How Are You Here?
The guards stood stiffly, their eyes darting between the fake Great Leader and the man standing close beside him. They naturally assumed Bukjin was the Great Leader’s trusted confidant. Though his face wasn't familiar, they didn't dare question it. Finally, one of the guards spoke up.
"Yesterday, the Third Leader gave the order. That crippled wretch was thrown into Mandok-dong. He said the man would be used as raw material for the Fourth Leader’s poison experiments."
The guard felt a flicker of confusion as he answered. Surely the Great Leader already knew this? Why was he asking? However, they didn't dare show even a hint of suspicion. They simply assumed the Great Leader was so busy that he occasionally forgot the smaller details.
Hearing the guard's answer, Bukjin’s heart hammered against his ribs.
"Take me to Mandok-dong immediately," Bukjin commanded, his voice cold and sharp.
"T-That is..." The two guards looked flustered. But the moment they locked eyes with the fake Great Leader’s dignified, slightly irritated face, their thoughts scattered. They scrambled to lead the way.
Once they were inside the palace corridors, Bukjin deactivated the hologram of the Great Leader. The two guards began walking ahead, acting as his guides. After a few minutes of walking, the tension in their shoulders seemed to ease slightly.
"Brother, I don't think I've seen you before. Which Leader do you serve under?" one of the guards couldn't help but ask.
Bukjin maintained a frigid expression.
"You fail to ask what you should and pry into what you shouldn't! There are things you are better off not knowing!"
"O-Of course! I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to build some rapport with a brother stationed inside the palace. Anyone can see the Great Leader favors you..." The guard laughed awkwardly, clearly intimidated.
"And who are you to think you can build rapport with me?"
"Y-You're right! My lord, please, lower your anger."
The more aggressive Bukjin acted, the less the guards dared to doubt him. They wound through the castle paths until they entered a secluded, dim alleyway. Suddenly, Bukjin stopped in his tracks.
"How much further?"
The two guards opened their mouths to answer, turning back to face him. In that split second, they felt a sudden, icy chill in their chests. They looked down. Blood-stained blades were protruding from the front of their tunics.
They died before they could even let out a whimper.
Bukjin swiftly withdrew the Jeong-i Sword and the Doran Sword from their torsos. With a flash of sword light, he swung again, cleanly severing their heads. The two guards met a perfect, silent end.
Bukjin had ensured their deaths were absolute to prevent any news from leaking. He searched their bodies and took their two identification tokens. Then, he staged the scene to look like they had killed each other in a brawl before dumping the corpses into a nearby sewer grate.
In truth, Bukjin had only used the Screen Mirroring app to create the fake Great Leader to find Cho Heun’s location without causing a scene. Now that he knew the name of the place, he could find it using the Map app’s navigation. He didn't actually need the guards to lead him.
He had killed them the moment they reached a secluded spot to ensure that even when the real Great Leader returned, the enemies wouldn't immediately notice anything was wrong. Their disappearance wouldn't be questioned for a while; the other cultists would likely assume they had snuck out to gamble or visit a brothel while the Great Leader was away.
"Sinsin, open the Map app and guide me to Mandok-dong."
Understood, Master. Initiating navigation to the Cave of Ten Thousand Poisons.
Immediately, a 3D arrow visible only to Bukjin’s eyes appeared at his feet.
Following the navigation, Bukjin arrived at the entrance of Mandok-dong in no time. True to its name, it was a massive cavern. A small cave opening was carved into a rock face so large it could be called a small mountain. Above the entrance, the words 'Mandok-dong' were engraved in a vivid, jarring red.
It was impossible to tell what pigment had been used, but the color was so fresh it looked as if it had been painted with warm blood only moments ago. Two guards stood at the entrance. Their attire was different from the other adventurers in the castle; they wore long, black robes. They appeared to be disciples of the Fourth Leader, the master of this cave.
"Who goes there!" the two guards shouted as Bukjin approached.
Bukjin held out the tokens he had looted from the palace guards.
"The Great Leader has ordered me to retrieve an item from Mandok-dong."
After confirming that the tokens indeed belonged to the Great Leader’s personal guard, one of the disciples spoke.
"What item do you need? We will report to our Master and bring it out for you."
"It is a matter of extreme secrecy," Bukjin replied. "I must meet the Fourth Leader in person."
