Chapter 232: Each to Their Own Choice (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 232: Each to Their Own Choice (1)
Crackle!
Light gathered into a single point.
['Ashleyan's Holy Spear' has been activated!]
By the time the layered mana fused into one, the arrow had already transcended the form of a mere arrow.
The windows shattered completely...
Kabaaaam!
A straight beam of light struck the Flame Skeleton's skull with pinpoint accuracy.
The shockwave whipped up a violent gale.
Rumble!
The ground was shredded like a rag, and the torn clouds scattered in ripples across the sky.
It was a strike of absurd power, far too devastating to be called a single arrow.
However.
"Grrr..."
Even after taking a direct hit, not a single crack appeared on its bones.
It's disgustingly sturdy.
Even if the opponent had been Ograkun, whom he had fought before, taking a direct hit from 'Ashleyan's Holy Spear'—forged from three combined skills—would have left them in ruins.
Although it had the drawback of a long casting time... this was a skill capable of rendering even most giants or large species combat-incapable in a single blow.
Yet, the bloodline of a high-ranking demon was on an entirely different level.
This won't cut it.
Even if he channeled more mana, this kind of attack wouldn't inflict a fatal wound. No matter how many times he repeated it, the result would be the same.
It was then.
Whoosh!
A massive arm tore through the outer wall of the fortress in an instant.
Most of them dodged the attack nimbly, but one person failed. The weakest of the Murim martial artists was caught in that hand.
"Aaargh!"
There was no way anyone could withstand a calamity fire that easily exceeded 1,000 degrees Celsius. Before his scream could even echo, his entire body was engulfed in flames and turned to ash.
An overwhelming firepower that made even protective Qi useless. Getting caught even once meant instant death.
And yet.
"Dispose of that monster before those Empire bastards do!"
"Show those Murim rabble the majesty of the Empire!"
Suddenly, the knights and the Murimins on both sides ordered an attack simultaneously.
To think they'd still charge in after seeing that, no matter how stupid they were. This was refreshing, in a different way.
Just as Jinhyuk was about to click his tongue in disbelief, something caught his eye.
...Oh? What's that?
A Titan. No, it wasn't an ordinary Titan.
Modeled after a sleek leopard, this Titan was a model the Empire had never showcased before.
Baek Seol-rin had also drawn a sword with a completely white blade and hilt. The sacred relic, forged from Myriad Year Cold Iron, was radiating streams of freezing cold.
I guess they aren't all complete fools.
While not quite on equal footing, they were capable of creating variables in their own right. It seemed these massive factions did have a few hidden trump cards up their sleeves.
And watching them...
...This might actually work.
An interesting idea popped into his head. Perhaps the Demonic Humans targeting this place could actually be turned into a massive advantage.
Let's see... what was that recipe again? It had been so long since he last crafted it that his memory was a bit hazy.
After a moment of contemplation, Jinhyuk nodded slightly.
[The Coin Exchange is opening.]
The Coin Shop, a treasure trove of all things. Jinhyuk compiled a shopping list of items to purchase from the countless listings.
[Sokeon Sewer Rat's Foreleg × 1: 500 Coins]
[13th Floor 'Fog Mountains' Water Vapor (1 Pack): 1,250 Coins]
[Ghoul King's Blood 5ml: 30,000 Coins]
[Grudge of the Condemned: 750 Coins]
The items he just bought shared one common trait: they amplified the demonic energy within one's body. In particular, using these four items simultaneously had the unique effect of temporarily doubling the user's demonic energy.
Of course, this wasn't the end.
Jinhyuk gathered black mana at his fingertips.
[Unique Ability 'Blood Demon Qi' has been activated.]
A sticky, ominous dark-attribute energy. To demons, this concentrated mana was both highly provocative and mouth-watering.
Surge!
A black, burning mist continuously billowed out.
With this, I won't lose even to a high-ranking necromancer's demonic energy.
This preparation wasn't for combat, but purely to make his presence known. And that mana... was more than enough to attract the attention of other entities lurking beneath the ground.
"Kieee..."
"Keeek!"
The massive fissure created when the Flame Skeleton's upper body burst through the ground. Countless magic beasts in the Demon World reacted to the sweet mana wafting from the outside.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Along with the sound of something scaling the walls.
"Kill... kill... kill!"
"Sweet flesh. Blood. Hehe. Want... to eat!"
"Hehehe!"
Monsters unimaginable in this world began to crawl out.
The first to appear was a bizarre magic beast with smooth skin, devoid of eyes, nose, or mouth, and with scythes instead of hands. Following it, a female-type magic beast with a torn mouth dragged an axe larger than her own body.
Others included a beast that looked like a half-spider, half-human hybrid, and another with a mouth full of sharp teeth stretching across its belly.
Every single one of them possessed a hideous appearance. Needless to say, their demonic energy was even more formidable than their looks.
"W-What kind of lunatic uses dark-attribute abilities instead of countering with opposing attributes?"
"Do they not even know the basic common sense that demonic energy attracts them?"
"Damn it! They keep coming out. If we stay here, we're all dead meat!"
Dealing with just the Flame Skeleton was already a headache, so the sudden influx of these troublesome beasts naturally threw them into a panic.
The Empire's knights barely managed to hold their ground, using their Titans to form a defensive square. The Murimins split into groups of about fifteen to wage intercepting battles.
