Chapter 280: How a Veteran Trains (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 280: How a Veteran Trains (3)
Clink...
The sound of chains.
Huu...
A faint breath.
And finally, the mana brushing against his skin.
This was the deepest part of the 'Thunder Prison,' where the prisoners of the Heavenly Demon Cult were locked away.
Jinhyuk took a step forward.
He saw iron bars lining both sides, with humans muttering inside them.
They must not even feed them properly. It looks impossible to even stretch out one's legs to sleep.
The punishment of staying here until the day they died, with no hope of release, was more wretched than he had imagined.
Right then.
Crash!
A heavily bearded old man in the cell right in front of Jinhyuk let out a bizarre shriek.
"L-let me out! Get me out of this hellhole!"
That served as the trigger.
"Khehehe!"
"Bwahaha! What's this? How long has it been since we had a visitor?"
"Someone's here. My energy perception has completely died by now."
"I don't care who you are, if you get me out of here, I'll give you the entire Murim! I promise you wealth, fame, everything!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Crash!
The sounds of kicking iron bars and crazed laughter mingled together.
These people must have once stood at the pinnacle of strength, receiving everyone's awe and respect...
I guess this is why you should live a crime-free life.
There was no need to pay attention to these guys.
After all, his purpose in coming to the Thunder Prison was to deal with the High-Grade Dokkaebi at the very end.
The hidden quest must also mean finding a specific clue there.
"Hey! Don't ignore me, stop!"
"Do you know who I am? Open this right now before I tear you to shreds!"
Oh, please.
Would you stop if you were in my shoes?
"Look, elders. Straining your necks like that will only blow out your vocal cords. You already look like you haven't even had a bowl of gruel... Don't overexert yourselves and cross the River Jordan from high blood pressure."
Looking closely, these were special cells made with a mixture of Myriad-Year Cold Iron, and they even had talismans attached that seemed to be sealed by Shimmasaryong himself.
Even if they died and came back to life, they probably couldn't—
However.
Clack!
"Huh...?"
The cell doors swung open all at once.
* * *
"A-as you commanded... I have released the seals... on all areas except the demonic beast zone."
The leader of the Thunder Spirit Squad, who managed the Thunder Prison, spoke.
The giant jade orb in front of him was currently projecting the interior of the Thunder Prison in real-time.
"Is this... really alright?"
The squad leader's gaze turned toward Dokgoryong.
No matter if it was an order from the Left Dharma Protector, he never imagined he would do something so insane.
It defied all common sense.
"Squad Leader."
"Y-yes!"
"You only need to do as you are told. Surely you haven't forgotten already? While the Heavenly Demon is away, who acts on his behalf."
"T-that is, of course..."
Fear flickered in the squad leader's eyes.
The Heavenly Demon, who had vanished into closed-door cultivation, and the Dark Emperor, who acted entirely on his own whims.
In reality, the ruler leading the Heavenly Demon Cult was already decided.
Furthermore, standing beside Dokgoryong was Chae Hong-ah, the Fire Dragon Purple Spear, another of the Heavenly Demon Cult's Top Ten Masters.
No matter how bold the squad leader was, he didn't have the guts to rebel against two of the Top Ten Masters.
"I think I should head down there myself."
Chae Hong-ah rested her crimson spear on her shoulder.
"Yourself? The prisoners should be more than enough."
"I prefer moving my own body to just watching. Since I have the token from the Left Dharma Protector, just open the entrance gate and I'll handle the rest."
"Hmm. Do as you wish, then."
Dokgoryong nodded slowly.
With Chae Hong-ah stepping in personally, there were absolutely no variables left.
"Squad Leader. Open the gate."
To preserve his life, he must not harbor doubts.
Nor must he ask questions.
"...Understood."
The squad leader knew better than anyone that only an obedient dog survived for long.
"Now, what will you do?"
