Chapter 192
Chapter 192
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 192
Chapter Title: Beware the Blue Eyes
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"Kuuuooooh—!"
A beastly roar echoed across the entire Southern Frontier.
A lone man, cloaked from head to toe in dark bloodwind garb, emerged from the arena with it at his back.
He paused for a moment.
Gazing straight ahead, he took in the situation inside the Southern Beast Palace at a glance.
"Get your heads in the game!"
"Don't break formation!"
"Hold for just one incense stick's time, then rotate!"
The Southern Beast Palace warriors had already formed up into groups to counter the ferocious beasts.
Of course, any martial artist could handle the beasts individually, but with their numbers so overwhelming, dealing with them in small groups was nearly impossible.
Yet they were managing admirably.
"...I thought separating the Palace Lord would end it."
The Heavenly Demon's forces had intervened.
Under Hyeok Mulin's command, they protected the servants while serving as the rallying point for the palace folk.
Thanks to them, the warriors of the Southern Beast Palace were able to respond swiftly before casualties mounted.
As a result, the plan to summon tens of thousands of rampaging beasts into the Southern Frontier lost its momentum. But that wasn't the only problem.
There was a far more critical issue.
Swipe.
Slowly turning his head toward the rear arena, he thought of Hyeok Mulin.
The decisive reason for the rebellion's failure was simple.
'The Heavenly Demon.'
That one man's involvement had changed everything.
He was a truly enigmatic figure.
His arrival at the Southern Beast Palace, his purpose—nothing about him was clear.
Had he sniffed out our scheme?
He'd suspected as much for a moment, but no evidence ever surfaced to support it.
'No, that couldn't be.'
They hadn't left the slightest trail up to now.
All he could chalk it up to was bad luck.
From luring in the young Poison Demon Sword to brainwashing him and inciting the rebellion, it had taken over a decade.
Considering the time and effort invested, he could have beaten his chest in regret, but he accepted the situation with calm detachment.
"No helping it with the Southern Frontier."
Even in the face of this long-laid plan's collapse, he remained composed.
His alliance with the Southern Beast Palace ended here, but he still had plenty of cards left to play.
Before departing, however, he lightly blew on his flute.
It wasn't to awaken the beasts—this was his final farewell to the young Poison Demon Sword.
The Young Palace Lord had to die.
He was just a part of it, but after years of close contact, the man knew too much of the surface details.
"Farewell. At least in the end, you'll ascend to the divinity you always craved."
With that curt parting, he turned away.
Stepping leisurely into the dense jungle, he vanished from sight.
"What in the world..."
Surye Tae's voice trembled as he stared at his son, now grotesquely twisted into a hybrid of beast and man.
Moments ago, Suma Geon had been fully human. Now he was a monstrous half-beast, like a serpent crossed with a wolf.
Brown fur sprouted thickly over skin cracked like scales, and massive fangs protruded between jagged teeth.
Especially serpentine were his vertically slit pupils, glowing an eerie blue that sent chills down the spine, as if demonic energy itself emanated from them.
Watching this, Surye Tae asked Hyeok Mulin in a tense voice.
"What is that thing?"
"How should I know? Aren't beasts your expertise?"
"A half-human, half-beast? It's utterly absurd. I've never even read of such a thing in ancient texts."
"But it's standing right in front of us now, so we'll have to make a new record."
Hyeok Mulin was right.
No record of such a monster existed in the Southern Beast Palace's long history, yet here it was, plain as day before their eyes.
And they had witnessed a man transform into a beast with their own eyes.
Its presence was overwhelming.
"What on earth happened..."
As dry sweat trickled down Surye Tae's cheek, it happened.
Whoosh!
Hyeok Mulin grabbed the back of Surye Tae's neck and hurled him backward.
Confused and not understanding, as Surye Tae opened his mouth to protest, razor-sharp claws whistled past his nose.
Suma Geon had lunged with blinding speed.
"Did I miss that thing's movement?"
Surye Tae couldn't believe it.
There was a two-realm gap between the Palace Lord and Young Palace Lord's levels, yet he'd always tracked his son's every move with crystal clarity.
But Suma Geon's footwork now was incomparably faster than before.
Surye Tae couldn't hide his shock at the creature's movements.
'No, can I even call that footwork anymore?'
Suma Geon bounded like a wolf on all fours, yet twisted and turned with serpentine fluidity, circling the arena.
Then he charged straight at Hyeok Mulin.
Clang!
Thud!
But his claws never reached Hyeok Mulin.
Man Ho and Ji Wolhon had appeared to block his path.
Grrr...
Facing the annoying interlopers, Suma Geon shoved them aside.
He pressed Man Ho with blinding speed, then kicked him away.
