Chapter 488
Chapter 488
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 488
Chapter Title: The Thunder God
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“I simply cannot understand.”
Bu Eun-seol stared at Gongson Dan-gyeong, his expression a mask of confusion.
“Commander-in-Chief, you have the power to mobilize the Alliance’s finest masters and its formidable forces.”
“…”
“I don’t know how powerful the forces targeting you are, but is there truly a need to take such a risk? Do you really need to test a Second-Class Division Leader like myself again?”
Bu Eun-seol continued, his face flushed with emotion.
“Besides, am I not even a member of the Commander-in-Chief’s Hall?”
*Why are you testing me?*
That was what he was asking.
Her meticulous plan clearly had the objective of testing Bu Eun-seol.
And as Seon-u Jin, he was bound to question that point.
“Division Leader Seon-u, you don’t seem to understand the nature of the Martial Alliance… no, of any organization. You were, after all, the heir to a merchant guild since birth.”
Gongson Dan-gyeong smiled faintly.
“When you’re at the bottom, an organization seems very simple.”
As she spoke, her gaze deepened.
“But once you climb to the top, you see a completely different landscape from the one you saw from below.”
Gongson Dan-gyeong stared intently into Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
“Things that seemed simple are actually intricately entangled, and the organization you looked up at from below… was merely the tip of the iceberg.”
Her words resonated with what Bu Eun-seol had felt when he became part of the Demonic Palace’s leadership.
He had thought the Demonic Palace was a place where subordinates gave absolute obedience, centered around the Heavenly Demon Emperor, the greatest master in the Demonic Path.
But once he rose through its ranks, he found that everyone had their own hidden agendas and differing goals.
A colossal monster that ran on the root of each individual’s desires. That was the Demonic Palace.
And it seemed the Martial Alliance was not so different.
“Above all, the higher your position, the more you need people you can trust.”
Gongson Dan-gyeong stared at Bu Eun-seol.
“And it’s even harder to find someone who is both highly capable and loyal.”
Bu Eun-seol could sympathize with that.
The higher one’s position, the greater the scale and importance of the tasks that needed handling.
Therefore, you couldn’t trust just anyone or use them carelessly… and you couldn’t simply obtain a loyal and capable subordinate just by wanting one.
The reason Bu Eun-seol himself didn’t bother increasing his number of subordinates was partly due to his personal goal of revenge.
But it was also because finding loyal and trustworthy people was that difficult.
“Are you thinking of bringing me into the Commander-in-Chief’s Hall?”
At Bu Eun-seol’s question, Gongson Dan-gyeong’s eyes sparkled, and a strange smile graced her lips.
“Well, now. I haven’t thought that far ahead yet.”
Even in this situation, she still kept a part of her inner thoughts hidden.
*The Demonic Palace, the Martial Alliance… they’re all the same.*
Bu Eun-seol sighed and shook his head.
“It’s complicated. The Martial Alliance, too.”
“The Martial Alliance, too?”
Realizing his slip of the tongue, Bu Eun-seol composed himself and spoke calmly.
“I mean that the situation in a merchant guild is much the same.”
“Isn’t the world of commerce a little less intense?”
Gongson Dan-gyeong smiled.
“At least it’s not a matter of life and death like in the martial world, is it?”
“Not at all. The world of commerce is a place where all sorts of dirty tricks and conspiracies run rampant.”
Bu Eun-seol said with a feigned sigh.
“If martial artists risk their lives for honor, merchants live and die for a few coins. That’s why there are so many dirty and complicated matters.”
That was the truth.
During his time as a Soul Reaper, the people he had seen die most often on the road were merchants and moneylenders.
“Division Leader Seon-u, you seem to know the lives of the lower class well. Most children of the wealthy are ignorant of such things.”
“In our guild, we educate them from the bottom up. You have to understand both the top and the bottom to manage people properly.”
“Speaking of merchant guilds…”
Just as Gongson Dan-gyeong was about to continue,
*Ruuuumble.*
A sound like something collapsing came from above.
