Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 26
>Chapter Title: Thinning Out (1)
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Mok Yu-cheon stared blankly at the small, round copper badge resting in his palm.
This was the item that Ma-sang had handed to him before fleeing.
He hadn't explained what it was or what it was for.
Ma-sang had only left those words behind.
[You do it instead.]
It was a phrase loaded with meaning.
Spies met death if they were caught.
That must be why he was entrusting the rest to him.
'What the hell am I supposed to...'
Why would he make such a request?
Moreover, if their positions were reversed, Mok Yu-cheon would have been furious.
Even though they were half-brothers, this outcome stemmed from that brother turning him in.
Yet Ma-sang harbored no resentment toward him.
Of course, the situation had been too urgent for him to even have the chance to resent.
"Haa."
Mok Yu-cheon let out a long sigh.
How had he ended up in this position?
He used to think the days when he was scorned as the son of a concubine were hellish, but looking back now, that was nothing.
The real hell was out here.
-Kaduk!
He bit his nails.
It was a habit from childhood that resurfaced when he was anxious.
He had thought that, at the very least, he could rely on his half-brother, but now he realized that wasn't true.
That guy was no longer the person he once knew.
Whether he had been hiding it or not, he was close to a villain in his own right, regardless of righteous or demonic factions.
He fit perfectly in this cesspool of a hell.
'You bastard. Fucking bastard.'
-Kkuk!
Mok Yu-cheon, who had been gnawing on his nails, soon bit down on his finger.
It hurt.
This was reality.
The more he accepted reality, the more agonizing it became.
But he couldn't give up just because it was painful.
Mok Kyung-un's viciousness infuriated him, but perhaps the guy was just struggling to adapt and survive here in his own way.
In fact, he might be the one who had grown complacent.
He had still believed that if he survived here, he could return home to his old life.
'No...'
In the end, that was all bullshit.
-Kwaaak! Jururuk!
Blood dripped from his bitten finger, staining his tongue with droplets.
The hot taste of blood only made his chest grow colder.
-Suk!
Mok Yu-cheon swept back his hair and straightened his posture.
He would abandon any half-baked notion of simply surviving this place at all costs.
To overcome evil that was strong, he had to become stronger himself.
'I won't just survive—I'll smash it all with my own hands.'
It was a truth he had learned in Timber Sword Manor.
After reaching the peak realm, the gazes of everyone in Timber Sword Manor had changed, and so had their treatment of him.
That was the real truth.
Regardless of faction, for a martial artist to survive and be respected, they had to grow strong.
Strength was the law of the martial world.
'.......Mok Kyung-un. The one climbing out of here will be me, not you.'
With his resolve firmly set, Mok Yu-cheon began to circulate his energy.
That circulation was the Timber Transforming Heart Method.
He had stopped practicing it due to some side effects, but in his current situation, it was the only ascending heart method that could make him stronger quickly.
-Sususu!
As he circulated the heart method, Mok Yu-cheon's facial skin gradually flushed with a brownish tint.
* * *
"Hmm. We're over capacity."
Mok Kyung-un looked at the eight boys standing before him and spoke.
Three had been brought by the Demon Monk possessing Yeom Ga of Slaughter Valley, and five by Mo Ha-rang of Mo Hwa Hall.
Mo Ha-rang glanced troubledly at those she had brought.
To save time, she had gathered members separately from the Demon Monk possessing Yeom Ga.
[If he's possessed by a ghost, it might be hard for him to gather people.]
She had thought she needed to recruit as many teammates as possible herself.
The five she gathered were the maximum.
In truth, they were selected from ten who wanted to join her group.
Since she had handpicked them and promised to get them through this trial, she was in quite a bind.
At that moment, Mok Kyung-un spoke.
"We only need five besides myself, so the rest of you can leave on your own."
His words left the eight boys with incredulous expressions.
And understandably so—they had joined the group believing in the reputations of Slaughter Valley and Mo Hwa Hall, taking their leaders as team heads.
"Huu."
One of the boys sighed and promptly left the room.
He had been in Mo Ha-rang's group, so he had witnessed Mok Kyung-un's true nature with his own eyes.
Thus, he withdrew without hesitation.
Coincidentally, the remaining seven boys had only seen Mok Kyung-un snap one boy's neck in the first trial—nothing more.
Their reactions were accordingly heated.
"Who the hell are you to tell us to leave? I joined this group because of Mo Ha-rang."
