Chapter 277: Heavenly Demon Cult (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 277: Heavenly Demon Cult (3)
Boom!
Though he appeared agitated, his timing and speed in closing the distance were surprisingly cold and calculated.
...He's fast!
Jinhyuk dodged the attack by a hair's breadth.
Once. Then twice.
The daggers grazed his hair.
Whoosh!
This time, the dagger seemed to draw a half-circle before abruptly changing direction to aim for his thigh.
Rather than trying to land a fatal blow, it was a movement designed to score a hit at all costs.
'Poison...'
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
Looking closely, a faint, translucent liquid coated the pair of daggers.
As expected of Dokgoryong's disciple, his specialty seemed to be poison.
"You dodge well, like a slippery eel. Then how about this?"
[Paegak activates 'Shellfish Poison Mist'!]
It was then that a green-tinted cloud materialized.
Paegak's figure instantly blurred.
Whoosh!
Seizing the moment, a dagger slashed horizontally.
"...!"
He dodged the attack along its trajectory again, but his timing was off by about 0.1 seconds compared to before.
It was a close call.
Jinhyuk leaped back to widen the distance.
'Is it a sensory-type poison?'
Since it was dispersed in molecular form, its potency would be reduced, but...
...prolonged exposure would prove fatal to the outcome of the battle.
"Heheh. It's called Cinnamic Acid Poison. When mixed with shellfish poison, it disrupts the circulation of qi and penetrates the dantian, making it quite effective against peak-level masters. Ah, but don't worry too much. I have the antidote, so you don't have to worry about dying."
"That's very reassuring to hear, senior."
Jinhyuk took his stance.
If he went easy here, it would only give them another opening to probe him.
Therefore, he had to crush him completely.
Because demonstrating an overwhelming gap in power was the most certain way to gain recognition in the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Dokgoryong, Paegak, and Ja So-hee...
The roles, the situation, their respective martial arts, and the appropriate countermeasures all came together in his mind.
Good.
Jinhyuk licked his lips.
A plan was formed on how to set up the most perfect stage.
Right then.
Paegak slipped behind Jinhyuk.
A flurry of attacks followed, designed to lure him to a specific spot.
However.
Slash!
Surprisingly, Jinhyuk was hit by the very first strike.
A thin spray of blood splattered onto the floor.
"This is... too anticlimactic. Is someone who gets hit by a basic strike like this really the disciple of the Right Dharma Protector?"
The Cinnamic Acid Poison and shellfish poison on the blade seeped into the wound.
With this, the battle was decided.
Or so he thought.
"H-how... how are you perfectly fine after being hit by my poison?"
Paegak's pupils shook violently.
The opponent, who should have been foaming at the mouth and collapsing by now, was completely fine.
In fact, he was smiling casually, as if nothing had happened.
"It's nothing special. This is so low-grade that it's embarrassing to even call it poison. Some foreign substance entered my body, so I just lightly detoxified it."
[Unique Ability 'Thousand Poisons' is activated!]
[Unique Ability 'Blessing of the Stars' is activated!]
[Unique Ability 'Mandala' is enhanced!]
Through 'Thousand Poisons', he analyzed the type and composition of the poison.
Through 'Blessing of the Stars', he executed optimized healing.
On top of that, 'Mandala' cleared any impurities flowing into his dantian and protected the dantian itself, allowing him to easily handle most poisons.
'It might have been a bit troublesome if I didn't know the type of poison, though.'
This is why one shouldn't be overconfident.
Why would he blabber such valuable information?
"L-low-grade? My poison?"
"Ah, my apologies. For someone of your level, senior... it might actually be quite high-grade. Haha."
"Grrr! How dare you look down on the poison I personally inherited from Lord Dokgoryong! Fine. Let's see how long that confidence of yours lasts."
A new energy seeped into Paegak's daggers.
It was a poison of an entirely different composition than the one he had used just now.
Of course, there was no need to even verify that it was far more lethal.
"Here I come!"
With a murderous shout, Paegak's figure vanished.
But because he was too agitated, Paegak failed to notice.
The thin layer of ice that had formed beneath his feet.
"Huh?"
Slipping past Jinhyuk's flank was a good move, but his landing spot was far too slippery.
Paegak's body stumbled heavily.
As expected.
The ice created through 'Glacial Shaping' did its job perfectly.
'This angle, speed... and direction.'
Everything went exactly as Jinhyuk had designed.
