Chapter 92
Chapter 92
Chapter 92
Separation (2)
Ure stood on the northern training grounds of the lake park, holding a flag.
"Come at me!"
It was a powerful shout.
The children clapped from a distance at his actions.
To the children's eyes, Ure seemed like a giant character they'd seen in cartoons. His innocent expression and actions had been conveyed to the children.
"With the kids watching like that, you want to fight?"
At my words, Ure looked at the children. Then he rolled his eyes and softened his momentum.
"Let's fight when the children leave."
His innocent appearance somehow made me lose the desire to fight.
"Cult Leader, I'll just handle this myself."
"I wondered why you weren't stepping up."
"You're giving permission?"
"Not in front of the kids."
So Iryeon wouldn't have a blood-splattering fight in front of children either.
"But So Iryeon, doesn't this guy Ure resemble someone from our past life?"
"Who?"
So Iryeon had a look that said she didn't know.
But Cheong Ak-sal nodded, and Jimun Seo-saeng coughed while looking into the distance.
"What? Am I the only one who doesn't know?"
I gave her a bit more time. But So Iryeon couldn't figure out the answer.
So I had no choice but to tell her.
"There was someone called Mountain Gorge King in our past life. He waited for me looking exactly like that."
"What? That muscle mass resembles me?"
"Look carefully. He's exactly like you in your past life."
"Cult Leader, aren't you being really too much?"
She looked genuinely hurt. I found that even more absurd.
So Iryeon huffed in anger and suddenly started walking toward Ure.
"I'm really annoyed, so I need to fight that guy."
I grabbed her by the scruff of her neck.
"Stop scheming and stay here."
"It's not working."
"It almost worked. Your acting has improved a lot."
"It's my profession."
"If it comes to a fight, I'll let you fight him, so stay still."
Only then did So Iryeon step back, satisfied.
"Go play with the kids."
I gestured toward the children. Then the children ran to Ure.
I also casually moved nearby. After all, I had to protect the children.
Ure didn't dislike the children's approach. Even though they couldn't communicate, he played well with them.
Rather, he blended in much more purely and acted like a friend.
To the children, Ure seemed like a playground—they climbed onto his shoulders and touched his head.
"Aren't you scared of the mister?"
So Iryeon casually asked.
"He's cute. I want to be friends."
One child said.
So Iryeon translated this to Ure. Ure smiled with satisfaction and patted the child's head.
'He's kind.'
The more I looked, the more he resembled Mountain Gorge King from my past life.
He was definitely an uninvited guest, but at that sight, my hostility disappeared.
Ure spent an entire hour mingling with the children.
When the children returned with their parents, Ure stood on the training grounds again.
"Let's fight!"
"I don't want to."
"I will plant the flag!"
"Go ahead and plant it."
I gave permission.
"I'll just remove it after you leave."
Of course, I had no intention of letting another group's flag be planted in the Heavenly Demon Cult's main headquarters. Right now, I just wanted to let Ure know his situation.
"Th-that's..."
"Now, fighting is done, so tell us in detail how you got here."
"I as a warrior..."
"We'll judge that, so just tell us."
Eventually, Ure sat down on the training grounds, lost in thought.
But ultimately, he was in a position where he had to speak.
Ure's story began.
His age was seventeen.
He said he was undergoing his coming-of-age ceremony a year early.
"Why are you doing it a year early?"
He said it was the Elder's order.
-You are a chosen warrior, so you must grow to become the next chieftain. Therefore, undergo a special coming-of-age ceremony.
This was the reason he had come this far.
"What happened right before you received that order?"
"I just trained diligently."
"While training, was there any conflict, or did you see any corruption, or learn any secrets of the Elders, anything like that?"
"No."
Was it truly purely the Elder's order?
I was suspicious.
"Really no conflicts at all?"
"Conflicts during training are always common. That's just training."
I felt like I'd caught something.
"What happened during training?"
"I defeated Tebe, the chieftain's son. Tebe ignored the rules and attacked from behind. So we fought again."
