Chapter 156
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 156.
Fighting someone wielding cold steel with bare fists is inherently a disadvantage.
No matter the weapon, its reach would surpass bare fists, and against an equally matched opponent, that gap becomes decisive.
‘But in this case, it actually works in my favor.’
Fighting with fists in Halpeon brings an unexpected advantage.
The people here—especially the knights—have little to no experience fighting against martial artists.
‘In Murim, there are plenty of fist-fighting techniques, but…’
Halpeon, a medieval fantasy realm, favored blades over brawling.
This unfamiliarity left knights—particularly high-ranking ones—flustered, tilting the battle in his favor.
“Hmph!”
Yoo Baek-jun exhaled sharply and raised his hand.
The Thunder spear flew from somewhere and landed in his grasp.
“You still want to fight?”
No answer came.
Only terrified eyes and hesitant steps backward.
Even the mages urged them forward, but none responded.
Yoo Baek-jun took a heavy step forward.
BOOM!
“Aaaaah!”
The frightened soldiers began to flee.
The panicked mages looked around, only to meet Yoo Baek-jun’s cold gaze.
Soon, the mages followed the soldiers in retreat.
“Pathetic.”
Yoo Baek-jun let out a long sigh.
Their cowardice worked in his favor.
Had they not run, he would have been in danger—his magical power was completely drained.
‘They won’t just retreat. They’ll regroup and surround the tent.’
The elves were too valuable to them.
“Time to finish this.”
Yoo Baek-jun headed toward the prison.
Where the elves were being held.
* * *
“Aaaaah!”
A scream tore through the quiet elven prison, followed by the violent splatter of blood.
The elves, already aware of the commotion outside, trembled at the sound.
“…….”
Silence returned as the scream faded.
Yoo Baek-jun pushed aside the cloth and stepped inside.
“Hmm, is this all of them?”
The elves were locked in cages made of a special mineral—one that disrupted magical energy, rendering spells useless inside.
‘Roughly… a hundred of them?’
Quite a number.
The male elves, likely captured in battle, bore wounds both large and small.
The elderly and weak were left neglected, while the female elves had been treated with slightly more care.
“Disgusting bastards.”
“……!”
Their intentions were obvious.
Yoo Baek-jun clicked his tongue in disgust.
He wrapped his hand in a surge of energy and forced open the tightly locked cage door.
SCREECH—!
The door groaned loudly as it opened.
The elves flinched at the sound.
“Why so scared? I came here to save you.”
No response.
Yoo Baek-jun tilted his head, then understood their reaction upon seeing his own appearance.
His entire body was painted in blood, and droplets fell from the spear in his hand.
“Ah… Right. You see this?”
“That is…!”
He showed them the necklace Delowin had given him. The elves recognized it immediately.
“I came at the request of your village to rescue you. We don’t have time—let’s move.”
“Wh-what happened to the elves in the village?”
“They’re all evacuating.”
“Evacuating?!”
The male elf’s eyes widened.
“Yes, they decided to abandon the village… Ah, we don’t have time right now. Save your questions for later—let’s go.”
Yoo Baek-jun freed the elves from their restraints.
‘This is going to be a pain.’
With the elderly and the injured male elves unable to move properly, escape wouldn’t be easy.
“Could you give us a moment? We can ask the spirits to heal us.”
“I’d like to, but we don’t have time. Let’s move while supporting each other.”
Outside, soldiers lay sprawled on the ground.
If he were alone, it wouldn’t matter, but with the elves in tow…
Yoo Baek-jun stepped out of the tent.
“As expected.”
The area outside the tent was swarming with enemies.
The advisors who had served under Farowell had rallied the soldiers and surrounded the tent.
Their eyes locked onto Yoo Baek-jun.
“Did you really think you could escape unscathed?”
“We’ll make you pay for Farowell’s blood!”
“Pay for his blood? Don’t make me laugh.”
Yoo Baek-jun scoffed.
These spineless dogs only pretended loyalty while cursing him behind his back.
