Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Suicide Squad (6)
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The once-sacred Mount Diancang now seethed with killing intent and demonic energy.
This was due to the mountain of corpses belonging to the Ten Demon Alliance.
“Ugh…”
Adept Inhyeon let out a low groan as he took in the horrific sight of wild beasts feasting on the bodies.
By rights, the bodies should have been collected and burned, but this was a time of war.
There was no time for such things.
Standing behind Adept Inhyeon, I called out to him softly.
“Hall Master.”
“It is fine. The Primordial Lord of Heaven will surely understand.”
“…”
Adept Inhyeon forced a smile and said.
“Let us go up.”
“Yes.”
A short while later.
The returned defenders left only a small watch and immediately fell asleep.
It seemed the fierce battle had left them utterly exhausted.
I sat atop the roof of the branch headquarters, looking down at Mount Diancang.
*Whoosh.*
As I gazed upon the pitch-black darkness that had descended, a sense of anxiety about the coming battles washed over me.
We won today.
But there was no guarantee we would win tomorrow.
The Ten Demon Alliance probably hadn't used their full strength in today's battle.
Among the alliance members who attacked today, it was hard to find any true masters, aside from those who appeared at the very end.
Moreover, not a single supreme master had participated, save for the old man from the Blood Sect.
Even so, it hadn't been an easy fight. It was clear that if their masters joined in, it would be even tougher than today.
I felt a sense of hopelessness, but not fear.
It was still manageable.
After all, we had the great Bukgung Baek.
Just as I was about to clasp my hands together and pray for victory toward the pavilion where he was staying,
my eyes caught sight of a large cave at the very bottom of the branch headquarters.
I stared at the cave for a moment before leaping down from the roof.
The next day.
The officers of the defense force gathered to discuss future plans.
Gone was the stubbornness from the first day, where they had only insisted on their own opinions. Now, they were sipping tea and chatting amiably.
When I entered, all eyes turned to me.
“Well, why is everyone looking at me like that?”
“Ahem, it’s nothing. It’s just…”
“My friend, why be so shy! Just say thank you.”
“Hah! Spoken like a true member of the Gray Dragon Hall, so uncouth. Gratitude must be expressed with more delicacy and propriety.”
“What kind of damn nonsense is that…”
The old masters from the Silver Dragon and Gray Dragon Halls, who had been bantering, approached me.
*Thwip.*
They gave me a cupped fist salute and bowed their heads.
“Thank you. Because of you, our disciples were able to survive.”
“Thank you. I won’t forget this debt. I’ll take you somewhere nice as soon as we return to the fortress.”
I wanted to ask immediately what kind of 'nice place' he meant, but I missed my chance.
As soon as the two finished speaking, the others who had been watching did the same.
*Thwip.*
The twelve old masters all bowed their heads in unison.
Feeling awkward, I couldn't help but clear my throat.
“Ahem, you don’t have to go this far…”
“The young disciples are the future of our sects. Thanks to you, many of them lived. You deserve this greeting.”
Adept Inhyeon, who had approached without me noticing, said.
Taking his advice, I turned to everyone and said.
“If you’re really that grateful, you could always express it with some hefty silver…”
*Thwack!*
“Ouch! Hey, why’d you hit me?!”
“Hmph! Comparing a warrior’s pride to mere silver! You deserved that.”
Adept Inhyeon’s sudden action made everyone burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, please stop. Isn’t it obvious he was just trying to lighten the stiff atmosphere?”
“That’s right. To humble himself so we wouldn’t feel awkward—what an upright young man! Am I not right?”
“Indeed. I had heard there was a hidden dragon in the Outer Hall, and seeing him in person, the rumors don’t do him justice.”
“Lord Bukgung is truly blessed. To have such talent walk right up to him.”
Hahahaha!
Everyone burst into laughter once more.
Listening to them made my hands and feet curl with cringe. I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.
Well, to be honest, I didn't entirely hate it.
After quite some time, the meeting finally began.
Everyone looked at me as if expecting some divine strategy, but.
“We have no choice but to hold out.”
Even I didn't have a brilliant solution.
Our great victory on the first day was only possible because the enemy hadn't grasped our strength or the terrain of Mount Diancang.
Unless their leaders are complete idiots, they'll send their masters up the mountain first from now on, so we can't use the same tactics.
Furthermore.
“We need to make our current supplies last as long as possible, which means from now on, we fight purely with our bodies. Our weapons are also limited, so we must use them sparingly.”
We had to conserve supplies until the next shipment, so we couldn't use poison or traps either.
