Chapter 247
Chapter 247
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 247
Chapter Title: Pillar of the Ice Palace (4)
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As soon as I gave the order, Uncle Jae-hyeok, who had been holding his weapon at the ready, and my younger brothers channeled their energy into their respective weapons.
They swiftly formed up in perfect unison, turning their backs to the Palace Lord elder.
The moment we assumed our battle formation...
"...We'll help too."
"We'll join you!"
Led by the high ministers, the Ice Palace warriors who had decided to uphold the Palace Lord elder's will drew their weapons and lined up beside us.
I addressed them.
"I can imagine how complicated your feelings must be amid this crisis of internal strife. However, to protect the Palace Lord elder and the Little Palace Lord and to suppress the heretics and the Demonic Cult bastards behind them, I must speak coldly."
"...Speak."
"From now on, there must not be the slightest hesitation. To that end, tear off one sleeve."
At my words, External Elder Seol Woo-hyung spoke up with a heavy expression.
"You're saying to clearly distinguish friend from foe."
"Yes. It's the most important thing in this chaos. If we seize the advantage, it will itself symbolize victory."
After finishing my words, I took the lead and tore off my left sleeve.
Rip-
Uncle Jae-hyeok and my younger brothers followed suit, tearing off their left sleeves.
The North Sea Ice Palace members who had joined us also tore off one sleeve with grim faces.
Rip-
Rip-
Among them was, of course, External Elder Seol Woo-hyung.
For Vice Palace Lord Dam, it seemed like no small shock; he bit his lip and asked Seol Woo-hyung.
"Didn't I say you truly wished for the sturdy North Sea Ice Palace I envision? External Elder! No, Master! Do you have no regrets about that decision?"
"Little Palace Lord... No, now that you're deposed, I suppose it's Young Lord. Young Lord, I understand your anguish, but your method is wrong. As your master, I will teach you even if it costs my life."
Seol Woo-hyung assumed his weapon stance as soon as he finished speaking.
Vice Palace Lord Dam raised his voice in response.
"Traitors making it easy for us by tearing off your own sleeves! What are you waiting for? Sweep away the Vice Palace Lord lackeys and those who sided with the Central Plains!"
At his command, the Ice Palace warriors who had chosen to follow Vice Palace Lord Dam charged in.
"Charge!"
"Block them!"
The furious swarm unleashed their martial arts wrapped in Cold Ice True Energy all at once.
To make matters worse.
The idiom of frost covering the snow unfolded literally before our eyes.
Screeech!!
Ice-cold sword strikes that could freeze flesh solid flew straight at us.
Whoosh!
I bent backward at the waist, narrowly dodging it.
Immediately after, a bluish Cold Ice Palm hurtled toward my chest.
Screeeeech!!!!
I countered the incoming Cold Ice Palm with my Anti-Dragon Palm.
Boom!!!!!!!!
In that gap, I thrust Regret without hesitation into the shoulders of the foes aiming for my side.
Stab! Stab!!!
There was no time to rest.
Another chilling killing strike was already flying in.
There was no time to count exchanges.
I had to neutralize as many enemies as possible in the pressing crowd.
"Silver River Star! Duck!"
"Yes!"
Splash!!!!!!
How long had I been swinging Regret in a frenzy?
Clang clang clang!!
Yin Ha-yeon, who had been commanding the left flank, deflected the sword strikes and approached.
"Eon Young Lord!"
"I'm listening, speak!"
"We're holding for now, but if we keep this up here, won't we be in danger soon?"
Uncle Jae-hyeok soon approached as well.
He naturally took over the enemies I had been facing and added his thoughts to our conversation.
"I agree. We need to break through. Have the nimble Little Ling carry the Palace Lord on your back, you take the front, Yong-un, and I'll cover the rear. We can escape this place that way."
Thanks to him, I caught a brief moment to breathe.
I quickly scanned the surroundings.
Not all the Ice Palace officials gathered in the main hall had joined this fray.
'Including us, if we say there were four groups in the main hall...'
Two had sided with Vice Palace Lord Dam.
One had stood with Vice Palace Lord in upholding the Palace Lord elder's will.
'...There's still one group that hasn't chosen a side.'
