Chapter 207: Iron-Blood Guardian 'Empire' (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 207: Iron-Blood Guardian 'Empire' (1)
"Don't you want to hear it? Where this information came from?"
"Well. Should I be curious?"
Jinhyuk shrugged.
At his nonchalant attitude, Chandra muttered in disbelief.
"The only opportunity to seize the high ground in this war... and you're not curious?"
It wasn't like he was just being needlessly reckless.
With this much bait laid out, it was only normal for him to bite.
No, he was definitely showing interest until just a moment ago.
But at some point, he suddenly shifted his stance.
As if he had completely seen through whatever hidden cards she held.
Where did I make a mistake?
Chandra's mind spun chaotically with countless possibilities.
On the other hand,
"Are you serious? No matter how outstanding your combat abilities are, you can't survive if you turn everyone into your enemy."
Arun growled, his voice low.
Having invested this much time and effort, they couldn't afford to leave empty-handed.
Of course, Jinhyuk was not the type to be swayed by such threats.
"Plenty of people have said things like that to me before."
That I'll regret it.
That I'll pay for this.
That they won't let me off next time.
He had heard it so often that if he compiled all those threat letters into a novel, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms would look like a mere prologue.
"But in the end, the ones who ended up regretting it were always the bastards who said those things."
It didn't matter if the opponent was Murim or Gandhara.
Now that he had identified which family the internal enemy belonged to, he had already squeezed out everything useful from them.
The rest was a realm he could easily cover with his own skill and experience.
"Are you saying you no longer need us?"
"Yes. Of course, I know you went through a lot of trouble coming all this way."
He didn't know how many hours it took to fly here from India, but...
"I think you can just head right back the way you came."
Thank you so much for bringing such highly nutritious information.
Thanks to them, he felt his trip from Europe all the way here was truly worthwhile.
"Well then, I'll take my leave first. Oh! Or, since you're already in Korea, why not do some sightseeing before you go? I recommend taking a stroll around Gyeongbokgung Palace, having a piping hot bowl of sundae-gukbap, and washing it down with some sweet sujeonggwa for dessert."
Leaving the two behind with sour expressions on their faces, Jinhyuk walked right out of the room.
* * *
The Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
The headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Cult, this place was a forbidden area that even the Murim dared not approach lightly.
Naturally, it should have been completely devoid of human presence, but on the narrow path that served as the sole entrance, an old man and a young man were slowly making their way.
"Hmm. It has been a long time since I trod this path. In the past, it reeked so heavily of blood."
The robustly built old man muttered as if reminiscing.
The Heaven-and-Earth Dragon Fist, 'Dark Emperor'.
One of the two Dharma Protectors who were the closest confidants of the Heavenly Demon, he was a master hailed as invincible when it came to fist techniques.
And walking a short distance behind the Dark Emperor was Wolyeong of the Black Wind Society.
"An opportunity to accompany this seat does not come often. Why is your expression so gloomy?"
The Dark Emperor asked without even looking back.
But Wolyeong could not easily answer the question.
He merely remained lost in thought, his face troubled.
"……."
"Haha. That fellow is an imposter who claimed to be my chief disciple. And yet, do you still harbor lingering attachments to him?"
"It's not that..."
Wolyeong's voice trailed off.
Indeed, Jinhyuk was someone who had deceived and misled him.
A traitor who had toyed with the entire Black Wind Society by using the names of the Heavenly Demon Cult and the Dark Emperor.
It was only logical to seek him out and take his life.
But why?
Even though he should have been boiling with rage, those words the man had spoken to him kept echoing in his mind.
["Yeah. As long as I'm standing in front of you, I won't let anyone die."]
A life of being used as a hidden weapon, only to be discarded whenever he was no longer needed.
For the first time, he had believed there was meaning to that life...
He had hoped he was someone he could truly trust and follow...
Wolyeong bit his lip hard.
"While the Supreme One was in secluded meditation, I thought Yang Ho-myung had raised a fairly decent fellow, but to think you would be swayed so easily by personal feelings. This will not do."
The Dark Emperor clicked his tongue.
"...I apologize. I did not mean it that way..."
"Enough. Regardless, this seat must see for himself what kind of fellow managed to completely steal your souls away."
The Heavenly Demon Cult had been in seclusion for so long that they were currently cut off from news of the outside world.
For the sake of the future, it was necessary to grasp the identities of key figures outside.
Especially if it was someone capable of bewitching members of the Black Wind Society, who had been raised under brutal training since the moment they were born.
"Blood Sword."
"You called?"
At the Dark Emperor's call, a new figure suddenly materialized.
As if he had been standing there all along, there was no wasted movement in the masked man's actions.
"Bring Kang Jinhyuk to me. However, do not create any friction with the Empire."
"As you command."
The man called Blood Sword gave a brief bow.
With that,
the Heavenly Demon Cult's first move was decided.
* * *
The 12th floor of the Tower of Trials was a place commonly known as the Ant Nest.
You had to kill countless insect-type monsters underground, and pass through a hellish network of tunnels fifty times the size of Yeouido before the path to the 13th floor would open.
Furthermore, the queen insect and the numerous soldier insects guarding her possessed a level of strength that could only be described as dreadful.
Not only was their vitality incredibly persistent, but due to their nature as a swarm, their numbers were also astronomical.
