Chapter 221
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 221.
Yoo Baek-jun returned to the gate.
The red gate felt even more swollen than when he had seen it during the day.
"It’ll burst in a day or two."
"The governor of Jeju is evacuating the people nearby. They’re making up some excuse for it."
"I wonder what kind of excuse they’ll come up with."
Yoo Baek-jun glanced at Han Seong-ah.
She was holding Seol-yeong in her arms. Perhaps because she had tamed it with food for so long, the creature had grown quite attached to her.
"Don’t forget to set up the traps I mentioned around here. Also, place magic devices everywhere."
"Yes, we’re already doing that."
"The gate is going to burst…"
Yoo Baek-jun let out a sigh.
"The terrain of this area is going to change."
When a gate is liberated, the monsters inside come pouring out.
High-ranking gates don’t stop there—they cause natural disasters, completely altering the surrounding landscape.
‘It’ll cost a bit to restore.’
Since everyone nearby had been evacuated, there would be no casualties.
However, property damage was inevitable, and it wasn’t something that could be prevented in the first place.
He planned to work with the Jeju authorities to ensure proper compensation.
"Family head. The sword suits you well."
"Huh? Ah, this."
Yoo Baek-jun looked at the sword he was holding.
It was the family head’s sword, handed down to him by Yoo Moo-hak when he became the new family head.
[White Sword (S+)]
A sword said to have been used by the Sword Saint in the past.
It holds immense power, but the sword has yet to acknowledge you as its master.
―Options: ?
―Skills: ?
A high-ranking S+ grade.
Yet, it had no options.
It was because the sword hadn’t recognized Yoo Baek-jun as its master yet.
"It’s just decorative for now."
"When do you think it’ll acknowledge you, family head?"
"Hmm… It’ll take a while."
The White Sword gradually acknowledges its owner as they accomplish great feats.
To put it differently—
‘It’s like an affection meter in a dating sim. Every time I clear an event, the affection goes up, and when it maxes out, it’ll acknowledge me as its master…’
As if this were some kind of romance game.
Still, the sword was beautiful. Its pure white blade, crafted as if from snow, had a mesmerizing charm.
"Um, can I touch it?"
"It might hurt."
"Hurt?"
Yoo Baek-jun held out the sword to Han Seong-ah, as if telling her to try.
She grabbed the hilt.
Zap! Smack!
"Ow!"
A current of electricity shot out from the sword.
Not only that, but the sword moved on its own and smacked Han Seong-ah’s palm.
"D-Does it have a will of its own?"
"Don’t know. If it does, it’s a damn picky one."
Yoo Baek-jun sheathed the sword again.
Unfortunately, for now, he had no choice but to fight using Grandal.
"Phew."
Yoo Baek-jun stared at the gate.
An S-rank gate. A portal to the martial world, said to be the hideout of the Blood Cult.
And the gate quest was…
‘Blood Demon.’
A quest related to the Blood Demon.
To be precise, the successor of the Blood Demon. Coincidentally, it was someone connected to the Blood Mist Absorption Yoo Baek-jun had learned.
‘From what I know, the Blood Demon waged some kind of war against the orthodox factions and lost.’
After a fierce battle, the Blood Demon was defeated and went into seclusion. During that time, he discovered a child.
A child who had lost their parents in the war.
‘Because of the war the Blood Demon started…’
Whether out of guilt or a sudden change of heart before death,
The reason was unclear, but the Blood Demon left his legacy to the child and taught them diligently until his death.
That child became the Blood Demon’s successor.
‘And this gate’s quest is related to that successor.’
The story goes like this:
The Blood Demon passed away, leaving behind his only successor, and the Blood Cult sought to make that successor the new Blood Demon.
However, the successor had no intention of doing so and eventually fled.
‘After relentlessly pursuing the successor, they finally managed to capture them.’
But the successor had absolutely no desire to lead the Blood Cult.
So, determined to force them, the Blood Cult resorted to a strange ritual to brainwash the successor.
