Chapter 46
Chapter 46
Translator: Penny
Chapter 46
Just before the Gate closed, Heukchigang's body burned with heat.
This was due to the exhilaration of facing his longtime rival after so long, which had ignited both his mind and every muscle in his body.
Like a finely honed blade, he radiated a sharp, overwhelming presence as he moved slowly.
His intention was to ensure that Elena and Jacob remained utterly crushed by his aura and power until the moment he vanished.
"Heh heh heh... I certainly hope we meet again."
Though he longed to kill Elena and Jacob, he knew their resistance would be formidable.
The Gate is closing soon, leaving me little time. And while that thrall is insignificant, the Master will keep resurrecting unless I drive a stake through her heart.
While the physical strength of Vampiric Demons was a concern, their true threat lay in their unique immortality.
Once, the Emperor of the Cheontae Kingdom, obsessed with immortality, ordered the capture of all Vampiric Demons on the Eastern Continent. Heukchigang had fought several of them during that campaign.
The thralls posed little challenge, being no more than slightly stronger warriors or goblin-level creatures.
But the Masters, especially those nearing ancestral status, possessed strength far beyond mere ferocity.
On one occasion, four elite Chwisol warriors had fallen to a single Vampiric Demon.
Perhaps due to this experience, Heukchigang never underestimated the Vampiric Demons' potential. He couldn't afford to view the current situation with complacency.
Thus, he concluded that it would be best to imprint his martial prowess at this level and then vanish.
"Next time, I'll take your head as a trophy," he sneered over his shoulder before half-shoving himself through the Gate.
That's when it happened.
The sound of wind rushing from somewhere.
"Hmm—"
Heukchigang tilted his head, instinctively channeling magical energy around his body. It was a primal, instinctive reaction.
He lifted the sword sheath he had been using as a cane and gripped the hilt.
Heukchigang's sword draw was peerless. Anyone who entered his attack range would have their head severed in a single strike.
He roared at the threatening wind, his voice dripping with menace:
"How dare you, Heukchi—KAAAH!"
At that moment, an impossibly strong force slammed into his shoulder.
Crack!
Heukchigang was sent flying through the air with such terrifying force that the word "thrown" hardly did it justice.
Whoosh.
The Gate slammed shut the instant he crossed through, as if it had been waiting for him.
The people waiting on the other side of the Gate were stunned to see Heukchigang come hurtling through the air.
"No way, that's the Sky-Treading Technique!"
"When did the Captain of Chwisol's 1st Unit learn such advanced martial arts?"
Magic or martial arts that allowed one to traverse the sky were no trivial matter.
Just as their awe subsided, Heukchigang crashed to the ground, rolling to a stop. Sensing something was wrong, the crowd rushed toward him.
"Heukchigang...!"
"What the hell happened...?"
They stared down at Heukchigang with even more horror than when they had believed he could fly.
His right shoulder was completely mangled.
Blood soaked the ground, and the flesh and muscle had been torn away, exposing the bone beneath in a gruesome display.
Heukchigang was even foaming at the mouth and convulsing on the ground, likely from the excruciating pain.
"Fucking hell—did he get hit by a Dragon or what?!"
A woman in a hooded robe turned to glare at the vanished Gate, her expression twisting in a grimace.
She was on the verge of reaching the Beyond the Heavens realm.
Not only was she one of the most formidable warriors on the Eastern Continent, but she had also been the legendary Captain of Chwisol's 1st Unit.
"He shouldn't have been defeated so easily..."
"Could he have been one of those 'beings you shouldn't provoke'?"
"...The Three Buddhas? Surely not."
The 'beings you shouldn't provoke' they were referring to were the Three Buddhas: witches, demons, and spirits.
Since these entities transcended the boundaries of humanity, such a possibility was entirely plausible.
"We'll get the details once he wakes up. Did Ananta manage to evacuate completely?"
"They've withdrawn cleanly from the Sachsen Region."
"Good. I'll go report. You guys focus on healing Heukchigang. Damn it, it looks like a dragon was living in that abandoned mine after all."
"Ah, what about the Lord of Sachsen? Both Ludicain and Theo are gone."
"Let's leave him for now. Until The Master gives us orders."
She bit her lip and strode away.
"Master, are you alright?" Elena staggered toward him.
"Hmm, I'm more worried about you than myself."
"I'll recover quickly. Vampir don't die easily." She snapped her fingers, gathering the blood scattered around them. The deep gash in her side, which had been gushing blood moments ago, began to heal rapidly.
"Is Jacob alright?"
"Yes, Count... I apologize for causing you concern," Jacob said, bowing his head as he stumbled forward.
Agron placed a hand on Jacob's shoulder, his expression softening. "It's fine. I've known all along that Vampir are weak."
Elena and Jacob couldn't bring themselves to reply. If anyone else had uttered such words, they would have torn their mouth apart to make them retract it. But since Agron said it, they had no choice but to swallow the bitter truth.
Of course, Elena had plenty of excuses.
The creature they had fought last time, though a mere cub, was a demon—one of the Three Buddhas. This time, Agron hadn't sensed it, but their opponent was an absolute powerhouse, one who dared to aspire to the realm Beyond the Heavens.
Vampir were powerful, but not the strongest. At best, they could contend with the Giants of the Stone Tombs, the most warlike of all races, or the Forest Folk of the Garden, who wielded magic on par with dragons.
"I didn't get a good look. What exactly was that thing?"
"They called themselves Ink Moon, Master."