He lightly twisted the elbow of the off-balance Paegak, forcing him to drop his dagger—and even calculated the exact trajectory of the flying weapon.
Thwack!
The stray dagger plunged deep into the flesh of another person standing nearby.
"Ah...?"
Ja So-hee stared with wide eyes at the dagger embedded in her shoulder.
It was an attack that flew in from a complete blind spot, and she had never expected a stray weapon to fly toward a spectator.
Had she been one of the Ten Great Masters, she would have dodged or deflected it somehow. Ja So-hee's lack of skill also contributed greatly to orchestrating this tragic finale.
"Wow, senior. No matter how angry you are, how could you take it out on an innocent bystander? Or did you perhaps receive orders from that Dokgoryong guy to take out your rival?"
To any onlooker, it looked as if Paegak had deliberately thrown the dagger at Ja So-hee with full intent.
"W-wait!"
Paegak hurriedly tried to make an excuse.
As if Jinhyuk would let him speak.
Hummmmm!
A dark energy gathered around Jinhyuk's fist.
Channeling the 'Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art', his fist shattered the remaining dagger and buried itself deep into Paegak's abdomen.
BOOM!
"Kaaahk!"
Folded in half, Paegak was sent flying across the hall, crashing violently into a pillar on the opposite side.
* * *
"Ja... So-hee!"
So Ho-hyang quickly checked on Ja So-hee's condition.
Because the poison used was close to a lethal toxin, her life would be in danger if they didn't act quickly.
On the other hand...
"You bastard!"
Dokgoryong roared, unable to contain his rage.
He had realized that Jinhyuk had engineered this entire situation on purpose.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
A deafening roar echoed, as if the entire Heavenly Demon Temple was about to collapse.
The pillars shook from their very bases due to the explosion of qi.
"I will make you pay for playing such cheap tricks!"
A hand dyed green up to the wrist lunged toward Jinhyuk.
But just before Dokgoryong's hand could pierce Jinhyuk—
"You're definitely the one who interfered first, right?"
Someone appeared between the two.
It was Alice, furious that someone had directed murderous intent toward her contractor.
Crack!
Alice blocked Dokgoryong's wrist.
At the same time, her other hand aimed for Dokgoryong's throat.
[Blood Lord 'Golden Circle' is activated!]
Though hidden behind her mask, Alice's crimson eyes turned gold.
A type of Blood-Realm Magic.
An ability that manifested only during close-quarters combat rather than ranged battles.
"Hup!"
Sensing danger, Dokgoryong frantically moved his hands.
Crash, crash, crash!
Boom!
In a split second lasting less than a moment, an invisible clash of offense and defense unfolded.
They exchanged only about five blows.
Yet, Dokgoryong instinctively realized.
That his opponent was by no means inferior to him.
"Who... on earth are you...?"
"You're surprisingly decent. I was planning to blow a hole in your neck with a single strike."
Their words crossed with contrasting temperatures.
Right then.
"Alice."
Jinhyuk grabbed Alice's shoulder.
"Hmm?"
"You can stop now."
"B-but he attacked first! He was really aiming to kill."
"Oh, come on. There's no way he would do something so ugly just because he couldn't accept the outcome of a duel. This isn't the Orthodox faction where people stab you in the back whenever they feel like it. There's no way the great Heavenly Demon Cult would harbor the pettiest of petty cowards."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, absolutely. Isn't that right, Master?"
"Puhahaha! It seems to be your complete victory. Indeed. This duel was strictly between you and Paegak. No one else has the right to interfere."
The Dark Emperor's gaze shifted to Dokgoryong.
"If you push this any further, I won't stand idly by either."
"...Tsk."
Dokgoryong reluctantly backed down.
He was furious, but he no longer had any justification to act.
"Then, I'll leave you to clean up this minor mess. It seems the Heavenly Demon won't be showing up today either, so I'll take my leave first. Oh! And just so you know, I'll be using the Eastern Training Hall. I need to spend some time hanging out with my disciple for a while."
The Dark Emperor turned around, as if he had finished all his business.
"Good work, seniors. That was quite fun for a change."
And Jinhyuk and Alice followed closely behind him.
* * *
In the space left by the three...
...a deep silence fell over the Heavenly Demon Temple.
No matter how off-guard Paegak had been caught, he shouldn't have been defeated this easily.
It was simply that they hadn't expected the opponent to be so well-versed in poison arts.
But...
