An Advance Reward?
Dam Gogeum was met with the explosive fury of Im Gun-hyeon. But before the City Lord could even part his lips to speak, Dan Sibi, the commander of the Unmong-wi, stepped forward with a chilling smile.
"Administrator Dam. You will not be detaining the student Han Bul-bu. He is already a man of our military."
As he spoke, Dan Sibi produced a shimmering Golden Command Token. The rage that had been boiling over on Dam Gogeum’s face froze instantly, replaced by a stiff, bloodless mask the moment he saw the gold.
"Fine! Take Han Bul-bu with you!"
He reversed his stance without a moment's hesitation. Dan Sibi nodded, his expression hovering somewhere between a smirk and a grimace.
"A wise choice, Administrator Dam. One more thing. I have a message from the owner of this token. He stated that you are not to lay a finger on Han Bul-bu—nor his family."
Dam Gogeum felt as if he were about to choke on his own indignation.
"Understood!" he spat, grinding his teeth. After a brief pause, he added, as if finding it difficult to concede entirely, "But let me make one thing clear. The suspicions surrounding Han Bul-bu have not been cleared! If the military insists on taking him, you must be prepared for the dire consequences that may follow!"
"That is hardly a concern for you, Administrator," Dan Sibi replied dismissively.
A moment later, Jin Geom-nam, a company commander of the Unmong-wi, stepped forward to receive the unconscious Han Bul-bu. Jin Ju-je considered the situation for a moment before finally nodding her consent. Dan Sibi and the Unmong-wi soldiers turned and departed, taking Han Bul-bu with them.
Without further delay, Jin Ju-je gathered Ak Hong-hyang into her arms and headed deep into the temple. Cho Heun and the others immediately followed, carrying Baek Geum-un.
"Wait! Stop right th—!"
Dam Gogeum’s roar of fury was cut short.
Schwing—!
A sword radiating a pure, brilliant light flew from Jin Ju-je’s side at a terrifying speed, embedding itself in the ground right at Dam Gogeum’s feet. The blade vibrated violently, emitting a massive surge of divine power laced with a calm, yet absolute, killing intent.
Dam Gogeum flinched instinctively, swallowing hard as a cold sweat broke out. He no longer dared to utter a single word. He could only stand there, eyes wide with impotent rage, as he watched the students he had branded 'suspects' disappear from his reach.
Just then, dozens of figures flickered in the distance, returning in haste.
"Administrator! Im Bukjin has escaped!"
"We lost him!"
The experts of the investigation team knelt on one knee, their faces pale with anxiety as they delivered the report.
"What?! Im Bukjin escaped?"
Dam Gogeum glared at Baek Hae-geum, but the Sword Saint remained expressionless. Letting out a low, guttural groan, Dam Gogeum barked his orders.
"Our dragnet is already spread across every corner of the city. He won't be able to step a foot outside the walls... Listen well! Relay my command! Issue a city-wide manhunt immediately! Anyone who assists in the capture of Im Bukjin will be rewarded with ten thousand gold coins! Anyone providing a lead on his whereabouts will receive one thousand gold coins! Furthermore, anyone found obstructing the pursuit or aiding Im Bukjin will be charged with treason and punished as an ally of the Outworld Demons!"
"By your command!" the experts shouted before vanishing into the city.
Dam Gogeum turned his gaze toward Im Gun-hyeon.
"City Lord Im. This is an emergency. I will dispense with the pleasantries and give you a direct order. You are to cooperate fully in the pursuit of Im Bukjin. Close all gates of Unmong City immediately and activate the City-Sealing Formation. Furthermore, the administrative, police, and educational bureaus must immediately pivot to assist in this manhunt."
Im Gun-hyeon replied curtly, "Very well."
Since things had reached this point, he had to cooperate, at least on the surface.
"Excellent," Dam Gogeum nodded, satisfied. He continued, "One more thing! As of this moment, the 3rd Academy is under lockdown! Everyone associated with Im Bukjin—the relatives of Ak Hong-hyang, Mi Yeo-yeon, and Baek Geum-un, as well as anyone who has had close dealings with him—must be brought in for interrogation! This includes the shops and merchant guilds he represents in his advertisements!"
"By your command!" the investigators roared in unison.
Mi Yeo-yeon slowly opened her eyes. A dull, crushing pain radiated through her entire body. Her surroundings were eerily quiet.
"Ugh... Where am I?"
She realized she was lying on the floor. She tried to force herself up, but a sharp pang of agony shot through her, and her vision swam in darkness. At the same time, a sudden chill washed over her skin. She realized with a jolt of horror that her clothes had been shredded to ribbons; she was completely naked.