"Ink Moon... That's the criminal broker organization Josef mentioned."
"Yes, and I think they said their name was Heukchigang, Captain of Chwisol's 1st Unit."
Agron tilted his head, intrigued by the unusual name.
"They must be from the Eastern Continent. I'll ask the Elder about them later."
Agron led the group out of the cave and toward the mansion.
They arrived just before dawn. After washing up and freshening up, they gathered at the dining table.
"Oh, you're here already?" Lawrence, already eating breakfast, waved at them as they entered the dining room.
"So, did you deal with Ananta?"
"Hah, we lost them. They're surprisingly fast."
"Aww... So there's no progress at all?"
"Not exactly. Elena and Jacob fought a man claiming to be Ink Moon."
The mysterious organization's name made the others' eyes widen.
"What? How did it go?"
Jacob, sitting beside Elena, glanced at her cautiously.
She elegantly sliced a piece of lamb, ate it, and remained silent, clearly uninterested in elaborating.
"I'll explain instead," Jacob offered.
He kept his and Elena's battle description brief and unremarkable, focusing instead on detailing what he had seen of Heukchigang.
He didn't want to risk offending his master, Elena, by adding unnecessary details.
But when Baek Woon heard the name mentioned, he leaped to his feet.
"What?! Did you say Heukchigang of Chwisol?!"
"That's correct, Master Daoist."
"What... what did he look like?"
"His hair was wild and disheveled, like a bird's nest. He wore flowing robes similar to yours, Master Daoist... his teeth were slightly blackened, and he was blind."
After hearing the description, Baek Woon clutched his forehead and collapsed back into his seat.
"A blind man with the surname Heukchi..."
"Wait... if it's Chwisol, isn't that the place you mentioned yesterday, Master Daoist? The strongest warrior corps or something?" Lawrence asked, pausing mid-bite of his apple pie, recalling their conversation from the previous day.
"If you ever encounter someone claiming to be from Chwisol, I implore you: don't fight them. Run. You'll die."
The old man had spoken those words with unwavering sincerity.
"Does the little one know much about Chwisol?" Elena asked Baek Woon, raising an eyebrow.
The memory of last night's battle still made her blood boil. Being so utterly helpless against humans was a rare humiliation in her long life.
"Chwisol is the Cheontae Kingdom's Emperor's personal guard—the Warrior Corps. In the Kingdom of Astraria, they'd be equivalent to the Royal Guard Knights."
"What about this Heukchigang fellow?"
"I don't know much myself, but... Heukchigang must be one of the three strongest warriors in Chwisol."
Baek Woon spoke about Heukchigang, as he remembered him.
"Does your country have many warriors of his caliber?"
"In the Cheontae Kingdom, the seven strongest individuals are typically referred to as the 'Seven Serpent Heads.' Heukchigang likely belonged to that group."
"Seven Serpent Heads..."
Elena etched the name firmly into a corner of her mind.
The next time we meet, I'll personally twist his neck and drain every drop of blood from his body.
"But why would someone like that be operating in the Kingdom of Astraria, and as part of an organization called Ink Moon?" Agron asked, his tone puzzled.
Baek Woon shook his head, indicating he didn't know the answer either.
"Hmm, I wouldn't know. I'm not very familiar with affairs in the Eastern Continent."
"But this happened on the Western Continent."
"...You really don't know much about the Western Continent, do you?"
"The Elder doesn't seem to know much at all."
"..."
Agron's sincere words made Baek Woon clench his jaw. Vowing to one day smash that head with his staff, Baek Woon gulped down cold water to cool his temper.
"Do you think he survived?" Elena asked.
"Hmm, he had some skill, but... I don't think he's dead."
"What?! D-did you actually fight Heukchigang...?"
"Ah, I just punched him in the shoulder as he tried to escape through the Gate at the end."
"...You punched him?"
"Yes. I saw him fly away."
Baek Woon stared at Agron with a dumbfounded expression, as if he'd just heard Agron had fought a dragon.
Of course, they hadn't actually fought, but to throw a punch at Heukchigang, one of the Seven Serpent Heads...
This was an absurd tale that no one from the Cheontae Kingdom would believe.
"You'll be a sensation on the Eastern Continent. You've got quite the heroic tale now."
"I didn't kill him, just landed a single punch."
"Didn't I just tell you? Heukchigang is one of the seven strongest people on the continent."
"Is that so? He didn't seem that impressive to me."
"You... you might have been in serious danger if you'd fought seriously. Be more careful next time."
Agron was undoubtedly strong, but in Baek Woon's eyes, he was still like a child left alone by the water's edge.
I didn't want to see anyone lose their life due to reckless bravado.
Just then, Hunts, Lawrence's Guard Knight, entered the dining hall.
"A letter has arrived for Your Highness."
"A letter? From my father?"
"No, it's an invitation to a banquet."
Princes and princesses of the royal family were frequently invited to banquets.
This was partly because nobles were eager to curry favor with them, and partly because the princes saw it as a win-win strategy to expand their influence.
"Ah— I was going to ignore it, but this is a banquet I can't afford to miss," Lawrence murmured after reading the letter.
Agron, who was standing nearby, immediately chimed in.
"Hmm, farewell."
"I'm not leaving yet. Wait, it says you're invited too?"
"Why would I go somewhere when I don't even know who's hosting?"
"No, you actually know him indirectly."
"Who is it?"
Lawrence handed over the letter with a grin.
"Count Kopellus. He's the patron of Viscount Fabia, the one you embarrassed at the banquet."
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny