Chapter 56: The Blood Sword Assassin
The formation Nam Gyuil had installed in the Public Guild activated.
Inflicting physical damage on Sakaki Seito was impossible, but trapping him in hallucinations was feasible. They just needed to exploit that opening and fight.
Nam Gyuil and his comrades gripped their swords and slowly descended.
The formation's effect was impressive. Sakaki Seito and his followers were lost in hallucinations, their bodies frozen stiff. The life drained from their eyes. They stared blankly into empty space like idiots.
Lee Chanu clenched his fist tightly.
'Perfect. We can just finish them off while they're trapped!'
Han Kangsu and Hong Shinu inwardly cheered as well. Hwang Ilsu felt the same. With the enemies helpless in their delusions, they simply had to seize the moment.
They kept their voices low, wary that Sakaki Seito might snap out of it, but they believed victory was in hand.
Grip.
Nam Gyuil gripped his sword firmly and channeled sword aura. He aimed to sever the bastard's neck in one stroke, but an unexpected situation unfolded.
"Hup!!"
Sakaki Seito let out a sharp kiai. His followers' rigid bodies suddenly moved again, life returning to their eyes.
Nam Gyuil's eyes widened.
'He broke free of the hallucination?!'
There were several ways to escape or dismantle a formation. But Nam Gyuil was shocked for a different reason.
'How does Sakaki Seito know how to break the formation? I didn't have time for something as powerful as a Jeon-ga or Sama clan array... but it still shouldn't have been that easy.'
It was incomprehensible. What was this guy's true identity?
Doubts surged within him.
Meanwhile, Sakaki Seito curled his lips into a smirk—the gaze of a hunter spotting prey. He countered Nam Gyuil's charging attack with his own sword aura.
Clang.
Their blood sword and Nam Gyuil's blade clashed, screeching like metal on metal, a sound that tore at the ears.
Boom!!
The collision unleashed shockwaves that scattered outward, whipping up a fierce gust.
"Kuh!!"
Hwang Ilsu and Lee Chanu shielded their faces with their arms against the wind. Hong Shinu stumbled back in surprise. Only Han Kangsu stood firm, unfazed.
Nam Gyuil kicked Sakaki Seito in the gut, creating distance.
Skrrrt.
Sakaki Seito slid back, while Nam Gyuil used the recoil to leap away. Their separation grew wide.
The bastard cackled.
"You call that a kick, you spineless prick? Gonna kill me like that? Come on, hit me harder."
Sakaki Seito's taunts were crude. Nam Gyuil kept his eyes locked on him.
"How did you escape the hallucination?"
He voiced his curiosity. Sakaki Seito sneered with one corner of his mouth.
"Your formation was shit. Probably whipped it up with some random item you lucked into, huh?"
"I see."
Nam Gyuil nodded as if satisfied, resetting his sword stance.
"I asked how you escaped the hallucination, but you knew it was a formation..."
"What?!"
"You're no ordinary assassin."
Sakaki Seito's smirk twisted into irritation. He spat curses.
"You goddamn bastard—were you just leading me on?!"
"Yeah."
Now Sakaki Seito fired back.
"What the hell are you? How do you know about formations?"
"Why would I tell you?"
Nam Gyuil's boldness made Sakaki Seito bare his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead. He was properly pissed—the target was acting all relaxed, controlling the flow.
"You fucking shit!"
Sakaki Seito charged at Nam Gyuil with ferocious momentum. Their clashes resumed in a frenzy.
Nam Gyuil glanced at the enemy's sword aura.
'This guy's strong, as expected.'
He had overwhelmed executives and even guild masters of major guilds. Yet the fight dragged on without a clear victor.
Nam Gyuil was certain.
'This bastard's trained in martial arts. How the hell did he learn it?!'
Sword aura required mana from the heart fused with internal energy from the dantian. To match Nam Gyuil's, one needed martial arts training.
That wasn't all that bothered him. The weapon Sakaki Seito wielded felt off too.
'No ordinary energy.'
It reeked of ominous malice. Up close, Nam Gyuil noticed the hilt was encrusted with what looked like human fingers.
He couldn't hide his disgust.
'A blood sword?!'
In the murim world, alongside the demonic cults, there was a notorious villainous group: the Blood Cult. Only their elite warriors received blood swords.
The Blood Cult was dangerous, but ranked below the demonic cults in the murim view—their martial arts were weaker. Demonic cults sparked total wars, but the Blood Cult could be held off by a single prestigious orthodox sect.
Moreover, the Blood Cult's philosophy was simplistic: they worshipped strength. Survival of the fittest was their creed. Thus, they were weak against the strong but merciless to the weak—killing more civilians than martial artists.
Demonic cults posed greater threats, but in sheer scumminess, the Blood Cult was worse.
Nam Gyuil eyed Sakaki Seito. The sword suited his vile personality perfectly.
'He's using Blood Cult martial arts.'
He could roughly predict how Sakaki Seito would fight. Blood Cult techniques had one hallmark: killing and drinking blood granted ecstasy and a temporary internal energy boost. Utterly repulsive.
Fortunately, no easy prey lurked nearby. Nam Gyuil relaxed a bit—no variables to suddenly empower the bastard.
But then.
"Guild Master Nam Gyuil, are you alright?!"
An unexpected guest arrived. Police, soldiers, and Hunter Agency personnel flooded into the Public Guild building, armed with guns.
Bang bang bang.
