master!"
He was Gu Ak-chil's disciple. I remembered his face.
He immediately deployed Lightfoot Technique and approached, then stood before me.
"Why is the Heavenly Demon here?"
He asked Gu Ak-chil while looking at me. I couldn't sense even a hint of fear.
'It's been a while since I felt this.'
Gu Ak-chil laughed playfully and spoke to his disciples.
"Security Forces around the world are bowing their heads. Is there anything special about us? We should treat him with utmost hospitality and send him off."
"Master!"
"We can't do that!"
"I'd rather die than do that!"
I looked at Gu Ak-chil.
A strange situation.
He and I are clearly enemies. Yet from that last look, we clearly understood each other's intentions.
"Courage without ability is called recklessness."
I stepped forward before them.
Including the disciple who joined late, there were six opponents.
They truly had no intention of backing down. Not only that, they didn't even form an encirclement.
They planned to attack individually.
It was like seeing the exact replica of the obstinate Orthodox Faction bastards from my past life.
"Agolta. That's my name."
"I don't need to know the name of someone who's going to die."
I waited for him with my hands behind my back.
Whether his pride was hurt by my appearance, Agolta immediately charged at me.
He placed his center on his right foot, stepped on the ground, and delivered power to his fist. A simple movement, but fast and accurate.
I deliberately didn't dodge and blocked with my palm.
Pung.
A fairly crisp sound rang out. But the following attack made me move.
'What is this?'
A kick that had been aiming for my waist suddenly flew toward my neck.
In response, I stepped forward and pushed Agolta's shoulder.
His foot, having lost its center, had nowhere to go, and Agolta fell over. But just before falling, he supported himself with his arm, rotated his body, and aimed for my ankle.
I tried to step on the approaching foot, but like a whip, its trajectory changed.
The foot rose up to my knee, and when I dodged it, the other foot aimed for my chin.
It's a martial art I've never seen before. But the feeling is familiar.
'Dagu Baton Technique?'
To confirm this, I engaged in close combat. Agolta didn't retreat and extended his fist.
I deliberately deflected the fist filled with Internal Energy with my shoulder. But this time too, the fist touched my chest instead of my shoulder.
Again without dodging, I bounced the fist off my chest.
This time Agolta was flustered. He had been confident in his Internal Energy, but was shocked when pushed back.
Even in the midst of this, he tried to deploy a kick technique again, so I approached once more and pushed away the foot flying toward my thigh.
Agolta fell straight to the ground.
"Kkeul-kkeul, revenge my ass! That's your skill!"
"Not yet!"
Despite showing the difference in skill, Agolta jumped up and glared at me.
"Pick up your weapon!"
He shouted. I looked at Gu Ak-chil, dumbfounded.
"Just attack, you idiot!"
When Gu Ak-chil yelled, Agolta took out two batons from his waist and attacked again.
'Gu Ak-chil created a new martial art.'
The foundation was Dagu Baton Technique. But the two short batons completely changed the feel of Dagu Baton Technique.
The first attack came at my instep. But the other hand aimed for a vital point.
Feints and vital point attacks alternated, with no consistent pattern.
I faced Agolta's twin batons without using Strong Fist.
When I started countering with my arms, Agolta attacked even more fiercely.
The baton making concise attacks transformed into a storm-like rapid speed when I approached. Though the power of each strike was weak, the attacks poured down so relentlessly that even I felt burdened.
'Definitely a genius.'
His instinct for combat is outstanding. Whenever I tried to attack, he unfailingly blocked my approach route.
'He met the wrong opponent.'
Tuk.
I caught his flying baton.
Tuk.
The other one was caught in my hand too.
Crack!
The two batons crumpled in my grasp and split in half.
Agolta immediately threw the shortened batons and switched to Fist Technique.
"Stop!"
Gu Ak-chil shouted, but Agolta didn't stop.
Unable to help it, I deployed Palm Technique toward his fist.
Crack!
A rough sound came from his shoulder. His arm was merely dislocated, an injury that could be fixed quickly.
But Agolta deployed Fist Technique again with his other hand.
'How foolish.'
I struck his fist away with my elbow. Then I drove my Kick Technique into his chest.
His body slid across the ground, leaving a long line. But he wriggled and got up again.
Eventually, Gu Ak-chil went to his side and struck his head with his staff.
"When an opponent goes easy on you, you should know to back off appropriately!"
"How can there be such a thing against Master's enemy!"
"This bastard's mouth is the only thing alive!"
Gu Ak-chil cursed while fixing his disciple's dislocated shoulder.
But in the meantime, another disciple stood before me.
"Attack all at once. I'm a busy person."
At my words, Gu Ak-chil looked at his disciples and nodded. Only then did the five simultaneously draw their weapons and attack.
All their weapons were twin batons.
The moment they attacked in coordination, a small smile appeared on Gu Ak-chil's lips.
And I quickly realized why.
In an instant, intense energy waves were felt throughout my entire body.
'It was a joint attack.'
The five's attacks were a joint formation. From the beginning, seamless offense continued as if they had been trained that way.
'I'll have to kill them.'
The power of the joint attack far exceeded my expectations. To repel them, I had no choice but to kill.
First, I drew up my Internal Energy and dodged the incoming attacks.
And the moment I tried to pull them in with Absorption Strike, they moved away like ghosts.
The Absorption Strike ended up just pulling in the air.
But the moment they tried to move again, I approached one of them. Then I grabbed a baton and pulled it toward the center.
The five's joint attack formation, when maintaining a circular shape, means they can't help from the side if distance is created. It's a weakness of a joint formation deployed with few people.
So while maintaining the circular shape, when retreating, they must stand in a line.
"Tsk tsk, still far from ready."
Eventually, when one collapsed, Gu Ak-chil intervened. I simply let the disciple go.
"Was that welcoming greeting enough?"
"A bit lacking, but I'll accept it."
"Kkeul-kkeul."
Gu Ak-chil laughed and spoke to me like giving an order.
"Then buy us a meal. An expensive one."
It felt like entering the Murim of my past life after a long time.
The memories of Murim aren't about the environment but the behavioral patterns and spirit of Murim people. I realized that once again.
'They'll become a fearsome group.'
From the beginning, Gu Ak-chil had intended to use me to give his disciples experience.
Fighting against masters this way yields much. Above all, they learn their own skill level and work even harder.
They physically feel the fact that the world is vast.
'He endured it for his disciples.'
No matter how much he's Gu Ak-chil, there's no way he could pass over his death from the past life as if nothing happened. He abandoned personal feelings for his disciples.
'I should be the one mooching off him.'
Gu Ak-chil looked at me, perhaps having figured out my intention.
'I can't mooch off a beggar.'
In the end, I bought the meal.