Hmm. It's been a while since I've been here, too.
Standing before a pit where the edge of the abyss shimmered, Jinhyuk and his companions gathered close.
This was the least popular of the many pathways leading to the 12th floor.
"Master. It looks very deep."
Gnome looked down from the edge of the pit.
He dropped a clump of dirt, but no sound of it hitting the bottom could be heard.
Salamander and Sylphid also widened their eyes, their bodies trembling slightly.
But it was right then.
"But, Master. Didn't you say you had to go to the Empire? Why on earth did we come here?"
Undine, sensing something strange, asked.
Ho.
So there was a quick-witted brat among them.
"I do have to go to the Empire. But there's no need for you guys to tag along."
The complacent idea of hiding in the subspace inventory, giggling, and just hitching a free ride.
That kind of mindset was a toxic thought that ate away at the Tower of Trials.
Everyone had their own duties, and the duty of the spirit beasts was to diligently foster their individual growth using whatever spare time they had.
Only then would they avoid dragging me down and be able to protect themselves from enemies.
"No way..."
Undine's pupils shook wildly.
She instinctively felt she had to run, but it was already too late.
Because Jinhyuk, wearing a strange smile, had already placed his hand on Undine's shoulder.
"By the time we meet again, make sure you've grown at least two stages more than you are now. You know my style, right? I only take the strong with me."
And with that, it was over.
"Kyaaaah!"
"Hieek?!"
"N-Noooo!"
"Ah... what a pain."
One by one, the spirit beasts began falling into the abyss.
Gnome, the last one remaining, grunted as he tried his best to hold on, but...
"Gnome. Holding on will only make it more tiring for you. This is special training all for your own good, so accept it gracefully."
Jinhyuk personally pried Gnome's fingers off one by one.
"Woo-ooh!"
Once Gnome finally fell as well, the surroundings became quite empty.
"Mogi-mogi. Mogi..."
Goguma shook his head as if feeling sorry for them.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
T-Bone also clattered his jaw repeatedly, seemingly feeling pity.
Hmm...
He didn't know why those guys were feeling pity.
And he certainly didn't understand why they were letting out sighs of relief.
Jinhyuk grabbed T-Bone and mounted him onto Goguma's back.
Then, he smiled brightly once more.
"What are you doing? You guys have to follow them, too."
"Mogi?"
Clack?
"Did you really think I'd only send the damage-dealing spirit beasts? You two, Goguma and T-Bone, need to take on the tank position to absorb the hits at the front."
His plan was to have his summons completely clear out the entire 12th floor while he took care of business in the Empire.
Getting on the Hall of Fame and swallowing up all the rewards—it was truly killing two birds with one stone.
Best of all, he loved the fact that someone else would spoon-feed him all of this without him having to lift a single finger.
This had to be why Necromancers and Summoners were so popular.
"Mo-mogi..."
Goguma let out a sorrowful cry like a calf being dragged to the slaughterhouse, but Jinhyuk, having already issued the command, had already torn open the invitation to the Empire.
Vrrrrr!
A bright light burst forth from the ring decorated with a gold dragon and a golden rose.
It was the 'Imperial Ring' he had received from Penheimer.
As a gate with a diameter of two meters formed, Jinhyuk took a deep breath to compose himself.
...There must be no mistakes.
Because sharp, conflicting relationships were so intricately intertwined, a tiny crack could easily lead to the collapse of the entire dam.
If there was any saving grace, it was that he had already figured out who the internal spy was.
By utilizing this variable, he could set up the board to his advantage as much as he wanted.
Step.
As he stepped toward the shimmering surface, his vision was dyed pure white.
* * *
When he opened his eyes again, every single sight before him had completely changed.
However,
"Hmm?"
Jinhyuk tilted his head in confusion.
He knew he had arrived in the Empire, but the location was far too different from what he had expected.
Drip...
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
Damn it. That old geezer Penheimer...
He had merely used the invitation to go there, but Jinhyuk couldn't help but feel his mind go blank.
Because...
the place he was currently standing in was a conference room adorned with an incredibly lavish chandelier and a marble table, and every single person gathered around it was a powerful figure holding the real authority of the Empire.
No, if it had just been that, he wouldn't even be complaining.
At the very head of the table sat a familiar old man wearing a crown.
That man was none other than the ruler of the Empire and the current Emperor, Reinhardt III.
"H-How insolent...!"
"How dare you use teleportation magic in a place like this!"
"Guards!"
The ministers gasped in unison.
No, realistically speaking, isn't it weirder that teleportation magic is even allowed to work in a place like this?
A retort surged up to his throat, but he felt like a sword would fly at him faster than he could speak.
If I'm not careful, I might end up with a bad ending where I get beheaded right at the start.
Jinhyuk glanced around his surroundings.
"……."
Reinhardt III, who was staring at Jinhyuk with a stiff expression, and Penheimer, who stood in a corner of the conference room with an expectant look on his face, crossed paths in his vision.
Don't tell me... he planned this.
A gathering place for the Emperor and the ruling elites.
An internal spy.
The fading imperial authority.
Pieces of information began to piece themselves together.
Only now did he realize why Penheimer had summoned him here—and even what he hoped to achieve through it.
And the moment his thoughts reached that conclusion,
Tring!
A blue status window appeared before Jinhyuk's eyes.