‘The gate quest’s objective was… to kill the brainwashed successor.’
The successor was in a brainwashed state.
Moreover, since they were in another world—the martial world—there was no proper way to deal with them.
Because of that, the only choice players had was to kill the successor.
"But if the gate is liberated, the story changes…"
Then, a new method becomes available.
There were several annoying conditions attached, but the current Yoo Baek-jun could meet them.
If these conditions were met, it would be possible to recruit the successor.
‘Honestly, it’s not an easy dungeon.’
The brainwashed successor of the Blood Demon, who possessed immense power, was troublesome enough.
But the countless Jiangshi that accompanied them were even more of a hassle.
‘Corpse Jiangshi, and even Blood Jiangshi.’
Yoo Baek-jun let out a sigh.
They were annoyingly troublesome opponents. Since they were carefully crafted by the Blood Cult, they were even more of a pain.
‘Subjugating them is one option, though.’
Yoo Baek-jun possessed the Successor of the Death King trait, which was cheat-level against undead.
Among its many options, the most important was the ability to subjugate undead.
Whether they had an owner or not, if they were undead, they could be subjugated unconditionally.
‘But Jiangshi… are a bit ambiguous.’
Corpse Jiangshi weren’t a problem.
They were Jiangshi created using dead bodies.
The issue was Blood Jiangshi.
‘They’re not undead, technically.’
Blood Jiangshi were living martial artists brainwashed and enhanced using the Blood Cult’s Techniques.
Since they were technically alive, they didn’t fall under the undead category.
But they were practically walking corpses.
‘Because of the harsh enhancements by the Blood Cult, they die immediately if the brainwashing is undone.’
Thanks to the teachings inherited from the Blood Demon, the successor could survive even if the brainwashing was lifted.
But the others would die on the spot.
So, they were practically living corpses, but since they were technically alive, holy power didn’t work well against them.
‘Blood Jiangshi are strong, though.’
They could cause significant damage.
Still.
"If I can do it, why wouldn’t I?"
There was no reason not to.
If he undid the brainwashing and recruited the successor, he could learn the Blood Demon’s skills.
It was like a skill book.
‘I could also learn skills that complement the Blood Mist Absorption technique.’
During internal conflicts, he couldn’t kill people, so he had to hold back, but if used properly, it was a skill with immense lethality.
If he could complement it, it would be a huge help in the long run.
"It’ll take a while, but there’s no choice. Even if it’s annoying, it’s the only way."
"Family head, I’ve brought all the medicinal ingredients you asked for."
"Ah, good."
Yoo Baek-jun accepted the ingredients from the intelligence division officer.
They were all rare and precious.
"Mr. Joo Jung-won asked me to relay a message—that these are all highly toxic ingredients and to handle them with care, family head. What are you planning to make…?"
"Antidote."
"Antidote… you say?"
Yoo Baek-jun nodded.
"I’ll beat them up first, then cure them with medicine."
The Blood Cult’s brainwashing was achieved through a combination of curses and drugs.
With these ingredients, he could counteract the drug-induced brainwashing.
As for the curse, the only way to break it was to beat it out of them.
"Ah, right. Have you mastered the formation?"
"I’ve learned it perfectly. I don’t have much practical experience yet, though…"
"Well, you’ll get more than enough experience this time."
Yoo Baek-jun looked around.
The Swordsmen were busy setting up everything he had instructed.
"Looks like… the preparations are done."
All that was left was to wait for the S-rank gate to be liberated.
Exactly two days later.
The gate was liberated.
* * *
Two days later.
A strange phenomenon occurred in Jeju.
The first thing that happened was an earthquake.
Rumble—!
An earthquake rising from the depths.
A violent quake struck near the lava cave area, splitting the ground apart.
The cracks widened, swallowing everything above into the abyss below.
Crash! Boom!
Trees, roads, even buildings—everything on the surface was dragged underground and shattered.
As everything near the lava cave area vanished into the depths,
Kwaaaah—!