Dokgoryong watched Jinhyuk and the prisoners pouring out of their cells.
Though weakened by long years of imprisonment, every single one of them was a master possessing terrifying martial arts.
No matter how exceptionally skilled he was, there was nothing he could do.
Only death awaited him.
* * *
Boom!
Hit by simultaneous attacks, Jinhyuk's body was sent flying back quite a distance.
"Bwahaha! Freedom! We're free!"
"I don't even know how long it's been since I last stretched my limbs. Khehehe!"
With bloodshot, rolling eyes, the madness-addled prisoners ran wild.
"They really are trying everything. So they've decided to just go all out, huh?"
Jinhyuk quickly got to his feet and took a stance.
The talismans that had tightly sealed the iron bars just moments ago lay torn to shreds on the floor.
As if someone had intentionally released the seal.
Even without being told, he could guess who was behind this.
The Left Dharma Protector, Samaja, and his lackeys.
Using what happened at the Heavenly Demon Palace as an excuse, they planned to bury him along with everyone in the Thunder Prison.
He had no intention of going down quietly.
[The unique ability 'Grave of Swords' has been activated!]
Vroooom!
A black energy enveloped Fang and the Twin Dragon Sword.
A terrifying Sword Aura fully materialized along the blades.
"Oh? The kid can even use Sword Aura?"
"He's worthy of being sent to Avici Hell. This will be very entertaining."
Even upon seeing the Sword Aura, the prisoners didn't look intimidated in the slightest.
Instead, they smoothly took their positions, tightening the encirclement.
I have no choice but to cut them all down.
If he hesitated or held back even a little, he would be the one to fall.
Having made his decision, Jinhyuk moved first.
A horizontal slash aimed straight for a prisoner's neck.
Clang!
Fang was blocked.
Not by a blade, but by a fist.
"If you thought you were the only one who could wield Aura, you were gravely mistaken."
Fist Aura.
The ink-black Fist Aura completely enveloping the fist blazed fiercely.
Of course.
"I think you're the one making a huge mistake. Not all Auras are created equal."
The balance of power began to collapse rapidly.
The Aura of a prisoner locked up for so long was far from enough to withstand the Sword Demon's Aura.
"...Ugh!"
The prisoner's confident face contorted.
"W-wait!"
He cried out in panic, but it was already too late.
Slash!
Fang swept across his neck.
The cleanly severed head vanished into the darkness.
At the same time,
"Get him!"
The remaining prisoners moved.
Front, back, left, right.
Realizing a head-on clash wouldn't work, they utilized a Combined Attack Formation to exploit any openings.
Like the battle-hardened old foxes they were, their hit-and-run tactics were superb.
"...Annoying."
Jinhyuk grit his teeth, parrying a kick flying from behind.
This time, the neck.
Next, the waist.
It was a relief they didn't have weapons. The storm of continuous strikes was dizzying.
Without even a moment to catch his breath, Jinhyuk threw his body to the side.
Crash!
The spot where he had stood just a moment ago shattered into pieces.
...This!?
Mid-air, Jinhyuk quickly swung Fang.
The silently approaching stone fragments were split in half.
Silent Hidden Weapon Technique.
Come to think of it, there were prisoners here specialized in assassination.
Close combat was already overwhelming, and now they were adding long-range attacks.
Moreover, as time passed and they warmed up, the accuracy and sharpness of their attacks became incomparably keener than at first.
However, Jinhyuk wasn't the only one who was surprised.
"He parried all of that...?"
"Unbelievable. We did all this, and we couldn't even leave a single scratch on him."
"Has an Eleventh Master appeared in the Heavenly Demon Cult?"
Nearly thirty masters had coordinated their attacks.
Yet, far from killing him, they couldn't even achieve the slightest result.
No, that wasn't even the half of it.
It had seemed like they were simply trading blows, but casualties were rapidly mounting on the prisoners' side.