It was a vibration, like a giant chunk of iron shaking up and down. It seemed someone was breaking the Heaven-Defying Cloud Disturbance Labyrinth Formation with immense force.
“The formation.”
Seeing the formation being forcibly broken, it seemed the enemies had realized Gongson Dan-gyeong was in the basement.
“This is strange.”
Gongson Dan-gyeong was flustered.
“To think there’s a master capable of breaking the formation with sheer force in such a short time.”
Until now, her plan had been proceeding without a single error.
But for the formation to suddenly be broken in less than four hours?
That meant either a force far larger than she had anticipated had arrived.
Or a master she had not expected at all had appeared.
*Thud.*
As the sound grew closer, Gongson Dan-gyeong’s expression changed.
Her plan, which had been meshing perfectly like clockwork, had just been thrown off kilter.
“That shouldn’t be possible.”
For some reason, it seemed she had calculated that the probability of a master capable of destroying the formation appearing was zero.
*That means she knows exactly who the enemy is.*
Bu Eun-seol didn’t even have the luxury to be as surprised as Gongson Dan-gyeong.
He had to stop the forces breaking the formation and trying to descend into this basement.
Even if the Star Guard Division was on its way, it would take at least an hour.
What if the enemies invaded the underground warehouse before then? Gongson Dan-gyeong would be killed instantly.
“Commander-in-Chief. I will go out and buy some time.”
As if having made a decision, Bu Eun-seol pointed to the items in the warehouse.
“In the meantime, please set up a formation. With the items here, you should be able to hold out until the Star Guard Division arrives.”
Gongson Dan-gyeong nodded as if she had no other choice.
“I understand.”
She was the Commander-in-Chief of the Martial Alliance.
She had to survive, even if it meant sacrificing dozens of Second-Class Division Leaders.
Watching Bu Eun-seol step forward with a resolute look, Gongson Dan-gyeong nodded.
“I will not forget your sacrifice.”
It was unavoidable.
With an enemy trying to shatter the formation and enter the basement in one fell swoop, at least one of them had to survive.
*Thud.*
Bu Eun-seol, who had opened the thick iron door and stepped outside, had a frown on his face.
In truth, even if a force twice the size of the current one had attacked, he himself would not die.
The problem was that Seon-u Jin, with his abilities, could never survive this situation.
And if he did survive?
He would more likely be dragged to the Martial Alliance’s Justice Hall for a thorough investigation.
No matter how talented a master of the Transcendent Realm with immense potential might be, he couldn’t possibly survive against a force of a thousand men.
*First, I reduce my internal energy.*
Bu Eun-seol, who had mastered the Elixir Forging Secret Art to deal with the Nameless Old Man, had perfectly learned how to condense and reduce his internal energy.
And just in case, he was reducing his energy first.
*By more than half.*
As he continuously condensed his formidable internal energy in his dantian, a round, elixir-like form was created.
When he secretly moved it to another location, half of his True Body's internal energy vanished in an instant.
Using this secret art not only allowed him to suppress his energy subconsciously,
but even if a master of the Peerless Realm checked his pulse, they would not be able to discern his true level of internal energy.
*Fwoosh!*
Having reduced his internal energy, Bu Eun-seol headed up the passage.
The Heaven-Defying Cloud Disturbance Labyrinth Formation was already mostly destroyed, and the surrounding fog had all but vanished.
The energy that confused the senses was also completely gone, suggesting that the enemies would soon swarm in.
*Rumble!*
And just as he thought, the moment Bu Eun-seol stepped outside, dozens of assassins revealed themselves.
*Holding them off is the priority!*
*Flick! Flick!*
He immediately threw his daggers, felling the assassins around him.
*Swoosh.*
In response, the assassins widened their formation and began to surround Bu Eun-seol.
*Could it be?*
The assassins' black pupils were widely dilated, and a sinister aura flowed from their entire bodies.
*As I thought, the Three Realms.*
Without needing to think too deeply, the only force that would dare to touch the Commander-in-Chief of the Martial Alliance was the Three Realms.
But why?