In other words, we had to meet their strength with our own.
Despite hearing this bad news, no one gathered in the room showed a hint of fear.
Instead, they simply looked at me with eyes full of trust.
“…Does everyone understand what I’m saying?”
The old master from the Gray Dragon Hall answered my question.
“Doesn’t it just mean we have to kill every last one of those demonic bastards at the foot of the mountain?”
“Well, you’re not wrong, but…”
“Why should we be afraid of dealing with a bunch of demonic fiends? Am I right?”
Everyone in the room raised the corners of their mouths. It was a smile full of confidence.
It was then that I realized I had overlooked one thing.
‘Right…’
That these men were members of prestigious sects with deep histories.
They wake before sunrise to cultivate their inner arts.
When the sun rises, they train their bodies without rest.
And when the sun sets, they look inward and refine their martial arts.
The weight of a lifetime spent honing their martial prowess would be like that of a great mountain.
This was the true power of the great, prestigious sects.
“Very well. Then let’s discuss our strategy from this point forward.”
All eyes turned to me.
* * *
The plan was simple.
We would defend the mountainside as thoroughly as yesterday, but also prepare for enemies climbing up the flanks, not just the path.
However.
“Didn’t you say we can’t let ourselves be surrounded?”
“Yes, we absolutely cannot be surrounded, at least not until we’ve received two supply shipments.”
If we were surrounded and unable to receive supplies from the main fortress, the situation would become critical.
“Hmm, we can fight for about seven days and nights without eating, but…”
After all, even a master can't fight while starving.
“That’s out of the question. A day or two might be manageable, but starving for that long would cause us to lose even a winnable fight.”
As soon as I finished speaking, I looked at Adept Inhyeon.
He nodded with his characteristic benevolent smile.
It was his signal that he would take over the explanation.
“Behind this branch, down the cliff, there is a small, hidden grotto. It is where the founder of the Diancang Sect ascended to immortality.”
Adept Inhyeon looked around at everyone and continued.
“If you break down the innermost wall of that place, there is a passage that connects to the outside.”
“Adept!”
The old master from the Blue Dragon Hall shot up in surprise.
The others reacted the same way.
It was no wonder they were shocked. An ancestral shrine of a major sect was treated as a sanctuary, and he was suggesting they destroy it.
“You would desecrate the ancestral shrine! We would rather starve and fight.”
However, when I had discussed this with Adept Inhyeon privately the day before, he hadn't been concerned at all.
‘The lives of the living are more important. What does a mere cave matter? The founder himself would approve.’
‘True, what would a dead person know…’
*Smack!*
‘Ouch!’
‘This rascal, honestly!’
In fact, he had been the one to reveal the grotto's existence and encourage its use.
Sensing Adept Inhyeon's sincerity, everyone let out a low groan and nodded with grim determination.
Adept Inhyeon turned to Jeok Il with his signature benevolent smile.
“I would like the Red Dragon Hall to take charge of opening the path…”
Jeok Il quickly stood and offered a cupped fist salute.
“We will accomplish it without the slightest error.”
“Thank you.”
Even with a secret passage, breaking through the enemies swarming the area would be no easy task.
It was a job impossible for anyone but the Red Dragon Hall, which boasted the most clandestine movement techniques in the world.
With remaining food supplies beginning to run low, this was, in a way, the most critical mission.
‘Two days…’
That was how long we would have to fight while enduring hunger.
And so, the day of the second battle dawned.
* * *
“Hup!”
*Pang!*
The War King's Thirteen Strikes, unleashed in an instant, exploded against the enemy.
*BOOM!*
It created a fountain of blood.
“Die, you bastard!”
With a sharp cry, I unleashed a kicking technique at the neck of the man next to him.
*Thud.*
“Kuh.”
The man blocked the attack with his thick arm.
The enemies' martial prowess was completely different from yesterday.
I could feel it in my bones that there were certainly more masters among them.
I quickly retracted my leg and simultaneously struck out with the Explosive Death Force.
*Krumble. KWANG!*
With an explosion like a grenade, the man’s body burst apart from the core.
It was the light version of the Explosive Death Force.
I hadn't used it in a while, but its power was still immense, which was quite satisfying.
But there was no time to revel in such sentiments.
“Tsk!”
Even now, attacks were pouring in from all directions.
“Hup!”
The moment I resolved myself, the War Dragon Ki automatically burst forth, devouring all the attacks aimed at me.
And that wasn't all.
*Pzzzzzt.*
The War Dragon Ki erupted, tearing the bodies of the nearby enemies to shreds.