Already, more than seven of them had suffered sword wounds to their arms and legs, rendering them unable to fight.
If this continued, the damage would spiral out of control.
Above all, they didn't want to lose their hard-won freedom in such a futile manner.
"...Hey."
"Yeah."
Their desire to see blood remained, but it didn't necessarily have to be this guy's.
Once they escaped the Thunder Prison and entered the Murim, they could find plenty of easy prey.
Their hesitation didn't last long.
They all exchanged glances and began to slowly back away.
This might actually turn out to be easier than I thought.
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
"Fufu... You're even more of a monster than I thought. If I had just stayed upstairs and watched quietly, things would have gone completely awry."
A new figure emerged from the passage.
A woman with long, straight hair cascading down to her waist.
He remembered seeing her at the Heavenly Demon Palace before.
It just keeps getting worse.
She must have used a hidden passage.
If she had come through the normal route, she would have run into Alice first.
"I am Chae Hong-ah."
"Isn't the atmosphere a bit too tense for a friendly introduction? I figured you guys were up to some mischief, but I didn't expect you to be this blatant about it."
"Fufu. Don't be so cold. It's your fault for visiting our cult at such a critical time."
Clatter!
Chae Hong-ah dropped the bundle she was holding onto the floor.
Various weapons spilled out from inside.
"The weapons... we used..."
"My sword... It's my sword!"
"Black Bird. To think I'd see you again."
The prisoners' eyes shook with shock.
The realization that they had recovered the cherished weapons they had wielded for years stirred their emotions as martial artists.
"I have a proposal for you all. Kill that man, and I will grant you the freedom you so desperately desire. And by that, I mean absolute freedom, where you will never be hunted for the rest of your lives."
"R-really? Is that true?"
"Freedom..."
"Keke... So we just have to kill him. Just kill him."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
The eyes of the hunting dogs, which had been tucking their tails, now brimmed with murderous intent.
Talk about throwing a wrench in the gears.
The prisoners glared at Jinhyuk, gripping their respective weapons.
Hmm.
Bare-handed was one thing, but this was too much.
Especially now that Chae Hong-ah had joined them.
Jinhyuk took a stealthy step backward.
"Are you planning to run?"
"Run? I'd appreciate it if you called it a tactical retreat."
He had to hold out until Alice or Goguma arrived.
But.
"If you're waiting for backup, it's futile. We've released a swarm of rather troublesome Dokkaebi where your companions are. It will take them at least a few hours to make it here."
"Wow. A complete checkmate, then."
"It means you should die quietly without making us waste our energy. Don't worry, we'll package it nicely as an unfortunate accident to the Right Dharma Protector, so don't feel too bad."
Her tone suggested she didn't care whether his master found out or not.
He had suspected it, but these bastards were indeed planning to overthrow the entire Heavenly Demon Cult.
"What are you doing? Why aren't you starting? Do you not yearn for your freedom?"
Chae Hong-ah nodded.
"Attack!"
"It'll be different this time. I'll split you in half in a single blow!"
Crash!
Clang! Clang!
Swords clashed against swords.
An onslaught incomparably fiercer than before raged like a storm.
Jinhyuk focused entirely on defense, pushing his senses to their absolute peak.
Even if I can heal cuts with the Blessing of the Stars, I must protect my legs at all costs.
If he got surrounded, it would truly be the end.
Jinhyuk leaped toward a wall to minimize his blind spots.
But then.
Thud.
As he retreated swiftly, Jinhyuk's back hit a wall.
To be precise, the iron bars of a cell he had mistaken for a wall.
"What's this?"
Jinhyuk tilted his head.
Hadn't all the cell doors been opened?
He hadn't noticed because he was trying to flee to the deepest part, but looking closely, there were still a few iron bars that remained closed.
Right then.
Grrrr...
The low growl of a beast echoed from inside the cell.
These guys are...?
Oho.
A rather interesting idea just crossed my mind.