Chapter 87
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Crushing the Mad Dogs
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The number of warriors charging toward Yu Hyun was twenty.
It was a lot for one person to handle alone, but he felt not the slightest tension.
Even if their numbers swelled to hundreds, it would be the same.
If anything, wasn't this the perfect number to test out his newly acquired power?
The Millennium Toad... who would have thought that massive boulder was the creature.
It hadn't taken him long to realize, upon regaining consciousness after blacking out from the battle with that damned monster, that he was inside the Millennium Toad's belly—or rather, its shell.
The intense chill within had snapped his eyes open on its own.
Just like when he'd obtained the Child Ginseng, his heart reacted wildly to the toad's spiritual energy, pounding like mad, and Yu Hyun buried his face everywhere he could, chewing and swallowing whatever came to his mouth.
There was no time to search for an inner core or anything. He just chewed and gulped like a maniac.
He even unleashed the appetite he'd been suppressing all this time.
Who could have known that his hellish hunger, which had devoured two full banquet tables at once, would prove useful?
How many hours? Or days?
For a stretch of time he couldn't even gauge, Yu Hyun lost his reason, focusing solely on devouring the Millennium Toad.
The terrifying spiritual energy pouring into him uncontrollably drove his heart into a frenzy.
It pounded as if it would burst, and he truly thought it would... until, at some point, it calmed.
It felt at ease.
When Yu Hyun opened his eyes again, nothing remained inside the Millennium Toad's belly but the corpse of the monster that had tormented him and a bead emitting a clear light.
Perhaps due to the forced ingestion of water and toad flesh, his body seemed a bit overly fleshed out, but power surged through every limb.
Most astonishing was that he wasn't short of breath.
He couldn't pinpoint the reason. Was it the effect of the exponentially increased spiritual energy, or had the toad's power transferred over?
But it wasn't a pressing matter.
What mattered was that he'd gained power and overcome yet another hurdle.
Still, he was underwater, and he didn't know when his breath might give out.
To safely consolidate his spiritual energy on solid ground, Yu Hyun grabbed the toad's frost-laden bead and the corpse of his lifelong nemesis—the monster—and emerged onto land.
He had entered through the whirlpool's mouth, but he came out on some beach in Samah.
And now he faced this situation.
In this utterly infuriating, blood-boiling dogshit scenario, he had run into these dogshit bastards doing dogshit things.
Though he hadn't fully consolidated the toad's spiritual energy, it was enough.
For scum like them...
"Die!"
Sharp blades flew at him from all directions.
From above his head, at his waist, his legs...
Yu Hyun lightly lifted one foot.
Thump, thump...
His heart's spiritual energy responded immediately, pulsing at a speed utterly different from before.
In an instant, the spiritual energy from his heart spread throughout his body.
Thump-thump-thump-thump.
The moment his heart raced with no interval between beats, the world slowed.
No, the world hadn't slowed—Yu Hyun's world had sped up.
The spiritual energy erupting with his blood awakened every sensation in his body, allowing him to perceive the world through senses beyond his eyes.
The trajectories of the keen blades' auras, their movements.
Even the finest hairs on the bloodthirsty warriors stood out, etching into his mind like a painting.
"...Slow."
With that brief assessment, Yu Hyun powerfully stomped down the foot he'd raised.
Kuuuung!
His step dug into the ground, leaving a deep footprint.
Rumble-rumble, kwaaaang!
The embedded spiritual energy exploded deep within the earth.
Kududuk!
The blades closing in to slice him apart crumpled powerlessly before the unprecedented force that formed a barrier in the air.
"Arrrgh!"
The warriors swept up in the energy burst flew back like a swarm of locusts. Those following behind urgently halted their attacks and fled the explosion's range.
But every person and every place here was now within Yu Hyun's sensory domain.
Etched in his mind like a painting...
And they were still slow.
Thung!
His next step was light. The moment his foot touched the ground, Yu Hyun launched toward the nearest warrior.
"Huh?!"
The foe couldn't even react, his face twisting in shock.
That foot which had trampled the weak—I'd make sure it never worked again.
Yu Hyun crushed down on the retreating warrior's knee with full force.
Wooduduk!
"Kyaaaak!"
The warrior's leg bent backward with a scream as he collapsed.
Yu Hyun's form then leaped, weaving through the clustered enemies like the stroke of a brush.
Pakakak!
His hands, crossed in an X, spread wide. The back of his hand whipped across their sides, sending foes with spines folded in half flying to either side.
It wasn't some fancy technique or martial art.
Just movement. The most efficient, one-strike-kill motions to fell enemies in the shortest time.
Yet each motion—resembling punches or kicks—infused the subtleties of the six orthodox sects' martial arts. And the aptly deployed spiritual energy amplified their power.
Right now, Yu Hyun was purely a destroyer, filled with the intent to shatter and demolish.
A cruel, chilling smile replaced an innocent one on his lips as he slipped into the midst of the stunned enemies.
Jjeeeeng!
His movements were too fast to follow with the eyes, and the force of his strikes was fiercer than anything.
Ppak! Ppapapak!
"Grraaak!"
Merciless brutality felled them after just one or two hits, without mercy.
"Keep your distance! He's alone!"
"..."
Jjeeok!
Yu Hyun's fist slammed straight into the open mouth of the warrior shouting desperately.
But it didn't end there.
The one who had slapped the boy. Yu Hyun grabbed the hair of the latecomer joining the attack and yanked hard.
Chwaaak.
As the foe crashed to the ground and tried to rise, Yu Hyun's foot stomped his back.