For what reason would they try to kill her?
No matter how cleanly they cut their ties, killing someone of the supreme rank of Commander-in-Chief would not be an easy matter to cover up.
*In that case…*
As Bu Eun-seol was lost in deep thought,
*Shhhk!*
In that brief moment, the assassins began to unleash a bizarre sword art all at once.
Although their movements weren't sharp, the sword art was quite profound, and his escape routes were instantly sealed off.
“Hah!”
Bu Eun-seol deliberately let out a clear shout and cut down the assassins.
He strictly used only the martial arts of the Unhindered One to face them.
*Swoosh!*
He refrained from throwing daggers as much as possible, instead using the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword as he weaved between the warehouses.
No matter how numerous the enemy, the number of people who could attack simultaneously was limited.
Bu Eun-seol was using this fact to his advantage, using the terrain to moderately block the assassins' attacks.
*Shh! Clang! Clang! Clang!*
He appropriately mixed the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword and his dagger techniques to disrupt their formation.
*Swoooosh!*
For any hidden weapons or attacks he couldn't block, he used Flower Grafting to deflect or return them, tenaciously avoiding fatal wounds.
This tactic was quite effective.
Their target, after all, was Gongson Dan-gyeong.
But with Bu Eun-seol darting between the warehouses like a squirrel, persistently guarding the path to the basement and launching annoying attacks,
their advance was repeatedly stalled.
*Rumble!*
As the fight dragged on, the assassins changed their tactics.
They decided to completely surround the warehouse area and deal with Bu Eun-seol first.
As the black-clad assassins surrounded the area, the whole world seemed to be dyed in black.
“Too late.”
Bu Eun-seol grinned.
The reason he had been fighting while moving around the warehouses was partly to obstruct their path,
but also to use the scattered objects around the warehouse to once again set up the Heaven-Defying Cloud Disturbance Labyrinth Formation he had learned from Gongson Dan-gyeong.
*Swaaaaa!*
Although the objects were scattered and the directions weren't precise, the formation was set up haphazardly.
However, just the faint mist that appeared was enough to make the assassins hesitate once more.
*Thud.*
But just then, a loud vibration echoed from within the warehouse.
*Thud!*
Another great vibration rang out, and a powerful shockwave spread out in all directions.
Simultaneously, the formation Bu Eun-seol had set up was instantly shattered.
*Step, step.*
A black shadow walked out from between the assassins.
He wore a mask with a strange luster, and waves of internal energy flowed from his entire body.
His presence was so immense that his appearance alone seemed to have created a vacuum inside the warehouse.
*A Messenger.*
It was a Messenger of the Three Realms, an envoy who delivered their will and possessed formidable martial arts.
*Halt.*
The Messenger stopped right in front of Bu Eun-seol.
Every time his gaze swept over him, it felt as if his skin was being peeled away.
He had merely stopped walking, yet it felt as if the heavens were rumbling and the earth was splitting apart.
*He’s different.*
Bu Eun-seol’s pupils widened.
The Messenger who had appeared before him… exuded a presence completely different from the Messengers of the Three Realms he had seen so far.
“What is your identity?”
Bu Eun-seol asked with a tense expression, twisting his iron sword in his grip.
“What is it that you want?”
Under his true identity, he would have instantly fought to determine their strength, then subdued and interrogated him.
But in his guise as Seon-u Jin, he might have to risk his life, let alone subdue him.
In that case, he had to extract as much information as possible first.
“…”
The Messenger merely looked around with his glistening eyes, not even sparing Bu Eun-seol a glance.
It seemed he was spreading his senses wide to locate Gongson Dan-gyeong.
“Do you think you can set foot in the martial world after making an enemy of this Alliance?”
Even at Bu Eun-seol’s shout, the Messenger’s expression did not change.
He looked as if he had just heard a stray dog barking.
*It’s no use.*
The Messenger was completely ignoring him.
No matter how many questions he asked, there would be no answer.
*Swoosh!*
Having grasped the situation, Bu Eun-seol immediately launched a dagger at high speed.
