The Siege

"Brother. The Elder has summoned us."

"Just me?"

"No. Everyone at the rank of Thousand-Man Commander and above."

The three major factions had split off the forces of the Gang family and a few members of Seolyogok here before advancing. They had headed toward a battlefield that was expected to be far more treacherous and fiercely contested—the stronghold where the leaders of the human cultivation sects resided.

As a result, only two Samgeuk Elders were left behind here. Considering that the nearby human cultivation sects also possessed two Samgeuk-level combatants, the odds weren't particularly unfavorable. While it was true that defending was advantageous in a prolonged siege, our Ungi (Qi Circulation) lineup was exceptionally solid.

Even putting me aside, there were those who possessed Dharma treasures, like Gang Ha-yeon, Gang So-ye, and Gang Su-gong. Furthermore, the demons who served as the backbone and limbs of our army were no pushovers either. In short, our Ungi warriors were formidable. Ever since the war began, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the humans had done nothing but retreat.

But what if the human side's Samgeuk experts stepped forward? A regular Ungi cultivator might be helpless, but someone at the Tong-un (Universal Circulation) stage could at least act as a highly annoying pest. Those like me who possessed Dharma treasures were an especially massive problem. Even if we could only use them a few times, a single strike unleashed from a Dharma treasure was not something even a Samgeuk expert could simply ignore.

Even if we couldn't draw out the true power of the Dharma treasure, it was still equivalent to throwing a sharp jab in boxing. A jab might be light, but if it caught you clean in the face, it would rattle your brain. The damage would accumulate, and if you were unlucky enough to get clipped on the chin, you were in deep trouble. Since a battle could be decided in a single split second, the experts of both camps preferred to clash their armies first to gauge the situation, but...

"Let's go then."

The result of that clash was a victory for the demons. The number of Ungi cultivators on the human side was steadily dwindling, and there was no telling how many of the lower-ranking Yeondan (Core Condensation) cultivators had been slaughtered. In any case, the humans wouldn't just sit idly by anymore.

"The humans will probably start revealing their hidden cards one by one now."

"Ah, those barriers are such a pain."

Before the war's outcome was decided, and before the generation carrying the future of their sects was completely wiped out, they would try to force a conclusion. They would bring out their trump cards, deploy their Samgeuk experts, and unleash the grand arrays and secret techniques passed down through their sects for generations.

I glanced at the Thousand-Man Commanders gathering around the base, then glared at the towering human pagodas shrouded in a shimmering, haze-like barrier. It still wasn't enough. Even slaughtering and plundering every single human inside wouldn't satisfy me. I needed to wrap this up quickly and head to the next battlefield.

"We shall now begin the meeting."

The Samgeuk Elders—Elder Do of the Gang family and the Third Elder of Seolyogok—stood side by side. The reason military discipline remained absolutely ironclad despite the gathering of so many powerful Ungi warriors was entirely due to the presence of these two.

Demons were already incredibly sensitive to differences in realm and hierarchy. If anyone dared to act out of line during wartime, their head would be rolling on the floor in an instant.

"Over the past thirty days, we have destroyed forty-five array cores prepared by the human alliance, and we have completely dismantled the external arrays on the western wall..."

They had made examples out of anyone who slackened. Since no one wanted to end up like those examples, everyone kept their eyes wide open, at least for appearance's sake, listening intently to the Elders. It was almost comical to see these fierce, self-indulgent Dokkaebi behaving like obedient little chicks.

Why, even one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the Thousand-Man Commanders sitting at the very back was covered in a messy mixture of blood and vaginal fluids, clearly having been interrupted in the middle of some wild pleasure. Whew, I'm just glad I wasn't summoned mid-fuck.

"...And so, Hayun?"

"Yes, Elder."

"What are your thoughts? As the vanguard commander and champion of our army who has consistently crushed the enemy, I would like to hear if you have any ingenious insights."

Uh... what did he just say?

I had been too busy thinking about how glad I was not to be summoned mid-fuck that I hadn't heard a single word. I rested my chin on my hand and closed my eyes, adopting a deeply contemplative expression. Of course, since I had no idea what was going on, I immediately called upon my invincible helper—Ryeo-ah.

'Hey. Emergency. What did the Elder just say?'

'Ah, come on. Please.'

Ryeo-ah didn't want to see me humiliate myself like this either, so she quickly gave me the answer.

"...The human side's Samgeuk experts will not make a move yet."

"And your reasoning?"

"Because of the presence of you two Elders. The moment they expend their strength trying to slaughter our Ungi warriors to turn the tide, they risk being ambushed by you. That would put them at a severe disadvantage."

