Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 26
>Chapter Title: Thinning the Ranks (3)
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The senior warrior bellowed furiously at one of the regular red-sashed guards.
"Who the hell did this?"
"Well..."
The guard quietly turned his head, gesturing with his eyes toward someone standing in the square, sobbing uncontrollably.
Upon seeing who it was, the senior warrior looked utterly exasperated.
"That guy again?"
That guy.
It was Mok Kyung-un.
He had left such a strong impression in the first and second trials, securing the top plaque, so it was impossible not to remember him even if he tried.
"No way he took out all those cadets by himself. Did he and his team do it together?"
"Looks that way."
'Hah.'
It was utterly ridiculous.
The team leader and member rescue operation from last night.
It was meant to be a voluntary process where cadets found their leaders and members to confirm who was in charge.
Of course, with four spots open due to spies, he had expected some competition for members.
And the only restriction—no killing—was to allow a certain degree of fighting among them.
But this was a completely unexpected outcome.
'Damn it.'
He had thought at least five or more elite candidates would be selected.
Yet only two had emerged.
After the first and second trials, these were cadets whose talents and mental fortitude had been verified, so the goal was to carry as many forward as possible.
But that damn Mok Kyung-un had ruined everything.
The senior warrior cautiously said to Blood Groove Valley Lord Yi Ji-yeom.
"Valley Lord, this won't do."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"He's gone too far."
"Too far?"
"Isn't he? Out of eighty—no, seventy-six—only sixteen formed teams. If we leave it like this, it'll only get worse..."
"What more problems could there be?"
"Pardon?"
Yi Ji-yeom's words left the senior warrior bewildered.
If they couldn't properly select candidates by the end of the trial, the higher-ups might make an issue of it.
To the worried man, Yi Ji-yeom said.
"...It's excessive, but he hasn't broken any rules. On what grounds do we stop him?"
The senior warrior furrowed his brow.
Just yesterday, the Valley Lord had said they needed to keep a closer eye on Mok Kyung-un.
So why was he suddenly so lenient?
"Valley Lord... That guy's not even from our faction. He's a hostage we dragged in from the orthodox Timber Sword Manor. If he ruins the whole selection process because of him, the Clan Head and the executives will surely take issue. Hell, the Clan Head might even be aiming for this."
"..."
At the senior warrior's words, Valley Lord Yi Ji-yeom let out a faint sigh.
Senior Warrior Gwak Mun-gi.
He was like his left arm.
That's why he knew better than anyone how the Clan Head and the main sect constantly nitpicked and questioned Blood Groove Valley's actions.
That's why he was voicing this opinion.
"...Could be. But it doesn't matter. The one who sent that... guy is the Clan Head anyway. It's hard to pin the blame on me for something caused by his whims."
"But—"
"We proceed as is."
"......Understood."
At the resolute words of Blood Groove Valley Lord Yi Ji-yeom, Senior Warrior Gwak Mun-gi finally accepted the order without further argument.
But as he bowed his head, his gaze was directed toward Mok Kyung-un.
* * *
-How's it feel to get hit in the back of the head for the first time?
Cheong-ryeong's voice echoed in Mok Kyung-un's ear.
Why would Cheong-ryeong say something like that?
It was because of what happened last night.
Mok Kyung-un turned his head to look at the eight people standing in formation next to their team, sobbing.
Among them, the ones who stood out were a boy with a fairly mature look and sharp, slitted eyes, and Mok Yu-cheon.
'Interesting.'
Last night, Mok Kyung-un had planned to break the legs of everyone except their own team to force them out.
That way, after the third trial, they could skip the rest and jump straight to the final procedure.
But at dawn, a variable appeared.
[Big trouble!]
One of the boys from a group of five he had sent out came rushing to him in a panic.
[Where are the others? Why'd you come alone?]
[W-Well...]
[Sounds like something happened.]
[...Sorry.]
Thinking Mok Kyung-un would berate him, the boy spoke tensely.
Mok Kyung-un shook his head and soothed him gently.
[No one's gonna eat you alive. Where are the others?]
[They all got caught.]
[Caught...?]
[No way around it. We went to the last room, and didn't know eight guys were hiding in ambush.]
[Eight in ambush...]
This was unexpected.
It meant someone had caught on to their plan and prepared for it.
Of course, breaking legs room by room, it was impossible no one would notice.
Some had even figured it out midway and come to attack him with four others.
Looks like there was a smart one among them.
[Let's go.]
Mok Kyung-un joined up with Demon Monk, who was possessing the body of Ju-sal Valley's Yeom-ga as he finished up the upper floor, and Mo Hwa Bang's Mo Ha-rang, then headed to the room where their members were caught.
Two boys stood guard in the corridor in front of the door.
Spotting Mok Kyung-un, they startled and opened the door.
Then four came rushing out.
One was that slitted-eyed guy called Mu Jang-yak, and another was none other than Mok Yu-cheon.
The moment Mok Yu-cheon saw Mok Kyung-un, he spat curses.
[You crazy bastard. Now you're resorting to this shit?]
[This shit?]
[It's different from the previous trials. We just need to pick team leaders and have members cooperate for the inspection. Why pull this...?]
[Is doing this wrong?]
[What?]
[What's wrong with it?]
At Mok Kyung-un's question, Mok Yu-cheon answered with a look of disbelief.
[You seriously calling that...]
[We didn't break the no-killing rule, and cadets drop out every trial anyway. What's wrong with speeding it up a bit?]
[You!]
Mok Kyung-un's words left Mok Yu-cheon speechless.
The idea of breaking everyone's legs was absurd to begin with, but calling it outright wrong wasn't entirely fair either.
It was a competition from the start.
-Grit!
Realizing arguments and words wouldn't work against Mok Kyung-un's logic, Mok Yu-cheon said.