"..."
Eyes wide in shock.
Writhing to escape.
Kwaduduk!
His raised foot then crushed the back of the warrior's elbow.
Wooduduk!
"Kyaaaak!"
The arm slammed deep into the dirt with a agonized scream.
Even if the bones were reset, it would never function as before.
"Huu..."
When Yu Hyun halted with a long exhale, only five warriors remained, their faces etched with fear and terror.
In mere breaths, fifteen of the twenty lay on the ground.
Some had broken arms and legs, others snapped spines, writhing like worms, unable to rise.
Now, only five could fight—no, none at all?
A blade wielded without will to fight was just scrap metal.
Be utterly ruthless against enemies. If you don't step up, fine—but once you do, see it through to the end.
That was his masters' teaching, their mindset for facing the chaotic world. Show premature mercy, and the enemy you spared would one day pierce your back.
But he wouldn't kill them. They were island warriors, and he hadn't fully grasped the situation yet.
As Yu Hyun's narrowed gaze slowly turned, the warriors flinched and stepped back.
"D-Do you know what you've just done?!"
"..."
Yu Hyun silently stared at the bellowing warrior.
What he'd done? Was it ignorance, or just mindless babble?
"You've attacked the new island lord's—"
Shuuk! Ppaak!
The warriors hadn't seen or sensed Yu Hyun move.
By the time they realized, their comrade's face was smashed, spewing blood as he flew, and Yu Hyun stood beside them.
"W-We are the new island lord's warriors—!"
Jjeeok!
The second shouter was smashed into the ground by a backhand fist, motionless.
From then on, none dared speak.
Only then did Yu Hyun ask.
"...Three left."
"..."
"So one of you three, speak. Tell me exactly what you were doing."
None answered.
Under that cold, cruel gaze, all three gulped visibly, eyes darting.
"Want me to say it?"
"..."
"New island lord's orders or bullshit excuses—drop them. If you charge in blindly because your master commanded it, you're no different from dogs. Today, you became such dogs, biting whoever you could. Just satisfying your greed, tormenting the weak, reveling in it."
"..."
"So I'm reminding you. Who you are."
His low voice laced with killing intent swept over the remnants.
"W-We..."
"What, wanna be human?"
"..."
"No, that won't do. How could a dog impersonate a person?"
"..."
"Don't make that repentant face. Don't beg forgiveness. Right now, you're just dogs that tucked tail after meeting a scarier beast."
Pakakak!
Another rolled across the ground.
Step, step.
Yu Hyun closed the distance as they backed away.
"D-Don't come closer."
One tripped while retreating and wildly swung his sword.
Eudeuk.
"These dog teeth that can't even bite anymore..."
Waduduk.
Yu Hyun gripped the blade bare-handed, crushing it into the shape of his fingers.
Drip, drip, drip...
Blood dripped from the cut on his palm, making the sword-wielder's face pale further in terror.
"S-Spare..."
Ppukakak!
Without waiting for him to finish, Yu Hyun grabbed his hair and smashed a fist into his jaw.
The lower jaw spun around as he flipped backward, eyes rolling white.
As Yu Hyun's gaze turned to the last one, who didn't even think to flee, the warrior dropped his sword, flattened himself, and kowtowed.
"F-Forgive us, sir. We were just following orders. Truly."
"...What a joke."
Yu Hyun chuckled, and the lone warrior snapped his head up, straightening his torso.
Thinking forgiveness granted? His eyes burned with desperate survival lust.
Crouching before him, Yu Hyun patted his shoulder.
"Did you spare him?"
"..."
Ppeeeok!
The full-force punch burrowed into his gut, sending him pitching forward, head slamming the dirt as he vomited.
"Keurk..."
"...Filthy."
With the last warrior down, Yu Hyun dusted his hands and stood.
"I won't break your limbs. So go report exactly what you saw and heard. I am Yu Hyun, leader of the Murim Alliance's Hidden Dragon Squad. I have no business meddling in your internal strife, but I stepped in out of righteous fury at this injustice. If you have complaints, file a formal protest—or gather your warriors and come find me before I leave."
"Gack, keuk..."
"Got it?"
"Y-Yes!"
The warrior answered, head still buried, with effort.
"You'd better run hard. Who knows when I might change my mind."
"..."
Trembling, the warrior rose unsteadily and fled.
Like a wounded dog chased by a tiger...
Revealing his identity was both a threat and a test.
By now, Gae Du-shin and Nangong Seong must have arrived.
For them to act anyway meant they disregarded the Murim Alliance—and what else could it mean that the Alliance hadn't intervened?
Political strife? Factional interests?
Wrong.
This wasn't about interests—it was about human duty. No excuse justified ignoring the oppression of the powerless.
If it was that kind of Murim Alliance, that kind of Hainan Island, he wouldn't yield his place in the world he'd saved to them.
How were they any different from the chaos-bringers his masters warned of in the distant future?
Kwak.
Watching the warrior's back vanish, Yu Hyun clenched his fist in resolve. Staggering people gathered behind him.
"W-Warrior..."
"..."
Turning slowly, Yu Hyun saw only elders, women, and children reflected in his eyes.
"...Where did the warriors go? All of them?"
"They were all captured. The clan head, the elders... Most of the Wol Clan's armed warriors died."
"..."
"Sir, what should we do? We..."
"..."
Yu Hyun soothed their trembling voices with a faint smile.
He hadn't saved drowning men just to demand their bundles. They had merely grasped desperately at the lifeline before them.
Because they had no power...