Chapter 178
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 178.
The device activated.
Im Woo-do felt the magical power inside his body draining away.
Before long, even moving his body became difficult.
‘I—I have to destroy that thing.’
The countermeasure for the magic suppression device was simple.
Since it took a considerable amount of time for the device to fully activate, destroying it beforehand was the solution.
But Im Woo-do could do nothing.
“Just when did you…!”
Because enemies surrounded him on all sides.
The swordsmen loyal to Yoo Baek-jun were glaring at Im Woo-do with bloodshot eyes.
The slightest movement would provoke them to cut him down.
Thus, he could do nothing but wait as his magical power drained away.
“Ugh…!”
Im Woo-do fell to his knees.
As his magic was forcibly drained, the energy inside his body surged backward, causing severe harm.
Seeing this, Choi Gun-woo stopped the device.
“How does it feel to fall into your own trap? Must be quite refreshing.”
“You—you bastard!”
Im Woo-do raised his head.
Choi Gun-woo was looking down at him with disdain. And beside him stood Yoo Baek-jun.
“Treacherous bastard…! What did he promise you? What did that bastard offer to make you betray me?! After all I’ve done for you!”
“He promised me the position of Busan Branch Leader.”
“What?!”
“And he said he’d give me a chance for revenge.”
Revenge.
At those cold words, Im Woo-do’s body trembled.
Having known Choi Gun-woo for so long, he understood better than anyone that those words were sincere.
‘This is bad. This… I could actually die here. The situation is completely against me.’
He had been caught trying to trap and kill the successor of the family.
Moreover, there was someone who could testify against him.
Choi Gun-woo had orchestrated this entire scheme from the beginning, so he would undoubtedly testify.
‘Then I’m finished!’
This was no time to lose his temper.
Im Woo-do forced a pitiful expression onto his pale face, appealing to emotions.
“G-Gun-woo, why would you… After all I’ve done for you! Do you not realize whose influence allowed you to walk around looking like a human?!”
“You talk well.”
Choi Gun-woo let out a hollow laugh.
“With the same mouth that reduced my sister to that state… you dare say you raised me?”
“……!”
Im Woo-do’s face twisted.
‘How did he find out?’.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about… Don’t say such things. You already know everything.”
“H-how?!”
“Yoo Tae-rang took an interest in me. But that bastard didn’t trust people, so he wanted a leash to ensure I wouldn’t betray him.”
Choi Gun-woo tightly gripped the sword at his waist.
“So he used you to stage an accident, and my sister… was reduced to that state. You helped him, then acted as if you were doing me a favor….”
“G-Gun-woo.”
“You dare speak of favors with that mouth?!”
Choi Gun-woo stepped toward Im Woo-do.
His footsteps held no hesitation.
“W-wait! Gun-woo, hold on! There—there were reasons… There were reasons for all of it!”
“I know. There were reasons.”
“What?”
His footsteps continued.
Before long, Choi Gun-woo stood right before Im Woo-do.
Their eyes met.
“Reasons to satisfy your own greed.”
In Im Woo-do’s terrified pupils, he saw Choi Gun-woo raising his sword.
And before he could even utter another excuse—
“Now… it’s time to pay the price.”
Sschhk!
The sound of something being sliced. Then the sound of blood pouring out.
Choi Gun-woo, unsatisfied with just one strike, continued to hack down with his sword.
“…….”
Yoo Baek-jun silently watched the scene.
Moments later, Choi Gun-woo, drenched in blood, staggered and dropped the sword in his hand.
“Feel a bit better now?”
“…Not as satisfying as I thought.”
“That’s a shame.”
Choi Gun-woo exhaled deeply.
“But it’ll get better with time. Now that Im Woo-do is dealt with, what’s your next move?”
“We head to the Busan Branch. Since it’s the main stronghold supporting Yoo Tae-rang….”
Yoo Baek-jun glanced at Im Woo-do’s corpse.
“Might as well take it for ourselves while we’re at it.”
* * *
The Busan Branch was in chaos.
With both the Branch Leader, the highest authority, and Choi Gun-woo, the second-in-command, absent, confusion was inevitable.
“Where has Im Woo-do gone?!”
“At least try contacting Choi Gun-woo!”
“If we could reach him, we’d have done something by now…!”
Then, suddenly, the door burst open.
Kicked open violently, something flew in from beyond.
Thud!
It was a corpse.
“Eek!”
The corpse rolled across the floor.
Everyone inside turned their eyes toward it—and froze.
Because the corpse was familiar.
How could it not be?
“I-Im Woo-do…?”
“Wh-who could have…?”
It was unmistakably Im Woo-do.
His face was horribly contorted, as if he had died in immense pain.
Someone grabbed his hair and lifted his head.
“…….”
It was Yoo Baek-jun.
Drenched in blood, he displayed Im Woo-do’s corpse to the crowd.
Behind him, Choi Gun-woo entered and stood by his side, while swordsmen surrounded the Busan Branch members.
“Y-young Master… What is the meaning of this— Gah!”
A swordsman pressed his blade forward, signaling the man to shut up and he immediately complied.
“Im Woo-do tried to kill me.”
“……!”
The crowd reacted with shock.
But among them, some showed not just shock—but fear.
“A man who fed off the family’s wealth, daring to raise his sword against its successor… deserves death.”
The Busan Branch members stared fearfully at the swords in the hands of Yoo Baek-jun’s men.
“And those who conspired with this traitor shall also pay for their crimes here!”
Yoo Baek-jun roared.
“Choi Gun-woo, name them!”
“Im Cheol-yoon, Han Dae-hee, Jo Yi-jun, Yang Song-yeon.”
“W-wait…! Gahk!”
