Chapter 362
Chapter 362
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 362
Chapter Title: Wolf Among the Sheep
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For a brief moment, when Uncheon-geuk stepped in front of Soo-hyuk, the warriors who had been facing him felt a spark of hope.
Yes, if it was Uncheon-geuk.
The man who had elevated Shinryeon-seong to the pinnacle of the Murim world—he would surely be able to stand against Lee Soo-hyuk.
But then.
'He... broke the sword?'
'With his bare hands?'
Even making a hundred concessions, they could understand a sword shattering. In battles between swordsmen, blades broke now and then.
But how could anyone comprehend snapping a sword wreathed in sword aura with bare hands? And not just any sword, but Uncheon-geuk's, no less.
Uncheon-geuk himself was equally stunned.
Soo-hyuk could have shattered the sword and slit his throat right then, but he held back.
Uncheon-geuk knew exactly who Soo-hyuk was referring to.
Standing in front of the guest hall, Unhyang was watching alongside Ye-ryeong.
After breaking the sword, Soo-hyuk moved on to his next opponent. The advance that Uncheon-geuk had momentarily halted resumed, as he turned into a wolf rampaging through a flock of sheep.
Buuuung—.
A massive execution blade cleaved toward Soo-hyuk's body, aiming to bisect him. He countered the cloud-slicing stroke with a bolt of lightning, then charged forward with all his might.
Creeeack—!
The warrior hiding behind the execution blade was sliced clean through along with it. Dozens of daggers then flew at him from all directions.
Katssshhh—.
Craaaang—!
Scraping the ground with his foot, lightning surged upward. The rising electricity formed armor around Soo-hyuk's body, deflecting the daggers.
Soo-hyuk didn't ignore the daggers scattered on the ground. Sliding across the floor, he scooped them up in one hand and infused them with lightning.
Five daggers launched from his hand.
Puh-puh-puhk—.
The five daggers shot from his fingertips like lightning bolts. Each found its original owner, claiming their lives.
It was movement straight out of divine possession. Not only fast, but utterly without hesitation.
As if he had repeated this battle dozens of times already today.
The warriors aligned with Namgung Hwa-young didn't dare step forward to assist Soo-hyuk.
They couldn't even dream of helping him. What if they got in the way? What if they got caught in that merciless retribution and died?
Soo-hyuk's fighting style instilled that very fear.
Unhyang was just as shocked. Watching his battle, she momentarily lost herself.
"Soo-hyuk... I've never seen him fight like that."
She had thought he fought with overwhelming firepower using lightning. That he'd sweep them all away in one go.
"Against that many warriors, a firepower slugfest is a losing battle. No matter how strong one person's mana and power, how do you handle a hundred clan heads, elders, and squad leaders?"
Unhyang imagined it. If she were Soo-hyuk, how would she handle this fight?
If she relied solely on firepower? If she didn't slip through the gaps and just bulldozed with brute force?
It would feel like facing a monster with hundreds of eyes and arms. But Soo-hyuk's style reduced them each to single humans.
"That's what's most amazing about Soo-hyuk. No matter the situation, he finds the optimal path and executes it."
Blue Eyes members each had their specialties.
Ye-ryeong for assassinations. Si-woo for firepower against groups. Su-hun for defense. Hyeo-min or Ji-young for support...
They had their domains, and ways of fighting tailored to them.
But Soo-hyuk had no such limits.
He always adapted his combat style to his goals and the situation.
And right now.
"Right now, Soo-hyuk is focused solely on killing them all."
He intended to wipe out everyone here without exception.
Flash!
Another burst of light erupted.
The walls crumbled, and a swung sword beam split the guest hall.
The Murim Alliance turned into a hellscape in an instant. Not just the nearby guest hall—the far end of the Alliance Lord's palace was sliced off too.
Clouds split, thunder roared in the ears. Sword and blade auras tore the earth, while fist experts' blows clashed against thunder.
Swish—.
Uncheon-geuk picked up a sword from the ground. Quality blades used by fallen Murim Alliance warriors littered the area.
Gripping the scavenged sword, Uncheon-geuk gathered his energy once more.
"Not your share?"
Crack—his pride cracked. If it had shattered completely, he might not feel this way.
This utter dismissal was a first in his life. Better if his head had been severed.
Fwoooosh—.
Sword aura flared from the randomly picked sword like sprouting flames.
At the same time, Uncheon-geuk's body surged toward Soo-hyuk. His speed faster than before, his momentum even fiercer.
Just as Uncheon-geuk's sword was about to cleave Soo-hyuk, his blade moved like lightning.
Craaaang—!
Their swords clashed again. As if anticipating the block, Uncheon-geuk unleashed a flurry of follow-up strikes.
The Red Wolf's talons split into three, targeting Soo-hyuk's head, waist, and legs simultaneously. Thud-thud-thud—Soo-hyuk's sword deflected the claws from every direction.
Uncheon-geuk didn't halt his forms.
Red Night Full Blood.
Dozens of red lines engulfed Soo-hyuk's body. Judging them impossible to dodge entirely, Soo-hyuk's sword flashed with pure white light.
Groooar—!
Clang—!
Soo-hyuk's sword scattered the dozens of lines like threads, then clashed with Uncheon-geuk's.
Uncheon-geuk's sword didn't break. His sword aura burned far more intensely than before, the red so deep it bordered on black.
