Chapter 219: Blood Sword, Baeksa (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 219: Blood Sword, Baeksa (1)
Shadows trailed him, maintaining a constant distance.
He had been tailed many times before, but he had never encountered pursuers this skilled.
Are they planning to show themselves only after we go deeper into the forest?
Following him could hardly mean they had good intentions.
In that case, whoever they were, he would simply subdue them and uncover their motives.
Jinhyuk whispered to Alice, his lips barely moving.
“You take the three on the left. T-Bone, handle the one up in the trees.”
As for the three on the right, plus the one he hadn't fully pinned down yet...
“I'll handle them.”
This time, he would strike first before the enemy could make their move.
It was a plan that exploited their overconfidence; because they were highly skilled, they would be absolutely certain they hadn't been detected.
His breathing slowed, falling into rhythm with his heartbeat.
A tiny rift tore through the air, and from his subspace inventory, a blue-tinted Fang and a Twin Dragon Sword materialized.
Alice and T-Bone also drew their respective weapons.
“Now!”
At Jinhyuk's signal,
Dash!
Leap!
Thud!
The three of them lunged in different directions.
* * *
Blood Sword, Baeksa.
Known as the shadow of the Dark Emperor, he was the captain of the Shadow Squad, one of the most elite assassin groups within the Heavenly Demon Cult.
When the Dark Emperor first took an interest in a mere Player, Baeksa had scoffed.
How impressive could a Player who had barely entered the Tower be?
Compared to those like themselves, who had dedicated their lives to bone-shattering, flesh-tearing training, Players were nothing but insignificant creatures.
I'll wrap this up quickly, hunt down a few of the Empire's Sword Masters, and warm up a bit.
His body was itching for action after a long period of seclusion.
The Empire's knights, possessing decent skills, were perfect targets to satisfy the Shadow Squad's desire for a good fight.
Filled with such anticipation, he leisurely trailed his target.
Just a bit further ahead, there would be a clearing suitable for deploying their combined attack formation.
He planned to end the mission there in a single, swift strike.
But then...
“...Ugh!”
Suddenly, the target lunged straight toward them.
He was fast.
The opponent had pinpointed their positions perfectly.
“Tch!”
“Counter!”
Baeksa roared instinctively.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Boom!
With a shower of blinding sparks, the shadows in the trees dropped to the ground.
However...
Despite the sudden ambush, not a single one of them was severely injured.
Indeed, their movements were worthy of elite assassins.
Not bad.
Jinhyuk lightly gripped Fang.
He had hoped to take out at least two of them right off the bat, but the opening clash was tougher than expected.
Even Alice hadn't managed to yield any significant results.
He didn't know where they had come from, but they were undoubtedly a group at the absolute pinnacle of the Murim.
Of course, the Shadow Squad was equally bewildered.
“They... noticed us tailing them?” Baeksa muttered in disbelief.
“You guys were practically radiating a foul energy. It would be weirder if I didn't notice.”
“...Impressive. The Empire's fools could only watch blankly while we roamed their capital.”
“That's because you were only dealing with brainless knights and guards. Your stealth is decent, but it's not nearly enough to sneak around the Imperial Palace. Especially the rest of your crew, excluding you.”
“Hoh. You speak as if you are superior to those knights.”
“Well, I'm certainly not below them.”
Jinhyuk shrugged.
Excluding Abraham and a select few, there was no one in the entire Empire who could match him now.
It was the natural result of growing through an incredibly optimized path.
“...He's insane.”
“Captain. What is this punk even talking about?”
“How long has he even held a sword? He thinks he's better than knights who have done nothing but swing swords since childhood?”
At an assertion so absurd, scoffing laughter rippled through the Shadow Squad.
Detecting the tail was impressive, but they figured he simply had a sharp sensory perception.
After all, Players possessed unique abilities and various skills.
He probably just had a slightly superior sensory trait. That was the consensus among them.
But...
To claim that made him superior to the knights—the core military force of the Empire, a massive power in the middle floors—was utter, mind-boggling nonsense.
“To think we came all this way for a brat who spouts such garbage.”
“There's no need for you to step in, Captain. We'll clean this up ourselves.”
“I bet you've only fought half-baked weaklings until now. Today, we'll give you a harsh taste of reality.”
Yet, while everyone else sneered, Baeksa did not laugh.
“...”
He stared directly at Jinhyuk with cold, sunken eyes.
“I see. I wondered why he took an interest in you... and now I know.”
The corners of Baeksa's mouth curled upward.
At the same time, he raised a hand to halt the Shadow Squad lined up beside him.
“Unfortunately, he is not an opponent you can handle.”
“C-Captain? What do you mean by that...?”
“Are you saying we can't even handle a single greenhorn like him?”
Naturally, protests filled with discontent erupted.
They had carried out countless missions together, but Baeksa had never acted like this before.
It was proof of how seriously he was taking this.
“Indeed. You lot handle the little girl and the skeleton. I will take care of him.”
Sring!
Baeksa drew the sword at his waist.
The serrated, crimson blade gleamed with a sharp, deadly aura.
And the moment Jinhyuk saw the character for 'Dark' (暗) engraved on it...
“The Dark Emperor...”
