Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: King of the Forest
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Heuk Do-san broke away from the formation and leaped straight into the pack of Blood Wolves. The instant he landed, he buried his axe into one's back and sliced through another's carotid artery at the nape with his dagger.
In that split second, searing pain shot through his left wrist gripping the dagger. While he'd taken down two, another had lunged in and sunk its teeth into his wrist.
"Damn it!"
He twisted his wrist like lightning, jamming the dagger into the beast's chin and ripping upward.
The blade caught on its lower jawbone, snapping its head back. In that moment, he smashed his right-hand axe into its gut.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Its hide tore open, ribs shattered, and entrails spilled out in a bloody mess.
Even as it convulsed, Heuk Do-san mercilessly pried its jaws off his wrist.
By then, he had reached Yeom Jin-sang's side. The man was drenched in someone else's blood, howling like a madman while swinging his stone axe wildly.
"Arrrgh!"
"Get a grip!"
His roar echoed through the mountains and trees. Yeom Jin-sang snapped back to his senses and stared at Heuk Do-san.
"Back to back!"
Heuk Do-san stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Yeom Jin-sang. He menacingly aimed his dagger and axe at the encroaching Blood Wolves and asked,
"How bad are you hurt?"
"D-Don't know."
"Can you walk?"
"For now."
"Good. I'll cover the rear. On three, we bolt for the campfire together. One, two..."
Boom!
On two, Yeom Jin-sang shot forward.
"You reckless bastard!"
Heuk Do-san moved a beat late. In that gap, two or three Blood Wolves blocked the way in the blink of an eye.
He blasted through with repeated dagger and axe strikes, clearing a path. The campfire was just twenty-odd paces away, but it looked like a thousand miles right now.
* * *
Heuk Do-san's absence left a gaping hole.
Hyeon-gak and Gong Cheon-ak fought with everything they had, but the first defensive line crumbled.
In a flash, two Blood Wolves slipped through left and right, lunging at Bing-seol and Dang Yak-ran.
"Miss, watch out!"
Hyeon-gak shouted.
He couldn't go help her now. That would leave the campfire's defensive line wide open, letting the Blood Wolves swarm like a pack of dogs.
"No worries!"
Dang Yak-ran stayed cool.
She first thrust her left fist, clenched tight, at the Blood Wolf charging from the left. Four sharp iron nails pierced its skull.
Splat!
Yelp!
The Blood Wolf shrieked like it was shot dead and thrashed. By then, another had pounced onto her back from the right.
"Where do you think you're going!"
As its razor claws tore into her flesh, Dang Yak-ran reached back with her right hand and seized its nape.
She hurled it forward with all her might while kicking its rear with her right foot for extra force.
It was the killing strike of the Azure Eagle Eighteen Strikes: Revolving Wheel Throw.
Overpowered, the Blood Wolf spun once in midair before slamming into the ground.
Splat!
"Die!"
Dang Yak-ran mounted its belly and unleashed Iron Sand Palm repeatedly. Blood sprayed with each thud as the nails punched through hide.
The Blood Wolf that had foolishly charged in was reduced to rags in seconds.
But that was just the beginning.
Once the line broke, the Blood Wolves surged in like a tide. Hyeon-gak and Gong Cheon-ak desperately resisted using their long weapons' reach, but it wasn't enough.
To make matters worse, Bing-seol's condition was deteriorating fast. Her face had gone pale and sweat poured off her at first, but now she trembled like an aspen leaf all over.
The chill was creeping into her heart. Without urgent qi infusion, she could die. Even if heaven spared her life, she'd end up an idiot.
"Hang in there just a bit longer!"
Dang Yak-ran battled the oncoming Blood Wolves fiercely. Against the first one or two, she'd had some leisure to use footwork.
But as their numbers grew, it turned into a dogfight. She stabbed, tore, pierced, and gouged whatever came.
At some point, one finally vaulted over Dang Yak-ran and charged Bing-seol. Even as her limbs stiffened, Bing-seol screamed and swung her club desperately.
"Aaah!"
But it wasn't enough to hit the wind-fast Blood Wolf.
Easily dodging the club, it bowled Bing-seol over. It pinned her with a front paw and went for her nape.
"No!"
In that do-or-die moment, Dang Yak-ran hurled herself onto the Blood Wolf's back. She locked her left arm around its neck while stabbing its nape and flanks wildly with the gauntlet on her right hand.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Yelp!
Scarlet blood sprayed over Bing-seol's pale face. Startled, Bing-seol fainted dead away.
"Snap out of it!"
Dang Yak-ran bellowed, but it was no use. In that instant, another Blood Wolf lunged at her exposed back.
Its gaping maw and protruding fangs looked ready to rip out her nape any second.
That was when it happened.
Whoosh!
A sharp whistle cut the air as something long and thick flew in.
Yelp!
With a shrill cry, the Blood Wolf dropped. Dang Yak-ran whipped around to see one impaled on a spear.
In the nick of time, Gong Cheon-ak had thrown his spear to take it out. Because of that, he was now fighting barehanded in a brutal melee with the pack.
'Why'd he save me...!'
By then, Heuk Do-san had safely rescued Yeom Jin-sang and returned to the campfire. With him joining, the shattered defensive line began reforming.
"Everyone, hang tough!"
He first kicked over the blazing fire pit. Burning logs scattered everywhere, igniting flames across the front six paces or so.
The fires acted as barriers, stalling the Blood Wolves' assault.