The razor-sharp aura emanating from it was ominous. As if challenging: try grabbing this one too.
As the two conversed through swords.
Screeeee—.
A sword-red blade aura shot like lightning toward Uncheon-geuk's neck.
Kaang—Uncheon-geuk hastily twisted the sword clashing with Soo-hyuk to block it.
Soo-hyuk could have gone for the exposed throat but refrained.
Now, it was time to leave him to someone else.
Craaaang—!
"......!"
Sword auras of the same hue collided, sweeping the surroundings. Claw marks like those of a massive beast scarred the area around the impact.
Unhyang, who had flown in like a bee and swung her sword, landed lightly. Her robes fluttered.
"I warned you. Leave if you don't want to die."
"To think we'd meet again like this."
Uncheon-geuk spoke like a tragic father-daughter reunion, but his expression said otherwise.
The two glared, swords pointed at each other. After decades, they had taken the stage to kill one another.
And then.
Paat—.
Jin Do-ha, spotting an opening, leaped over the wall with a few warriors.
"Jin Do-ha is fleeing?"
Namgung Hwa-young, who had been dazed watching the fight, was startled. She never imagined Jin Do-ha would choose flight over battle.
For a man as prideful as his skill, to run.
It meant the tide had turned badly. Nearly half his warriors here were already dead or incapacitated by Soo-hyuk's hand.
Soo-hyuk, who had been tracking Jin Do-ha's movements throughout, halted his rampage for the first time since the fight began.
"Hey!"
And Ye-ryeong's shout upon seeing it.
"What are you doing? Go catch him."
Gripping daggers in both hands, Ye-ryeong strode forward. She'd left it to Soo-hyuk until now, but with things like this, the pursuit was hers.
Soo-hyuk nodded. If he didn't go, Ye-ryeong would chase Jin Do-ha herself.
That thought erased his hesitation. Soo-hyuk turned to vault the wall.
That instant.
"Block him!"
"He's not getting past!"
A few who noticed Soo-hyuk pursuing Jin Do-ha blocked his path. They believed as long as Jin Do-ha lived, there was hope for the future.
But.
Shiiiik—.
Puh-buh-buk—.
Daggers grazed Soo-hyuk's face and embedded in their bodies from behind.
With hearts and lungs pierced, they collapsed without a scream. Silent assassination worked even in this chaotic battlefield.
Ye-ryeong's daggers flew unerringly at any who blocked the way. Soo-hyuk vaulted the wall unimpeded and gave chase to Jin Do-ha.
In the center of the battlefield now empty of Soo-hyuk.
"Subdue all who refuse to kneel! Kill if necessary!"
Cha-ang, clang—.
At Namgung Hwa-young's command, Murim Alliance warriors drew their weapons. Soo-hyuk had already subdued half, and they had Kim Ye-ryeong and the Alliance Lord.
The true internal struggle within the Murim Alliance began.
Namgung Ga-hwi, flying alongside Jin Do-ha using lightness skill, glanced back. Two more warriors followed behind him.
Seo Geum-ryong of the Golden Dragon Clan and Baek Hwa-kyung of the Spear Immortal Sect. If Namgung Ga-hwi and Uncheon-geuk were Jin Do-ha's right and left arms, these two were like wings or legs.
'Only these guys left.'
Grit—Namgung Ga-hwi ground his teeth. He'd heard Jin Do-ha's transmission and seized the chance to leap the Alliance wall, but only four in total.
'Unexpected, though.'
Namgung Ga-hwi looked ahead at Jin Do-ha leading the flight.
'For this man to run, of all things.'
He was probably the one who'd been by Jin Do-ha's side the longest. In all that time, Jin Do-ha had failed at only two things.
One: severing the Heavenly Demon's neck. Two: defeating the 9th floor guardian.
Aside from those near-impossible feats, Jin Do-ha had no failures. Strengthening the Murim world this much was his achievement.
A man whose sky-splitting, iron-blooded momentum fit the title of War God perfectly.
So Namgung Ga-hwi had thought defeat might visit his life, but never flight.
'Well.'
Namgung Ga-hwi's brow furrowed.
'......With an opponent like that monster.'
He'd heard from Jin Do-ha beforehand. That the streamer Lee Soo-hyuk was the real deal.
He hadn't muddled it with "maybe." He'd outright stated they were the same person.
Of course, Namgung Ga-hwi hadn't believed it. Hadn't he been there when Lee Soo-hyuk died? He figured it was just emphasis on a dangerous foe.
'It was true.'
Not foolish enough to deny even after seeing it, especially with the old Blue Eyes members united, Jin Do-ha's acknowledgment, and that skill. How could he?
How the dead returned was secondary. Namgung Ga-hwi kept stealing glances at Jin Do-ha's back.
'What now?'
As if sensing the gaze.
Jin Do-ha, leading the run, halted in the middle of a forest.
Namgung Ga-hwi, Seo Geum-ryong, and Baek Hwa-kyung following him stopped too. They wondered why.
"What's wrong?"
At Seo Geum-ryong's question, Jin Do-ha gazed beyond the shadowed woods.
"You're already here."
Dark clouds pursued the three. Beneath the forest shadows, two eyes gleamed.
Soo-hyuk had overtaken them unnoticed and was waiting.