Jinhyuk realized exactly who had sent them.
“So that's what this is.”
Jinhyuk muttered softly, everything finally clicking into place.
He knew they weren't ordinary given their unusual strength, but he hadn't expected them to be sent by him.
To think the Heavenly Demon Cult, which had just ended its seclusion and was preparing to make its grand appearance, would dispatch one of its core forces, the Shadow Squad.
That old man is as consistent as ever.
Jinhyuk thought of the Dark Emperor and chuckled.
Among the countless powerhouses he had met in the Tower of Trials in the past, the Dark Emperor was one of the very few Jinhyuk could talk to openly.
There had been much to learn from him in many ways.
However, Baeksa interpreted that chuckle in a completely different light.
“You dare laugh?”
“Ah, sorry. I just remembered an old acquaintance.”
“You don't seem to realize how grave your situation is. You used his name to gain an advantage over Captain Yang. This is nothing short of a direct challenge to us.”
Crackle!
A crimson energy surged from the tip of Baeksa's sword.
“I promised the Dark Emperor I would bring you back in one piece, but if you resist, I may not be able to hold back.”
A crimson Sword Aura.
Considering that colored Aura was the hallmark of a true powerhouse...
This guy was definitely a monster that couldn't be taken lightly.
He's probably the strongest Murim martial artist I've met so far.
But...
I can use 'color' too.
Jinhyuk gripped Fang in one hand and the Twin Dragon Sword in the other.
[Unique Ability 'Grave of Swords' has been activated!]
Rumble!
A pitch-black Aura erupted from the two blades of different lengths.
If Baeksa's martial arts were rooted in the Dark Emperor, the Grave of Swords was rooted in the soul of the Sword Demon.
The demon who possessed the strongest yet most sinister talent.
An endless abyss of black began to dye the entire forest.
“W-What the hell...!”
“What is that Aura?”
“I-I don't believe it... How can a Player possess such power?”
The Shadow Squad members who were about to engage Alice and T-Bone froze in their tracks.
The suffocating pressure took their breath away.
The chilling, murderous energy washing over their skin sent goosebumps down their spines.
“Bwahahaha! You really are an interesting fellow! I won't be held responsible if you get caught in the crossfire and die, so get as far away as possible and deal with the others!”
Baeksa burst into mad laughter.
And with that...
Boom!
Baeksa's figure vanished.
There wasn't even time to blink.
Closing the distance in a single breath, Baeksa swung his crimson-stained sword diagonally.
Clang!
...It's light.
It wasn't a strike meant to decide the battle, but rather a feint to draw his attention.
Which meant...
Behind me!
Jinhyuk reflexively raised his sword to guard the back of his head.
Crash!
This time, a heavy impact reverberated through him, sending his body hurtling in the opposite direction.
“Your reaction speed is fast, and your Aura is top-tier. Excellent,” Baeksa praised, nodding in admiration.
Jinhyuk, however, curled his lips into a smirk and sneered.
“Well, I'm disappointed. How should I put it? For the captain of the Shadow Squad, your first strike was incredibly bland. I was expecting a fiery, spicy mala tang, but this is like sweet-and-sour pork that's been soggy with sauce for three hours. Can you really call yourself the shadow of the Dark Emperor with that?”
“What did you say...?”
“Don't get so worked up. Watch closely. Let me show you how to use some seasoning.”
Jinhyuk smoothly spun the swords in both hands.
Hummmmm!
Following the trajectory of his blades, a pitch-black crescent moon manifested.
[Black Moon Night has been manifested!]
It was a crescent moon that seemed to swallow even the faintest speck of light.
“Now this is spicy.”
The ominous mass of Aura hurtled straight toward Baeksa.
“Hmph!”
Sensing the extraordinary power packed within the attack, Baeksa's expression grew grim.
Veins bulged on his temples as he met the Black Moon Night head-on.
KABOOM!
The heavens and earth shook with a deafening roar.
The collision of their respective energies caused the ground to crack like a tortoise shell.
It was a clash of cataclysmic proportions.
“Get back!”
“If we get caught in that, we're dead!”
“Further... we need to get much further away!”
The Shadow Squad members, who had been standing some distance away, screamed and fled from the duo's range.
This was far more dangerous than they had anticipated.
Rumble!
Thick dust and smoke billowed from the shattered ground, obscuring their vision.
Right then...
Tap.
A pale palm pressed against Baeksa's sword.
“You said I was pretending to be the Dark Emperor's disciple, right?”
Then...
“How do you explain this?”
“No way...”
It was a fleeting instant, but Jinhyuk felt Baeksa's pupils tremble.
There was no way he wouldn't recognize it.
How could he not?
It was the Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art, the exclusive martial art of the Dark Emperor.
“This is impossible...”
Baeksa's bewilderment quickly warped into sheer horror.
* * *
It's over.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The shockwave traveling through the sword pierced through Baeksa's entire body.
Or so Jinhyuk thought.
The turbulent energy slowly subsided, only for a dense, crimson energy to flood the space in its stead.
“...!”
Something was wrong.
But by the time he realized it, it was already too late.
Slash!
A searing pain shot straight to his brain.
From an angle that should have been physically impossible, something sliced across Jinhyuk's right arm and left thigh.