What they really wanted were the elves.
With Farowell dead, capturing the elves was their only chance to save face.
‘Can’t let that happen.’
The camp was still in chaos.
The advisors, maintaining some semblance of order, had directed the soldiers to surround Yoo Baek-jun.
Behind them, mages began chanting spells.
“There are too many of them…”
“Give us weapons! We may be injured, but we can still fight!”
“Stay put—your wounds will reopen.”
The male elves begged for weapons, but Yoo Baek-jun couldn’t grant their request.
He glanced behind him.
Surrounded on all sides. What now?
‘A big move might be necessary.’
He wanted to use Meteor Shower, but he lacked the magical power. Forcing it would leave him completely drained.
The only viable option was Thunder Dragon, a powerful yet relatively low-cost technique.
“I’ll unleash a big attack. When I signal, run straight ahead.”
“Y-yes!”
Yoo Baek-jun whispered just loud enough for the elves to hear.
The soldiers drew closer.
“Drop your weapon! We’ll spare your life.”
“Oh? A tempting offer. You’ll spare me?”
“Yes! Swear loyalty to His Majesty, and we’ll promise you even more. Drop your weapon!”
With Farowell dead, they wanted Yoo Baek-jun to fill the void.
He gauged the distance. Once certain they couldn’t evade—
“Would you do the same in my place?”
He kicked off the ground and leaped into the air.
His body glowed with golden lightning as he swung his arm and hurled the spear.
The technique unleashed was Thunder Dragon.
—Kyaaaaah!
The howling Thunder dragon tore through the heart of the camp. Tents burst into flames instantly, and soldiers screamed as lightning coursed through them.
“Now!”
Yoo Baek-jun gave the signal.
The elves bolted forward.
“They’re going for the rear! Hold them at all costs!”
“H-here they come! Block them!”
The elves ran toward the back of the prison tent—an area untouched by the Thunder Dragon, where soldiers still stood guard.
The moment Yoo Baek-jun landed, he charged forward, cutting through them with Moon-Cleaver.
SWOOSH!
A blade of energy bisected the soldiers.
Yoo Baek-jun swiftly cleared a path, and the elves broke through the encirclement.
The advisors shouted in desperation.
“The elves! The elves are escaping!”
“Stop them! We can’t let them get away! They’re tribute for His Majesty!”
“Eeek…!”
But the soldiers didn’t listen.
The devastation from the Thunder Dragon and the realization of who had attacked them first shattered their morale.
“Useless fools!”
“Fire your spells! It doesn’t matter if the elves get hurt—just stop them!”
The mages unleashed their spells.
A barrage of magic flew toward Yoo Baek-jun and the elves.
“That—!”
“Ignore it and keep running!”
The elves hesitated for a moment but pushed forward at Yoo Baek-jun’s urging.
He gripped his spear tightly.
Summoning a Gale wall, he created a wind barrier that clashed with the incoming spells.
“Grrgh!”
A searing pain, as if his heart were being crushed, shot through him.
A symptom of magical energy depletion.
‘I don’t know if we’ll make it.’
Maintaining the Gale wall, Yoo Baek-jun chased after the fleeing elves.
He could only hope they escaped safely.
* * *
Of course, it wasn’t that easy.
“Hah… haah…!”
“After them! They went that way!”
The kingdom’s soldiers carried communication devices, allowing them to relay information instantly.
The camp’s soldiers used them to alert those in the forest, who now joined the pursuit.
“Huff… huu!”
“Human, are you alright?”
“Do I look alright?”
“I’m sorry. I want to help, but my magic flow has been unstable since leaving the prison…”
“It’s because of that prison. I understand.”
A nearby elf looked at him with concern.
Yoo Baek-jun’s face was so pale it seemed he might collapse at any moment.
He had planned to rest and recover, but time wasn’t on his side.
“There they are!”
“I see the elves! Everyone, regroup!”
The soldiers were closing in.
Yoo Baek-jun visualized the map in his mind, calculating their current position.
