Blue Woman #6
"Gaaah!"
"Aaaah!"
"Kyaaah!"
The flying mummy appeared and started casting spells, sending everyone on the walls into a panic as they screamed their heads off. Truth be told, I should've been screaming too, but after nearly dying to Saseon-nyeo just yesterday, this flying mummy felt like small potatoes.
"Ooooh...! Foolish mortals! I can see your fear!"
the mummy bellowed.
"But there is no salvation for you! No hell, no heavenly realm! Only infinite terror and malice await! Hahaha!"
What the fuck is this bullshit?
"Don't listen! It's the evil fairy's sorcery!"
"Plug your ears or you'll be cursed!"
"Aaaah!"
The Jinyiwei subordinates started barking orders not to listen, and the quick-witted officers began controlling the soldiers. The mummy kept yelling regardless.
"But there is a best choice! Come, mortals! Become death ghosts! Preserve your souls as death ghosts!"
—Fwoosh!
Right as the mummy finished that crap and gestured with its hand.
—Crunch!
—Crunched!
Suddenly, the death ghosts below started convulsing and smashing into each other like maniacs. It was such a grotesque sight that I froze for a few seconds. The clustered death ghosts formed a horrific giant shape. Like a flesh golem!
"Eek!"
"W-what is that...!"
"The death ghosts merged!"
The massive death ghost amalgam moved. And fast. It crawled up, crushing its own death ghosts, then flung its huge body onto the wall!
"Gaaah! Block it, block it!"
"Murim warriors!"
No, you crazy bastards! How the hell do we block that?!
"Graaaah!"
The unified death ghosts roared, and the monster scaled the wall in a flash. In an instant, it reached the top and swung its arm.
—Boom!
"Aaaah!"
The soldiers' puny spears couldn't stop that massive blow. Soldiers and death ghosts on the wall got swept away in one hit.
"H-heek!"
"Gaaah!"
Panic spread like wildfire.
"R-run... we gotta run...!"
The bantou behind me were terrified and trying to flee too. That's when a Jinyiwei subordinate thundered.
"Nachal Bang! Go block it! Desertion means execution!"
"Fuck my life!"
Not even Meng Hu Dai, but if these pricks order it, we've got no choice!
"Everyone, follow me! Raaah!"
I roared and charged the monster. Fear? Yeah, it was scary as shit, but not that bad. My life's in Saseon-nyeo's hands anyway. Why would I fear some monster in this fucked-up limbo?
"Aaaah!"
"Gaaah!"
The Nachal Bang guys followed me. The spot where the monster climbed was already a total mess. Soldiers swept away in seconds, then death ghosts swarming up and rampaging. Terrified soldiers fleeing, Murim fighters too scared to step up.
In the chaos, I advanced like a heroic general.
"Graek!"
"Grek!"
I slashed death ghosts with my sword, kicked them aside, stabbed, clearing my path. Next instant, the monster spotted me.
"Graaaah!"
A resonant roar. Its flesh arm stretched toward me. Insanely fast, but dodgeable.
"Hup!"
I rolled forward, dodging the incoming arm. Diving inside, I timed it for when the monster blocked everyone's view.
—Fwoosh!
I quietly summoned my ghost energy. Thanks to absorbing Uduyacha's yodan yesterday, my ghost energy was stronger and purer. It ignited in a flash, compressing rapidly around my sword.
A fierce upward slash rips through the upper body.
—Slash!
The monster's lower body split wide open. Losing balance or bursting flesh, it collapsed, and I swiftly dodged the crumbling mass.
—Thud!
"Graaaah!"
Down like that, it couldn't move properly.
"Finish it now! Tear it apart!"
I bellowed.
"Aaaah!"
"Rip it to shreds!"
Everyone nearby thrust their weapons into the monster. Blood and chunks flying—a gruesome sight. Monster down!
"Kraaaah!"
Pathetic thing like that was no match for me. Anyway.
Did I just compress my ghost energy? That looked no different from sword aura.
"We can win! We can do this!"
"The great death ghost fell!"
