Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: The Road to Hell
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My Third Martial Brother was an incredibly talkative person.
I'm not exactly a quiet person myself, but when I talked with him, I could barely do more than nod.
Of course, he wasn't just a man of many words.
My Third Martial Brother knew how to make his stories interesting.
Even my Second Martial Sister, who rarely showed emotion, or my Fourth Martial Brother would often chuckle when talking to him…
And even my Eldest Martial Brother, who met most things with a gentle smile, had once burst into laughter in his presence.
As talkative as he was, my Third Martial Brother left behind countless memorable quotes.
A few of them particularly resonated with me.
- "Youngest, you get it? Getting ahead of yourself is a sin."
Getting ahead of yourself is a sin.
Simply put, it meant to let go of excessive expectations before something happens…
Broadly speaking, it meant to never act rashly and always maintain composure.
It was about the tranquility, or unwavering mindset, most crucial for a warrior.
But in this battle against the High Priest, I had, in fact, gotten a little ahead of myself.
- *Wouldn't it be a bit troublesome if I went all out against Huan?*
The thought that I might overwhelm the High Priest so much that Huan would just turn tail and run.
Asad had told me the High Priest possessed a technique called the Ghost Road, and that activating it was a near-certain guarantee of survival.
…As it turned out, it was a needless worry.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Despite having an arm severed, the High Priest showed no signs of weakening.
If anything, his offensive had grown sharper.
His demeanor had changed, as if he had encountered his lifelong nemesis on this 영도 of unexpected power.
“...!”
A chill ran down my spine.
The pressure, on a completely different level from a spar, continued relentlessly, the chill refusing to cease, eventually turning into a constant stream of goosebumps.
‘Is that the same thing?’
In any case, what I realized amidst this fierce battle was that I was the one with a slight advantage.
Of course, it didn't mean much.
In terms of ratio, it felt like we were fluctuating between sixty-forty and fifty-fifty.
It was a lead that could be overturned by a single mistake at any moment.
The High Priest's martial skill was astonishing; his proficiency with every weapon he could wield had reached the level of a master.
Despite using a multitude of martial arts, it wasn't chaotic; rather, it felt profound.
‘But…’
In terms of sheer versatility, it couldn't compare to Fourth Brother Arang's Ten Thousand Transformations Adamant Arts.
No matter how many different weapons the High Priest wielded, they were all limited to close-quarters combat.
My Fourth Brother, on the other hand, was a master of unarmed combat—fist, palm, hand, claw, finger, and kicking techniques…
He could also fly freely through the sky and fire off cannon-like long-range weapons.
It was thanks to our sparring sessions that I could maintain even a slight psychological edge in this fight.
‘In terms of skill… is the High Priest still a step or two above me?’
Though I had gained a great enlightenment through my 100 days of training, I still hadn't completely overcome the wall of time.
It was no reason for anger or despair.
The fact that Huan was around the same age as Kaljak meant he was of the same generation as the Iron-Blooded Duke.
In any case, this skill gap had been narrowed by severing one of his arms, and the battle had simplified.
It was a matter of endurance.
Swish, swish, swish-
I used the Thunder Lightning Steps, weaving together the Galaxy Sword and the White Sun Eclipse.
Without my training on the Spirit Mountain, I wouldn't have even been able to attempt this.
Unleashing three sublime martial arts simultaneously in a real battle.
It was a feat impossible with ordinary application, but for me now, it wasn't difficult.
‘Still, I can't let my guard down.’
Even with one of his arms gone and the upper hand, I didn't relax my guard.
“...”
It was at that moment the High Priest made a strange move.
The man who had been focused solely on attacking suddenly created a large distance between us for the first time.
Naturally, disengaging in the middle of a close-quarters fight is no easy task.
The price of his retreat was a diagonal sword wound across his chest.
“...”
It seemed I had cut deep, not just a surface wound, but something felt off.
Huan stood on a tree, making it difficult to pursue, and looked at me with a complex expression.
“I thought the only children of the Iron-Blooded Duke to be wary of were Hiro and Nero…”
I kept my eyes on Huan and responded.
“What about Hector?”
“He is still far too lacking. You should know that as well.”
“...”
As expected, his position as Grand Master Teacher wasn't just for show; his insight was sharp.
I wasn't underestimating Hector, but he still had many shortcomings compared to the Bednicker's eldest son and second daughter.
Huan raised both his hands and spoke.
“I admit it. I have lost today.”
What kind of trick was this?
I narrowed my eyes and glared at Huan.
“I will thoroughly engrave you into my mind, Ruan Bednicker. From now on, the Cult will be watching your every move.”
“Trying to run?”
Huan merely smiled at my provocative words.
“Yes. I intend to turn tail and flee. And I promise you this: from this day forward, I will be your most troublesome enemy.”
“If you leave here, I’ll kill the Young Lord.”
My calm words made Huan flinch, but he quickly composed his expression and smiled.
“What nonsense are you spouting—?”
“Does it sound like a lie? Then go ahead. But Evan Helvin will die by my hand. I guarantee it.”
“...How much do you know?”
Huan spoke in a chilling voice.
He probably thought he was being threatening by lowering his tone, but…
It wasn't very scary coming from someone bleeding profusely.
I chuckled, playing along with the mood.
“You left too long a trail, High Priest. If you wanted to be thorough, you should have infiltrated alone.”
I’d thrown it out without any real expectation, but Huan took the bait completely.
“...Ainsburn. How disappointing. I thought him a fool, but at least a man who could keep his mouth shut.”
