Chapter 267
Chapter 267
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 73
>Chapter Title: Death Line Division (2)
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Thousand Commander Mara-hyeon grimaced and subtly turned his head away.
It was only natural. Even though Mok Kyung-un had passed out, he was peeling the face skin off the still-living cadet Bae Ji-seok raw.
Anyone would find it hard to watch, no matter how strong their stomach, when seeing perfectly intact skin being stripped off like that.
-Slice! Slice!
As Mok Kyung-un carved away at the facial skin, he casually said to him,
“Looks like it’s tough to watch, huh?”
“.......What about this would be pleasant to look at?”
“Guess your stomach’s weaker than I thought.”
“........”
It wasn’t just about the stomach-churning aspect. The fact that he was peeling it off someone who wasn’t even dead yet, but very much alive and well, was what made it disturbing.
Of course, Mok Kyung-un had explained the reason.
[If they die, the skin necrotizes quickly. It’s much better to do it while it’s still elastic and fresh, even if just a little.]
It was a reasonable explanation in its own way, but still burdensome.
Mara-hyeon inwardly clicked his tongue and soon left the interrogation room to escape the scene.
Once outside, he let out a long sigh.
“Haa.”
Normally, he would never accept something like this, but he couldn’t refuse Mok Kyung-un’s request.
Even though it involved such gruesome work.
At least he had selected someone who wouldn’t cause problems if dealt with, but this was truly cruel.
[Cadet Bae Ji-seok?]
[Yeah.]
[No issues with this one?]
[Orphan background. Before entering as a guard trainee, he was a street thug in the markets, extorting elderly merchants and bullying the weak. If not for the recommendation from Ta-sa faction—one of Hwag-yun faction’s key players, one of your real powers—he’d have been weeded out beforehand.]
[Not exactly a fine upstanding guy, then?]
[......Among them, no.]
[Good. Let’s go with him, then.]
He wasn’t even a main push from the Hwag-yun faction, so no issues there. From the start, he didn’t have the qualifications to join the Royal Guard.
Still, it was a bit pitiful.
To end up in such a wretched state, caught by a demon like that.
* * *
The next day, early in the morning.
With the basic training period for the Royal Guard over, the cadets moved to their respective divisions with their assigned squad’s Thousand Commanders to begin their full apprenticeship.
Among them, eleven were assigned to the Death Line Division.
The highest scorer among them was cadet Joo Un-hyang, who had taken first place in the initial exam.
Someone was closely watching Joo Un-hyang from behind.
It was none other than cadet Bae Ji-seok—no, Mok Kyung-un wearing his face skin.
A faint glint appeared in Mok Kyung-un’s eyes.
‘Her energy’s grown quite a bit?’
Joo Un-hyang’s innate true energy had increased since before.
Either she had trained tirelessly after clashing with him, or she’d had some small stroke of fortune.
But Mok Kyung-un was in a state where his demonic energy had advanced far beyond what it was during his clashes with Joo Un-hyang or Six Thousand Commander So Ye-rin just a few nights ago.
So, her current level of energy didn’t bother him much.
Mok Kyung-un smacked his lips lightly.
‘I thought she might notice a little.’
Like the other cadets, Joo Un-hyang hadn’t detected his presence at all.
Of course, it could be due to the growing gap in their skills, but it was still disappointing compared to his expectations.
Soon, they arrived at the Death Line Division’s main hall in the Six Line Office.
The Death Line Division managed all the golden prisons within the imperial palace.
The Death Line Division’s Thousand Commander, Mak Myeong-bo, who was leading the way, pointed to one building and said,
“Alright. This is the lodging where you’ll stay for the next five days.”
It was somewhat smaller and more rundown than the temporary quarters in the Royal Guard headquarters, the Six Line Office.
They had to spend five days in a place like that?
Most of the cadets seemed to share the thought, their expressions far from pleased.
Just then, someone emerged from the Death Line Division’s main building, hands clasped behind their back.
The moment they saw the red uniform, everyone clasped their hands together, bowed their heads, and paid their respects.
-Snap!
The one who had come out of the Death Line Division’s main building was none other than the division’s head, Six Thousand Commander Im Gyu-wol.
He was a man with slanted eyes and a pale face.
He gave off the impression of a white snake.
At that moment, Im Gyu-wol suddenly spoke up.
“Who here is Joo Un-hyang?”
“It’s me.”
Joo Un-hyang replied politely, head bowed.
Im Gyu-wol smiled and walked toward her, saying,
“I heard you took first place in the internal energy measurement during selection. You’re quite the talented one.”
At his praise, cadet Yeom Gyeong—a disciple of the Volcanic Sect—bit his lip.
Jealousy stirred because Joo Un-hyang was already drawing attention from the start of the apprenticeship.
However, unlike his jealousy, these words weren’t born of good intentions.
-Swish!
Im Gyu-wol, now right in front of her, placed a hand on Joo Un-hyang’s shoulder.
The moment he did, Joo Un-hyang, who had been bowing her head, flinched.
Mok Kyung-un, watching from just behind, narrowed his eyes.
‘Hmm.’
It seemed this Six Thousand Commander Im Gyu-wol wasn’t just grabbing her shoulder—he was applying pressure with his internal energy.
His guess was spot on.
Internal energy flowed from Im Gyu-wol’s hand into Joo Un-hyang’s shoulder, inflicting pain.
-Grip!
As he channeled the energy, Im Gyu-wol smiled casually and said,
“I have very high expectations for you.”
Joo Un-hyang inwardly found it absurd.
What an outrageous guy.
He talked of high expectations while suppressing her with true energy.