[Fine. No point arguing with a bastard like you.]
With that, he signaled Mu Jang-yak beside him with his eyes.
Mu Jang-yak raised one hand and spoke.
[Hello.]
[Yes. Hello.]
[Came to get your team members?]
[That's right. If it's not too much trouble, could you kindly send our members over?]
Mu Jang-yak shook his head with a sly smile at Mok Kyung-un's words.
[Sorry, but that's gonna be tough.]
[You just hand them over. What's so tough about it?]
[If I give back your members, you'll just break our team members' legs like in the other rooms. Can't have that.]
[You know it.]
Mok Kyung-un smiled back just as slyly.
The two exchanging smiles and words in this tense standoff only made their team members more on edge.
But Mu Jang-yak's side had the advantage.
They held the hostages.
[How about backing off for now? We don't wanna waste energy fighting your team needlessly.]
[Is that so?]
[Yeah. If you do, we'll return your captured members safe and sound tomorrow morning.]
An unexpectedly smooth proposal.
It seemed like a concession, but for Mu Jang-yak's side, it was the best offer.
They were certain Mok Kyung-un would target them the moment the members were returned.
Then Mo Ha-rang whispered.
[It sucks deviating from the plan, but this seems like the better option. They hold the knife this time.]
There were sixteen healthy cadets left.
If their members got hurt in this mess, the other side would gain the edge.
But they couldn't do it easily either.
As long as numbers held, no fight would break out. But hurting Mok Kyung-un's members would force a brawl to fill the gaps.
'Smart thinking.'
They saw this as their best play and set it up this way.
Mok Kyung-un said.
[Sure, that works, but what about this scenario?]
[Scenario?]
[Yeah. What if you break our members' legs and send them back tomorrow morning? Then we're screwed and disqualified.]
[Ah...]
Mo Ha-rang let out a sigh at Mok Kyung-un's words.
Come to think of it, that could happen.
As long as they held the hostages, they could stab in the back right before leader selection.
Mok Yu-cheon snorted.
[Think we're like you? We don't stab in the back, at least.]
[Sure, easy to say to our faces. But situations force rational choices.]
[Breaking a promise is rational?]
[If it's advantageous for you.]
Mok Kyung-un's words made Mok Yu-cheon click his tongue.
He'd thought Mok Kyung-un would accept their proposal here, but he was even bringing up worst-case scenarios they hadn't considered.
Mok Yu-cheon glanced sideways at Mu Jang-yak.
Mu Jang-yak shrugged once, then spoke.
[Suspicion's natural, but you got no choice anyway. Nothing but trusting us.]
Mok Kyung-un replied.
[That'll be hard.]
[If this falls through, you lose more.]
Mok Kyung-un smiled.
[Hardly. Now we just leave eight of the sixteen intact. Back to the original plan, right?]
-Flinch!
The listening cadets looked dumbfounded at Mok Kyung-un's words.
Who could've predicted he'd abandon his own members just to hit the numbers?
Did this guy have no loyalty to his team?
Mok Yu-cheon shouted angrily.
[Don't you have any camaraderie? Your members who trusted you and joined...]
-Swish!
Mu Jang-yak extended a hand to stop Mok Yu-cheon and shook his head.
Then he turned to Mok Kyung-un and said.
[Kinda expected it, but didn't think you'd actually go there. Yu-cheon told me about the end of the second trial—wondered if you'd really do it.]
Mu Jang-yak had heard from Mok Yu-cheon what happened at the end of the second trial.
He'd doubted it, but it was true.
Mok Kyung-un said to him.
[Oh? So you know my words aren't empty.]
[Yeah. Good thing we prepared for contingencies.]
[Pardon?]
Prepared well?
What did that mean?
To the puzzled Mok Kyung-un, he said.
[I didn't think of that exact scenario, but I did prepare for something like this.]
[Prepared how?]
At Mok Kyung-un's question, Mu Jang-yak pulled something from his wrist.
It was a thin needle about the length of a finger joint.
Smaller even than the golden chain embedded in the doors.
[...What's that?]
[Your four captured members—and all our team members—we've stuck these in the pressure points at their waists.]
[......]
[After half a day with this cartilage needle in, their legs go lame for about ten days. Worse cases, two weeks without walking.]
'!?'
Mok Kyung-un's eyes narrowed at his words.
They'd stuck those needles not just in their hostages, but their own members too?
[...How do I know that's true?]
Mu Jang-yak then had Mok Yu-cheon bare his upper body to show his back.
Mok Yu-cheon stripped off his top.
Mu Jang-yak then struck the hidden acupoint on Mok Yu-cheon's back.
-Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Soon after,
-Pop!
A needle popped out from Mok Yu-cheon's back.
Mo Ha-rang clicked his tongue in disbelief at the sight.
Who could've predicted they'd stick cartilage needles in their own team to prepare for this?
Mu Jang-yak smiled slyly at Mok Kyung-un.
[So, what now? Even if you take Yu-cheon with the needle out, without my help, everyone goes lame in half a day. You and your whole team disqualified.]
A mutual destruction safeguard.
And highly effective at that.
Both teams short of eight? Total wipeout.
'......Sharp mind.'
Even Mo Ha-rang was impressed by the clever ploy.
It perfectly read the unpredictable Mok Kyung-un.
This time, even he would have no choice but to accept.
Yet Mok Kyung-un's lips twitched as he muttered.
[This is getting fun.]
She frowned.
He'd basically lost the battle of wits with Mu Jang-yak, and he found this fun?
As she puzzled, Mok Kyung-un said to Mu Jang-yak.
[Tough call.]
[Call to make? No matter what, in this situation...]
[No. Wondering if I should kill you now, or let you live.]