Bullets rained on Sakaki Seito. He ignored them. They pinged off harmlessly. His clothes tore, revealing simple steel armor infused with internal energy for protection. The bullets couldn't penetrate.
"Kekeke. Keep it coming. This is fun."
Sakaki Seito grinned wickedly, turning to them. Nam Gyuil realized his mistake.
Soldiers, police, and agency folks couldn't beat Sakaki Seito—they'd just become fuel to strengthen him.
"Run away, now!"
Nam Gyuil shouted, but they didn't flee. Either they couldn't grasp the situation or refused to retreat, they kept firing. They'd all die like this. Worse, if Sakaki Seito drank their blood and boosted his energy, things would complicate.
Nam Gyuil triggered another pre-set formation. This one induced sleep.
"Urk."
"Suddenly so sleepy..."
The soldiers, police, and agency personnel collapsed as if drugged.
Nam Gyuil yelled to his comrades.
"Hurry and move them to safety!!"
But they couldn't. They were busy fighting Sakaki Seito's followers.
Clang clang clang.
Their training showed—they weren't being pushed back—but no spare hands for the fallen.
Sakaki Seito snickered.
"Know what happens if I drink human blood? You can't even imagine."
The bastard gloated vilely, but Nam Gyuil stayed composed. He had an ace up his sleeve.
'Didn't want to use it if I could avoid, but no choice.'
Nam Gyuil took a deep breath and focused his mind.
Whoosh.
Flames erupted from his palm.
"Summon."
Responding to Nam Gyuil's call, a being materialized. Wings of pure flame. A form wreathed in fire. It was the upper spirit, Phoenix.
Sakaki Seito's eyes bulged as he muttered.
"A... spirit?!"
Nam Gyuil groaned inwardly. Summoning an upper spirit drained massive mana. But it was fine—not enough to knock him out like the first time. No hindrance to battle.
'Long fight would be bad, though. End it quick.'
Nam Gyuil commanded the Phoenix.
"Fight the enemies in place of my comrades."
The Phoenix spewed flames. A torrent under immense pressure engulfed Sakaki Seito's followers.
"Argh!"
"Aaaah!"
They screamed and fell.
Nam Gyuil ordered his team again.
"Move the unconscious to safety. No time—move fast!!"
"Got it."
His comrades hoisted the soldiers, police, and agency personnel and hurried to safety.
Sakaki Seito's face flushed red.
"...You bastard!!"
Furious at the tide turning against him, he lost his chance for a blood boost. Enraged, he unleashed his true power.
His sword aura glowed crimson, then he leaped high, deploying Blood Cult martial arts.
Blood-red sword aura slashes ferociously, seizing prey.
Clang!!
Nam Gyuil blocked. Blades met.
"Kuh!"
A groan escaped him. The attack was heavy. The blade's weight bent his knee slowly.
Better to deflect than counter force-on-force. He used Wudang school's arts, not Huashan.
No brute clash. Softness and calm resolve.
Shhhrk.
His blade flowed like water, smoothly redirecting Sakaki Seito's strike aside. Mystical finesse—every enemy motion seemed to aid Nam Gyuil's flow. The space felt under his palm.
This was Wudang's Taeguk Sword.
Slash!!
Nam Gyuil's blade finally grazed the bastard's shoulder. Unfortunately, shallow. His Taeguk Sword still immature, no deep wound.
Sakaki Seito hastily retreated, checking his shoulder. Seeing the minor cut, he smirked.
"Shit, you scared me."
Nam Gyuil ignored the taunt. Sakaki Seito kept yapping.
"Too bad, huh? Missed the kill shot."
"......"
"What, pissed off now?"
Nam Gyuil smiled faintly at the provocation.
"Nah, this is plenty."
Sakaki Seito frowned, confused—then staggered. Vision blurred. He clutched his face against the sudden headache.
'W-what?'
His condition plummeted inexplicably.
Nam Gyuil explained calmly.
"Poison."
"Poison?!"
"My blade generates it."
The wound was shallow, but enough for poisoning.
Realizing the truth, Sakaki Seito glared, gripping his sword tighter. Fighting now was suicide. Escape was his only path. Shaking Nam Gyuil would be tough, but for future chances...
As he timed his retreat—
"President Nam Gyuil, you okay!!"
Han Ducheol arrived late with Kangcheol Guild executives.
Sakaki Seito sensed instantly.
'Can't shake them all and escape.'
He charged Nam Gyuil. Assassinate the target before poison felled him.
Clang.
Nam Gyuil parried. Poison-weakened, the attack was feeble. Time to test a new skill.
Shhhrk.
Nam Gyuil used Sichuan Tang clan's arts, splitting his blade into two via duplication.
Sakaki Seito's eyes widened in shock.
One blade blocked; the other swung.
Slash!!
Deep this time. Sakaki Seito's arm wielding the blood sword severed, blood spraying.
"Arrrgh!"
He collapsed to his knees, screaming. Cornered, he spat curses in his native tongue.
"Sacrifices like you...!! You'll all be devoured!!"
Gibberish to everyone present. They stood silent, uncomprehending.
Sakaki Seito suddenly cackled madly, drawing a black dagger from his bosom.
Stab.
He plunged it into his own throat.
The abrupt suicide stunned all into frozen shock.
Then, a gate materialized behind his corpse.
Only then did Nam Gyuil realize Sakaki Seito's identity—and why he targeted him.
The bastard was an awakener colluding with monsters. A disciple of the Blood Demon.