Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 21
>Chapter Title: Squad Leader (3)
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“Ahh. Don’t mind me—keep doing what you were doing.”
Mok Kyung-un spoke casually as he flicked the blood from his hand.
At this sight, the boy didn’t know what to do.
He had been thrilled to share a room, even briefly, with Yeom-ga from Slaughter Valley.
But in no time at all, it had turned into this mess.
‘What the hell is that guy?’
He could admit that the guy had stood out unusually during the first two trials.
But now, the seals on their internal energy had been released.
For him to reduce Yeom-ga from Slaughter Valley—whose seal had also been lifted—to that state... was this guy a monster?
Mok Kyung-un paid no attention to the boy’s reaction.
Instead, as if his business was finished, he grabbed the unconscious Yeom-ga by the hair and dragged him out into the corridor.
“Ah!”
The boy started to rise, wondering if he should try to stop him.
“Why? Do you want to come along too?”
Mok Kyung-un asked.
The boy froze, shaking his head vigorously in his panic without thinking.
“N-No, that’s not...”
“Wise choice. Then just stay put.”
-Thud!
As the door closed, the boy’s legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the bed.
He simply didn’t have the confidence to follow and help Yeom-ga.
Once outside the room, Mok Kyung-un glanced at Yeom-ga’s face and let out a small groan.
“Hmm.”
The swollen, mushy face was quite prominent.
The moment he saw Yeom-ga’s tattoo glowing red, he had instinctively sensed killing intent and reacted accordingly.
-You could’ve gone easy on him.
“You’re right.”
Mok Kyung-un muttered softly at Cheong-ryeong’s voice.
He had intended to beat him just enough to make him a teammate, but he had gone well beyond “just enough.”
That aside, there was one thing that differed from his expectations.
“Was peak realm really this weak?”
After the internal energy seals were released, among the eighty boys, seven were estimated to have reached the peak realm.
Yeom-ga from Slaughter Valley was one of them.
Mok Kyung-un had targeted Yeom-ga first not only to recruit him as a squad member but also to test his own power against someone who had openly shown hostility toward him.
Yet he had been weaker than expected.
‘Slow.’
Back at Timber Sword Manor, even when he could read the movements of those called first-rate masters, his body’s reactions had been sluggish.
Now, even Yeom-ga’s movements at the peak realm felt slow.
-......
‘It’s what this seat wanted to say, fledgling.’
Cheong-ryeong was also inwardly surprised by the unexpected outcome.
Though he had opened the lower dantian with the profundity of the Breaking Thought Eight Forms and his death energy equated to the pinnacle of peak realm in terms of internal energy, she had predicted parity or a slight edge due to his lack of enlightenment.
Yet Mok Kyung-un had completely overwhelmed Yeom-ga.
‘Does this guy’s martial talent far exceed even this seat’s expectations?’
Confirming it stirred an excitement that wouldn’t fade.
He still had a long way to go, but at this rate of progress, there was definite reason to look forward to it.
She wanted to voice her inner thoughts, but if the fledgling grew arrogant, he might neglect proper enlightenment...
-Don’t jump to conclusions. Though it was relatively easy, this fool’s carelessness played a big part.
Mok Kyung-un shrugged at Cheong-ryeong’s words.
She had a point.
It was too soon to judge the full capabilities of a peak realm expert based on just one Yeom-ga.
-More interestingly...
“What do you mean?”
-You were curious how death energy would interact with others, and now we’ve confirmed it.
At those words, Mok Kyung-un recalled what Yeom-ga had said.
[It’s not qi dispersal poison, so why does my internal energy scatter when I touch you?]
It had struck him as odd.
“Do you know why that happened?”
-It seems to be canceled out by the death energy.
“Canceled out?”
-Yes. Remember when others struck your acupoints or probed your body’s condition by sending in qi, and their energy dispersed?
“Yes.”
-The energy you possess is completely opposed to the energy of living humans.
“So it cancels out because they’re polar opposites?”
-That’s how it seems. Yang vitality energy invigorates life, but your death energy brings death.
That likely amplified the dispersion of their energy.
That was his guess so far.
Since there was no precedent in the martial world, even she couldn’t precisely predict how this death energy would influence things going forward.
But if it truly functioned like qi dispersal poison, scattering opponents’ energy, then it would be a tremendous natural predator for martial artists.
“Useful.”
As Mok Kyung-un expressed his satisfaction, Cheong-ryeong warned him.
-Be careful with control, just in case.
“Control?”
-Yes. If word gets out that you can scatter others’ internal energy, you might draw the entire world’s vigilance before you’re fully ripe.