‘Just a little further.’
He hadn’t recklessly expended his magic—he had asked Ignasil to meet them, knowing they’d be pursued.
The problem was the remaining distance to the rendezvous point.
‘At this rate, we’ll be caught. Then…’
No choice.
Yoo Baek-jun squeezed out the last of his magic, infused his spear, and called down lightning.
CRACK-BOOM!
A bolt struck the ground.
“Sir, this will only draw more enemies.”
“I know. Let’s move.”
They kept running, but their stamina wouldn’t last.
“Heh heh. Heard all the noise and came to check—looks like we hit the jackpot.”
“How much are these worth?”
Enemies appeared ahead.
Elf hunters and mercenaries—they had blocked the path after hearing the thunder.
“Wh-what do we do, Sir?”
“Over there!”
The pursuing soldiers cut off their retreat.
They were trapped.
The elves, terrified, raised the weapons they had scavenged.
‘Just a little more time.’
Yoo Baek-jun assessed his remaining magic and considered his options.
The enemies drew closer.
“You bastards. Did you really think you could escape after causing all that chaos?”
“Don’t hurt the elves. They’re worth a fortune. Heh, we’ll make a killing.”
Yoo Baek-jun drew his sword, and the elves steeled themselves.
The enemies laughed at their resolve.
The distance closed.
The battle was about to begin.
“Attack!”
“Fire!”
At that moment—
A familiar voice rang out.
The rustling of leaves was followed by a rain of arrows.
“Gyaaak!”
“Arrows…!”
The sudden ambush cut down the soldiers. But the attack wasn’t over.
“Sylphid! Strike our enemies!”
“Earthworm, turn that ground into mud.”
“Bind those wicked men! Nymph!”
Then came the spirit magic.
Blades of wind sliced through the soldiers. Simultaneously, the ground beneath them turned into deep mud, trapping their feet.
Some were even completely immobilized.
“Ugh, graah!”
“Damn it…!”
“This way, Sir!”
Yoo Baek-jun and the elves sprinted forward.
A massive stone wall rose behind them, blocking the enemies.
Finally allowing himself to breathe, Yoo Baek-jun looked toward the source of the arrows.
“Delowin? What are you doing here?”
“Sorry, Sir. Were we late?”
Delowin stood atop a tree.
Along with the other elves who had gone to the World Tree.
“Where’s Ignasil?”
“There were enemies near the World Tree, so he’s leading them away. We… the spirits told us you were in danger…”
“So you came to help?”
Before arriving, Yoo Baek-jun had asked Ignasil to meet them, anticipating pursuit.
But he had also instructed him to prioritize the World Tree if anything happened there.
“Yes! And we heard the noise too, Sir!”
“Good job.”
Seeing Delowin’s twitching ears, Yoo Baek-jun sighed in relief.
If she hadn’t come, things would’ve gone badly.
‘At least it worked out.’
But they weren’t safe yet.
After a brief rest to heal the elves’ wounds, they headed for the World Tree.
* * *
“I’m glad you’re safe, human.”
“Likewise.”
At the World Tree, the village elves and Ignasil’s patrol were waiting.
Judging by the blood staining their clothes, they had fought fiercely.
“As you said, enemies came for the World Tree. We were busy dealing with them.”
“It’s fine. She came through.”
“Good. The spirits have sealed off the area. The enemy won’t reach us anytime soon.”
“Understood. Then…”
Yoo Baek-jun looked around.
The place where the World Tree once stood was now an empty clearing.
“I’ve placed verdant magic stones around the perimeter.”
Nodding, Yoo Baek-jun stepped into the center.
“Open the gate. I will take those you cherish to safety.”
He placed his hand on the ground and whispered.
The earth trembled.
RUMBLE—!
The magic stones resonated, rising and spinning violently.
Then—
“This is…!”
The stones dissolved, and a massive rift tore open in the air.
A Gate.
“Huu.”
Yoo Baek-jun turned back.
“Let’s go. To where the new World Tree awaits.”