“He’s a master!”
“Can’t you tell just by looking?”
The faces of the Ten Demon Alliance members turned white with fear as they backed away.
I threw myself toward them.
Extreme close-quarters combat.
The range where the War King Arts were most devastating.
“Eek!”
An enemy desperately thrust out a palm strike.
It was enveloped in a black aura, clearly an attack imbued with considerable internal energy, but.
*Thwump.*
it was blocked by the Dragon Scale Armor and bounced off harmlessly, failing to inflict any damage on me.
With a heart full of gratitude for Lee Jeok-sang, who gave me this rare item, I executed the Three Yang Hand.
*Crack!*
As I snapped the man’s neck, the others hastily created distance.
Of course.
*Smirk.*
A war is not fought alone.
*Shwick! Shwick!*
Heads fell to Wi Ji-pung's sword as he swept through the battlefield like a gale.
I couldn't help but admire his movements, which were like those of a swallow.
‘But why does he look like that?’
Just as I was about to catch my breath, I noticed Wi Ji-pung’s urgent expression.
It seemed something had happened.
I immediately used the Flying Heavenly Wind to follow him.
Sure enough.
“Can’t you stop!”
Before long, I saw the young disciples of the Black Dragon Hall driven into a corner.
Most of them were instructors at the Black Dragon Martial Academy.
Which meant they were my employees.
*Thoom.*
I instantly used the War King Step to close in on the enemies targeting them.
“What!”
The terrified enemies hurriedly turned their heads. Or rather, they tried to.
“How dare you.”
"Lay a hand on my employees?"
*Screeech!*
I slashed my hand through the air, sending the Ultimate Death Force at them.
Even a quick glance told me they were formidable foes, but caught in the surprise attack, they couldn't even resist as their bodies were split apart.
“Phew.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The part-time instructors from the Black Dragon Martial Academy expressed their thanks.
“From now on, call me ‘Investor.’”
“Huh?”
With immense charisma, I left them behind and charged forward.
I could see enemies stealthily crawling up at the far end of the left sector I was in charge of.
I quickly moved and, without breaking stride, delivered a soccer kick.
*Splat!*
About fifteen minutes passed as I dealt with the enemies climbing up.
Feeling that the battle situation had stabilized somewhat, I scanned my surroundings.
‘The front line is fine. The flanks are also holding well. The problem is…’
"Stamina."
No matter how skilled, a master can't fight all day without rest.
‘It’s time for a big one.’
I needed to break the enemy's morale with an unimaginable attack.
I filled my voice with internal energy and called out to Dan Un.
We had arranged this the day before, just for a moment like this.
“Brother Daaan!”
Dan Un soared high into the sky.
Blue Cloud Red River Sword.
He was about to unleash the divine ultimate art said to have the power to shatter mountains.
And it was filled with the Aura, the symbol of a supreme master!
*Fwhoooosh!*
A surging blue Aura, like a cloud, blotted out the sun.
As a shadow suddenly fell over them, the eyes of the Ten Demon Alliance members turned to the sky.
And then.
*KWAAAAAAANG!*
A massive explosion, like an ICBM detonating, rang out, and the Ten Demon Alliance members gathered at the front were annihilated.
Their blood flowed down, forming a red river.
‘Is that a Spirit Bomb?’
To think that the wish of a man who can unleash an attack like that is to have a life-or-death duel with me.
The mere thought was dizzying.
Regardless of my inner thoughts, the enemies, hit by the devastating area-of-effect attack, fell into chaos.
And for our side, it was an opportunity we couldn't afford to miss.
“Prepare to charge!”
At my cry, the middle-aged saber-wielders who were already prepared fell in right behind me.
They were the Iron Breaker Brigade, the elite fighting force of the Gray Dragon Hall.
*Huff. Huff.*
I could feel the heat radiating from their excited forms behind me.
It seemed they had been itching for a fight while they waited.
“Let’s go!”
At my shout, they all charged forward.
*Shwick! CRACK!*
The Mountain-Shattering Sabers of the Iron Breaker Brigade began to cleave through the enemies' bodies like stalks of sorghum.
The back muscles they had developed in the mines bulged through their clothes, forming the shape of a demon.
“Move, move, move!”
Perhaps it looked like the face of a grim reaper, as the enemies began to retreat, their faces filled with dread.
Riding that momentum, we pressed the enemies even more fiercely.
‘I can see the end!’
Soon after, all the warriors of the Nine Dragons Fortress who had been waiting in reserve charged, bringing the second battle to a close.
“Ugh, I’m hungry.”