The words leaked from his twisted lips.
An unexpected gain.
I thought it would be a win just to confirm the existence of another traitor, but I never expected him to specify who it was.
Ainsburn was the name of the law teacher.
I already disliked the man for his unpleasant face.
‘Birds of a feather flock together, they say…’
Huan glared at me and said, “Did you tell anyone else about the Young Lord?”
“Well, now. Did I?”
“...At the very least, Kaljak must know. Very well.”
Huan took a deep breath.
The green tongue in his hand writhed again, taking shape.
“That’s—”
The green tongue soon formed into the shape of a staff.
A staff was a weapon, of course, but that one didn't look suitable for combat.
If I had to describe it, it was closer to a scepter.
At that moment, Huan closed his eyes and began to chant.
“رب اللسان الأخضر……!”
“...!”
I had heard that bizarre voice and language before.
There was no doubt.
It was the same language he used when, in a fit of desperation, he had summoned the Nine.
Flash!
As I executed the Thunder Lightning Steps, a thought crossed my mind.
‘How?’
Even for the High Priest, summoning a Demon King at this point should be impossible.
The ritual hadn't even begun, let alone been prepared.
And according to Juniang, anyone who tried to communicate with a Demon King without preparation, even the High Priest, wouldn't escape unscathed.
[This is...]
At that moment, the Martial God made his presence known.
In an uncharacteristically urgent voice, he said,
[Successor! You must not let him finish that chant!]
‘Is he summoning a Demon King?’
[That's not it! If this continues, you will be caught up in the power of that evil being!]
‘What is the High Priest trying to do?’
[If my interpretation is correct, that chant is...]
After hearing the Martial God's full explanation, I froze.
‘...Are you serious?’
[Why would I lie to you, Successor?]
‘Hmm…’
Was everything the Martial God said true?
I pondered for a moment, but the conclusion came quickly.
Of course it was true.
There was no reason for the Martial God to lie to me at this point.
‘...In that case.’
I organized my thoughts and, in just two leaps, reached Huan's height.
Then, I swung the Seven Sins Sword at the High Priest, who was still chanting.
Shlick-
The blade grazed his throat by a hair's breadth.
Even while chanting, Huan had dodged my attack.
As if that wasn't enough, he grabbed the blade with his bare hand.
“...!”
“You look quite surprised... Did you think I was performing a possession ritual?”
“What did you do?”
“So you don't understand the demonic tongue. Young Master Ruan… are you aware? Ignorance is tragedy.”
Huan smiled, spouting words I had heard before.
“Remember this. You will die here today because you are ignorant.”
Fwoosh!
A sudden surge of darkness swallowed both me and Huan.
As a sensation of sinking enveloped my surroundings, Huan's voice echoed.
“Let us go together. To hell...!”
* * *
It was a dark space.
It wasn't just the absence of light; my mind and body felt strangely adrift.
It was a sensation I had never experienced before, and I was slightly bewildered.
When I moved my body, it rippled as if I were swimming.
“Ah. You’ve arrived.”
Then I saw Huan, standing in the darkness.
It was strange.
There wasn't a speck of light in this space, yet Huan's figure was perfectly clear.
Moreover, despite having his arm severed and his chest deeply gashed and bleeding, he looked completely unharmed.
I tried to draw the Seven Sins Sword, only to realize I didn't have it.
“Fighting is strictly forbidden here, Young Master Ruan.”
I stopped just as I was about to charge.
For some reason, his face didn't look like he was trying to buy time or spout nonsense.
“Is this hell? And you're the only one here... Hell is a much more terrible place than I thought.”
“Hmm. You don't know about the interstitial space?”
“...”
“Judging by your expression, this must be the first you’ve heard of it.”
Huan said with a smile.
“Think of it as a waypoint to hell. The interstitial space is a place one must pass through when traveling between worlds.”
“Why am I here?”
“We traveled together by my authority. It's normally impossible, but it can be done using a relic of a Calamity God.”
That green tongue.
I thought it was no ordinary item, and it turned out to be a relic.
‘I never saw that before my regression.’
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
This was a lesson that blindly trusting my knowledge from before the regression was not a good idea.
I was also starting to get a rough idea of what was happening.
“You used the Ghost Road, didn't you?”
Huan smiled as he answered.
“So you know about the Ghost Road as well. It seems the Iron-Blooded Duke has educated you quite systematically about the Cult.”
“If I kill you, can I get out of here?”
“Quite the opposite. If I die, your soul will be trapped here. Forever.”
That didn't sound good.
“This is actually the first time I’ve opened the Ghost Road for two… Things have become a little difficult. It seems the choice has fallen to you.”
“A choice?”
“Indeed...! The immeasurably great privilege of choosing which god to face...!”
Huan shouted, his voice sounding unhinged.
“The six Calamity Gods...! You have the honor of meeting one of them! Now, Ruan Bednicker! Choose! Will you be trapped here for all eternity! Or will you have an audience with a god alongside me!”
“...”
I silently recalled the Martial God's words.
- *That is a return technique used only by the worshipers of hell! I don't know the principle, but he has amplified its power with the relic in his hand!*
- *If you stay, you will be caught in that return! You will be forced to meet a ruler of hell!*
…So far, everything was just as the Martial God had said.
Which meant the first half of my gamble had succeeded.
‘The truly important part starts now.’
The Calamity God—the Demon King—I had to meet was, of course, already decided.
I slowly opened my mouth.
“...The Colorless Demon King.”
Flash-!
And the world turned upside down.