"Screaming Nachal! Screaming Nachal!"
The crowd cheered my feat. At this rate, we could hold the wall. That's what I thought—
"O-over there! Look!"
"Eek...!"
Someone pointed outside. And what we saw was—
"Graaaah!"
"Graaaah!"
A dozen more monsters.
"Kekeke! Killed one? I'll send ten more!"
The flying mummy cackled, and the monsters thundered forward, clinging to the wall. No way we block this.
"Ba, Bangju!"
"Bangju-nim!"
"Screaming Nachal-nim!"
Everyone around called for me.
—Thud!
—Boom!
The fast-climbing monsters rampaged everywhere, smashing defenses. How the fuck do we stop this? Even if I take some, it's impossible.
"Retreat! Retreat!"
the Jinyiwei subordinate yelled.
"Fuck! Everyone, fall back!"
Retreat order's out—time to bail!
* * *
The wall fell.
The death ghost horde, led by monsters, punched through effortlessly. Then horned death ghosts climbed, seized the gate, and flung it open. We retreated into the city for street defense.
We piled debris between buildings for barricades, holding off death ghosts.
"Kraaaah!"
"Graaak!"
Luckily, once inside, they scattered, so we managed. But the monsters were the problem. They smashed buildings, death ghosts poured in. We'd retreat again.
"Mun Do! Stab it!"
Even so, Nachal Bang shone, taking down monsters. With me, Serin, and Hayeong joining, it was doable. We'd kill one, reinforce nearly breached spots—but limits were clear. Soldiers and upright faction warriors dying everywhere. Our forces whittled down.
"Kuh! Why no reinforcements?!"
Galbi Jong yelled. Honestly, I'm waiting too. When the fuck are they coming?
"Kik... Still waiting for reinforcements?"
"Jae Mi-son? What're you saying?"
"To me, we're bait."
Bait?
"Bait to catch Saseon-nyeo's tail."
"What...!"
Saseon-nyeo's name made my heart sink.
"Her open moves like this are rare. Whatever she's been up to... she's back. So maybe they're waiting for her tail to show instead of quelling early."
"You mean—!"
I shouted in shock.
"The court and Murim Alliance are abandoning this place to catch Saseon-nyeo?!"
"Kukuk, could be."
This is insane!
"Serin! Is that true?!"
"I cannot judge. But it's possible."
"No way!"
Thinking about it, Namgung Family reinforcements hadn't arrived either.
"Hayeong! What about Mosan Sect Taoists? They should come now!"
"Hmm... Yeah, they should. But death ghost numbers are insane. A few Taoists won't cut it. Probably linking with Ming army..."
Which means—
"Reinforcements come first, then Mosan Sect?!"
"Ugh... Yeah?"
Hayeong replied awkwardly.
"Yes. I think so too. No Murim unit alone pierces tens of thousands of death ghosts."
"..."
"So Namgung Family likely joins Ming army too."
"Fuck! If no relief, we're fucked!"
If the court's sacrificing us like Jae Mi-son says, no relief comes. Then even big upright sects hesitate.
"B-but don't worry too much. Even if they abandon us, they'll act nearby. Reinforcements will come somehow."
Hayeong tried reassuring me.
"Yeah. They will. Let's believe that."
I steeled myself repeating it.
* * *
Murim zombie apocalypse. Sounds like bullshit, but it's happening. Death ghosts breached the wall, flooding the county. Remaining troops, civilians, Murim fighters formed lines under Jinyiwei command—but without relief, defeat inevitable.
"Graaaah!"
"Monster!"
We'd retreated over and over. Defendable lines shrinking, from rooftops we saw the whole battlefield. A monster appeared yonder. It smashes that building, that line breaks, we're screwed again.
"Geun-hyeop. I'll go."
"Be careful, Serin."
"Yes."
Serin could handle it solo. As she moved—
—Flash!
A gold-robed man shot out like lightning. He swung his sword; the monster bisected.
"Wha—what?"
Everyone stared at the gold-robed man.
"Jinyiwei!"
Yes. The long-missing Jinyiwei finally hit the field.