The conclusion seemed to be emerging.
"What happened when you fought again?"
"I made him surrender. It was a fight with a warrior's pride at stake."
Jimun Seo-saeng also let out a long sigh. Cheong Ak-sal had an understanding expression, but only So Iryeon was different.
"Did you kill him?"
"No."
"You idiot! You should have just destroyed a guy like that!"
So Iryeon burst out indignantly.
To this, Ure also answered firmly.
"He is my comrade."
"What kind of comrade attacks from behind!"
"Tebe, the chieftain's son! The warrior who will become the next chieftain!"
"You crazy bastard! So if that bastard tells you to stab someone in the back, will you? If a guy like that becomes chieftain and gives cowardly orders, will you just do it?"
"Th-that's..."
So Iryeon won the argument.
I casually made eye contact with Jimun Seo-saeng.
As expected, having So Iryeon, who shared the same tendencies, give advice was effective.
"You should have killed him! Even for your tribe's sake!"
"Now that I hear it, that's true. For our great tribe."
"Do you understand now?"
So Iryeon stepped back as if satisfied.
"Is that it?"
"What?"
"Don't you have more to say? Now you need to say what really needs to be said."
"What's that?"
I seemed to have expected too much.
I went to Ure, who stood like a pillar on the training grounds.
"You've been abandoned."
"What do you mean?"
"This was all planned to kill you."
"That can't be."
"Should I confirm it for you?"
The method was simple.
"If you plant your flag here and go back, will they be happy?"
"Of course."
"My prediction is, I don't think so."
I held out my phone to him.
"You have a phone, right?"
He nodded.
"Call and tell them you planted the flag at the Heavenly Demon Cult."
"I don't lie."
"Follow me."
I led him to a place under the wall of the Heavenly Demon Cult headquarters where children were playing in the dirt.
"Now, plant the flag."
It was a sandy area and the children's playground. Planting the flag here could be overlooked.
Ure hesitated for a moment, then planted the flag.
"Now make the call."
He called and gave a brief report.
Then, as if the other side was saying something, Ure held the phone to his ear for quite a while.
"I don't think they ordered you to return."
After hanging up, he trembled all over. Various emotions crossed his expression.
"What was the order?"
Ure answered in a trembling voice.
"They told me to kill the Heavenly Demon."
"See, they're telling you to die."
"I am a warrior! I follow the Elder's words! Come at me!"
He shouted, desperately shaking off his despair.
At this, an intense presence approached from behind.
"Idiot! Try beating me first."
So Iryeon grabbed his body and threw him toward the training grounds.
Although there was more than twice the size difference, Ure flew precisely to the training grounds.
Thud!
Even with his giant body, Ure landed on the training grounds, maintaining perfect balance.
And So Iryeon ran toward him.
The two clashed on the training grounds.
Both started by running toward their opponent.
Like two 10-ton trucks playing chicken, they ran toward each other with no intention of stopping.
Kwang!
'Those ignorant fools.'
The two collided shoulder to shoulder.
Surprisingly, So Iryeon was pushed back slightly.
At this, So Iryeon gritted her teeth and grabbed Ure's hand. Ure also grabbed the opposite hand.
In that state, they threw each other.
Both rose into the air simultaneously. This time too, So Iryeon rose higher.
Thud.
"Not bad."
So Iryeon rotated her arms, easing the pain. Ure did the same.
So Iryeon hadn't used magic in this confrontation. She engaged in the match using only Strength and Charge.
Because she judged that would be enough.
When they clashed again, So Iryeon used her opponent's strength. She first disrupted his center and used her monstrous strength to flip Ure's body.
Ure wasn't easy either.
In a fallen state, he grabbed So Iryeon's arm and attempted an arm lock. It was fluid body movement that didn't suit his large frame.
But he had the wrong opponent.
The one who had fought as many real battles as I had was So Iryeon.
Despite the unexpected attack, she used her small body to slip out like sliding, and thrust her knee into Ure's chest.
Ure turned his body to dodge, but So Iryeon launched herself like a tackle, so he fell again.