...even while everyone else thought so...
...Dokgoryong alone stared at the shattered blade fragments on the floor with a grim expression.
'The daggers Paegak used were forged from meteoric iron.'
And yet...
...they shattered?
'I thought that old man had picked up a stray puppy, but he brought home a tiger cub.'
Throb!
Furthermore, the masked woman who accompanied him was also a menacing master.
The dull ache in his wrist was a sensation Dokgoryong hadn't felt in a very long time.
The survival instincts that had kept him alive in this hellish place for so long were screaming a warning at full volume.
That this was dangerous.
'I must... inform the Left Dharma Protector immediately.'
No matter what new variables had appeared.
No matter if the Dark Emperor or anyone else intervened.
They could never allow their grand undertaking to be disrupted.
For they had invested ten long years of their lives into this very task.
* * *
Normally, when people think of training, they picture gasping for breath with their entire body drenched in sweat.
You know, those scenes where characters look at the setting sun and marvel, 'I've grown this much stronger today.'
Achievement and growth that come at the end of pain and endurance.
Clichéd, but essential, reliable, comforting scenes like a hearty bowl of soup.
However...
...the training Jinhyuk was currently undergoing was light-years away from such tear-jerking, heartwarming training.
"Pant, pant. No, wait. Isn't this seriously going too far, Master?"
Jinhyuk clenched his teeth so hard they threatened to shatter.
The Second Dungeon, located deep beneath the Heavenly Demon Cult.
He had been fighting Dokkaebis for seven hours straight without a single break, to the point where a sweet, metallic taste filled his mouth.
"Maaa!"
"Mwaaa!"
Round, chubby Dokkaebis rushed in like a tidal wave.
Though they looked quite cute, they were over level 80 and moved in packs, making them incredibly tricky monsters to deal with.
Especially since intermediate-grade Dokkaebis and above could even use Taoist magic.
"Tsk, tsk. How can you complain over a mere hundred Dokkaebis? We still have a mountain of tasks left, like emptying a lake with a single teacup, doing handstands while traversing the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains ten times, and destroying a couple of Murim Alliance branches."
"Isn't that just telling me to die?"
"Gwahahah! Would I ever try to kill my one and only disciple? To master the Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art, you must first build up your basic physical strength. This is all training that will serve as your blood and flesh."
The Dark Emperor burst into a good-natured laugh.
What kind of basic physical strength required fighting for seven hours straight and still wasn't enough...?
It had been exactly like this when he met his master in the Tower of Trials in the past.
Overcoming his limits by pushing through tasks of absurd difficulty.
Even back then, he had shuddered and sworn that he would be less than human if he ever did this again. He never imagined he would break that vow once more.
"Contractor! Work harder. There are five more coming your way."
Alice sat a short distance away, smiling brightly.
"Mogi-mogi!"
"Looks like Master is having a hard time. We're not tired at all, though."
"It's pleasantly cool, perfect for relaxing. We brought plenty of food, so it feels just like a picnic."
"Give me some ice too. I want to put it in my lemonade."
Even Goguma and the spirits were huddled together.
Seeing them munching away on cookies and milk made his blood boil.
"Hmm. It seems you'll have to spend tonight in the dungeon. I have some backlogged work to handle, so make sure to clear out all the Dokkaebis on the first floor of the dungeon by sunrise."
"Uh, Master?"
"What is it? Surely you aren't faking an illness?"
"It's not that, but to climb the tower, don't my companions need to grow stronger as well?"
Jinhyuk glanced over and pointed at the bastards who were currently fooling around.
...Huh?
Everyone's expressions did a complete 180.
Not expecting the sparks to fly their way, Undine let lemonade dribble out of her mouth.
"Hmm."
The Dark Emperor scratched his chin.
"No, no, no."
"Please, please, please."
"Tell him no! Hurry!"
Everyone's desperate wishes reached the Dark Emperor.
Of course...
...they only reached him.
"Indeed, growing together with your companions is also important. Very well. However, since your numbers have increased, you must clear out all the Dokkaebis inside the dungeon."
"Of course, without a doubt. Please, go tend to your business."
"W-wait...!"
Alice hurriedly tried to grab the Dark Emperor, but it was already too late.
Their master was no longer here.
Only his disciple, with nothing but spite left in him, remained.
"Now then..."
Jinhyuk cracked his stiff joints.
"Shall we start by spitting out those cookies you're chewing on?"