From Seon-u Jin’s perspective, the Messenger was a master he could not easily face.
In that case, he who strikes first has the higher chance of victory.
But the Messenger did not dodge the dagger.
*Poof.*
The dagger that struck the Messenger’s brow vanished as if it had evaporated.
It wasn't deflected by any force, but seemed to have disappeared into some unknown space.
*Shhh.*
The Messenger who had made the dagger disappear approached Bu Eun-seol.
His eyes were like those of a dead fish, devoid of any emotion.
Despite his terrifying appearance, Bu Eun-seol did not back down.
He had no more daggers, so now he had to face him with his true skills.
In fact, without abandoning his identity as Seon-u Jin and unleashing his True Body's martial arts, a direct confrontation with the Messenger was impossible.
But he fearlessly lowered his body and assumed a combat stance.
He still had one ace up his sleeve.
*If he finished his task properly, he will surely come here.*
*Click.*
As Bu Eun-seol tightened his grip on his sword, fighting spirit blazed in his eyes.
*I will hold out until then.*
*Wooooo.*
Suddenly, a massive vortex of energy formed in front of the Messenger’s body.
*Boom!*
An invisible, immense pressure struck Bu Eun-seol's body.
*Hiss.*
In that moment, Bu Eun-seol was pushed back five paces, and white smoke rose from his chest.
As the fiercely rotating force penetrated his body, he generated Flower Grafting to deflect it.
Despite that, he suffered a light internal injury, and the clothes on his chest vanished as if they had melted away.
*This is…*
Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his inner surprise.
The technique the Messenger was using was beyond the scope of conventional martial arts; it was very unique and bizarre.
Much like the martial arts of the Eight Desolations, Three Stars.
*Ssk.*
But as Bu Eun-seol took his stance again with an unwavering gaze, a flicker of surprise appeared in the Messenger’s eyes.
*Boom!*
Another vibration occurred, and this time Bu Eun-seol was pushed back ten paces.
Even with his internal energy reduced by half, it was still a formidable two hundred and fifty years' worth.
It was enough to be called a grandmaster of the younger generation who had reached the Transcendent Realm.
But before the Messenger’s mysterious and powerful martial art, it was like a praying mantis before a carriage.
*Hiiissss.*
White smoke rose from Bu Eun-seol’s entire body, but he still stood tall.
[Hm.]
When Bu Eun-seol endured two attacks, the Messenger’s gaze changed slightly.
From complete indifference, it seemed he now recognized him as an annoying fly.
*Thud!*
The Messenger spread his hand, and Bu Eun-seol’s body flew backward. No, it should have.
*Whoosh.*
But Bu Eun-seol had anticipated his technique, using Flower Grafting to deflect the attack and then extending his iron sword.
*Thwack.*
The iron sword reached the tip of the Messenger’s throat.
But it would not go any further.
*Wooooong!*
An invisible but powerful force was flowing from the Messenger’s hand.
No matter how hard Bu Eun-seol tried, the iron sword would not advance.
*Ch-chk!*
Bu Eun-seol drew a semicircle with his iron sword, trying once again to dissipate the formless energy.
*Crack.*
But the pouring force only grew stronger, and spiderweb-like cracks began to spread across the blade of the sword, forged from fine steel.
*Bang!*
Simultaneously, Bu Eun-seol was thrown back another five paces.
*Thud.*
Bu Eun-seol tried to get up immediately but ended up kneeling on one knee.
He had taken such a powerful blow that his body refused to listen.
*The difference in internal energy is too great.*
The Messenger was overwhelming Bu Eun-seol not with the profundity of his martial arts, but with the superiority of his internal energy.
*Crack.*
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fists tightly.
His true internal energy was close to the highest in the world. If he wanted, he could crush that arrogant Messenger’s body.
*So he thought he could handle me with just the superiority of his internal energy.*
But as he thought of the term ‘internal energy’, the solemn face of the Blood Diamond suddenly came to mind.
And that face then changed to the profound palm technique the Blood Diamond had used to deal with the assassins of the Three Realms.