"Very well. Follow me."
"Watch your step and follow closely. Do not touch anything around you. If you trigger a trap or a mechanism, you'll be exposed to lethal toxins and die before you even realize you're dead," the guard warned.
Bukjin offered no reply. They continued down the stairs for nearly fifteen minutes. The air grew progressively colder and more humid. Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream echoed from ahead. It sounded like the final howl of a dying beast. Then came a bizarre, wet hissing sound.
The sounds echoing through the silent, damp cave created a suffocating, macabre atmosphere. As they moved forward, Bukjin realized the noise was coming from the Mansa-gul—the Pit of Ten Thousand Snakes. Peering inside, he saw that someone had just fallen in. Countless venomous snakes were tearing at the person's flesh.
The scream had been the victim's last. Various serpents were coiled tightly around the corpse’s limbs, and tiny vipers were slithering out of the nostrils and agape mouth.
"What brings you here?"
A voice hissed from the shadows ahead, sounding uncannily like a snake. The guard escorting Bukjin bowed.
"Reporting to Eldest Senior Brother. The Great Leader has sent a messenger to retrieve an item. He must see the Master personally."
"Is that so? Master is in a foul mood today because his poison experiment failed... Be careful."
The man called the Eldest Senior Brother was a snake-like figure also dressed in black robes. His gait was awkward, and his complexion was sickly and dark. He scrutinized Bukjin for a moment before turning away without another word.
Bukjin continued forward with his guide until they reached a heavy iron door. The guard knocked and led him inside. As the door opened, a light as bright as starlight poured out. It seemed they had exited the tunnel into a different section of the cavern. They stepped out into a sprawling herb garden.
Opposite the garden stood a wooden house. In front of the house was a wide, flat courtyard with a small pond. In one corner of the yard, dozens of black jars were lined up, though it was too dark to see what was inside them.
An old man in a crimson robe stood before the house. He was nearly bald, with wispy white eyebrows and a hunched back. He was currently smashing things in a fit of rage, looking utterly deranged. Four disciples in black robes stood nearby, trembling and unable to utter a word.
The guard who had brought Bukjin felt a chill run down his spine. He knew his Master’s temper was legendary—once he was angry, he saw nothing but red. Not long ago, the Second Senior Brother had said one wrong word and had his limbs snapped before being chopped into eight pieces to be used as poison ingredients.
The guard didn't dare step forward. He turned to Bukjin and whispered, "If you want something, go say it yourself."
Bukjin stepped forward and raised his voice.
"I greet the Fourth Leader."
"Hmm? Who are you? How did you get in here!" The old man, mid-tantrum, whipped his head around. His eyes were bloodshot and narrowed like a viper’s. He glared at Bukjin as if he were about to tear him apart.
"I have come under the Great Leader’s orders to retrieve an item," Bukjin said, bowing his head.
"The Boss? What does he need? And why didn't he come get it himself?" A predatory red light flickered in the old man's eyes. His aura was incredibly dangerous.
Bukjin slowly raised his head.
"The Great Leader said he has more questions for the teacher from Unmong Academy—the one who was captured and turned into a test subject. So..."
Bukjin cut himself off, a look of profound shock suddenly washing over his face. He stared past the old man’s shoulder.
"G-Great Leader... what brings you here?"
Startled by Bukjin’s sudden reaction, the old man spun around to look behind him. He froze in shock. There, standing right behind him, was the Great Leader.
'How? When did the Boss get here?'
In that exact moment, Bukjin moved. The Doran Sword materialized in his hand. A flash of sword light ignited the dim air. In the next heartbeat, the Fourth Leader’s head was severed and tumbled to the earth.
It was a single, perfect strike. The wretched Fourth Leader didn't even get a chance to use his martial arts before his head hit the dirt. Blood geysered from his neck, and only then did the hologram of the Great Leader slowly flicker and vanish.
The disciples stood frozen, their faces blank with shock. Bukjin didn't stop. He activated the Fragrance-Stealing Phantom Step, his movements becoming a blur as he shifted positions and unleashed the Close-body Triple Link.
The Fourth Leader’s disciples, whose skills were mediocre at best, collapsed to the ground without even having the chance to scream. The guard who had guided Bukjin met the same fate.