"Same here. If anyone's leaving, it's you."
"Looks like you all think alike."
They all directed hostility toward Mok Kyung-un.
Having broken through the blocked formation gates unlike in the first trial, their confidence was brimming.
Mo Ha-rang spoke to them awkwardly.
".......Sorry, but I'm not the team leader."
"What?"
"What do you mean?"
Her words left them—who had assumed she was the leader—unable to hide their bewilderment.
When recruiting, Mo Ha-rang had only said she was looking for teammates, without mentioning that the actual leader was someone else.
From their perspective, it felt like a deception.
"Mo Ha-rang, is that true?"
"We thought you were the leader."
"Sorry. The leader is this person here."
'This person?'
The boys furrowed their brows at her words.
Unless their ears were playing tricks, Mo Ha-rang was referring to Mok Kyung-un as if he were her superior.
It was just a temporary leader for this trial, after all.
Mok Kyung-un spoke then.
"Seems most of you joined without knowing I was the leader. If you have complaints, feel free to leave."
One boy snorted at that.
"Ha! I can't accept that. Mo Ha-rang, you be the leader. I'll follow you without question."
Emboldened, the other boys chimed in.
"That's a good idea. Me too."
"I agree."
"I'll follow if Mo Ha-rang's the leader."
Faced with their unanimous pleas for her to take charge, Mo Ha-rang glanced nervously at Mok Kyung-un.
He still wore that smiling face.
It only made her more uneasy, having experienced the malice hidden behind that smile.
Deciding she needed to make it clear to avoid trouble, she said,
"Sorry, but I've decided to follow this person."
'!?'
Her firm declaration changed the boys' expressions in various ways.
One thing they shared: confusion over why she would accept a guy like Mok Kyung-un as leader.
Then, one of the three who had come with the Demon Monk possessing Yeom Ga of Slaughter Valley asked,
"You're saying you've acknowledged that guy as leader too?"
"Yes."
"What?"
Her curt affirmation left even those three troubled.
They knew Slaughter Valley's reputation well and had volunteered to join of their own accord.
Yet the one they thought they'd follow had chosen someone else as leader—what were they to do?
Mok Kyung-un addressed them.
"You're choosing a leader just to pass this trial, but you all seem to have a lot of qualms. Doesn't it give you the answer, seeing these two under me?"
"........."
The boys glanced back and forth between Mo Ha-rang, Yeom Ga, and Mok Kyung-un.
They didn't like this guy much, but for two people who could easily lead—and from Slaughter Valley and Mo Hwa Hall no less—to follow him, there had to be a reason.
'It makes sense.'
'They have their pride, from places like Slaughter Valley and Mo Hwa Hall.'
'For them to follow him...'
One by one, they began to waver.
Not everyone, though.
One boy stepped forward and said to Mok Kyung-un,
"Why should we follow you? I just can't wrap my head around it."
"If you can't trust me as leader, then quietly leave the room."
The boy's face twisted savagely at Mok Kyung-un's words.
Drawing qi from his dantian, the boy said,
"Who are you to say come and go as you please? What a joke. I won't acknowledge you."
"And if you don't?"
Mok Kyung-un smiled as he replied.
The boy then assumed a fist technique stance.
"If you're so great, let's spar."
His sudden belligerence made everyone eye each other cautiously.
Truth be told, they all shared one doubt.
As they recovered their internal energy, they could somewhat gauge opponents' skills through qi sense.
Yet Mok Kyung-un felt like barely first-rate at best, no matter how they looked.
In contrast, Yeom Ga of Slaughter Valley and Mo Ha-rang of Mo Hwa Hall were different.
Their qi senses revealed sharp, formidable auras they couldn't hope to beat even going all out.
So rather than stop him, they wanted to see for themselves.
Just what level was Mok Kyung-un at?
It was right then.
"You arrogant fool—do you think this is some safe haven where you can challenge this person?"
Suddenly, Yeom Ga of Slaughter Valley scowled fiercely at the boy in his stance, revealing clear displeasure.
The boys couldn't hide their puzzlement.
Not just Mo Ha-rang, but even Yeom Ga was acting as if he had sworn loyalty to Mok Kyung-un.
They couldn't fathom what was going on.
Mok Kyung-un extended a hand to restrain him.
"Ah, no need to get so worked up. He might just have his doubts."
"But Master... no, my lord. This insolent human—"
-Suk!