In turn-based game terms, it was a disadvantage equivalent to skipping your turn. If there was a massive gap in skill, or if this were just a game, it might be a gamble worth taking. But when your own life was on the line, you couldn't just throw yourself out there so easily.

"Then how do you expect the enemy to break this deadlock?"

"That fortress is their home, a place steeped in history. Their ancestors must have left behind more than a few defensive contingencies to protect the sect. They will undoubtedly resort to those."

"Correct." The Elder nodded.

The older a sect was, the deeper its hidden reserves. The harder we pushed them, the more they would scrape the bottom of their barrels to unleash everything they had. This was something we couldn't do. After all, the Gang family's ultimate trump cards and defensive measures were all locked away deep within the family estate.

Who in their right mind would exhaust the insurance meant for a family crisis on an offensive war? Especially a war they had started themselves. For a massive faction that prioritized stability, such a decision was highly unlikely.

"As expected of the Heavenly Cave Dweller. Your wisdom is exceptional."

"So the Thousand-Man Slayer isn't just a brainless brute. He actually possesses the ability to read the political landscape."

Ugh. I appreciate the praise, but can we do something about those titles?

"Silence. Therefore, after putting our heads together through the night, we have arrived at a single conclusion. And that is..."

The meeting concluded. Well, I wasn't sure ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠if that could even be called a meeting, but whatever.

"Brother, what do you think about this?"

"What choice does a soldier have? When the higher-ups tell you to jump, you jump."

The expressions of the Ungi warriors emerging from the tent were a mixed bag—excitement, anxiety, bewilderment, and so on.

"I must admit, I was a bit surprised too. Launching an all-out offensive the moment the western external barrier was cleared... That is a bold decision."

Indeed. The decision made by our leadership was none other than an all-out offensive. Of course, they had their reasons. The "insurance policies" hidden away in the treasuries of ancient sects usually consisted of puppet armies that took time to activate, massive arrays, or powerful and unique exotic treasures.

Puppet armies required activation and the re-establishment of command chains, and even a dog knew that large-scale arrays and barriers took a long time to cast. As for unique exotic treasures, they were Dharma treasures, which required time to attune to one's body.

For instance, if you handed an incredible bow to someone who had only ever used a sword, they wouldn't be able to use it properly, would they? Even though a Samgeuk expert could quickly adapt to an unfamiliar Dharma treasure, they couldn't wield it like a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠master the instant they picked it up. The intent behind this strategy was to end things swiftly before the enemy could activate the insurance policies hidden in their secret vaults.

"I understand the logic. The measures the sect alliance prepared over the centuries are bound to be extraordinary."

"Mmm. Still, it feels far too rushed. It is almost as if they are being chased by time."

That part made me uneasy too. But unfortunately, as someone who hadn't even reached the Samgeuk realm—someone who, as the Elder put it, was merely a vanguard commander—the only thing I could say to my sister was this:

"Look at it this way: it means they believe this is our best shot."

"I suppose so."

"They probably ordered the all-out offensive thinking we just need to sweep them all away and occupy the place quickly, right?"

It was frustrating, though. Throwing our forces headfirst into what could very well be a death trap... and those forces included me and my women. No matter how weak the humans were, many of our side would die. We might even lose. The casualties would be high, and there was absolutely no guarantee that one of my women wouldn't be among them.

If only I had reached the Samgeuk realm, things wouldn't have come to this. It was truly a shame. Is it shameless for a guy who has slaughtered countless people to suddenly worry about his own getting hurt? Bullshit. Of course I'm going to worry about my own people. Why the hell would I care about strangers? I'm not exactly overflowing with benevolence.

"Yeah. I trust you."

Sigh, why can't they just stay quiet? What a pain in the ass.

I spotted Gang So-ye in the crowd and casually gave her an obscene gesture with my finger. In response, Gang So-ye made a thrusting motion back at me.

"Immature bitch."

And then there was Gang Su-gong, our one-eyed candidate for the eldest son. Unlike me, who was tasked with taking the western wall, I heard he was struggling. Word was he was locked in a tight battle with some promising Ungi cultivator who possessed a Dharma treasure. Sucks to be him. I hadn't run into anyone with a Dharma treasure yet, though there were plenty of Tong-un stage cultivators around. Perhaps they were short on manpower.

Our eyes met briefly, but Gang Su-gong was the first to look away. He probably had his own schemes cooking, but whatever. Any lingering annoyance from him would vanish the moment I reached the Samgeuk realm...

"Ah, fuck. That goddamn Samgeuk."