"Now!"
Heuk Do-san shouted.
Hyeon-gak, Gong Cheon-ak, and Yeom Jin-sang pounced on the Blood Wolves inside the line, smashing them indiscriminately. Dang Yak-ran joined in and tore two apart.
Moments later, not a single Blood Wolf remained inside the first defensive line.
"Status report!"
Heuk Do-san called out, eyes fixed forward.
"Still good."
"Could fight all night."
Hyeon-gak and Gong Cheon-ak replied in turn.
Heuk Do-san had asked about injuries, but they were just bluffing. Despite not saying, both were on the verge of qi depletion from their explosive efforts.
"Damn, think I got bit three times!"
Yeom Jin-sang said.
It was true—his pants were soaked in blood. But someone had it worse.
"The witch's condition is dire."
Dang Yak-ran said urgently.
Heuk Do-san glared murderously ahead while glancing at Bing-seol. Propped up farther back, she hadn't stirred—dead or alive, who knew.
Twenty-odd Blood Wolves still remained. Locked in standoff, they couldn't treat her.
"From now on, we abandon cover for Bing-seol. When I give the signal, everyone charge out and fight all-out. Time limit: one quarter-hour. Wipe them all out inside that."
They realized Heuk Do-san was staking Bing-seol's life on an all-or-nothing gamble. No matter how they thought, it was the only way. Life or death was up to fate now.
"Got it."
Gong Cheon-ak said through gritted teeth. As Heuk Do-san drew breath to roar, a bone-rattling howl echoed from somewhere.
Roooar-!
Right on cue, the Blood Wolves snarling poised to leap began slinking backward.
Soon, not one remained in the clearing.
"Shit, what the hell now?"
Yeom Jin-sang said.
"They seem to be retreating?"
Hyeon-gak said.
"Lucky bastards."
Gong Cheon-ak said.
But everyone knew they were the lucky ones.
"Hyeon-gak, check Bing-seol. Hurry!"
Heuk Do-san barked.
Hyeon-gak rushed to Bing-seol's side. With Dang Yak-ran's help, he laid her flat and began infusing potent yang qi through the Yongquan point on her sole.
His qi had long been drained from fighting Blood Wolves. Hyeon-gak squeezed out every last drop, drawing on strength from his nursing days.
Steam rose faintly from his crown for a bit, then Bing-seol's eyes snapped open. Simultaneously, Hyeon-gak rolled back his eyes white and collapsed.
Dang Yak-ran hurriedly checked his pulse and fussed over him.
Gong Cheon-ak approached Bing-seol, gripped her shoulder, and asked,
"You okay?"
"Sorry for worrying you."
"I asked if you're okay."
"I'm fine. More importantly, the monk..."
Led by Gong Cheon-ak, everyone turned to Hyeon-gak. Moments later, Dang Yak-ran withdrew her hand and said,
"Ki exhaustion made him pass out. He'll wake in an hour or two."
Dang Yak-ran stuffed fuel into the barely surviving fire pit.
Hyeon-gak's upper body was naked from burned robes, so she tried laying him near the fire. He'd lost too much blood and qi—if left, he'd freeze before an hour passed.
But exhausted herself, she couldn't lift the hefty monk.
"I'll do it."
Gong Cheon-ak stepped up.
He hoisted the limp Hyeon-gak and laid him by the fire, then draped his own robe over the man's torso.
"Thanks for earlier."
Dang Yak-ran said.
Referring to how he'd thrown his spear to save her despite the danger. Gong Cheon-ak pretended otherwise and muttered like to himself.
"Ahem, even steven."
An awkward silence fell.
"Man, I'm dying here."
Yeom Jin-sang suddenly flopped onto the ground. Tension released, his legs gave out too. It wasn't exaggeration—his side and thighs were drenched in blood.
"Let me see."
Bing-seol rushed to Yeom Jin-sang. Dang Yak-ran and Gong Cheon-ak sat and began bandaging wounds with torn cloth.
Heuk Do-san had been peering into the White Birch woods with sharpened eyesight.
The Blood Wolves hadn't fled. They lurked in the dark forest, watching intently. They were waiting for reinforcements.
Proof: howls echoed from spots across the vast White Birch woods. Like humans lighting beacons to signal afar, they summoned allies with roars.
What kind of beast commands so many Blood Wolves?
Heuk Do-san looked toward the first howl's source. Atop a towering cliff on the woods' edge sat a faint shadowy figure.
He quickly pulled out his spyglass for a closer look. A massive beast covered in snow-white fur crouched at the cliff's rim, howling at the night sky.
It looked almost divine, like a mythical beast from legend.
'White Wolf...!'
Some places gather Earth Ki for unknown reasons. Spiritual beasts are born relying on that qi. White Tigers, White Deer—these are examples.
To think he'd see a White Wolf here.
The White Wolf abruptly stopped howling. It stared piercingly this way. Their eyes met in the void. A pair of ghostly blue flames.
Heuk Do-san felt like blazing torches were searing his eyes.
'So you're the king of this forest?'
The White Wolf said nothing, of course. It just gazed with sunken eyes.
That it watched their every move with naked eyes—from a distance needing a spyglass for humans—was astonishing.
But battle was another realm.
'You picked the wrong opponent this time. Watch closely. I'll show you who you messed with.'
Heuk Do-san stowed the spyglass. He drew axe and dagger and approached a dying Blood Wolf sprawled nearby, its breaths ragged.