Man Ho blocked with his sword as a shield and was pushed back momentarily. Seizing the opening, Suma Geon savagely attacked Ji Wolhon.
Ji Wolhon flicked his fingers in response.
Solar Core Fist.
Infusing his fist with a sun-like circular momentum, Ji Wolhon unleashed it with ferocity.
But midway through its path, a thick, massive hand intercepted it.
The punch was blocked before it could fully extend and unleash its power.
"......"
Yet Ji Wolhon's assault didn't stop.
Channeling energy into fist arts, he unleashed dozens of strikes.
Suma Geon matched him blow for blow with palm strikes.
Hyeok Mulin watched with keen interest.
'Can it grow this much in such a short time?'
Its form was clearly unnatural, but the fact remained: the one who'd been constantly outmatched by the Palace Lord was now holding his own against Ji Wolhon.
This defied all common sense.
Moreover, the form of Suma Geon's attacks was utterly unique.
The structure of martial arts lingered, but the movements were more instinctive, beast-like.
Hyeok Mulin turned to Man Ho.
"Man Protector."
"Yes."
"Don't kill it. I need to question him."
"Understood."
Man Ho nodded and rejoined the fray.
Subdue without killing.
That was only feasible for a warrior far superior in realm, making it a tall order.
And to Man Ho's eyes, the monster before him was on par with himself.
Alone, it would have been impossible.
"Guard Captain Ji. The Cult Leader orders we subdue without killing."
"Got it."
But with two of them, it was doable.
Yet the battle didn't unfold as easily as they'd hoped.
Swish swish!
Suma Geon darted between them like a serpent, his erratic attacks hard for even Man Ho and Ji Wolhon to fully block.
His techniques embodied the ideal beast form revered by so many Southern Beast Palace warriors.
Suma Geon surpassed their every expectation.
"...No choice, then."
In the chaos, Man Ho glanced sidelong at Ji Wolhon.
They exchanged a nod and split—one to sky, one to earth.
Ji Wolhon swept low along the ground, clamping Suma Geon's ankles with his forearms in a vice grip.
Caught in that iron hold, Suma Geon was rooted like a tree.
"Perfect."
Man Ho, airborne, nodded approval at Ji Wolhon's execution.
He plummeted, swinging his massive blade mercilessly.
First strike from above down.
Second from below up.
Executing Dual Demon Slaughter Blade, Man Ho carved two lines vertically through him.
Suma Geon's arms severed, blood fountaining forth.
Yet he showed no pain, issuing no scream—merely writhing to escape.
"Can't have that."
Crack!
Not content with just binding the ankles, Ji Wolhon pulverized the bones.
Stagger.
Unable to stand on shattered legs, Suma Geon lurched.
"That'll do."
With those quiet words, Hyeok Mulin stepped forward.
He pressed his palm to Suma Geon's dantian.
Boom!
A single palm strike unleashed a massive shockwave inside.
"Kuo! Kuooo...!"
Blue light erupted from his body as before, and Suma Geon wailed in agony.
Flash!
The light blazed blindingly, stealing everyone's vision for a moment.
When it cleared, they saw Suma Geon reverted to human form, collapsed on the ground.
His arms were still severed, ankles crushed—but that was secondary.
He had no strength left anyway.
Death was imminent.
Hyeok Mulin looked down at him and spoke.
"Are you lucid?"
"This..."
"The rampage is over."
"...I see."
His body was a wreck, death certain, yet with his mind returned however briefly, Suma Geon looked relieved at last, his face easing into peace.
Observing this, Hyeok Mulin calmly recapped events.
Before the rampage, Suma Geon had trembled and screamed—clearly not by his own will.
Someone had even sliced off his ears, as if to silence forbidden sounds.
And the flute.
Which he'd blown himself to summon the beasts.
Yet he'd ended up like this.
Clearly, an outsider had manipulated the Young Palace Lord through that signal.
"One last question."
Everyone present sensed Suma Geon's thread of life fraying, so Hyeok Mulin asked directly.
"Reveal the identities of those hiding behind you, the ones who sought to topple the Southern Frontier."
Suma Geon fell silent at Hyeok Mulin's question.
By now, he understood.
He'd been nothing but a tool for them.
But could he even avenge himself?
Even with this fleeting return to life, he lacked the confidence to face them.
And the Palace Lord knew it too—nothing would change.
But.
"The Cult Leader... might be able to."
Suma Geon rasped weakly.
At death's door, his time was nearly up.
"Who?"
To Hyeok Mulin's firm voice, Suma Geon slowly traced letters on the ground.
Azure Eyes Or Blue Eyes
"......Beware the Blue Eyes."
With those final words, Suma Geon slowly closed his eyes, slipping into eternal silence with the peaceful look of one asleep.