It was a battle of giants.
So Iryeon's physique no longer looked small.
Ure also held out until the end. Sometimes he shocked So Iryeon with surprising counterattacks.
But eventually, as time passed, So Iryeon overwhelmed him.
Thud!
Finally, So Iryeon grabbed Ure and threw him to the ground, then swung her fist at his brow.
Her fist stopped right in front of Ure's brow.
"I lost."
Ure acknowledged it, and So Iryeon wiped her sweat and stood up.
"I like you. Want to be friends?"
"A warrior who surrenders to the enemy is dead. I just died to you."
"What do you mean dead? You're perfectly alive."
So Iryeon grabbed the fallen Ure's hand and helped him up.
"If I died every time I lost like you, I would have died more than a thousand times. And to one person."
So Iryeon looked at me.
Ure's gaze naturally followed.
"Is the Heavenly Demon that strong?"
"I've never beaten him once. Don't you want to try fighting too?"
"But I already lost."
"I told you I lost more than a thousand times."
At So Iryeon's words, Ure seemed genuinely comforted.
"Now, that's enough, come back."
So Iryeon patted Ure's back and stood behind me.
"So what will you do now? Still, since it's the new year, want to sleep over for a day?"
"I will return."
"You're going back to die?"
He couldn't answer.
"You haven't even completed your coming-of-age ceremony."
Ure lowered his large face to look at the ground. That appearance truly resembled So Iryeon from my past life.
"Do you want to just stay here?"
Ure lifted his head.
"Your tribe abandoned you. Because you made the chieftain's son surrender. I don't know your tribe, but for those who are abandoned, there's one right."
"What's that?"
"The right to resettle anywhere."
I smiled.
I truly liked Ure.
His innocent appearance and the way he treated children.
His pride as a warrior and his unfortunate situation had a complex effect.
"Isn't that a betrayal of the tribe?"
"The tribe abandoned you. Then where do you belong?"
"That's..."
He already knew.
It's just not easy to suddenly abandon the place you've lived your whole life.
"You already know the answer. I won't force you."
The opportunity ended here.
No matter how much I liked him, I had no intention of persuading him further.
"Let him rest for two days. If there's still no answer after that, just send him off."
I gave the order to So Iryeon and turned around.
The next morning.
I heard the news that Ure had left.
It was unfortunate, but I decided not to get involved anymore.
"I really wanted to be friends."
"The hierarchy would be messed up. He should just come in as a subordinate. What would happen to the Hundred White Blood Corps?"
"Ah, that's true. Still, it's regrettable."
"It can't be helped."
I let go of my attachment to Ure.
"Still, I hope he doesn't die."
He would have returned to his tribe. They definitely wouldn't let him off easy.
"It's a decision befitting him though."
I had judged this was likely.
"Good. Anyway, now I know they're not easy opponents."
"I heard they become even stronger when shamanism is added."
"The real fight is beginning. I like that it's becoming simple."
This structure was much more comfortable than having enemies hiding.
"I just need to crush everything."
This is ultimately the goal every organization dreams of.
Two weeks after the new year began.
It was the dark dawn.
After a long time, I was at the lodgings discussing future plans with the Protectors.
It wasn't a meeting but a free atmosphere, and laughter occasionally burst out.
Then So Iryeon received a call.
So Iryeon answered the phone and quickly made it so we could all hear.
-You were right. But I couldn't leave the tribe like that. Thank you.
The call ended like that.
"He was abandoned by the tribe."
"Cult Leader, please send me to Egypt."
Teleport was connected. But that place was the stronghold of the Barbarian tribe.
I didn't answer rashly and looked at So Iryeon.
"Just remember one thing."
I looked at So Iryeon and asked seriously.
"If a moment comes when you must choose between the Heavenly Demon Cult and Ure, what will you choose?"
So Iryeon answered without hesitation.
"Of course, I'll choose the Heavenly Demon Cult."
"Go."
She departed for Egypt with Cheong Ak-sal.