Naturally, they didn't forget to curse the bastard who was releasing the demonic energy.
Whether they did or not, Jinhyuk continued to flare his Blood Demon Qi to summon an even stronger beast.
Not this one. Hmm, that one isn't bad... but it's still a bit lacking.
By nature, magic beasts were highly sensitive to territory. If this were the Demon World instead of the mortal realm, they would have immediately torn each other to shreds.
However, since prey was abundant here, they didn't go so far as to fight their own kind to the death.
Right. That's the common sense.
But there was exactly one exception. When there was a prey so irresistibly delicious that it transcended ordinary food. In that case, even in the mortal realm, they would turn on each other.
In fact, several magic beasts drawn by the Blood Demon Qi had already lunged at the Flame Skeleton, only to be crushed.
My job is to keep throwing out bait until something capable of taking on that bonehead shows up.
There was no need to worry about the small fry piling up. The Empire and the Murim would hold them off somehow anyway.
And if he swept up all the weakened survivors at the very end...
With all the experience points and items... it's practically a treasure trove lying right at my feet.
He had thought his inauguration party as the Lord of the Castle was completely ruined. He had almost failed to recognize a hunting ground flowing with milk and honey.
Above all, if he could obtain 'that' from the Flame Skeleton, it would be absolutely perfect.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Driven by anticipation, Jinhyuk's heart began to beat rapidly.
* * *
Hummmm!
Blue Aura surged along the blade. Namgung Cheon unleashed a technique passed down directly from the Namgung Clan.
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
The Swift Sword.
His swift, razor-sharp sword slashed repeatedly across the body of a magic beast wearing a spiked iron helmet.
"Ruaaaargh!"
Its hide was so tough that he couldn't sever its bones, but it was more than enough to throw the beast off balance. As the beast fell to one knee, the remaining Murimins waiting in ambush swarmed it like hornets.
The neck, the belly, the heart. They stabbed relentlessly at anything that looked like a weak point.
"Keeeeegh... cough! Kegh!"
With fifteen people piling on, they barely managed to take down a single beast. But before they could even breathe a sigh of relief,
Squelch!
"Huh... aaah?"
The body of the man on the far flank folded in half. Something translucent pierced through his waist and slowly lifted him into the air.
"Aaaaagh!"
"Th-There's something next to us!"
"What do you mean there's something? I don't see anything!"
"It's an invisible bastard! Don't panic, track it with your Qi-sensing! Don't try to see it with your eyes, feel its Qi!"
No matter how grueling their training had been... their edges were bound to dull when faced with an unprecedented phenomenon. Peak-level masters and first-class martial artists, whom each sect had poured their souls into raising, lost their lives in vain.
"Damn it!"
Namgung Cheon spat out a curse.
The casualties were spiraling out of control. No matter if Baek Seol-rin had brought a treasured sword made of Myriad Year Cold Iron, it meant nothing against such overwhelming numbers.
At this rate, everyone would die a dog's death here.
Right then, someone caught Namgung Cheon's eye. The figure of his sworn enemy, standing quietly by the window high above.
Could it be...
Sensing the emanating demonic energy, Namgung Cheon's face twisted into a grimace.
There was no mistake. The one continuously summoning the magic beasts from the fissure was none other than that bastard.
I don't know what you're plotting, but you've walked right into my hands.
If he could take advantage of this chaos to kill Jinhyuk, the Lord of the Castle, there would be no reason to bow and scrape before him anymore. In fact, now that everyone's attention and forces were divided, this might be the perfect opportunity.
Having made his decision, Namgung Cheon vanished like the wind.
Tap!
Lightly.
Dash!
And swiftly.
Closing the distance in an instant, Namgung Cheon swung his sword at Jinhyuk.
Or rather, he tried to.
The moment his sword slashed horizontally, someone intervened like lightning.
Clang!
A sharp metallic screech rang out, and sparks from the clashing blades bloomed in the air.
"You...!"
Namgung Cheon's eyes narrowed.
Blocking his path was the man who had constantly remained by Jinhyuk's side inside the fortress. It was Wolyeong.
"Absurd. Judging by the form of your Sword Qi and your stance, you are a Murimin, not a Player."
"I am."
"Then why are you standing on his side? Do you intend to betray the Murim?"
Betrayal...
At Namgung Cheon's words, Wolyeong let out a self-deprecating laugh. It was a laugh that seemed to reproach himself.
"Yes. I did betray."
The only person who had treated him with warmth—him, who had been raised his entire life as a soulless hidden weapon. The person who had promised never to abandon a single one of them, even though it was only natural for tools like them to be discarded at any moment.
He had betrayed such a man.
And yet, even after his betrayal was revealed, he did not blame him. He didn't ask for reasons, nor did he demand excuses. He had simply smiled and welcomed him back, just as he always did.
A dazzling brilliance enveloped Wolyeong's sword.
Crackle!
A light more intense than ever before began to blaze along the blade.
"My name is Wolyeong."
Hidden by the bright moon, one whose existence is permitted only in the shadows.
"I am the shadow that serves my Lord."
He had already made one mistake. And never again...
[Unique Ability 'Shadow Extreme Kill' is manifested.]
...would he repeat the same mistake.
"No one shall pass beyond this point."
The shadow bloomed completely.