I shook my head firmly and spoke.
"As Uncle says, we could escape the main hall right away."
"Yes! That's what I meant!"
"But that would make us look like we're fleeing. Then the undecided group would be absorbed under Vice Palace Lord Dam—what happens after that?"
Answering my question was Zhuge Seol-ji, who happened to pass nearby while withdrawing during the chaos.
"Then the absolute majority of North Sea Ice Palace's forces would fall into Vice Palace Lord Dam's hands! And since we're on the island now, we'd truly be rats in a trap!"
Having heard her, my master asked me telepathically.
- It's a valid point, but as Ha-yeon said, this place will become a deathtrap too. Do you have another escape route in mind? With the corpses piling up, are you thinking of using necromancy?
'That thought has crossed my mind... but that's a last resort.'
- Why?
'Vice Palace Lord Dam is claiming that Central Plains folk are the true evil, isn't he?'
Raising corpses to fight at this point would make us look like the villains to the North Sea people.
'We also have to consider the Demonic Cult bastards behind Vice Palace Lord Dam—it would spell trouble.'
- Your tone suggests you have another escape route?
'Yes. The escape route I'm thinking of is Vice Palace Lord Dam.'
I stared at Vice Palace Lord Dam, who was standing beside the Palace Lord elder with his eyes tightly shut.
- That guy just standing there like that in this situation is your escape route? Yong-un, are you thinking straight?
'He has to become one. No, he definitely will.'
However, there was no time to watch for long.
As the first wave dragged on without resolution, Vice Palace Lord Dam and the high Ice Palace officials attached to him began charging in personally.
Among them, my opponent was Vice Palace Lord Dam.
"Eon Yong-un! I've never liked you from the start."
"Speak for yourself. I've never liked your eyes either. Enough talk—come at me, Vice Palace Lord Dam."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The North Sea Ice Palace had split into two.
Father and son crossed blades.
Brothers and sisters clashed swords.
Splash!!!
"Argh!!"
Blood sprayed and death cries echoed in the vortex of kin slaying kin.
"We shouldn't be fighting among our... "
Vice Palace Lord Dam tried to say they shouldn't fight, but realizing it was futile, he closed his eyes in resignation.
'Where did it all go wrong?'
Setting aside his brother's actions, wasn't he himself a sinner of the North Sea Ice Palace?
'Was there really no other way?'
Come to think of it, Eon Yong-un had once asked if he harbored ambitions to seize the Ice Palace throne.
To that, Vice Palace Lord Dam had replied that it wasn't ambition but a mere wish—to worry only about how to feed the North Sea people.
'Was that answer pure?'
As his thoughts spiraled endlessly, eroding his consciousness...
Someone touched Vice Palace Lord Dam's hand—it was none other than Dam Chang-gyu.
"...Father?"
"You know more have sided with the Palace Lord to protect the North Sea Ice Palace, yet loyal retainers risk their lives."
"......"
"The Central Plains allies are shedding blood too. Yet why do you close your eyes? Didn't you vow in the Palace Lord's presence to drive the Demonic Cult from North Sea lands?"
"I did."
"Will you say you never expected it to come to this?"
"...I did consider it might. But I desperately hoped it wouldn't."
"But it has. Now you must decide."
At that moment, Dam Chang-gyu's words flashed through Vice Palace Lord Dam's mind: You fail to decide at crucial moments.
And two paths appeared.
'Offer my neck to my brother and save those who sided with me. Or... stake my life fighting alongside those who chose me.'
The answer was clear.
The first option disregarded the will of those who had sided with him from the start.
'Neither the Dragon nor External Elder would accept it.'
It was handing the Ice Palace wholly to the Demonic Cult.
'No fighting, no. We have no choice but to fight.'
Having decided, Vice Palace Lord Dam immediately tore off his left sleeve.
"Brother... no, deposed lord Vice Palace Lord Dam, your premise is wrong from the start! This isn't a matter of Central Plains vs. North Sea—it's right vs. wrong!"
He infused his voice with inner energy.
"Why highlight only the dark side of Central Plains folk and the bright side of the Demonic Cult? Demonic Cultists treat people as mere materials to boost their inner energy! What can we possibly achieve allying with such fiends?!"