Mok Kyung-un gave a light glance at the Demon Monk possessing Yeom Ga.
The Demon Monk stopped mid-sentence and stepped back.
'What? Did he just say "my lord"?'
'Why is Slaughter Valley's Yeom Ga groveling and calling that guy "my lord"?'
'Is he hiding his real power?'
It only raised more questions for the boys.
Likewise, the belligerent boy who had challenged Mok Kyung-un began to second-guess himself at Yeom Ga's attitude.
Was his qi sense wrong?
As he pondered,
-Suk!
Mok Kyung-un, who had been lounging on the couch, extended his hand.
In that instant,
-Pak!
"Huh?"
The boy in stance was yanked forward, his head and upper body tilting.
His eyes widened at the powerful suction.
But his surprise was brief—he spread his right leg and stomped a firm stance to halt his fall.
-Kung!
"Hup!"
No sooner had he,
-Puk!
"Keup!"
Mok Kyung-un sprang from the couch, seized the boy's occiput with both hands, and kneed him in the face.
The boy's body reeled backward from the knee strike.
Mok Kyung-un grabbed his hair.
-Kkuk!
"Aaah. You can't go down that easily."
Then he slammed the nose-bleeding boy's head straight into the floor.
-Kwang!
The wooden board splintered as the boy's face embedded into the ground.
The force was so immense that his body twitched before going limp, likely unconscious.
"Oh? Already out?"
Mok Kyung-un muttered in mild disappointment.
'!!!!!!'
The scene left the boys speechless, dumbfounded.
The boy who had just sparred with Mok Kyung-un was at the pinnacle of first-rate—with insight, he could reach the peak realm anytime.
Yet,
'........He wasn't even a match.'
'What the hell was that?'
Moreover, what was that move Mok Kyung-un had just used?
Just by extending his hand, the boy had lurched forward and nearly toppled.
'No way—distant grasping?'
Distant Grasping.
A feat of moving objects with profound true qi.
At an age that looked barely seventeen—was that even possible?
'No way.'
'Impossible.'
They couldn't believe it.
To the still-shocked boys, Mok Kyung-un said,
"Anyone else want to test me?"
"........."
No one answered his question.
Having seen it with their own eyes, who would object now?
Mok Kyung-un continued.
"Then no complaints. Good. With one gone, we just need one more to leave."
"........."
They all glanced at each other.
Understandably—Mok Kyung-un was strong, but so were Yeom Ga and Mo Ha-rang, both peak realm masters.
Staying in this group guaranteed passage—who would give that up easily?
"Nice atmosphere now. Everyone's motivated."
As he spoke, Mok Kyung-un scanned the boys, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Can't have you fight each other since it's a team trial..."
'Ha!'
Mo Ha-rang inwardly clicked her tongue at his words.
This guy really was brimming with malice.
Then Mok Kyung-un stared intently at one boy.
Was he telling him to leave?
The flustered boy said,
"I-I'll follow you as leader with all I—"
Before he could finish,
Mok Kyung-un was right in front of him.
He smiled faintly and said,
"You're the weakest. Sorry, but you'll have to go."
"........."
The boy trembled, speechless.
Deep down, he knew he was the weakest compared to the others.
As he silently turned to leave,
"Ah, wait a second."
'No way?'
Had he changed his mind?
Hoping against hope, he turned back—
-Puk! Wooduk!
In that instant, his body lurched sideways in a spin.
Then his head smashed into the floor as he fell.
-Kung!
"Kuaaaak!"
The fallen boy clutched his leg, screaming in agony.
Mok Kyung-un had kicked his ankle with such force that his body spun like a windmill while the bone snapped.
"What the hell? He was leaving on his own...."
One boy shouted in shock at Mok Kyung-un.
Mok Kyung-un tilted his head.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, you told him to leave, and he was walking out on his own—why break his leg like..."
He couldn't bring himself to say it.
Mok Kyung-un replied,
"I said not to kill him. Did I say not to break a single bone?"
"........."
The boy was rendered speechless.
Breaking his leg on the spot just for not being in the group anymore.
This guy was truly...
Lost for words, as Mok Kyung-un stretched like he was loosening up.
"It's not over with just this one—what's the big deal?"
"What are you saying?"
"We'll be busy from now on. Before the trial starts, we have to break the legs of everyone not in our group."
'!?'
The boys' faces froze at Mok Kyung-un's words.
[Thinning Out (1)] End