No idea why, but he clearly disliked her for some reason, or he wouldn’t be crushing her with such overwhelming power.
She lifted her head slightly to glance at his face. Despite the smile, his eyes glared down at her murderously.
‘Why is he doing this?’
Joo Un-hyang couldn’t hide her bewilderment.
Whatever the reason, Six Thousand Commander Im Gyu-wol was clearly acting out of personal animosity toward her.
His assumption was correct.
‘You’re the one catching So Ye-rin’s interest?’
Six Thousand Commander Im Gyu-wol had fallen for So Ye-rin—the other Six Thousand Commander—the moment he first laid eyes on her beauty, pining after her for a long time.
But she, called the Ice Flower of the Royal Guard, had always been cold to him.
Whenever he showed interest, she rejected him outright.
‘Yet why would she take interest in a mere cadet like you?’
It was utterly unacceptable.
‘I don’t care how great a talent you are. You’ll regret being assigned under me.’
He couldn’t leave anyone who drew even a sliver of her attention alone.
He’d teach her her place.
First, he’d suppress her with true energy to inflict internal injuries, then show her hell during her five days in the Death Line Division.
‘I’ll make you drop out right away.’
This was his domain, after all.
No one would blame him for tormenting and failing her.
Six Thousand Commander Im Gyu-wol raised his internal energy further.
First place in the internal energy test or not, this girl was just a cadet.
‘You’ll feel your insides churning.’
But something was off.
By now, Joo Un-hyang should have collapsed, unable to endure the true energy crushing her organs, or at least screamed.
Yet there was no reaction.
-Crackle!
At that moment, cracks formed in the ground where Joo Un-hyang stood.
Seeing this, one of Im Gyu-wol’s eyebrows shot up.
This was a phenomenon possible only by channeling the injected energy through the Yang Spring Acupoint.
‘Well, well, look at you?’
He was still under thirty.
For such a young one to dispel his energy?
Fine. So be it?
-Roooar!
In that instant, Im Gyu-wol’s energy surged.
-Flinch!
“Six Thousand Commander!”
Thousand Commander Mak Myeong-bo, realizing it, called out to Six Thousand Commander Im Gyu-wol.
He’d wondered what he was doing by continuing to hold Joo Un-hyang’s shoulder, but he hadn’t expected him to pressure a cadet with internal energy like this.
But Im Gyu-wol had no intention of stopping.
‘Let’s see you endure this.’
Im Gyu-wol raised his energy even higher.
Joo Un-hyang’s body began to tremble little by little.
‘Kuh.’
She tried to protect her shoulder with innate true energy and redirect the incoming power, but as his energy grew stronger, it became increasingly difficult.
-Craaackle!
The cracks in the floor now spread toward the other nearby cadets.
Startled, they stepped back.
Before long, everyone’s gazes were fixed on them.
‘What the hell is going on?’
‘Why is the Six Thousand Commander doing that?’
Anyone could see that Six Thousand Commander Im Gyu-wol was pressuring Joo Un-hyang with his internal energy.
With her complexion worsening by the second, things could turn disastrous.
At that point, Thousand Commander Mak Myeong-bo approached to try to intervene.
“Six Thousand Commander. Please stop.....”
“Don’t interfere.”
Six Thousand Commander Im Gyu-wol sharply rebuked him and flicked his hand.
It meant stay out of it.
Thousand Commander Mak Myeong-bo couldn’t help but feel troubled.
Having served Im Gyu-wol for a long time, he knew his temperament better than anyone.
If he tried to stop him here, that anger might turn on him.
-Craaackle!
“Hup.”
For the first time, a small groan escaped Joo Un-hyang’s lips.
It seemed she had finally reached her limit under the relentless pressure of his internal energy.
As an apprentice cadet in the Royal Guard selection process, she couldn’t rebel against an examiner and had no choice but to endure it unilaterally.
‘Heh heh heh. You’ve hit your limit now.’
The corner of Im Gyu-wol’s mouth curled slyly.
Impressive that someone her age had endured his energy this long, but it was over now.
Im Gyu-wol prepared to ramp it up and finish her off for sure.
-Craaackle!
As he raised his energy further, the cracks spread even farther across the floor.
Her limit had come—Joo Un-hyang’s complexion worsened.
It was right then.
-Pak!
Someone grabbed his right wrist.
‘Huh?’
Im Gyu-wol, who had pushed his energy nearly to the seventh star, scowled fiercely.
There was no cadet capable of stopping him.
Naturally, he assumed it was Thousand Commander Mak Myeong-bo intervening.
So,
“I told you not to interfere, you..... you?”
It was none other than cadet Bae Ji-seok—no, Mok Kyung-un, wearing his face skin as a human leather mask.
Seeing this, Im Gyu-wol’s eyebrow shot up.
Not Thousand Commander Mak Myeong-bo, but a low-ranking apprentice cadet who hadn’t even placed in the top ranks of the first exam grabbing his wrist?
Dumbfounded, Im Gyu-wol tried to shake him off.
But,
-Grip!
‘What?’
Im Gyu-wol’s pupils shook.
He couldn’t shake off the guy’s hand.
Even after ramping up to eighth-star energy, it barely budged.
To the flustered man, Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly and said in a polite tone,
“Honored Six Thousand Commander, you’ve tested the cadet plenty. How about calling it here?”
“You........”
What the hell was this guy?
His energy was far stronger than Joo Un-hyang, who had taken first in the internal energy test.
Six Thousand Commander Im Gyu-wol’s eyes quickly scanned the surroundings.
All the apprentice cadets were watching him. If he kept up this contest of strength, he might end up humiliated.
[End of Chapter 73: Death Line Division (2)]