No miracle occurred where the clashing blades halted at his words.
Clang clang!!
Clang clang clang!!!!
But Vice Palace Lord Dam continued.
"North Sea's people will become slaves, and not a single blade of grass will remain of this land's resources!"
It was to plant a seed of hesitation in those on Vice Palace Lord Dam's side.
And to move those yet undecided.
"Is that truly for the North Sea Ice Palace's benefit? Think carefully who you should direct your swords toward to protect this land's future!"
At the true heir of the Ice Palace's heartfelt cry...
The tide of battle began to shift, little by little.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Vice Palace Lord Dam, opening his eyes, truly became our escape route.
He joined our side and continued appealing to the North Sea Ice Palace warriors.
The effect was powerful.
"We'll join you!"
"This one will also uphold the Palace Lord and Little Palace Lord's will."
It had to be.
Vice Palace Lord Dam hadn't merely appealed to emotions.
To the calculating sorts, he shoved the ledger in their faces.
"Vice Palace Lord Dam's plan would take at least three years! Now that it's exposed, it's already ruined! There's no future! The only way for North Sea Ice Palace to survive is to eradicate the heretics and Demonic Cultists!"
To the weak-willed, he exhorted strongly to change their minds.
"You who have stood by—hear this! If we win this fight, you won't escape charges of colluding with the traitors!"
My master clicked his tongue at the sight.
- ...Not quite your level, Yong-un, but he's quite skilled at intimidation?
'?'
- ?
'...Intimidation? Call it personnel management. Well, he had the talent from the start anyway.'
Thanks to that, those tearing off sleeves and joining us spread like wildfire.
Thus, the balance shifted from Vice Palace Lord Dam's initial superiority to equality.
And eventually surpassed it.
From then on, Vice Palace Lord Dam actively pressed Vice Palace Lord Dam's forces with our superior numbers.
"Now we can counterattack aggressively! High ministers, protect Father! Snow Wolf Corps, strike the rear!"
Thanks to that, I could focus on my fight with Vice Palace Lord Dam.
"Little Palace Lord! White Bear Corps is about to break!"
"Snow Leopard Captain is injured! We need to withdraw and regroup!"
Conversely, Vice Palace Lord Dam grew overwhelmed with concerns, his coordination faltering.
"Then..."
"Hey now, can't get distracted, Palace Lord."
Seizing the opening, I carved a long gash across his chest.
Splash!
"Kuh!"
"Heh, a bit shallow."
He barely escaped death as Regret slid off his body with the Ice Palace's signature footwork at the moment of contact, but his heart must have sunk.
And sure enough.
Confirming the blood spreading across his chest, Vice Palace Lord Dam called for retreat.
"...Retreat!"
"Retreat! Protect the Little Palace Lord!"
Vice Palace Lord Dam's forces ebbed from the main hall like the tide.
"Pursue!"
"Yes!"
We chased after Vice Palace Lord Dam out of the main hall.
Pop!
Closing the distance with Phantom Sky-Shattering Step to reach right behind him...
A dark shadow suddenly loomed, blocking the moonlight.
'Huh?'
A blood-red fist aura erupted between Vice Palace Lord Dam and me from a raised hand.
Screech! Screech! Screech! Screeeeech!!
I hurriedly retreated, frantically swinging Regret.
Boom! Boom! Kwa-kwa-kwang!!!!
After batting away the attacks...
The fist user's face looked familiar.
"A corpse made from Elder Gyeong...?"
And then, a madwoman's cackling voice called my name.
"Yong-un! Let's playyy!"
At that instant, with tinkling bell sounds, corpses poured over the walls one after another.
Innumerable corpses surged in like the tide, their numbers impossible to gauge, reinforcements endlessly joining.
My younger brothers swallowed dryly, staring at me.
Vice Palace Lord Dam, having witnessed my necromancy firsthand, asked outright.
"What kind of corpses are those... Dragon, is there no way?"
"There is, but after the main hall fight, my inner energy is iffy."
"...Then what do we do?"
"To the Ice Jade Hall. I need to absorb a Great Reversion Pill there."