A tremendous explosion erupted.
Centered around where the red gate had been, the explosion consumed the entire area.
Everything that had been dragged underground was caught in the blast, vanishing without a trace.
Fwoosh—!
Then, an immense light burst forth.
A sudden, blinding crimson light flooded the surroundings.
And when the light faded—
—…….
The area near the lava caves had been carved away, as if erased.
All that remained was a massive crater, as if a meteor had struck.
The vicinity of the S-rank gate had been completely annihilated.
Squeak—
And at the center of the crater stood a massive shrine.
A sinister-looking shrine.
A shrine the color of blood. Its doors creaked open with an unpleasant sound.
—Grrr…….
The moment the doors opened, someone rushed out as if they had been waiting.
Disgustingly pale skin, stiffened limbs, and a talisman stuck to their forehead.
—Kyaaaah!
They were Jiangshi.
The Jiangshi inside the shrine began pouring out in droves.
Ten, a hundred, a thousand—no, three thousand.
No, perhaps even more.
—Kyaaa!
—Guoooh!
An uncountable horde of Jiangshi surged forth like a tidal wave.
Their destructive power was immense.
Resorts, commercial buildings, houses—anything untouched by the disaster.
Boom—!
Everything in sight began to crumble under the Jiangshi’s hands.
As the Jiangshi rampaged indiscriminately, someone emerged from the now-empty shrine.
—…….
A woman with crimson hair.
Wild, unkempt red hair and a fierce demeanor.
A dark red aura wafted from her like a heat haze.
—Where… is this?
The woman stammered.
She had been confined in a dark hideout, and when she came to her senses, she was outside.
She looked up at the sky.
—Huh, ugh…….
What she saw was a clear night sky.
The woman stared blankly for a moment before suddenly swaying, as if dizzy.
—Kuh, aaah!
She groaned in pain, bowing her head.
Tears of blood streamed from her eyes.
—No, this is… ugh! Kuh!
She clutched her head, writhing in agony.
But it was brief.
—…….
The woman suddenly stopped.
Then, slowly, she raised her head. Her eyes were now dyed crimson, as if filled with blood.
—Everything is for the Blood Cult.
She took a step forward.
As if following her, an enormous number of Jiangshi emerged from the shrine.
Their faces covered with dark red cloth embroidered with strange patterns.
Unlike the Corpse Jiangshi, they moved as if alive.
Blood Jiangshi.
—Destroy… everything.
—Kyaaaah!
The red-haired woman issued a command to the Blood Jiangshi around her.
As if waiting for this moment, the Blood Jiangshi rushed out alongside the Corpse Jiangshi, destroying everything in their path.
The woman watched.
Kwaaaah!
Rumble—!
Indiscriminate destruction reduced everything around them to rubble.
There was no one to stop it.
But strangely.
—Huh?
There were no people.
The Jiangshi, hungry for slaughter, searched frantically, but no humans could be seen.
The woman felt something was off.
And then—
Fwoosh—!
—Kyaaaah?!
A beam of light shot into the sky.
The light spread outward, forming a dome that enveloped the area.
A Jiangshi screeched and tried to escape, but—
—Krrrk!
The light solidified into an impenetrable barrier, trapping them inside.
Confused by the sudden turn of events, the Jiangshi looked around nervously.
The woman was no different.
"The morning sun has risen!"
—Kyakah!
Fwoosh—!
Light flared from all directions, dispelling the surrounding darkness.
Revealing the figures hidden within.
Countless swordsmen. And—
"Quite the sight, these things."
Yoo Baek-jun.
Resting his sword on his shoulder, he scanned the Jiangshi staring at him.
Then, his eyes met those of the woman—the Blood Demon’s successor.
—You… who are you?
"A living skill book that can talk. That’s new"
—What……?
Yoo Baek-jun smirked.
To obtain that walking skill book, he had to undo the brainwashing.
"Let’s give it a try."
Yoo Baek-jun gripped his sword.