“Hmm. Could be.”
As she said, martial artists might indeed be on guard.
Without a clear superiority, fighting him would mean their internal energy scattering, putting them at a severe disadvantage.
“How do I control it?”
-......Sigh. Your learning order is a mess, as expected.
Cheong-ryeong clicked her tongue.
If he had reached peak realm through normal means, he would have properly mastered ways to transmit qi.
Yet despite being at peak realm, Mok Kyung-un couldn’t perform external projection or send energy into another’s body via internal or emission techniques.
‘Nothing for it but to hammer it in whenever there’s a gap.’
With the sequence already derailed, there was no helping it.
By then, he had arrived back at his lodging room.
It was empty.
While others shared double rooms, Mok Kyung-un was the exception.
Those assigned to room with him had refused, and fortunately, a spare room was available, so he had it to himself.
“Groan...”
Just then, Yeom-ga, who had been unconscious, groaned as he stirred awake.
Mok Kyung-un looked down at him with satisfaction and met his eyes.
-Flinch!
The moment Yeom-ga awoke and saw Mok Kyung-un’s face, he convulsed in shock.
It was no wonder—after taking blows to his face that left it in this state, he had been gripped by extreme fear of death.
Such a reaction was inevitable.
“Are you with it now?”
“You... what the... groan. Ptui.”
Yeom-ga spat out something amid the pain and foreign sensation in his mouth.
It was one of his broken teeth.
His tongue had been chewed multiple times, leaving his entire mouth numb and filled with the taste of blood.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
“......”
Was that even something to say?
Yeom-ga stared at Mok Kyung-un with a look of utter disbelief.
Mok Kyung-un scratched his head and said to him,
“I didn’t mean to kill you, so I went a bit overboard. Still, it gives you a more manly face, so it’s not so bad.”
‘This bastard right now...’
Was he toying with him?
Even the slightest twitch of his facial muscles felt like being burned by fire.
With his face in this condition—barely able to open his eyes—and this was what he said? It felt like pure mockery.
To him, Mok Kyung-un said,
“How about it? Want to join my squad?”
Yeom-ga clenched his teeth and barely squeezed out words.
“Get... out!”
He’d rather die than team up with this guy.
He knew he couldn’t win, but Yeom-ga had no desire to submit to defeat.
At that, Mok Kyung-un clapped lightly.
-Clap clap!
“Such firm resolve in refusing to yield.”
“......”
“Too bad. I thought you’d be useful as a squad member.”
Hearing this, Yeom-ga, who had been inwardly tense, let out a sigh of relief.
He had worried this madman might kill him on a whim, rules be damned.
But it seemed he wasn’t that impulsive.
At least that was fortunate.
‘Stay away from him.’
This incident had made it crystal clear.
This guy was every bit the ominous, insane monster he had first sensed.
Getting involved or provoking him would bring nothing good.
-Tremble tremble!
Yeom-ga tried to rise, desperate to leave the room as soon as possible.
But Mok Kyung-un placed a finger on his forehead and gave a light push.
It wasn’t much force, but Yeom-ga, who had been getting up, fell back down.
-Thud!
“What... are... you doing?”
“Did I say you could leave?”
“What?”
What was he saying now?
Hadn’t he just said he was giving up on making them a squad?
Then there was no reason for him to stay here.
So what was this?
-Swish!
Then Mok Kyung-un pulled a wooden doll from his bosom.
He formed a hand seal with one hand and chanted an incantation.
“Origin Earth Formation, Nine Rings Return to Origin—Release!”
‘!?’
What had he just done?
Yeom-ga, unfamiliar with sorcery, couldn’t hide his bewilderment at Mok Kyung-un’s bizarre actions.
He tried to draw energy from his dantian, but...
‘Damn it!’
He hadn’t noticed, but his acupoints had been sealed sometime.
There was a reason his body felt unusually weak.
Then, suddenly, a eerie sensation sent chills down his spine.
-Slither slither...
Something was seeping into his body—a disgustingly cold feeling he could barely endure.
“Hngh. You... what did you do to me? Gah.”
-Pop pop pop!
Yeom-ga’s back arched like a shrimp.
To him, Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly and said,
“I’ll make good use of that body.”
“Wh-What the hell... Ack!”
-Crack crack!
Veins bulged black across Yeom-ga’s neck and face, his appearance grotesque beyond measure.
But it didn’t last long.
His body, twisting wildly with eyes rolled back in convulsions, soon returned to normal.
Of course, when he opened his eyes, someone else now occupied them.
“How’s the body feel? Demon Monk.”
“Quite usable.”
The possessing spirit was none other than the Demon Monk.