*The gap in internal energy can be bridged by the subtlety of martial arts.*
Recalling the battle where he had dealt with the Three Realms' assassins alongside the Blood Diamond, a glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
The Blood Diamond hadn't raised his internal energy significantly, yet the Great Heavenly Dragon Seal he had unleashed had shown the power of a thunderbolt.
That wasn't because the Blood Diamond's level of internal energy was extraordinary, but because he had increased its power through subtle changes in his techniques.
*Doesn't Flower Grafting also require the appropriate amount of force?*
Having gained a brief moment of enlightenment, Bu Eun-seol once again unleashed his sword art.
*Ssk! Shhk! Shhk!*
This time, he didn't just dissipate the Messenger's pouring energy with Flower Grafting alone.
He countered as much as he could with his sword art, and when the powerful formless energy pushed in, he seized that fleeting moment to unleash the principles of Flower Grafting.
One hand pushes, one hand pulls. If the opponent retreats, disrupt their balance; if a strong attack comes, use rotational force to return it.
The more Bu Eun-seol mimicked the Blood Diamond who had unleashed the Great Heavenly Dragon Seal, the more he was able to grasp the profound aspects of Flower Grafting.
Conversely, the Messenger seemed somewhat flustered that he couldn't even touch a hair on Bu Eun-seol's head, no matter how much force he poured into his attacks.
*Halt.*
Eventually, the Messenger stepped back and stopped his attack.
It seemed he hadn't expected Bu Eun-seol to have mastered Flower Grafting to such an extent that he could neutralize his attacks.
[Hmph.]
The Messenger snorted and extended both his hands.
*Thud.*
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol felt as if he had fallen into a vat full of sticky glue; he couldn't move his body at all.
It felt as if the gravity of the space he was standing in had been increased several dozen times.
*Khh.*
No matter how profound Flower Grafting was, it was difficult to dissipate pressure that poured down on an entire space.
Ultimately, to break through the subtlety of Bu Eun-seol's Flower Grafting, the Messenger had used not the superiority of his internal energy, but the profound principles of his martial arts.
*Step, step.*
As Bu Eun-seol was unable to move, the Messenger slowly approached and extended a finger.
He intended to crush his head in a single blow.
*I see. It seems Seon-u Jin is not enough.*
Even as the Messenger was about to unleash his final attack, a faint smile played on Bu Eun-seol’s lips.
He was a strategist who surpassed Gongson Dan-gyeong.
And whenever he started something, he never failed to consider the situations that would unfold afterward.
From the moment Gongson Dan-gyeong had said she would secretly handle the matter of the Manhwa Merchant Guild with just the two of them, Bu Eun-seol had already seen through her.
He knew she had planned numerous things, and that he himself was included in that plan.
*What if a crisis arises that Seon-u Jin's abilities cannot handle?*
If the target was someone of the Commander-in-Chief's stature, there was no guarantee that a force like the Three Realms wouldn't appear.
In that case, Bu Eun-seol also needed a safety measure.
A perfect safety measure that would never arouse suspicion and would allow him to drive away powerful enemies like the Three Realms without revealing his full strength.
*He’s here.*
Just as Bu Eun-seol smiled, sensing a faint sound in his ears,
*Ruuuumble!*
The sound of thunder echoed from the distant sky.
Simultaneously, a bizarre, ear-splitting shriek resounded between heaven and earth from outside the warehouse.
*Screeeeech!*
The sound grew closer, ringing so sharply that it seemed it would tear the very soul apart, and even the emotionless assassins covered their ears in pain.
*Craaack!*
Finally, with another earth-shaking vibration, a pure white light fell in front of Bu Eun-seol.
*Zzzzzzt!*
The light gradually spread out and began to form a shape.
“Hehehe.”
With a crazed laugh, the shadow, now a perfect human form, revealed its distinct appearance.
The Thunder God.
One of the Four Gods who used the purest and most domineering energy in the world, the Thunder Spirit Energy.
Noe Bi-hon had arrived.