Would it kill this stupid realm to just let me break through already? I've been held back so many times just trying to reach this one stage.

"Ugh."

I'd better relieve some stress before tomorrow's battle. As always, I will win. And then, I am going to absolutely destroy Gang So-ye's pussy.

In my past life, I had once seen a squadron of fighter jets performing a formation flyover above a city. I can say with absolute certainty: what was happening right now was far more thrilling and intense.

"Fire!"

The moment the Elder waved his military banner, the main cannons of the battleships filling the sky unleashed torrents of blinding light. While individual shots didn't pack the destructive power of a Dharma treasure, when they consumed massive amounts of spirit stones to rain down fire until their barrels literally melted, the outcome was practically predetermined. No matter how many shields the humans raised, the damage would inevitably accumulate.

By the time the barrels of our battleships glowed cherry-red and began to warp from the heat, the array cores that had sprouted like mushrooms near the city walls were utterly shattered. In particular, the western wall, which had already lost its external array cores, saw its internal barriers and cores shattered. Portions of the wall itself collapsed, leaving gaping holes.

"Ram them! Crash the ships and blow them up!"

Since countless demons had already died in the course of this war, the battleships meant to carry them back were practically empty. Battleships rigged with self-destruction arrays took turns ramming their bows directly into the breached barriers.

Thud! Boom! Craaaash!

They took out all the human cultivators who had rushed over to repair the breached barrier along with them.

"Charge! I shall lead the way!"

Normally, we would have hesitated to enter the city walls, unsure of what traps lay inside. But when a Samgeuk Elder raised his banner and took the vanguard himself, the story changed.

"Kill them!"

"Anyone who retreats dies by my hand first! Charge!"

I immediately led my Yacha Squad to the Elder's side, providing cover. Being at the very front was dangerous, but the Elder was with us. Besides, it would look bad if I, the one who had been leading the army's vanguard all this time, backed out now.

Elder Do. Clad in full-body scale armor with a massive war hammer Dharma treasure slung over his shoulder, a green light gleamed from behind his visor.

"Is that you, Hayun?"

"Yes, Elder."

"Hahaha! A lad of your caliber won't get in my way. Follow me!"

He was being surprisingly friendly considering we hadn't known each other long. Not that I minded. I swung my Dokkaebi club, shattering minor attacks and barriers. I became Elder Do's right wing, adding momentum to his charge.

Whirrrr—

"Gasp! Elder!"

"No need to make a fuss, you brats."

Sometimes, barriers would spring up that even I found troublesome to deal with.

"Eat this!"

Whenever that happened, the Elder would hurl a red lightning bead from his robes. The barriers crumbled with ridiculous ease. He had clearly come prepared.

It was then.

"You bastard!"

Ryeo-ah spoke, and the Elder acted.

Zzzzt!

A beam of light shot straight toward the center of our group. A Dharma treasure.

"Damn it! I guess being at the Samgeuk realm means I only get a bit of soot!"

Elder Do, who had blocked the attack with his Dharma treasure, growled as he glared at a watchtower that was set up like an artillery battery. The shooter wasn't a Samgeuk expert. However, the opponent was a Tong-un cultivator utilizing the power of a Dharma treasure and an array. Leaving them alone was too dangerous; their position was perfect for sniping our forces.

"Hayun."

"Yes, Elder."

"I will give you ten Ungi warriors. Take them and your Yacha Squad, and go slaughter that bastard."

"Understood."

With those words, Elder Do charged forward.

"Where do you think you're going! A Samgeuk expert turning tail and—!"

"Shut up."

I raised my Red Agate Bow and fired a shot straight at him.

"Argh!"

Somehow, he managed to get away with only losing his shoulder. I figured as much since he was wielding a Dharma treasure, but I guess he actually had some skill.

"You bastard! Just because you have a Dharma treasure doesn't mean you can lord it over—!"

"Look who's talking."

I plucked the string of the Red Agate Bow again.

Thrum!

"Ack!"

This time, his right shoulder.

"Hmph! Even with the aid of the array, I can only fire four times at most! Let's see how many times you can use yours!"

Thrum!

His flank.

"Urgh...! By now, you should be collapsing on the ground...!"

Thrum!

His lower body.

"W-Wait!"

Thrum!

His chest.

"Gurgle..."

He had somehow protected his head, but he had failed to protect literally everything else.

Looking down at the man, who was now reduced to just a head and a mangled upper torso, I silently brought my club down.

"W-Wait—"

Crack!

"Dumbass."

I was a bit too strong to collapse just from using a Dharma treasure a few times.