Having obtained a youthful body at peak realm, the Demon Monk wore a satisfied expression.
“Should’ve given it to you in better shape.”
At those words, the Demon Monk fiddled with his face a few times. The broken nose straightened, and his features somewhat restored to their original form.
“Oh.”
That was intriguing.
He couldn’t fully fix the breaks, but it had improved significantly.
At Mok Kyung-un’s reaction, Cheong-ryeong explained.
-Adjusting a possessed body to a desired state isn’t difficult. Unlike humans bound by souls, we can freely manipulate the bodies we occupy.
“Seems that way.”
This could be put to good use somehow.
Just then...
-Step step!
Hearing footsteps, Mok Kyung-un looked toward the door.
Someone was approaching his room.
The light, weightless steps sounded somewhat unnatural, suggesting the approaching person wasn’t in great condition.
-Knock knock!
The person reached the door and knocked.
“Come in.”
The door opened, revealing an unexpected figure.
It was none other than Mo Ha-rang from Demonic Flower Pavilion.
He had assumed she was recovering from her injuries through qi circulation and meditation after treatment.
Why had she come here?
Then, Gyu So-ha’s voice from the green spirit rang in Mok Kyung-un’s ear.
-Master! Master! Give me that woman’s body!
She seemed taken with Mo Ha-rang’s body.
Cheong-ryeong remarked,
-You insisted you were a man, fledgling, so why the fuss over a woman’s body?
-......
Gyu So-ha fell silent.
Ignoring their exchange, Mok Kyung-un smiled lightly and said,
“What brings you here?”
-Swish!
At the question, Mo Ha-rang’s gaze shifted to the Demon Monk, possessing Yeom-ga’s body and standing behind Mok Kyung-un.
Mok Kyung-un said nonchalantly,
“Ah, this one’s decided to join our squad.”
The Demon Monk nodded as if he were Yeom-ga.
Seeing this, Mo Ha-rang turned back to Mok Kyung-un and said,
“......What did you do?”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s not Yeom-ga.”
One of Mok Kyung-un’s eyebrows twitched upward.
What made this woman so sure?
“What are you talking about?”
“......That prideful guy wouldn’t submit to you so easily. And Yeom-ga’s not the type to serve under anyone.”
Mok Kyung-un’s lips quirked at her words.
Come to think of it, he recalled how she had quickly deduced his intentions from his actions during the flag capture.
And...
‘She said their eyes met.’
Mo Ha-rang had said her eyes met with the green spirit Gyu So-ha’s.
He hadn’t paid it much mind, thinking it coincidence.
But if it was real, did this woman also possess sorcerer talents?
Intrigued, Mok Kyung-un gestured toward Yeom-ga and asked,
“If that’s not Yeom-ga, then what is it?”
“......I don’t know.”
“Then why say that?”
“I saw it.”
“Saw what?”
“The chains around the thing next to you...”
“The thing?”
“Something like a ghost.”
She said it half-doubting herself whether that was accurate.
She wanted to know if what she saw was real.
If so, this man commanded ghosts—怪異 of sorts.
“Something like a ghost...”
“My mind was hazy then, but I saw you talking to it.”
Even as she spoke, she trailed off, lacking full conviction in what she had witnessed.
Mok Kyung-un stared at her with a smiling face.
This flustered Mo Ha-rang.
From the Demonic Flower Pavilion, known as one of the four great assassin groups, she had undergone rigorous training, including reading people’s expressions and eyes for their psychology.
‘......I can’t read him.’
But Mok Kyung-un’s expression and gaze were impossible to gauge.
She could pick up basic emotions, but nothing beyond.
She bit her lip hard.
‘Was it my imagination?’
She had shared her guess and what she saw, but Mok Kyung-un showed no special reaction.
If anything, his eyes gleamed with interest.
Was she making a fool of herself?
Thus, she finally said,
“Sorry. I must’ve seen things from blood loss back then.”
With that, she turned to leave the room.
But then...
-Pop pop pop!
“Origin Earth Formation, Nine Rings Return to Origin—Release.”
A chanting-like voice came from behind.
Mo Ha-rang halted and slowly turned her head.
-Chill!
Turning, goosebumps erupted across her body.
Beside Mok Kyung-un stood a translucent, hazy girl-figure with graying hair and chains draped over her.
‘Ahh!’
What she saw then had been real.
As she stood stunned, the green spirit Gyu So-ha reached out, and chains whirled around Mo Ha-rang’s body.
Bound by the chains, Mok Kyung-un smiled maliciously and said,
“Seeing what you wanted comes at a steep price. That okay with you?”