With each name Choi Gun-woo spoke, the swordsmen moved, and people collapsed one by one.
They weren’t being killed—yet.
“Song Yi-rim, Kim Yu-ri, Han Yu-jin….”
“Agh!”
These were also swordsmen of the Sword Saint Family.
For now, they would be detained. Once the situation settled, they would be taken to the main family for punishment.
Thus, Yoo Baek-jun’s swordsmen subdued them swiftly without killing.
“If there are others who share these traitors’ ambitions, they too shall face harsh punishment.”
“…….”
A heavy silence filled the room.
Yoo Baek-jun ordered the captured to be imprisoned in the underground cells.
“Sp-spare me…!”
“Aaaaah…!”
These were all members of Im Woo-do’s faction within the Busan Branch, those who had pledged loyalty to him.
The remaining members were either neutral or supporting Choi Gun-woo.
“From now on, I will oversee the Busan Branch. But since I must deal with the crisis outside, I’ll appoint an acting leader.”
With all of Im Woo-do’s high-ranking followers gone, this was the most logical move.
“Choi Gun-woo.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“You will manage the Busan Branch during this crisis. I trust you with this responsibility.”
Effectively appointing Choi Gun-woo as the acting Busan Branch Leader.
He bowed deeply.
“I swear… I will not fail.”
Though it was only temporary for now.
This was the moment Choi Gun-woo took his first step toward the position he had long desired.
Yoo Baek-jun looked outside.
‘It should be arriving soon.’
He thought of the ‘item‘ that would soon arrive, then turned his gaze to the building where Vincent was.
And the one guarding it.
‘Park Cheong-mun… I’ll kill him first.’
* * *
While an unexpected storm of blades raged within the Busan Branch…
Yoo Tae-rang was fighting some undead.
“Hah…! Hah…!”
“Wh-where did these undead come from?!”
The swordsmen were horrified at the sight of the enemies.
Among the swarming undead, high-tier undead were frequently spotted.
Death Knights, Liches, Tattered Golems.
Along with countless other high-tier undead, they surged forward with murderous intent.
“Are undead flooding the entire city of Busan? Then our chances of winning…”
“…….”
“Gah! M-my apologies!”
Yoo Tae-rang’s cold gaze pierced the swordsman.
He despised weak-spirited words. Under normal circumstances, he would have reprimanded him.
‘But he’s not wrong.’
Yoo Baek-jun’s foresight had failed, and the defensive measures Yoo Tae-rang had prepared were now useless.
Moreover, communications were cut off.
They couldn’t even grasp the full scope of the current situation.
‘Then… at the very least, we must escape this min.’
Right now, Yoo Tae-rang and his swordsmen were holding a defensive line against the undead.
They had hoped to wait for communications to be restored and reinforcements to arrive, but there was no telling when that would happen.
It would be better to break through and regroup with other forces.
“…….”
Yoo Tae-rang observed the undead before him.
To do that, they had to clear a path.
And in one decisive strike.
“I’ll open the way.”
“Huh?”
Yoo Tae-rang stepped forward without another word.
Someone warned him it was dangerous, but he didn’t even pretend to listen.
―Pathetic human, come to die?
―Our master has ordered your deaths!
“A master, you say.” Yoo Tae-rang smirked faintly. “I don’t know who this ‘master’ is, but they’ve given you an impossible command.”
―What?!
Yoo Tae-rang charged into the heart of the enemy forces.
From his fingertips, the Heavenly Sword Technique unfolded.
Surging crescent blades sliced through the undead, and a thunderous strike crushed a Death Knight.
―Foolish creature!
Magic spells rained down on Yoo Tae-rang.
He blocked the Liches’ spells with a sword barrier, then exhaled deeply.
“Huu…!”
Boom!
The barrier reflected the spells, striking the Liches with their own magic.
Then, raising his sword high, he channeled his magic energy and drove it into the ground with all his might.
Rumble—!
An earthquake erupted ahead, toppling the undead blocking the path.
Yoo Tae-rang stepped forward with practiced footwork, bypassing the undead and appearing right before the Liches.
Swinging his sword arm back, he thrust forward with all his strength.
Schliiick!
A sword aura shot out in a straight line.
Mid-flight, it split into countless smaller auras, simultaneously engulfing the Liches.
Then, pivoting on his right foot, he unleashed a massive sword aura, cleaving through the Liches.
―T-this power…
―A monstrous strength…
The Liches dissipated into nothingness.
Yoo Tae-rang turned immediately, facing the undead rushing toward him.
“Worthless trash.”
With utter disgust in his voice, he hurled his sword forward.
The blade split into countless copies, embedding themselves in the ground—forming a large circular pattern, like an array.
The swords glowed blue as they emitted magic energy.
―Grr…?
―My body… won’t move…
The swords, now part of the array, immobilized the undead within their range.
Then, the swords levitated—
Schwaaaak!
―Kyaaaaah!
Moving as if alive, they began ruthlessly tearing through the undead.
Their speed was so fast that the eye could barely follow.
The living swords annihilated the undead in an instant.
Thud!
By the time Yoo Tae-rang caught his returning sword—
No undead remained standing.
‘H-he’s a monster…’
‘Has he grown even stronger?’
Yoo Tae-rang had trained in the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique since childhood and learned numerous family techniques from Yoo Moo-hak.
His power was overwhelming.
“Move quickly. We must return to the Busan Branch and assess the situation.”
“Yes!”
The swordsmen swiftly dealt with the remaining undead and followed Yoo Tae-rang.
Just as they were about to rush down the road—
“Gah! Y-young Master! Look there!”
“What is it?”
One swordsman pointed in terror toward the sky.
And there…
“That’s…”
Something Yoo Tae-rang had not expected floated in the air.
His face hardened coldly.