A man’s blue swordsman’s robe had been draped over her body. A terrifying thought flashed through her mind, making her skin crawl. However, upon closer inspection, she felt no pain in her lower body. The agony she felt was more akin to the deep, throbbing ache of fractured bones.
"Are you awake?"
A familiar voice reached her ears. It was Bukjin. Hearing his voice, Mi Yeo-yeon let out a long sigh of relief. Feeling a sense of security return to her heart, she asked, "Where are we? What on earth happened?"
Enduring the pain, she slowly sat up. She could tell she was in a dark, warehouse-like space. Hay was scattered across the floor, and the world outside was silent. The warehouse seemed to be in a very remote location.
Bukjin was leaning against the wall with his legs crossed, a piece of straw tucked into the corner of his mouth. He gave a bitter smile.
"I’d like to know that myself... Student Mi, do you really not remember anything?"
Mi Yeo-yeon shook her head. "I was on the podium, and suddenly my vision went blurry. My heart felt like it was on fire, and I... I think I screamed. That’s my last memory. I don't remember a single thing after that..."
Bukjin stared at her intently. He was carefully observing her expression, the look in her eyes, and any shift in her aura. Unfortunately, he couldn't find a single trace of anything unusual in her gaze.
Dammit! This is a headache.
About fifteen minutes ago, Bukjin had been sprinting down the mountain. He had no intention of traveling with the demonized Mi Yeo-yeon. But just as he was about to leave her behind, the demonic energy surrounding her body suddenly began to dissipate.
Her body, which had been undergoing a demonic transformation, returned to its normal state. The fierce, terrifying monster faded away, replaced once again by the form of a beautiful young girl. Then, she lost consciousness and collapsed.
Her clothes had been torn to shreds during the transformation. She lay there on the mountain path, nearly naked and unconscious—looking like a pure flower that had been snapped from its branch and cast into the dirt.
Bukjin was a man of cold pragmatism, but the sight of her moved something within him. In the end, he couldn't bring himself to leave her on the mountain path where she might fall prey to something even worse. He picked her up and fled, eventually hiding in this abandoned warehouse.
Bukjin watched the amnesiac Mi Yeo-yeon and fell into deep thought. After a moment, he recounted everything that had happened at the awards ceremony. As she listened, her face turned deathly pale.
"That... that’s impossible... How could that..."
She looked utterly devastated. Bukjin remained silent. He understood her heart. Falling into Demonic Possession in front of a massive crowd was equivalent to falling into a bottomless abyss; there was no coming back from it. Her family, too, would likely be facing an irreversible catastrophe.
However, Bukjin offered no words of comfort. He was too busy weighing whether Mi Yeo-yeon was in this mess because of him, or if he was in this mess because of her demonic possession. He judged it impossible for a person to simply fall into a demonic state for no reason. His reason told him that a massive danger was lurking around her. Therefore, now that she was awake and capable of basic self-preservation, he decided they should part ways.
Just as Bukjin was about to voice his thoughts and suggest they split up—
A familiar sound echoed in his mind.
Ding!
It was a smartphone system notification!
Bukjin was startled. Ignoring Mi Yeo-yeon’s presence, he summoned his phone.
A new system update file has been discovered. Would you like to proceed with the update?
A notification window popped up on the screen. Bukjin felt a strange sensation.
Did winning the Academic & Martial Arts Competition trigger this update as a reward? But... I haven't even received the winner's trophy yet. Is it giving me the reward in advance? Is the smartphone actually being generous to me?
After a moment of deliberation, he decided there was no need to rush the update. Instead, he opened the [Map] app, which he had neglected for some time.
> Scanning local vicinity...
> No hostile signatures detected within 500 meters.
> Status: [SECURE]
Scanning his surroundings through the app, Bukjin confirmed that his current location was safe. There were no markers indicating pursuers nearby. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief and select the 'System Update'.
Ding!
This maintenance update requires 10GB of data. The process will take approximately one hour. Please ensure sufficient data and power are available. Do not turn off the device during the update.
10GB?
It was less than he had expected. What kind of new functions will appear after this?
Bukjin spent 6 gold coins to charge the phone's battery to 100% and began the download. The moment it started, he felt the strength drain out of his body in an instant.
"Ugh... Ah! Ung!"
Bukjin couldn't help but let out a strange, strained groan. Mi Yeo-yeon, who had been sobbing quietly to herself, froze. Her mind was in a state of chaos; her life had plummeted into the abyss in a single moment, and she was terrified for her parents' safety. But hearing Bukjin’s bizarre moaning, she paused in confusion, her face turning a deep, vivid red.